Though fantastically wealthy, Oliver Bacon has one thing missing in his life: social status. It doesn't matter how successful in business he becomes, or how much money he makes, he will never be accepted by the old blue-bloods, who will continue to look down on him as a vulgar parvenu.

Nevertheless, Bacon isn't one to give up so easily, and immediately seizes upon the opportunity of the Duchess' financial embarrassment to try and worm his way into high society. He knows full well that the jewels brought to him by the Duchess are phonies, but he figures that this is a small price to pay for the opportunity to go riding with the Duchess' daughter Diana.

Bacon is sure that, once he's got his foot in the door, he'll become accepted by the old money elite. In this assumption, he's surely mistaken, for the reasons we've already examined. Nonetheless, Bacon knows that, in her current financial predicament, the Duchess needs him more than he needs her. This gives him a distinct advantage in their tawdry little business relationship, and he intends to exploit it for all it's worth.