Natalie Travers had only just had her house in Brighton converted into flats, and installed five sets of tenants, when her younger brother Julian sent her an appeal for help.

Newly deserted by his wife of one year, he was finding it impossible to cope single-handed with his work, with the running of the house and with the care of his baby twins, Rowena and Randall. Natalie’s elder brother, Maurice, and his wife Freddie, were strongly opposed to Natalie’s going to the rescue. She herself realized what she had undertaken when she reached Julian’s house and found babies’ garments strewn on sofas and chairs, jars and tins of baby food on the mantlepiece and the remnants of Julian’s meals on the table—but she assured herself that as soon as domestic staff could be found to take over, she would be free to go back and resume her own life. But Julian made few efforts to find staff, preferring as Head of the Music Department of the famous public school, Downinghurst, to concentrate on his beloved music and on his other great love, golf.

Natalie’s plan to return to Brighton as soon as possible proved over-optimistic. Not only the impossibility of leaving the twins, but also her meeting with the attractive Henry Downing were to detain her longer than she had expected.