When Ollie Simpson
started going out with solicitor Eleanor Kitson he was
trying to make a fresh start after splitting up with his
wife Bel. Little did he know that Eleanor had skeletons in
her cupboard who where about to jump out and change his life
forever.
When Eleanor was a teenager she became involved in an animal rights campaign which led to her having a relationship with Marcus Seddon. During a raid on a cosmetics laboratory Marcus attacked and seriously injured a security guard for which he served 18 years in prison. Soon after Marcus went to prison Eleanor discovered that she was pregnant. Eleanor was unable to provide a good stable home for her so decided to give her baby daughter up for adoption.
Eighteen years later her daughter Louise succeeds
in tracking her down after deciding she wanted to meet her
real parents. Eleanor is taken completely by surprise when
Louise turns up at her office and announces she is her
daughter. Eleanor suggests they go for a drink at Bar
Brookie where she introduces Louise to Ollie, who is stunned
by the revelation that Eleanor has a daughter.
Louise asks Eleanor about her father, intending to trace him as well. at first Eleanor tries to mislead her by telling Louise that her father used to be a cycle repair man but when she manages to locate someone who fits the description , Eleanor has no option but to tell Louise her real father Marcus Seddon is in prison.
After persuading Eleanor to tell her more about Marcus, using the Internet Louise discovers that he is still very much involved in environmental issues. Intrigued by what she has discovered about Marcus, Louise arranges to visit him in prison at first pretending to be just a student interested in the research that Marcus has done. It is not long though before she tells him that she is her daughter, and Although at first Marcus is annoyed she had lied to him about who she was he is later pleased to discover she is his daughter. Louise is very impressed by what Marcus has to say about the environment and his plans for the future.
After
Marcus is released from prison Eleanor is shocked when he
arrives on her doorstep with Louise. Both Eleanor and Ollie
are unhappy about Louise as she spends more and more time
with Marcus, accompanying him at lectures all over the
country. Although Marcus tells Ollie and Eleanor he only
wants to get to know his daughter, later it soon becomes
clear he wants to re-kindle his relationship with Eleanor
that was interrupted 18 years earlier .
When Marcus writes a book and titles it “A love affair interrupted ” it is obvious who the book is about. At first Eleanor refuses to read the book but succumbs to temptation during a quiet moment at the office. When Louise discovers Eleanor reading the book it encourages her belief that Eleanor and Marcus will get back together.
Meanwhile Marcus is becoming a frequent visitor at the Simpson's house much to the annoyance of Ollie who is suspicious of his motives. Eleanor is in a vulnerable situation when Ollie has to work away from home at a conference for a few days and Marcus sees the opportunity to spend more time with her.
He waits for Eleanor to be alone
in her office then pays her a surprise visit. 
Marcus finds Eleanor admiring some
flowers that Ollie has sent her and is quick to criticise
Ollie for sending such a gift. As Marcus continues to make
snide remarks about Ollie Eleanor finds herself drawn
towards her ex-lover and they are soon sharing a passionate
time in the office. Over the next few days Eleanor and
Marcus become very intimate but Eleanor is quick to deny
anything is going on when they are caught together by
Louise.
Ollie returns from the conference and suggests to Eleanor they should go away for a few days to the lake district, he confides in Danny that he intends to ask Eleanor to marry him. Meanwhile Eleanor has similar thoughts and tells Louise that her and Marcus have no future together and also intends asking Ollie to get married. Louise is disappointed by Eleanor's decision and is surprised by Marcus’s apparent lack of concern when she tells him about their wedding plans.
Ollie and Danny set off first to the cottage in the lakes where they prepare for Eleanor and Louise's arrival. Eleanor has commitments at work so both she and Louise arrive at the cottage a couple of days alter. When Eleanor arrives, Ollie tells Eleanor he has something to ask her, but as Eleanor also has something to say he listens to her first. Ollie is amazed when Eleanor asks him to marry her and although Louise seems very subdued about their decision she soon cheers up and congratulates them.
Later that
evening they all go out for a meal to celebrate. when they
return they are horrified to find the cottage has been
broken into, and Marcus waiting for them inside. Ollie and
Eleanor try to persuade Marcus to leave and stay at a nearby
hotel after he tells them his car has broken down. Marcus
makes it quiet clear he has no intention of leaving when he
throws Ollie's mobile phone on the fire when he tries to
call the police. Over the next few hours Marcus prevents the
Simpson's from leaving while subjecting Ollie to taunting
remarks, taking great delight in telling him about Eleanor's
activities while he was away.
The
next morning Marcus shocks everyone by appearing to douse
himself in petrol and threatening to set himself alight.
After pouring the contents of a petrol can over his head he
tells them it was only water after all. While Marcus sits in
the chair soaked with water he allows them all to leave the
cottage. Ollie. Eleanor, Louise and Danny jump into Ollie's
car hoping to get away before Marcus comes after them, but
just in time they realise Marcus has doused the car in
petrol. Before they can escape Marcus appears from the
cottage and starts smashing the car while they are inside.
Eleanor, Louise and Danny manage to get away
unharmed but as Ollie tries to leaver Marcus traps him in
the car door injuring his leg. As Ollie limps away from the
car helped by Danny Marcus ignites the car with his lighter
which explodes in a ball of fire.
Meanwhile as Eleanor and Louise try to escape Louise trips and when Marcus threatens to kill her, Eleanor hits him with a log knocking him to the ground. Eleanor and Louise then Join Danny and Ollie behind some outbuildings before venturing out to see if Marcus is still alive.
When they discover Marcus has
gone they decide to try and reach the village 
on foot. Just when they think they have given
Marcus the slip, he catches up with them near a cliff top as
Marcus and Ollie grapple near the edge, Danny and Louise run
for help. Despite his injury Ollie gets the better of Marcus
as he slips over the edge of the cliff . Ollie tries to hold
onto Marcus but when Eleanor tells him to let go he allows
Marcus to slip from his grasp and fall to his death on the
ground below.
During the weeks following Marcus’s death Ollie is full of remorse, but Eleanor persuades him to keep quiet about what really happened up on the cliff top. When the coroner records a verdict of accidental death Eleanor is delighted that she is finally free of Marcus for good, but by this time she has had enough of Ollie and leaves him to join Louise.
Ollie on his own once more decides to leave Brookside close with Danny to start a new life in America