On his way to visit friends at Waddam Hall, Richard Hannay encounters Lady Madrigal Fitzjames, an impoverished member of the aristocracy, who is sharing the same railway compartment. By coincidence, Lady Madrigal is also on her way to Waddam Hall.
Due to muddled directions, both Hannay and Lady Madrigal end up at Waddam Manor, not Waddam Hall; here they are mistaken for the newly married couple...