Rosemary Palmer-Farr loves farming and animals and has spent much of her childhood at Bengairney Farm with her dearest friends, the Carafords. Now, as a young woman, she wants to prove herself a good businesswoman by running the gardens of her father?s dwindling estate. Her mother, Catherine, is not impressed and wants her to secure a good marriage. She looks down on the Carafords because they are only tenant farmers.

When childhood friendship deepens into love, Catherine takes action and extracts a promise from Sam Caraford calculated to keep the young couple apart. She throws Rosemary into the company of eligible young gentlemen, but Rosemary despises their attitudes and yearns only for Sam?s love.