Kitty asks Freddy for help in assisting Dolph and Hannah to get married, but he has to go out of town to see his brother Charlie who is in trouble at Oxford. While he's away, she gets a letter from Miss Fishguard which she finds hard to read as her governess scrawls the letter on one page.
She decides to go to Arnside for a day or 2, to see what is wrong, and hits on an idea to help Dolph... She asks him to drive her to her guardian's house, and they will take Hannah.... and Hugh as the local vicar, can marry her and Dolphinton. Then he will be safely married and free of his mother.
She sets off with Dolphinton and Hannah and arrives at the rectory where Hugh lives. He is shocked at the sudden arrival of Kitty, and his cousin's plain looking fiancee, and is clearly reluctant to marry Dolph off to someone when it will cause such a family uproar. Dolph is very nervous hiding under the table for fear his mother will come and find him, but he stands his ground.
To their surprise, their next visitor is Jack. He jeers at Dolph but tells Kitty that he has come to Arnside to see Uncle Matthew, because the old miser is now planning to marry Miss Fishguard and he fears that she will inherit everything and possibly even produce an heir. Kitty is surprised but willing to accept the marriage... Jack is not.
Then Freddy arrives. He realises that Kitty has not thought of Dolph needing a special license and he has brought one. Hugh is still not happy but has no excuse now to avoid performing the wedding. During his time in London, Freddy has managed to solve the Olivia problem... He met Olivia, and she told him that her mother was trying to force her to marry an elderly and unpleasant Roue, Sir Henry Gosford, or to become a courtesan.
She hates Sir Henry and does not want to become someone's mistress. Freddy takes her to Meg's house and then goes to see D'evron. He persuades Camille to take her to France and marry her. The couple elope, happily and Camille hopes that his father will overlook his not managing to find a rich woman to marry.
At Garside Rectory, Jack now pretty exasperated, tells Kitty that he is tired of playing games and that he and she should get engaged and then confront Uncle Matthew and persaude him to give up Miss Fishguard. Kitty realises how selfish he is and that she does not love him any more. They quarrel and in the heat of the moment, Freddy knocks Jack down when he abuses Kitty.
Freddy is rather shocked at his own behaviour since he is not normally aggressive, but he has grown to love Kitty and is angry that Jack cares litlte for her. He walks out, leaving Freddy in possession of the field, and he and Kitty plan to come the following day, to support Dolph and Hannah at their wedding. Kitty knows that Uncle Matthew is marrying Miss Fishguard out of selfish reasons, because she will be a cheap housekeeper for him, but she thinks that the marriage will give her middle aged governess security and will be a not too bad marriage for her.
She and Freddy leave Hugh's house to go to Arnside to see Uncle Matthew, and on the way, Freddy tells her that he loves her and wishes that their engagement was a real one.. and Kitty reveals to him that she has come to love him and to realise that although he is not handsome or clever, he is a good man and worthier than Jack... whom she does not love at all. They agree to send the notice of their betrothal to the papers and get married happily.......
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