Mr. Quinton Prendergast meets an enchanting young woman whilst walking in Hyde Park, and wishes he could find such a girl to be his wife. But since ladies of the ton refuse to give him a second glance, he decides to employ the matchmaking skills of his distant cousin, Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon—otherwise known as the Black Widow of Whitehall, owner of the Lyon's Den. Happily, Bess comes through, swiftly hatching a possible match to one of the Misses Steere.

When their elder sister's reputation appears tarnished, Miss Augusta Steere and her twin sister, Delphi, must seek husbands posthaste. Being the eldest by mere minutes, Augusta is far from inspired by the list her father acquires from an unnamed source. If only she could be introduced to someone like the handsome man she encountered in Hyde Park.