1865. Katharina goes to a ball in Moscow. There she meets again Tchaikowsky, her first and only love. The young, who is now married to wealthy Michael Iwanowitsch Murakin, a man she does not love, has not forgotten Piotr Illich, the (not yet) famous composer. Both are still in love with each other but Piotr is engaged to Nastassia, a dancer, while for her part Katharina cannot leave her husband. Tchaikowky's first love then decides to sacrifice her happiness to the success of the composer, sponsoring him in secret. Something Piotr will learn only years after. When Katharina finds herself free at last it is too late: Tchaikowsky is dying of cholera and she only has time to close his eyes.

The Minerva Mines Company is interested in transporting two particularly valuable diamonds from Cape Town to Amsterdam. To confuse potential thieves, two detectives are sent on two different ships with steel suitcases and they have no clue whether they’re carrying pebbles or diamonds. Nevertheless, a collection of questionable characters come on board both ships. The hunt for the diamonds begins; the suitcases are stolen; everyone is suspect.

When Ilona visits her married friend Otti, she is just delighted to discover that the man she likes is not other than Otti's brother-in-law, Paul. As he is in need of a maid, she disguises herself as such to try to enamour him.

Veronika, employed in a flower shop, has the habit of leaving flowers with a note -"Gruss und Kuss, Veronika (greetings and a kiss, Veronika)" to a special client she has fancied about. But he has the habit of sending flowers to an array of women. This puts her into action to prevent it, causing misunderstandings that will later have to be solved -somehow.

Amy Dorrit spends her days earning money for the family and looking after her proud father who is a long term inmate of Marshalsea debtors' prison in London. Amy and her family's world is transformed when her employer's son, Arthur Clennam, returns from overseas to solve his family's mysterious legacy and discovers that their lives are interlinked.

Hans, Karl and Rudi haven't had much luck in their lives so far. One day, Hans receives a letter from his aunt Gudula. She demands that he reanimate her little theatre "Euterpia" in Büllesheim and threatens to disinherit him if he doesn't manage to outcompete her competitor, Wengen, from the theatre "Thalia". In addition, niece Hilde is sent to Büllesheim to support Hans.