Elizabeth Murray

An Irish girl comes to America disguised as a boy to claim a fortune left to her brother who has died.

Lonely in his English country estate, Sir Basil decides to gather his grown (albeit illegitimate) children around him in his declining years. He uses a ledger which keeps track of the payments he has been making to ex-lovers to locate 2 of them, and a third is found by a lawyer in New York, her mother was too proud to accept any money. Sir Basil is a curmudgeon, and his three adult children have a hard time with him at first. Toni, the American, is a free spirit who had a budding career in show business. Jeffery is English and a semi-gentleman, and Maria is Italian, with a Latin temperament. They begin to bond, especially Sir Basil and Toni, whose outgoing personality finally wins over the old man. But past lives begin to creep back into the picture and threaten the old man's plans for a life filled with his children.

Michael O'More, an American who lives in Ireland with his uncle, a horsetrainer for the Earl of Balkerry, loves Lady Mary Cardigan, granddaughter of the Earl. He finds a rival in Capt. Brian Fitzroy, a rake who intends to buy the impoverished earl's castle and marry Lady Mary. After nearly killing Fitzroy in a brawl over Lady Mary, Michael flees to the United States. There he becomes financially secure when department store magnate Abe Feinberg offers him a job. Feinberg commissions Michael to establish a linen mill on the earl's estate. He and Mary, who is in the United States evading Fitzroy, return to Ireland and marry.