Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather have decided to create the best catering company in Dublin. They've found the perfect premises, they've got heaps of talent, and they even have a few contacts -- but not everyone seems as pleased by the idea of Scarlet Feather as they are. Tom's parents are disappointed that he has turned his back on the family building business. Cathy's mother-in-law, Hannah, already disapproving of her son Neil's choice of wife, thinks that Scarlet Feather is just a hobby and Cathy should stay at home to look after her husband. Neil himself, a high-flying civil rights lawyer, becomes even more distant, burying himself in his work. And Tom's relationship with his beautiful, ambitious girlfriend Marcella becomes fraught as she struggles to realise her dream of becoming a model. As Cathy and Tom strive to maintain their emotional ties amidst catering triumphs and disasters, they are supported -- and undermined -- by an enchanting cast of classic Binchy characters.