Lea de Lonval (Michelle Pfeiffer) seems to have it all - good looks that she has retained through the years, and well invested earnings that have earned her an early retirement. Lea's colleague Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates) convinces Lea to celebrate her retirement by teaching Madame's young son Cheri (Rupert Friend) how to treat a lady. To her surprise, the relationship with the young and immature Cheri quickly turns more serious, and they are together for 6 years. At that time, Madame Peloux announced that she has found an appropriate bride for her son. Afraid of what society would think of the relationship between them due to their huge age difference, Lea and Cheri both decide to go along with this new arrangement for Cheri. Will Cheri go through with this arranged marriage, and ignore his feelings for Lea?