Civil servant Jasper Pye has been denounced as boring by his girlfriend. He therefore decides to quit his job and to become an artist in Paris. His superiors have other ideas however; they decide that he is the perfect man to be sent to dismantle a government statistical research unit.

The unit is housed in a stately home and Jasper is soon distracted by the three daughters of owner Lord Flamborough. He finds himself cast headlong into the local lifestyle.