While in Europe, Susan immersed herself in a new religious movement founded by Lady Wigstaff -all about "Love! Love! Love! -For other people, not for yourself." Everyone gets a big kick out of her ravings -she can't be serious- especially when Susan tells them she confessed before the entire congregation...to having her hair touched up! But they soon find out how involved she really is. Susan begins preaching and trying to tell them all how to improve their lives. First there's Irene, who's involved with another man, though she is not yet divorced. Then there's Leonora (Rita Hayworth), the young wife of a rich older man. Susan tries to bring her together with a younger man everyone knows she loves, and loves her, an actor named Clyde (John Carroll). And finally there's Charlotte (Ruth Hussey), who had been Barrie's girlfriend until Susan showed up. She's a genuinely nice girl, but like the others, uninterested in Lady Wigstaff's movement. Susan makes it her mission to make these people see the error of their ways.

By the end of the night, Susan has driven everyone to distraction with her theatrics. Not only is she butting in to their lives, she is oblivious to that fact that her own life is a mess. The one thing that can squelch Susan's exuberance is the mere mention of the name Barrie. He and Blossom are lonesome for her. Susan's through with Barrie and not close with Blossom, so she has no desire to return to them. Barrie convinces her to spend the summer with he and Blossom at their estate in the country when he promises to stay sober, and if he messes up even once, he'll agree to give her a divorce. Susan is counting on him not being able to live up to his end of the bargain so she can be free of him. Meanwhile, Blossom is ecstatic to have some semblance of a family again, and Barrie is determined to show them that he can be a good father and husband.

Once at the estate, Susan is tentative and her attitude toward Blossom cold. She's itching to go back to her work of spreading Lady Wigstaff's movement. Barrie is as unconvinced about her newfound spirituality as their friends are. He can see an underlying phoniness about the situation, but there's no use arguing the point to Susan. Meanwhile, Barrie makes up for lost time with Blossom. He hadn't been much of a father up to then, but they soon become close. Things become so pleasant around the house that eventually even Susan gets into the spirit of things. She begins spending quality time with Blossom and gets to work turning her awkward adolescent into an attractive young lady. Blossom has never been happier and she begins planning a grand party for her upcoming birthday. But she and Barrie soon discover that family is still not as important to Susan as Lady Wigstaff. Blossom's party has been scheduled for the same day as a convention about the movement, at which Susan is to be the main speaker. She refuses to back out, even though it means hurting Blossom. When Susan tells Barrie she plans to skip the party, that's the last straw. He realizes there's no hope for the three of them to be a family. He tells her he wouldn't mind if she were genuinely dedicated to helping people find God, but he knows it's the "emotional excitement" that has captured her attention. Then Barrie runs out, leaving Susan to think about his words.