Husband? What husband? Is he alive? Where is he?

On 23 June 1977, Caprice Jordan Taylor, an oil heiress and socialite born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, dies a spinster without children at the young age of 50, leaving her life much in the manner she lived it; far from home, discontent and an alcoholic.

She left a will. Most of her estate (about 20 million US Dollars) is to be divided among a select group of charitable organizations. However, the will stipulates that no charity is to receive a penny until they all settle with her surprise husband.  

The charity's lawyers form a committee.  Their mission is to find this potential threat and to disqualify his claim to his alleged wife's estate.

The ensuing plot involves a search, a chase and a tense series of late-night legal depositions that reveal a romance between two  larger-than-life lovers.  A "golden pact" binds the husband to life long loyalty however, offensive acts destroy even this. Or do they?