Annerose enters another life when she escapes from her grey housewife's existence into the heavily symbolic still-lifes of the baroque era: magnificent bou-quets of flowers, delectable dishes and mysterious objects from past centuries lift her out of her everyday rut, and when she is painting small idylls herself, she manages to forget the world around her. But danger lurks. Tormented by fearful dreams, she foresees disaster which is probably triggered by her own negligence. Is Richard looking for caresses which she has withheld? Are architects in suede jackets more interesting than one's own husband in a pin-striped suit? And what role do her friends Silvia and Lucie, the accomplished hostesses, play? It's a good thing Annerose has the support of her half-sister Ellen, for her friends turn out to be unreliable. And then, one of the members of the happy circle lies dead in bed…