London, 1958. When Jane, a seventeen-year-old American, visits her British father and stepmother, Lord and Lady Broadbent, she soon learns about the London "season" of balls, on which young girls her age "come out" as debutantes. Goaded by her cousin Mabel Claremont, whose daughter Clarissa is such a debutante, Lady Broadbent makes Jane become a debutante, too, so that Jane and her father unwillingly must go to dozens of balls. The acommodating father finds himself dancing and drinking until dawn, while Jane is bored all nights by the perfect young gentlemen of the English upper crust, who dance with her just too properly.

To make Jane's debut a complete success, Lady Broadbent tries to find Jane a worthy young man. Lady Broadbent's choice is David Fenner, a peculiar young British officer, whom Clarissa adores. Fenner falls in love with Jane immediately, but Jane is more interested in David Parkson, an exciting American drummer.