Mary Ashley (Jaclyn Smith), a housewife is being asked by President Paul Ellison (Michael Moriarty) to be the new ambassador to Romania as part of his plan to establish ties with countries from the Eastern Bloc. Initially, she refuses because her husband, Dr. Edward Ashley (David Ackroyd), can't just leave. But when he dies in a mysterious accident, she accepts the post.
A reporter who finds the whole thing suspicious thinks a secret organization whose goal to end all attempts at détente, which what the President is doing with Ashley, is behind her getting the post and tries to look into it, but the reporter would be killed.
When Ashley meets her staff, her Deputy, Mike Slade (Robert Wagner), whom she earlier encountered who told her he was suppose to the Ambassador and is more qualified. She tries to remove him, but it's a Presidential decision. So she goes to Romania and tries to reason with the President, but it's going to be difficult. And the organization is planning to kill Ashley.