Rosamunde Pilcher: IN SEVENTH HEAVEN

Rebecca “Becky” Roberts (in her early 30s), a newly ordained young minister in the Anglican Church, visits her assigned parish in Cornwall to get a first impression before taking up her duties. In the process, she almost collides with an attractive cyclist. The near-crash turns into a flirtation, but when Becky supposedly doesn’t intervene when his bike is stolen by a teenager (Kylie, 17), the bike owner angrily snarls at her. Becky’s new community is manageable and the stolen cyclist – named Adam (mid-30s) – is an architect in charge of the new community centre. The project is financed by Lady Biningham (late 50s), the wealthy widow of an ennobled architect, who is mourning her husband who died suddenly a year ago.

Despite losing his bicycle, Adam is visibly delighted when his and Becky’s paths cross again. Does fate have a hand in this or other higher powers? If so, it is playing wicked tricks on the young vicar, for it turns out that Adam’s heart is already taken. His fiancée Emma Biningham (in her late 20s) is delighted that there is finally a new vicar and pushes for a timely wedding date.

Becky, who has taken on the additional task of looking after Kylie, who comes from a difficult background, distances herself emotionally from Adam, even though he seems to have doubts about his wedding. Or is that just Becky’s wish? Then Emma asks the vicar for a chat to confess to a premarital fling. The bride-to-be feels bad and fears Adam might leave her if he finds out. She ostensibly seeks Becky’s advice, but really she just wants her absolution, putting the vicar in an emotional quandary. Especially as Adam seeks Becky’s proximity more and more often. Emma is not unaware that her fiancé has become increasingly distant from her and inquires of the vicar if she has any idea as to the cause of Adam’s behaviour. When they finally kiss, Becky pulls the emergency brake and opens up to Adam in a professionally distant way about not being interested in him. The wedding is set and it seems Rebecca will have to marry the man she loves to someone else….