A network of deep friendships connects the members of two families in the town of Whittingbourne Laurence and Hilary run a small country hotel with their three adolescent sons in tow, while Gina and Fergus occupy High Place, a decorator's showcase, with their one daughter and a keen focus on domestic rightness In this novel, friendships and betrayal challenge the intimacies and loyalties of modern life and each member of the two families is vividly portrayed