A Desirable Residence — Sheila Cole

Darrington, a small country village, is not destined to remain so; development consortia rumble nearer. The Grots are leaving London, buying in, taking over. Ella Caine, almost divorced, has a lover to add sparkle to her otherwise pointless days. He is Philip Russell, failure in farming and in life. The Graysons are delightfully unsuited to running the village shop, and the couple who own the Black Swan public house unashamedly gay. Tom Antony, villager, sees and knows all, says little.