Bill decides to send Cissy to a private girls' school in Connecticut, and even though she would prefer to attend high school locally, she reluctantly agrees to go, thinking Bill wants to get her out of the way.

Restless, Bill takes a job in the Yutacan, but then starts to miss the family. It gets worse when he is led to believe, through miscommunication by phone, that Mr. French has the flu and Buffy and Jody are left to take care of him.

Jody doesn't think Bill loves him because he won't punish him, so Jody looks for ways to get in trouble, but his plans backfire.

Cissy thinks Bill is planning to get married to an old friend, but when her new friend tells her how her stepmothers sent her away, Cissy then suspects that the woman will send her and Buffy and Jody away.

Cissy develops an infatuation with her school teacher who teaches philosophy and spouts big ideals that everyone should follow. Bill finds a way to show that the teacher is just a regular man with faults.

Bill Davis is ambivalent about taking on the responsibility of raising his niece Buffy after the death of his brother. After suggesting she attend boarding school in Switzerland, she runs away. Giles French, the Davis butler, brings her back.

When Bill gets Cissy her own phone and arranges for an interior decorator to redo Cissy's and Buffy's bedroom, Buffy becomes withdrawn as the changes appear to separate the room and, as a result, she fears Cissy is separating from her.

Jody & Buffy are excited to be moved to Upper First Grade at school, but it means more homework. They do not know how to do the math problems nor read some of the new books. Bill is spending more time dating than helping the twins.

Jody talks about having a job with a man who builds buildings and even gets paid for it. Uncle Bill thinks he is making it up. Bill later meets the man and realizes it is the person he has been trying to meet for a construction project.

French's nephew David visits French at the Davis' home. David surprises French by announcing he is going into dentistry instead of being a gentleman's gentleman.