The two cousins could not be more opposite. Louisa Elliot nurtures a defiant spirit, while Lady Meg never dares to rebel or speak out. Both raised by their overbearing grandmother, the cousins are distraught when the countess decrees they shall be wed Louisa to a timorous squire and Meg to the haughty Duke of Hargrove. Putting their differences aside, they form a bond to help each other out of their current predicaments. From the moment the Duke meets Louisa his heart is ensnared. Rumors of financial ruin adds credence to the misinformation Louisa gathers to discredit him and save her cousin. As she builds her case, she realizes she is falling in love with him. Unhappy with his arrangement, Hargrove is forced to court Meg in order to see her spirited cousin. Despite mounting evidence that Hargrove is a traitor, Louisa risks her life to prove his innocence and marry the man she really loves.