Lucia decides that life in Tilling is more exciting then her home village and finds a small place to buy. Georgie is upset by this and has to decide whether he wants to do the same. A party at Lucia's new home leads to Mapp trying anything she can to get hold of Lucia's recipe for Lobster. This leads to the two of them finding themselves stuck in the house during a raging flood.

Lucia holds her garden party, in Mapp's garden, and it is a success. Her happiness is soon brought back to earth when Mapp gleefully tells her that the Contessa Faraglione is coming to visit Tilling and that the two of them will be able to talk Italian to each other. When he hears this news Georgie starts to panic, after all if she speaks Italian to him, or Lucia, it will soon become apparent that, despite what they have told everyone, he cannot speak Italian and that Lucia knows very little more.

Lucia and Georgie move to their rented homes in Tilling and it is not long before Lucia and Miss Mapp are competing against each other in games of oneupmanship.

Georgie has shingles so Lucia lets him stay at Grebe. After dabbling in the stock market Lucia's shares in the South African gold mine Siriami pay dividends and other Tilling residents join in. Everybody profits except Mapp and Major Benjy. Mapp and Lucia stand against each other for seats on the local council.

Neither Mapp nor Lucia win a seat at the local election. Mapp and Major Benjy are strapped for cash. Lucia proposes that they swap houses and is excited when she believes that she has discovered ancient artifacts buried at Mallards.

Lucia donates money to restore the Tilling church organ and to several local charities. She is also offered a seat on the town council. Mapp and Benjy, still living at Grebe, are flooded out and are forced to move in with Lucia. Lucia has stunning news.