It's the summer of 1983 and Nick Guest comes to live with the Feddens. Gerald Fedden has recently been elected a new Conservative MP in a landslide victory for Mrs Thatcher.
Nick is surprised to hear that the family is off on holiday and he will be left in the house, "responsible" for Catherine, his friend Toby's manic depressive sister. One evening, Catherine has an "episode"; Nick comforts her and, together, they agree not to tell her family what happened.
Catherine encourages Nick to answer a lonely heart ad, and he goes on a date with Leo. Unable to take each other home, they have sex in the Kensington Park Road residents' communal gardens. Nick loses his virginity and falls in love.
The Feddens return from France and Nick begins to feel like a proper member of the family, entranced by their powerful, privileged life. At Toby's 21st birthday party, Nick gets very drunk and catches up with Wani, who offers him some coke. The party becomes more debauched as the evening goes on, but the inexperienced Nick is an observer, rather than participant.
Weeks pass, and Nick and Leo become close. Leo takes Nick to see his old boyfriend Pete. In a much more intimate gesture, he takes him home to meet his mum and sister. Mrs Charles, a very religious woman, doesn't know that Leo is gay and thinks Nick is just a good friend.
Nick and Leo return to the Feddens' house while the family is away and they spend the night together. The next morning, Leo is cold and suddenly ends the relationship. Nick is left shocked and upset on the doorstep as the Fedden family returns.
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