The year is 1888 and eighteen-year-old Katherine is making preparations to marry the handsome Clayton Edwards, and take the big step of leaving her home and family to go and live in San Francisco with her new husband. As married life begins, Clayton proves himself to be a loving and considerate husband, yet capable of enforcing strict discipline where merited. He soon positions himself as Head of Household but his long working hours lead to Katherine becoming bored. She disobeys her husband and lands herself in trouble, requiring Clayton to administer a spanking on his misbehaving wife's bare bottom. More serious infractions earn her a strapping. Yet Katherine accepts her husband's authority, acknowledging that at times she is deserving of punishment. As the years pass and their family grows, Clayton becomes very wealthy and he and Katherine enjoy their position in society. Yet throughout their life together, Katherine is content to be submissive to her husband, striving to be a good Victorian wife.