A young, financially insecure barrister becomes infatuated with a reserved Frenchwoman he meets at a seaside hotel, and their daily walks and conversations kindle a delicate, uncertain attachment. Their budding intimacy is complicated by class contrasts, the barrister's romantic idealism, and a shadowy family history that keeps the woman and her aunt socially isolated. The narrative alternates scenes of longing and social observation with glimpses into ancestral roots and secrets, exploring how reputation, desire, and undisclosed pasts shape relationships and choices.