Harriet Radcliffe is bored with her life. At twenty-three, her steady job and safe engagement seem very dull. If she is to inject a little excitement into her life, she realises, now is the time to do it.But the excitement lying in wait for Harriet is beyond even her wildest ambitions. Answering a job advertisement to assist a world-famous actress, Harriet finds herself plunged into an intense and secret world of sexual obsession - playing an unwitting part in a very private drama, but discovering in the process more about her own desires than she had ever dreamed possible...

After her wedding to film director Lewis, Harriet is dismayed to learn that he has invited Noella and Edmund to join them on their honeymoon. Lewis intends to use Harriet's hidden desires for Edmund as the material for his latest film, but he soon finds himself competing to regain his bride.