Once there she begins to enjoy life, until a man calling himself Sir Vittorio Le Grey appears and accuses her of being an adventuress. Convinced that he is a scoundrel, she longs to unmask him, but she is hampered by the fact that she herself is living under an assumed name.
Gilbert Stapleton, the only suitor she has ever had, visits Bath unexpectedly and seems anxious to pay his addresses. Her cousin Anne encourages her to accept his suit, but Florence is plagued by doubts. Is Sir Vittorio really the wicked Italian that he appears; are Mr Stapleton’s professions of love sincere; and how can she accept an offer of marriage from anyone while she is still living a lie?