Olivia Sherwood, the daughter of a poor rural priest, was forced to seek a place in the luxurious estate of the mysterious Dominic St. Bride. The girl, who did not know her master, felt superior to Count Ravenwood. The girl may be poor and forced to work in the count's mansion, but by birth and upbringing she is a lady, and the count is the son of a gypsy, illegitimate, reluctantly recognized by his own father. An unwavering moralist, Olivia considered Ravenwood a playmaker, an ignorant rake, and was indignant in advance. But Dominic, who appeared at his estate, surprised the girl. Unexpectedly for herself, Olivia wanted to protect the gloomy, bilious man who had lost his place in life, to give him hope and tender love...