1804 god. Velikobritaniya gotovitsya otrazit vtorzhenie frantsuzskih voysk. Pribrezhnye kurortnye gorodki prevraschayutsya v voennye lagerya, boevye korabli smenili u prichalov mirnye progulochnye yahty. A prostye obyvateli prodolzhayut zhit kak zhili – i zazhitochnaya vdova Marta Garlend ne yavlyaetsya isklyucheniem. Bolshe vsego ona ozabochena brakom docheri – pervoy mestnoy krasavitsy Enn, na ruku i serdtse kotoroy pretenduyut srazu troe poklonnikov: oba syna soseda – starshiy trubach polka, sereznyy i sderzhannyy Dzhon Lavdey, i ego mladshiy brat, veselyy i obschitelnyy moryak Bob, – i napyschennyy, trusovatyy i fatovatyy dvoryanin Festus Derriman. Odnako gordaya Enn poka medlit otdat predpochtenie komu-to iz vlyublennoy troitsy...
