Victorian England through the eyes of a young girl, Margaret, who becomes the ward of an elderly countess during times of change and shifting morals. After her father’s death, Margaret Dawson is placed under the care of a distant relative—Lady Ludlow. The older countess looks after several other peers of Margaret as well, raising them strictly according to the moral standards instilled in her in her youth. Yet time moves on, and despite all the efforts of the old lady, public customs and rules begin to change.