Venetia's boyfriend, David is working on a film set in Latin America, and in her loneliness and frustration she dumps him by e-mail. Then, guilt-ridden at her failure to to find a suitable man to act as a father to her children, she becomes entangled with her dastardly new neighbour, Hedley, who has a 'monobrow', dandruff, and an unfortunate habit of quoting Latin during amorous encounters. Venetia amuses herself by creating eccentric handmade garments, which go for a storm in a flash London boutique, and the boys and baby Beauty make endearing nuisances of themselves as ever.