Theodora Goes Wild

Theodora Lynn is secretly the author of a sensational book under the pen name Caroline Adams. The salacious material provokes the Lynnfield Literary Circle led by Rebecca Perry and lights a town-wide uproar. The Circle and newspaper owner Jed Waterbury force the publisher to stop printing the installments, threatening to expose her secret.

Theodora travels to New York City to meet publisher Arthur Stevenson, under the pretense of visiting her Uncle John. Stevenson reassures her that her identity will stay secret, at least for now. The illustrator Michael Grant overhears the plan and becomes intrigued by the setup.

Michael Grant attends a dinner with the Stevensons and Theodora after overhearing the arrangement. Theodora is annoyed when Michael assumes she’s a teetotaler and she orders a whiskey. The night ends with Ethel and Theodora drunken; Arthur takes Ethel home, and Theodora flees the restaurant as Michael smirks at the scene.

Michael tracks Theodora back to her hometown, and his whistling outside her house signals his presence. He coerces her into hiring him as a gardener, a move that scandalizes her aunts and fuels gossip among Lynnfield residents. Despite the scandal, Theodora finds herself drawn to life beyond her strict routine.

Theodora reluctantly spends time with Michael and begins to enjoy the rural outings he plans. They go berry-picking and fishing, and she starts to feel a sense of freedom from her conventional existence. Their growing closeness threatens the town’s propriety and foreshadows a real romance.

Theodora finally tells the Lynnfield Literary Circle that she loves Michael, breaking with her earlier restraint. Michael’s reaction is mixed, showing reluctance about how their relationship would fit with his public life. The confession tests the couple against the town’s moral expectations.

Theodora learns Michael has returned to New York and tracks him to his Park Avenue apartment. He admits his love, but his father, Lt. Gov. Grant, arrives with Michael’s estranged wife Agnes and insists they remain married to avoid a political scandal. Michael finds himself unable to stand up to his father.

Theodora stays in Michael’s New York apartment and pushes a publicity push, planning to publish a new book about finding romance in a small town. Michael denies ever meeting her to the press, feeding a rising cycle of rumors. The newspapers chase every development, turning their romance into public spectacle.

Theodora crashes the governor’s ball and arranges for reporters to photograph her embracing Michael. Agnes seeks a divorce to save face and protect the family’s image. The romance becomes a public liability as scandal spreads through political circles.

Theodora returns to Lynnfield as a local celebrity and is warmly welcomed by her aunts. She brings a newborn baby to the town, stirring further talk. When Michael sees the child, he tries to flee, but Theodora reveals the baby belongs to Rebecca Perry’s secretly married daughter, not to her, ending the immediate scandal with a twist.