Unwilling to be married to a man three times her age, whom she has met only once, Dinah Caldecott appeals to her cousin Imogen for help. Dinah's father, Sir Swithin, is a bully, who cares nothing for anything but his own wishes. Imogen suggests advertising for a husband, and eloping with him, and in desperation, Dinah agrees. Answering the advertisement, initially for a lark, Val Braidwood finds himself taken with Dinah, and promises to carry her off to Scotland on his yacht. Meanwhild, to put Dinah's brutal father off the scent of the eloping pair, Dinah's young cousins set out to pull the wool over his eyes by a jape designed to misdirect him. Val and Dinah travel north, rescuing shipwrecked travellers on their way. Once married, Dinah sets the town talking, as her family find ways to upset Sir Swithin. And then, Bonaparte's escape from Elba means that Val and Dinah must undertake a daring rescue