Jean Pargetter and Lionel Hardcastle are former lovers whose lives intersect again 40 years after they lost touch with each other. Lionel is now divorced, and Jean is a widow with an adult daughter, Judith, who works in Jean's secretarial office. As Lionel works on a memoir with a cheerful but brash agent, Alistair, he begins to rekindle the tender romance with the woman who got away all those years ago. Cheering them on is Sandy, Judith's best friend and co-worker.