the protagonist of this novel, anthony greville, is a member of parliament who is married with two children. his son adam is seventeen and his daughter sophie is eight. despite the outward perfection of his life, greville is having an affair with sculptor natalia jones, an enigmatic mother of two who is married to a husband in politics who cheats on her. greville's wife is away at the family's country retreat for weeks on end and his children at their respective schools, so greville enjoys his lover's company with minimal risk of being discovered. however, as smitten with natalia as greville is, he has a brief fling with a woman named madeleine, as well.