A privileged but unhandsome young man finds friendship across the class divide, but will he find love there also?
Set in rural West Country Victorian England, the story spans some seven years and begins with sixteen-year-old Philip Marsden rescuing eleven-year-old Amanda Prentice when she is accosted by three men on his father's estate.
Philip takes her to her home in the nearby village, causing a stir amongst the locals by riding two to a horse. He later introduces her to his oldest friend, Lady Charlotte, and to handsome William and beautiful Millie who work for his parents. Against all convention Master Philip's relationship with Amanda grows despite the age-gap; and despite the huge difference in social status they become best friends, although the young girl wants more.
They love to trade insults and banter as this close and ever deepening friendship develops.
Philip is not at all good looking, but is an eligible bachelor due to his father's significant land ownership. He is pursued by several families who each want to pair off one of their daughters in a "suitable marriage" but he is not interested and swears he will only marry for love, giving Amanda hope. Unfortunately for her, she has competition from several well to do young ladies Philip's own age.
As the years pass the friends have several adventures and we get to know about the lives and loves of people from the village and large farm estate owned by Philip's father, who is a social reformer. We learn how the tavern landlady met her husband as teenagers whilst singing a somewhat bawdy ballad, and how a spark of love is maintained by a young woman despite not having seen her sailor heartmate for seven years.
Amanda is fearful when Philip goes away to college for three years that he will return with a young lady on his arm, or worst still, betrothed. He is clueless of her feelings for him, until that is she blurts it out as they return from haymaking with some of the tenant farmers after showing her his college acceptance letter.
Whilst Philip is home from college, Amanda is engulfed by jealousy when she sees him with his arms around Millie in a secret assignation under the stairs late one night. Despite this, the pair manage to remain friends.
They try their hands at matchmaking, become involved in an elopement, help fight a fire in the village, witness a most unusual proposal of marriage, and face an armed pressgang. Throughout the whole novel there is an element of will they or won't they, all whilst trying to make their small corner of England a better place to live.
A few days before Amanda's eighteenth summer begins, she is accused of theft at a country mansion. Will Philip stand by her? Will he declare his love for his Miss 'Manda, or will he break her heart?
