Daniel Lombard falls in love with Louise de Vailly on the day she arrives in New York, a refugee from the French Revolution which has destroyed the lives of Louise, her sister Delphine and so many other French aristocrats.

Though unsure of what they will find in the New World, Louise is a brave and determined young woman, not one to wallow in self-pity. Soon she has found work for Delphine and herself in a millinery, where she uses her innate talent and French flair for fashion to make herself indispensable. Though attracted to Daniel, Louise is equally determined that she will remain independent, not tied to any man. Fatefully, she has made that mistake in the past...