After willing his estate to another man's family in order to save his own life in a Nazi prison, Chavel (Anthony Hopkins) returns to his erstwhile home in disguise, where he meets Therese (Kristin Scott Thomas), the sister of the man who died in his place. Taking a job as a groundskeeper, he begins to fall in love with her. When a mysterious man (Derek Jacobi) arrives claiming to be Chavel, the real Chavel must discover the man's true identity while preserving his own relationship with Therese.