Amelia is a young woman in 1733 England. In defiance of her mother, she decides to marry an officer in the British Army, Captain William Booth. Together they run away to London. Their young marriage struggles. Not long after they arrive in London, Booth is falsely accused of a crime and sent to Newgate Prison. While there, he is consistently seduced by a woman connected with the jail, Ms. Matthews.
During her husband's imprisonment, Amelia is hit by a carriage. She's mostly unharmed, but her nose is cosmetically injured. Unlike her unfaithful husband, Amelia remains true to Booth despite the advances of several men who come calling while she's on her own. When he is released, Booth insists that he still loves her and considers her just as beautiful as ever, even with her injured nose. They work through the healing process of forgiving Booth's infidelity. He continues to struggle, however, and accrues a lot of gambling debts. Eventually, he is sent to a debtor's prison.
About this time, Amelia finds out that her mother has named her heiress. As her mother is now dead, she stands to inherit the entire estate. She promptly pays off their debts so that Booth is released. They retire in the countryside, living out their days in quiet reserve.
