As the rise of the Italian Fascism makes its visible presence in noble 1940s Venice, Professor Nino Rolfe and his much younger wife, the sumptuous Italian beauty, Teresa, sadly, after twenty years of marriage, witness their enthusiasm wither and the passion wane. Inevitably, all that remains now, is to let his imagination run wild and confess his boldly intimate and rousing thoughts to his elaborate diary, in the hope that Teresa will soon find it and read it. There, in his frank and unrestricted confessions, against all risk of being judged as a vile and corrupt man, Nino would admit all the things that he would never be able to say in person, urging his Goddess Teresa to finally get rid of her painful and revolting modesty. The faithful diary may be locked away in safety but the precious key is hidden in plain sight. Will innocent Teresa ever discover it, and with it, the way to unlock what quickens the faint, yet willing heart?