Lucy's rigid, middle-class life is meticulously mapped out for her. Boredom and monotony await, along with a perfectly respectable marriage to her perfectly respectable fiance, Cecil Vyse. But an indulgent holiday to Florence changes the course of her life forever. Through scenic picnics and jovial dinners, Lucy learns that her life need not be reduced to polite conversation, nor does she need to adhere to the restrictive expectations dictated by outdated notions of propriety. For the first time, Lucy and her painfully conventional cousin Charlotte, are introduced to an eclectic cast of characters. And then there is George, a handsome man who is poetically passionate and in love with Lucy. Lucy has a difficult decision to make. Will she walk down the chosen path or carve her own way by following her heart?