England's Queen Victoria is dead, and the colorful Edwardian era is in full swing. Orphaned Laura Stephens falls in love with William, a restless, young explorer, but her uncle and aunt have their own ideas about who is a suitable match for their niece. They favor an army captain on leave from service in India. Anti-German feeling is rampant as a result of the heavy loss of life in the recently ended South African War when the British fought the German-backed Boers. Unluckily for Laura, William belongs to a German family, who, with many other speculators, have settled in the nearby Leem Valley to take advantage of the economic boom in iron and steel. The Germans find the top social circle difficult to penetrate, so they build a mansion in the hunting country near Laura's home. William takes up residence there as Squire of the Manor of Scorby. A climax is reached when a mean-spirited housekeeper learns the captain's deepest secret.