The Handles, happily married for many years, have reached the point in
their lives where easy silence, an acceptance of each other's ways, is
the norm. Grace has her painting, and the children's reference book she
has long been working on. William has his music and his string quartet,
even if his name isn't quite spelled like the great composer. Then Grace
encounters a young man, Lucien, who adopts her, haunts her, threatens
her--and provides her days with a bittersweet frisson. And William
becomes so besotted by his new viola player, he decides to murder his
wife....