"Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me..." Fitzgerald could have been describing Emily Castleton, one of his most famous flappers. This archtype of the poor little rich girl was different from everyone. At 24, Emily's score was one affair, many engagements, and an embittered heart when she settled for Brevoort Blair – the catch of the year.

Focuses on the Kent-Cumberland family, where the younger son, Thomas, is consistently disadvantaged in favor of his older brother, Gervase. Their mother actively manipulates situations to ensure Gervase inherits everything, even interfering with Thomas's romantic interests.