It is 1790s in England and for Midge Everlee, as for many girls, dreams of acceptance are commonplace. Therefore, taking the position of governess for the Waldens is an opportunity she cannot deny. When the Waldens summer in Bath, she quickly falls into a connection with a young lower class man. However, with her new position comes a pressure which pushes her towards another man and another life which can offer her much more, whereupon she is confronted by a dilemma between the world she knows and the world she wants.