Speaking in the first-person, Millie, the wife of the late trumpeter Joss Moody, describes looking out her front window at reporters and paparazzi. In the 10 days since Joss died, these people have hounded her. Millie misses her son Colman, who has not made any contact or responded to her since Joss’s funeral. She dreams of escaping London for Torr, Scotland, to a cottage where she and Joss celebrated all their special events, including the adoption of their son Colman. She likes the small village because there, nobody cares about Joss being a musical giant. Millie first brought Joss there in 1956, where they found and bought the cottage.

The novel cuts to the past, as Millie reflects on having met Joss when they donated blood at the same time. Several weeks later, they both show up to give blood again. Their conversation leads to the first of many dates, after which Joss always walks Millie home and kisses her goodbye on the cheek. After three months, they go to a club to hear a jazz saxophone player. When Joss takes Millie home, she asks him to come in. Once inside, he becomes distant and seems troubled.