In the ‘Strandgården’ on Taasinge, the three brothers Østermann Lars, Nikolaj and Hans live a secluded life, they are all three bachelors. Over the years, they have developed into three originals who let their farm fall into disrepair and otherwise do not bother to take care of anything.
The bank is located in the square of a small, idyllic market town, and its manager, Anders B. Schmidt, is seriously ill in the town hospital. At the beginning of the story, he is quietly passing away. In the wealthy neighborhood of the market town, we find the bank manager's villa, which has been his pride and joy for many years. He leaves behind a deeply grieving widow and four adult children. It soon emerges that the respected citizen had a love affair before he got married, and this causes outrage.
The estate Hjortholm is rescued from bankruptcy, as the pleasant doctor Christian Riis fetches the young engineer Erik Kongsted to the estate.
