A.L. Lester

It's 1972. Fifteen years earlier, teenage Laurie Henshaw came to live at Webber's Farm with his elderly uncle and settled in to the farming life. Now thirty-two, Laurie has a stroke in the middle of working on the farm. As he recovers, he has to come to terms with the fact that some of his new limitations are permanent and he's never going to be as active as he used to be. Will he be able to accept the helping hands his friends extend to him?<br><br>With twenty successful years in the city behind him, Phil McManus is hiding in the country after his boyfriend set him up to take the fall for an insider trading deal at his London stockbroking firm. There's not enough evidence to prosecute anyone, but not enough to clear him, either. He can't bear the idea of continuing his old stagnating life in the city or going back to his job now everyone knows he's gay.<br><br>Thrown together in a small country village, can Phil and Laurie forge a new life that suits the two of them and the makeshift family who gathers round them? Or are they too tied up in their own shortcomings to recognise what they have?

Taking Stock

That lasted until he opened the door to his office and found Peter already in there, sat behind his desk. “Morning!” he said. “What are you up to in here?”


Peter looked at him sadly. “I’m so sorry old chap,” he said. “Portnoy wants you in his office as soon as, I’m afraid.”


“He’ll tell you all about it.” Peter looked grim. “You shouldn’t have lied about it, Phil. Not once Richard had blown the whistle.”


Peter only looked at him. “Go and see Portnoy, old chap,” he said, solemnly.


Phil didn’t bother to take his coat off or put his briefcase down. He knocked on Portnoy’s door and was immediately bid to enter.


Chapter 5