宝拉11岁了，她对学校生活感到厌烦。她的父亲给了她一个惊喜：他们要去他梦想中的湖边小屋过夏天。然而，时光飞逝，秋天临近，可他们仍未回家。

宝拉是个谦逊的女孩。按照父亲的要求，她被送去了修道院。她顺从了，但她的命运并非是将一生奉献给上帝。若昂五世国王婚姻不幸，他选中奥迪韦拉斯修道院的一位女子做红颜知己。当他遇见宝拉时，便彻底坠入了爱河。两人陷入了一段热烈且禁忌的恋情，然而阴谋与……

"Two neighbors--Paula, a single woman with two children, and Paul, a conservative bureaucrat stuck in a loveless marriage--begin to fall in love. The free-spirited Paula tries to liberate Paul from his complacent life, but it's not until tragedy and heartaches beset them both that he begins to fully appreciate her love. But is it too late?"--Container

Paula shares recipes for cullen skink and a delicious baked apple pudding. She heads to Cushendun beach, where she shows two young fiddle players how to barbecue pork shoulder.