After the birth of her daughter Susan, Marleen convinces Jan to move into a bigger house. Jos Boswinkel finds it difficult to cope with the situation of having a daughter he cannot acknowledge as well as working with Eppo.

Eppo becomes almost unmanageable in the Engelmoer household. He has firmly decided he wants to move to France to be an artist.

Marleen attends the wedding of Alie Donkelaar and cab driver Bertus Ongena. Attorny Blomkwist suggests she dresses up as Hendrickje Stoffels as part of a shop-window competition.

Jan has a heart attack when he gets upset with Blomkwist while Marleen is visiting Eppo in Paris. Eppo introduces her to the eccentric artist Andreus Bleyleve.

Jan has gallstones which have to be removed. When he is in the hospital, she confesses her secret to accountant Blomkwist, who advices her to write it all down in a letter.

Jan passes away in the hospital. At his funeral, Blomkwist and Dr. Bresser have an exchange about Marleen's secret. Bresser confides to know that Jan had also found sometime before he died.

Because of the impending war, Blomkwist advices Marleen to sell most of her antique shop and find another job. She decides to move house and begin a smaller shop instead, called 'Het Kleine Verschil'.

Marleen fires her old assistant carpenter Walraven after he makes anti-Semitic statements to Abraham Mossel. Dr. Bresser tells her to take holiday, so Marleen takes her mother and her daughter to stay with Jos Boswinkel and his wife.

Eppo returns unexpectedly from France and tells his family Bleyleven is on the way. Marleen goes on a job interview and where she confronts her old nemesis Jaap Oudemans.

Holland has been bombed and occupied by the Germans. Marleen is trying to find several people a place to hide. Then she spots a British parachutist and helps him to get to safety at Boswinkel's farm.

Having learned that Jaap Bleyleve is working for the resistance and did not betray his country, Marleen tries to get him to reconcile with his ill father Andreus.

When Marleen is celebrating her birthday at the Boswinkel house with all her friends and extended family, Germans soldiers arrive to search the place for any hidden Jews and resistance fighters.