The Millionairess

Epifania learns that her husband's approval hinges on turning £500 into £15,000 within three months. To secure a husband who can clear the cash hurdle, she rigs the contest by giving Alastair £500 in stock and then buying it back for £15,000. The stunt establishes her playfully ruthless approach to love and wealth.

Epifania is smitten with Alastair, a muscular tennis player who captivates her with charm and prestige. However, he is already carrying on with the domestic Polly Smith, complicating Epifania's plans and fueling her resolve. Her feelings deepen even as the likelihood of a straightforward marriage grows murky.

Alastair's ongoing affair with Polly Smith makes Epifania's ambitions harder to realize. The combination of wealth, status, and jealousy drives her to push the marriage test further. The dynamic tightens the emotional stakes for all involved.

Facing despair, Epifania melodramatically plans to plunge into the Thames. Dr. Ahmed el Kabir, a selfless physician who runs an inadequately equipped clinic, rows by and ignores her plight. She swims to shore and accuses him of being an assassin.

The shrewd family solicitor Julius Sagamore suggests that Epifania undergo therapy with noted society psychiatrist Adrian Bland. Bland, eager for attention, makes a bid for Epifania's hand. She rejects him, setting the stage for a more dramatic confrontation.

Bland's foray into courtship ends abruptly when Epifania throws him into the Thames after a sharp dig at her father. Kabir rows out to aid Bland, and in the ensuing chaos Epifania dives in after them. The trio's tangled exchange deepens the volatile bond between Epifania and Kabir.

Kabir takes Epifania to a fishmonger's place to dry off, and she feigns injury to ensnare him. He remains impervious to her wealth, yet a real connection begins when he takes her wrist. This moment marks the start of a shift from manipulation to genuine feeling.

Determined to win him, Epifania buys the property surrounding Kabir's clinic and erects a new, modern facility. Kabir refuses to run the clinic and Epifania proposes that they marry instead, planting the seeds for a different kind of future. Wealth becomes a tool shaping their lives together.

Kabir insists he will not marry unless the bride can take 35 shillings and earn her own living for three months. Undeterred, Epifania reveals the details of her father's will and hands him £500 to demonstrate her commitment, signaling that the test is shifting from romance to practicality. His discomfort with money heightens the tension between them.

Setting out to prove her worth, Epifania takes 35 shillings and heads for a sweatshop pasta factory. She threatens to expose labour violations unless the proprietor allows her to manage the plant. Three months later, she installs labour-saving machines and the factory thrives, cementing her success.

Kabir tries to give away his £500, hoping to be rid of the money, and a sympathetic professor accepts it. Epifania reveals that she has met her mother's challenge, but Kabir claims he has failed and given away the money, leaving Epifania deeply offended. She declares she will retire from the world, disband her empire, and even evict the monks from a Tibetan monastery.

Sagamore acts to fulfill the will by purchasing Kabir's medical papers for £15,000. Kabir rushes to Epifania, they share a kiss, and he finally expresses his love. The wealth-driven tests culminate in a hopeful union rather than merely a contract.