Miss Temperance Flowerdew is on her way to work when a stranger suddenly grabs her off the street and sends her on a Chicago-bound train before she can figure out what has happened. When Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is called upon to rescue a missing woman, he follows the trail to Chicago only to discover that the woman is his good friend Temperance. Before they can discover who was behind the abduction, they're seen alone together by a New York society matron, putting their reputations at risk. Gilbert is willing to propose marriage-but Temperance will have none of it. She's finally stepped out of the shadow of her relations and won't give up her independence. But when it becomes clear that the misunderstanding in Chicago has escalated into a threat on her life, accepting Gilbert's help in solving the mystery may lead to more than she ever could have dreamed.