In Victorian London, Louisa Leyton works her way up from servant to renowned cook to proprietress of the upper-class Bentinck Hotel in Duke Street, St James's.
Wanting to become an excellent cook, outspoken and ambitious Louisa Leyton persuades Monsieur Alex, a French chef working in the London home of Lord Henry Norton, to take her on as an assistant. Resented by other kitchen staff, Louisa bonds with Mary–target of their frequent malice–forms a friendship with butler Gus Trotter, and fends off attentions of the aristocratic Charlie Tyrrell. When Lord Henry unexpectedly returns during Monsieur Alex's holiday, Louisa must cook for a group that includes the Prince of Wales.
Hardly flattered and severely compromised, Louisa has caught the eye of the Prince of Wales and is pressed into marrying Augustus Trotter.
All bets are off when HRH becomes His Majesty, King Edward VII and Louisa and Augustus must plan what lies ahead for them.
Heavily in debt, Louisa is on a juggernaut that lands in her in the hospital, after she collapses from exhaustion. But, that handsome devil and consoling angel, Charlie Tyrrell, devises a plan to save her hotel.
With Charlie Tyrell now in residence as the first guest, the hotel is now officially open to the public. Louisa has set a high standard for herself and is relying on word of mouth among the right kind of people to bring in the clientèle. Charlie invites an attractive, but married, woman for dinner in his rooms only to have her leave when she realizes she is the only guest. He invites Louisa to join him and unexpectedly, they soon are lovers. When Charlie must leave for America, Louisa is heartbroken but she also is pregnant. At the appropriate time, she leaves the hotel with Mary in charge to go and give birth. Soon Charlie is back and completely unaware of what has been going on, tracks her down. He also has a proposition on how to care for their child
A con artist, posing as a Baron, dupes a greedy American guest and seduces a lonely young bride, as a vigilant and intrigued Louisa monitors his every move.
A Liberal politician convinces a colleague that he can seduce a married lady of impeccable virtue.
A woman from Starr's past, down on her luck, begs him to use his influence to obtain a job for her at the Bentinck.
When a kindly, but modest man asks for a room at the Bentinck Hotel, he is given the short shrift. However when Louisa and Charlie find out the reason for his visit, he is treated like a visiting dignitary.
A handsome young guest creates a rift between Mary and Louisa and persuades the Major to invest the remainder of his inheritance in a very risky venture.
A wily journalist poses as a temporary porter and gathers information on Louisa that could destroy her personal and professional life.
Charlie is shocked to learn that one of his closest friends, Lord Elleston, arranged for his horse to lose at Ascot.
All are intrigued when an attractive young lady asks to see Lord Haslemere -- who is she, what does she want, and more to the point, what is she after?
Louisa turns the air blue, but hardly a sedate navy, when she buys a summer resort adjacent to a posh private club at Cowes.
With the death of His Majesty, King Edward VII, an era ends for Britain and for Louisa Trotter. Pressing forward, however, Charlie Tyrell (Lord Haslemere) has proposed to lovely Margaret Rosslyn and the newlyweds leave the Bentinck to live in a suitable house and start a family.
