Vacationing seaside with her parents in Rimini, Italy, young Nicole Steiner falls in love with the charming Italian nobleman, Dario Ventura. Soon after, Ventura frequently visits with the Steiners, now home in Turin. Though he returns her affection, Nicole begins to suspect that he has become her mother's lover. The relationship is complicated by the strong tie between mother and daughter, and Nicole's rejection of her stern father. Woven through the tale is the rich atmosphere of pre-war Italy.