When Rachel Kemp is in danger of losing her job at a London University, visiting academic Luke Holloway takes her for a sybaritic weekend in the country to cheer her up. Her encounters with Luke and his enigmatic friend Max open up a world of sensual possibilities and she is even offered a new job editing a sexually explicit Victorian diary.
Life is looking good until Rachel returns to London, and, accused of smuggling papers out of the country, is sacked on the spot. In the meantime Luke disappears and Rachel is left wondering about the connection between these elusive academics, their friends and the missing papers. When she tries to clear her name she discovers her actions have dangerous – and highly erotic – consequences.