Kitty Towers is an unusual debutante. She considers society life idle and frivolous and is determined not to find a husband. However, she is reluctantly drawn to the enigmatic Theo Weston, despite his rakish behaviour on their first meeting. On the other hand, Etienne de Saint-Aubin, her aunt's protege, pays her flattering attention.Kitty soon realises that there are dark undercurrents to all these society events. One of her admirers is a spy. Gradually she learns to see through the gossip and the false appearances to make her own decision about who is the traitor. But only by taking drastic and almost fatal action can she avoid a tragedy for her country and herself.