Her husband Alfred Wincham, an Oxford don, has long been settled at this university as the Waynflete Professor of Pastoral Theology but has now been named as the apparently unlikely British Ambassador to France.

The novel suggests that this is a reward for the now "Sir" Alfred Wincham's "war work", but Fanny is unclear about her husband's role during this period.

A former student of Alfred's and friend of the family, the young career diplomat, Philip, is at ease in the complex world of French politics and society.

He and Fanny work together to find a way to dislodge the former ambassadress who has retained residence in the embassy and try to smooth the way for Alfred to concentrate on the complexities of his new position.

Various characters in the novel often mutter, "Don't tell Alfred," when anything difficult or dramatic occurs in the day-to-day life of the embassy, hence the title.