During the Napoleonic Wars, German writer Ferdinand von Rauch, who had enthusiastically joined the French revolutionary troops years earlier, is sent to scout the terrain of a small Thuringian village. Unexpectedly, he encounters not only his lover Stella, whom he left years ago but still loves, but also his wife Cäcilie. Stella has taken a position as a companion to Cäcilie with her sixteen-year-old daughter Lucie. Both women, who have been unable to fulfill their longing for love for years, now lay claim to Ferdinand. And the man reciprocates both their love, not wanting to give up either of them.