In the peaceful alpine village of Granges-de-Mortes, a tragedy has just taken place: Gustave Boeuf, the local Casanova, has mysteriously died at the foot of a wayside cross. Shortly afterwards, a peasant, who is suspected of having murdered him, hangs himself from a branch of the calvary. But was he the real culprit? Angélique Barrodet, an old maid , who had been Gustave's fiancée before he abandoned her on the very day of their wedding, leads the investigation in her own way.

A large farm in Vendée. The father is dying and the three brothers and sister swear not to marry not to break up the field. Months pass. Francis, the eldest, took things in hand. For him, the promise to their father is sacred. So he does everything for his brothers and his sister Amanda are not tempted. However, the latter lets himself courted by a young man from the neighboring village ...

Hervé is a tough sea captain in command of the "Duchesse Anne", a rum-trading ship. But the sea dog hides a tender heart and he allows Marie-Douce, a poor slum girl who dreams of seeing the wide world,on board. To have her accepted by the crew, he passes her off as his niece. A seasoned master like him, wise enough to ban alcohol use on his ship, should have known better : a beautiful girl on the deck cannot but unleash the savage instincts of all those men without women.