The town in bloom
As Mouse bluffs and charms her way into the engrossing affairs of the Crossway Theatre she meets handsome actor-manager Rex and young stage director Brice. When, with her close friends Molly and Lilian, she shelters from a storm, the three girls meet rich, enigmatic Zelle, and this leads to a momentous outing to a Suffolk village pageant. While dealing with the effects of her first love, illicit relationships, and uncertain friendships, Mouse makes a series of difficult choices. Only when a reunion makes her reflect on these does she realise how powerfully that shared summer affected them all.