Old friends Murray Logan and Sam Bonner both work for Atlantic House, a publishing firm, in its London and New York offices respectively. Both are in dysfunctional marriages, but for different reasons. Murray and his wife Sybil married ten years ago because she found out she was pregnant. Seven years ago, Murray was the driver when they got into a car accident, which resulted in Sybil being hospitalized for four months leaving her with a permanent scar on her face (which she hides behind her hair) and their son being killed. Since, Sybil has had a bitter attitude toward life, especially toward Murray, as witnessed by her decision to be largely a shut-in, hiding herself and her scar from the world. Sam's wife, Christine, is a physically and emotionally weak woman, she having a chronic respiratory problem which has required two surgeries to date. Sam smothers Christine in his love for her. Christine, in return, rebels against that over-protectiveness. Although Christine does leave Sam temporarily, she does return to him as he gives in to her demands to do some of the things she wants to do in life, such as travel, most specifically to Greece. Sam, in some respects, is an extension of Christine's overbearing mother, Nina Gellert, in that coddling. Christine believes her mother ruined her and her sister's lives. Christine avoids her mother at all cost. Murray and Christine meet for the first time when Murray makes a business trip to New York. There is an immediate attraction and bond between the two, in part because of their joint fascination with Greece. Christine asks Murray and Sybil to travel to Greece with her and Sam. Sybil surprisingly agrees, but because of last minute commitments, Sam has to delay his arrival to Greece if he can make it at all. As Sybil works on her own agenda in Greece, Murray and Christine spend much of their time there alone together, and in turn fall in love. That love may be broken by an act by Sybil and what Murray and Christine will eventually learn is a concerned Nina trying to track them down in Greece.