Walter Long avoids the pain of loss by closing himself off from all others. To escape unpleasant memories, he fills each waking moment with work or reading.Marjorie Evans is his younger sister, a schoolteacher who copes with life's trials through optimism and faith. After her marriage ends in an annulment, she returns to the family home for the summer and endeavors to bring her brother back into the world.In contrast with the cautious Marjorie is Paula Morgan, Marjorie's friend and coworker. Paula lives for the moment, and revels in her own sensuality. These lives converge one evening at dinner in the remote house on Weston Road. The events of that night leave Walter at the mercy of his memories, and with a choice between hope and regret.