Just when Lady Winifred Westerly thought she had everything settled between herself and her fianc? Lord Danford, her mother Lady Alice, the Scandal of London, is accused of blackmailing and murdering her lover. The peculiar thing is that, though Lady Alice is many things and none of them good, she has never been a murderer. That seems altogether too much effort for the languid Lady Alice.

Unfortunately, Freddy's father and godmother are more concerned with the damage to their own and Freddy's social standing than with the danger to Lady Alice. Freddy's godmother Lady Evans is determined to flee with Freddy to the country until the scandal blows over. Freddy's father is so furious at both Freddy and her mother for disgracing him that he issues an ultimatum. Freddy is to marry Lord Westerly's crony Lord Fordwether before the end of the season or she'll be packed off the country to end her days as a spinster. Not to be outdone, Lady Evans forbids Freddy to marry Fordwether and presses her instead to encourage Mr. Montmorecy, the grandson of one of Lady Evans' childhood friends.

Freddy is not troubled by her father's threat. She will simply elope with Dickie. However, she is afraid for her mother. Lady Alice may have the maternal instincts of a crocodile, but she is Freddy's mother, and Freddy is determined to save her.

Lady Alice is not cooperative. She has become friendly with Dickie's arch-enemy, Lord Inglestock, a sniveling coward who developed a stutter after engaging Dickie in a boxing match in which Inglestock was accidentally injured. Inglestock hints to Freddy that he has proof of Lady Alice's guilt which he will conceal if Freddy will agree to marry him.

Surrounded by unwelcome suitors on all sides and unable to marry the one man she desires, Freddy must gather all her rather peculiar wits to vindicate her mother, find the real murderer, shuffle off her unwanted suitors and win Dickie's hand. Fortunately, Freddy at her strangest is a force of nature. Disaster is sure to befall all those who set themselves against her.