When Lucia first meets David Fraser, trustee of an art foundation dedicated to the work of the American sculptor Charles Carr, she falls irrevocably in love. But there are problems in store: Lucia, fascinated by Carr's work - especially his monumental The Happening - is determined to write his biography. David, however, is irrationally opposed to this, and their mutual attraction seems doomed. As Lucia delves deeper into the life and work of Carr, she is drawn into the world of World War II Budapest, and into the mysterious story behind the legend of the Mathias fountain. A visit to modern-day Budapest, with David in tow, raises more questions than it answers - and threatens to divide her from David forever.