Hilary White has no intention of joining the school's annual walking holiday in the Lake District - she'd seen enough of the little darlings for now, thank you. That was until she learned that the desirable widower Gregory Lucas was to be one of the adult helpers. After the initial excitement of the hills, the lakes, and the Youth Hostels, the trip does not go according to her devious plans. Gregory has misunderstood Hilary's role in the school and the contrasting characters of the 9-year olds contributes to the ups and downs of the various relationships. The postcard to Karen seems to put a considerable object in Hilary's way and an almost tragic accident threatens Hilary's happiness even further. At the end of the holiday, the fragility of even the toughest of the children leads to deeper divisions, until the real meaning of the postcard to Karen is revealed.