In 1880s America, the young Marian Brooks moves from Pennsylvania to be with her wealthy aunts in New York following the death of her father. In this Gilded Age, a struggle emerges between the old aristocracy and newly moneyed members of society looking to join the establishment. They include the family of the railroad tycoon George Russell, a direct neighbour of Marian's aunts who gets treated with suspicion and condescension. Marian soon finds herself at the centre of this social tension, socialising with the Russells and being courted by lawyer Tom Raikes.