Roly Carradine has found refuge in Cornwall, in the mellow stone house of his childhood where, in the stream running past the garden, the heron makes his nest. A broken marriage and a terrible burden of guilt made Roly remove himself from his busy London life, and here in Cornwall he welcomes Kate, also seeking refuge from the grief of losing her husband and needing to start afresh, and young Daisy Quin, a dancer recovering from a back injury. Roly's son Nat, a garden designer with his own secret burden to bear, lives not far away and is plagued by the unsympathetic visits of his mother Monica, Roly's ex-wife. Daisy, her burgeoning talent frustrated by her back problems, has been taken up by Mim, Roly's sister and a brilliant ballerina until an accident forced her into early retirement. Living in Bath, Daisy thinks she has found love with the attractive schoolmaster in the nearby flat - but her dreams prove to be false ones. Roly, Kate, Daisy and Nat must all find resolution in the beauty and peace of the Cornish countryside.