Clarence is forced to make polite conversation with the dowager Lady Daphne, but her interest in Clarence's pig arouses Connie and Beach's suspicions.

With the help of Freddie and some mischievous schoolchildren, Clarence hopes to dodge the double ordeal of having to wear a top hat and make a speech at the Blandings fete.

Baxter returns as a holiday tutor for Clarence's grandson George. To Clarence's horror, Baxter plans to weasel his way back into permanent employment at Blandings.

Clarence hopes to avoid dancing with his niece Gertrude by inviting a convenient blockhead to keep her company. Freddie, meanwhile, must keep his new Portuguese wife a secret from Connie.

Connie hires a personal secretary, Baxter, to tidy up Blandings and Clarence and to impress the visiting Schoonmakers. But Freddie's attempts to sell them dog food contribute to the extreme discomfort of the occasion.

Clarence has to get his pig eating again or he will lose the Fattest Pig prize to his fiendish rival. Meanwhile, Connie demands he put a stop to his niece Angela's love affair with cowboy Jimmy.