Sir Augustus Hillyer is a self-confessed socialite. Like many an English aristocrat his rural estates provide him with the means to indulge in the company of ladies, whom he adores; racehorses he admires, gamblers he despises and boxers who fascinate him. Yet nothing he does is allowed to tarnish his sense of honour, for above all he is a true gentleman. He is delighted to play host to French visitors. One of whom, Henri Ambergnac, has been commissioned to spy on the Duke of Orl ans. Having instigated spiteful attacks on Louis XVI the Duke has been sent to London for his own safety and reputation, things Sir Augustus soon discovers for himself are attributes not best preserved by indulging in Gallic friendships. Meanwhile all the English newspapers become preoccupied with intriguing news from France, which gets increasingly more horrific, filling the visitors with dread at the thought of returning home.