Giles and Daphne finally take up residence in their renovated mansion in London’s Mayfair district. Having their own place to stay in London will make it easier for Giles to fulfill his duties in the House of Lords. Daphne now can take her proper place in London’s very status-conscious society. Both can now enjoy the capital’s cultural and intellectual offerings. To enhance their status, the government rewards Giles by making him a Marquess.
These benefits come with a price. Proximity to a notorious slum results in Daphne and Giles’s dog being kidnapped by thugs. Jealousy from a social climber threatens to ruin Daphne’s Ball designed to establish her proper place in society. Giles must take his frigate to Russia as the government’s price for his recognition when Napoleon is effectively destroying Britain’s alliances with help from Giles’s own government. Will they be able to overcome these and other problems with their usual éclat?