In the Marshwood estate, Julie Andrews plays Felicity Marshwood, the matriarch who anchors an impeccable world of manners, while Edward Atterton portrays Nigel Marshwood, the Earl of Marshwood, who announces his engagement to the glamorous Jeanne Tripplehorn Miranda Frayle after only two months. The match stirs unrest within the family and their social circle, as many fear Nigel is marrying below his class, even as Hollywood gossip swirls about Miranda’s past romance with fellow film star Don Lucas, played by William Baldwin, and the prospect of a “star” in the family excites some.
Lord Marshwood brings Miranda home to meet his mother, and a new complication emerges from Felicity’s trusted servant: Sophie Thompson as Dora “Moxie” Moxton, Miranda’s sister in disguise, who has hidden a painful truth for twenty years. To shield the social order, Felicity and her nephew, Colin Firth as Peter Ingleton, devise a careful plan with the help of the loyal butler to move Moxie from below stairs to upstairs, presenting her as a self-sufficient lady of means while keeping the real identity secret. The transformation is theatrical: Moxie is dressed in fine clothes and given makeup to pass as an independent woman, a move that unsettles the already fragile balance of the household.
At dinner, Miranda spins a fabricated tale about a difficult upbringing, claiming to be born a cockney with a harsh past, while Moxie—unaccustomed to alcohol—drinks too much and becomes the subject of mixed reactions: Peter’s amusement reflects a crush on the star, while Lady Marshwood’s horror grows with every sip and lie. Into Marshwood House arrives Don Lucas, the dashing ex-boyfriend, whose presence instantly rekindles old flames and old tensions. A secret garden meeting between Lucas and Miranda is interrupted by a timely intervention from Lady Marshwood, who invites Lucas to stay the night, further inflaming the delicate web of loyalties.
In a moment of jealousy, Nigel asserts that he and Miranda will wed within days, intensifying the pressure on the house. Behind the scenes, Moxie’s truth-telling surfaces during a confrontation—she reveals Miranda’s real name, Freda Birch, and the heartbreak she caused their late mother—sending shockwaves through Miranda and the rest of the family. The next morning, Lady Marshwood privately tells Lucas that Miranda still has feelings for him, suggesting that his role in the wedding party might not be doomed after all, while hinting that Nigel’s heart may not be as fixed as he thought.
Moxie apologizes to Miranda for going too far and decides to leave Marshwood House, but the drama persists. A tense moment in the garden ends with Miranda and Lucas sharing a kiss, and the engagement collapses as Miranda prepares to depart with him. The family heads to church as if nothing has happened, but the outcome is quietly decisive: Nigel’s future is reimagined, and Miranda’s place in that future dissolves.
In the final twist, Lord Marshwood meets a well-dressed local lady at the church door, and Felicity’s approving smile signals a new, more socially secure arrangement as the couple steps into the church together — a symbolic closure that preserves appearances while reshaping the Marshwood narrative.
