1940s Venice. As fascism makes its presence felt, retired art critic Professor Nino Rolfe and his much younger wife, Teresa, feel their passion is waning. To help Teresa shed her inhibitions and rekindle their relationship, the grizzled intellectual has a wild idea. What if he recorded his unspoken sexual fantasies in a secret diary, and then waited for Teresa to find and read it? In his frank confessions, Nino urges his beloved Teresa to rid herself of modesty--all she needs is the diary's precious key. However, will innocent Teresa ever discover what Nino's heart truly desires?