Caroline Carmichael, an American art historian and school-teacher, is on a European tour giving talks in major cities. In Amsterdam, Caroline is invited to the consulate's home for a dinner party. Mr. and Mrs. Price, while currently in Amsterdam, have lived all over the world as U.S. diplomats. On her way to the dinner party, Caroline is notified that the Prices are a target for a potential terrorist attack and that the dinner party's security has been heightened because of the looming threat. Upon her arrival at the dinner, Caroline is welcomed by Mrs. Price and begins to socialize. There, she meets Inge, the Price's daughter, and is both taken aback and in awe of her confidence. The two agree to meet the next day for breakfast. During the dinner, a blaring alarm sounds throughout the house. As she's ushered outside, Caroline can't help but think of her fraught relationship with her father. The alarm, however, was simply a smoke alarm set off by another guest. The dinner proceeds without any more fanfare. The next day Caroline waits for Inge at the breakfast place, but she doesn't show. Caroline visits some museums in the area, still waiting to hear from Inge, but she never does.