Amanda Collins leads a satisfactory but uneventful life as the vicar's daughter in sleepy Whitecastle. But her sedate days are turned upside down when some of the village's wealthiest men suddenly show an interest in her. The Lord of the Manor, the village doctor, and the butcher have all made offers, and Amanda doesn't quite know what to do. Fortunately, her wealthy aunt Grace needs a temporary assistant, and she escapes to Cambridge, where she gets a taste of life outside the village while considering her options.
Andrew Sommers has been groomed for a career in domestic service. But when he sees people needing help, he can't pass them by without lending a hand, and this costs him his job at Whitecastle Manor. Thankfully, the Collinses take him in and encourage him to use his knowledge and compassion in a new career. Andrew enjoys working for Vicar Collins. He's also attracted to the vicar's daughter but knows he can't compete with the wealthy men who already have her attention. Instead, he uses his writing ability to create love poems for the Lord of the Manor and passes along notes from the doctor. He longs to tell her of his own feelings, but she couldn't possibly consider him as a fourth suitor. Or could she?