The story opens with Hilary Freeth and his wife Barbara reflecting on their Cambridge friend Jaffery Chayne, who reenters their lives through letters after working as a war correspondent in the Balkans. Jaffery’s letters hint at danger adventure and a mysterious romantic involvement, projecting his restless vitality and charm. Hilary is both drawn to and unsettled by Jaffery’s magnetic but unstable nature. This part establishes friendship memory and the subtle fractures left by war while shaping Jaffery as a legendary presence.