Trapped in the rich but sterile environment of a lavishly appointed country house, Marcia is a microcosm of society – a victim of, and partner in, someone else's routine. It’s not the housework or the cooking, but the daily monotony of waiting for Alan – her newspaper-reading, TV watching husband. To him, she's just the emotional central heating switched on and off in return for paying the bills and expected to operate as smoothly and regularly as the washing-up machine or the gardener. But Marcia has waited long enough.