Accepting an offer from his uncle, Lord Beddington, to learn about estate management, William Duncan gets involved in raising money to support their local hospital.

After a series of unfortunate accidents to Lord Beddington and his wife, William is persuaded by his aunt’s rival on the council to enlist the help of his father, General Duncan, whose previous visit resulted in a yachting catastrophe, still remembered with anguish by his uncle.

Her daughter, Lavinia, is coordinating the hospital PR campaign and sets out to trap William into marriage. But William is in love with Kate, the daughter of an extreme left-wing councillor.

Luckily, help is at hand in the shape of Algy Frobisher, the General’s ADC, who turns up to help him out of a number of dramatic encounters, including dealing with his father’s escalating Mess bills, a dramatic air rescue and the hunt for an elusive treasure that he hopes will solve all their problems and win back his love.