Sally Brantham is an admirer of everything Gothic. When she meets an Earl who is not only heir to an abbey, but the author of horror tales, she is determined to marry him. Everyone agrees it is a splendid match, except for Dulcia, Sally's sister, who finds the Earl a trifle sinister. Dulcia is greatly attracted to the Earl's brother, Lord Robert, and believes she has an ally in him. With the surprise reappearance of Major Julian Leyburn, whom she had once loved and hoped to wed, Dulcia is diverted from Sally's fate and given little time to decide.