Plot
Young student couple James and Hayley both decide to surprise the other at Christmas only to have to accidentally experience Christmas with each other's families. Hayley ends up with James' upper class somber military father, Lord Humphrey The Earl of Gloucester, at his country house. James, in turn, ends up with Hayley's boisterous working class family in the northern town of Macclesfield.
Hayley calls James and both urge each other to keep their relationship secret, as both have not told their parents yet. Also, it turns out that James' father Humphrey is under the impression that his son is following the family tradition and is training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He has no idea he had secretly dropped out of to study drama ages ago. Hayley pretends to be James's fellow officer cadet but her cover is blown quickly when, the suspicious father asks her a question to trip her up.
Both try to leave their respective partner's family's homes to go to their own, but all trains are cancelled due to bad weather conditions. They speak on the phone before returning, Hayley complaining that he neglected to mention that he's an earl, went to Eaton and other details that he's of the upper class. The housekeeper Iris lets her back in and is quite hospitable.
As the man of the house is to be out all morning, Hayley tries to reignite Christmas spirit in the manor by decorating it with ornaments and garlands she finds. Things go awry first when she accidentally lets out Humphrey's dog Peanut, who then is shot by a neighbour, upsetting Humphrey. Then, when he sees the decorations, as she got them from a room that was off limits to her, his deceased wife Fiona's study.
Meanwhile, James has a spa day with Hayley's female relatives until he meets Steve, who introduces himself as Hayley's fiancé. In fact, she was secretly broken up with him, unbeknownst to her family. Roped into doing team games with the family, James gets constantly belittled and one-upped by Steve until he loses his temper. They get into a fight, during which he reveals that he is Hayley's boyfriend and that she chose to not be with her family at Christmas this year, after which he angrily leaves.
James gets Hayley on the phone, and chews her out for her family and her ex's treatment of him. And also for uncomfortable he's been there, having been forced to lie.
Hayley has left the manor but forgot her asthma medication. Iris has a talk with Humphrey, he admits his behaviour in the last years is due to missing Fiona. She points out that Hayley is very like her. When they realise she's left again, he and Peanut find her collapsed but he saves her.
Hayley's father is relieved that she has broken up with Steve, whom he has always disliked. Her entire family decides to take James to his family, so that they are all reunited for Christmas. Hayley and James sort out their differences and reconcile.
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