Vicky Norwood is bequeathed an unexpected fortune on the death of her maiden Aunt.

The 'secret' money has come regularly from an American she met near the end of the war, and old letters reveal they were deeply in love.

Since her Aunt never married Vicky is determined to unravel the mystery of what went wrong, and on impulse flies to Italy where he now lives.

She is met by the American's son Carl, a darkly handsome man who clearly mistrusts her motive.

As they await the fathers return from a business trip, Vicky falls foul of Carl's fiancée, the daughter of a Mafia boss.

More disturbingly, she is forced to realise that Carl has aroused in her a dark unnatural passion; and a desire to submit to him in a most humiliating way.