Emma, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Courtenay, is a disgrace to the family. She has an illegitimate son, and there are legends about the girl, one more terrible than the other - that she had affairs with gypsies, that her body is completely covered with tattoos. Of course, no one would marry such a person. Perhaps only a person whose reputation also has many black spots - for example, the spendthrift and slob Count Alan Sheridan. There is not even a hint of feelings in their marriage - everyone is looking for their own benefit in it. But who would know what this strange union would lead to...