S1, E1: In the dying days of the Edwardian Empire, principled aristocrat Christopher Tietjens enters into a destructive marriage with Sylvia (Rebecca Hall), a cruel socialite, despite learning that the baby she carries may have been fathered by someone else. Ignoring her overt flirtation with other men, Christopher resolves to remain faithful, even after encountering Valentine Wannop, a fearless young suffragette with whom he shares an instant connection. Meanwhile, Christopher's colleague and confidant, amateur critic Vincent Macmaster, is unable to similarly resist the charms of Edith Duchemin, the frustrated wife of a deranged minister.