 Catherine and Alexander, wealthy and sophisticated, drive to Naples to dispose of a deceased uncle s villa. There s a coolness in their relationship and aspects of Naples add to the strain. She remembers a poet who loved her and died in the war; although she didn t love him, the memory underscores romance s absence from her life now. She tours the museums of Naples and Pompeii, immersing herself in the Neapolitan fascination with the dead and noticing how many women are pregnant; he idles on Capri, flirting with women but drawing back from adultery. With her, he s sarcastic; with him, she s critical. They talk of divorce. Will this foreign couple find insight and direction in Italy?