In the simmering summer of 1983, Nick Guest, a young man with a fervent appreciation for beauty, finds himself amid the opulent world of the Fedden family in Notting Hill. An attic room becomes his sanctuary, the troubled Catherine, his companion, and the lavish parties, his tableau. As Nick navigates love affairs and the throes of Thatcher's Britain, his life intertwines with the Feddens' political climbs and personal turmoil. From a youthful romance with a black council worker to a consequential liaison with a wealthy entrepreneur, Nick's quest for beauty leads him through a decade marked by change, extravagance, and the stark realities behind his friends' relentless pursuit of power and wealth.