Rob is on the receiving end of gossip. Emma is on the receiving end of maternal fury. Helen is on the receiving end of some emotional pressure.

Radio Times: Elizabeth talks to her sister. Meanwhile, Emma and Helen make a mess.

Characters: Ed, Elizabeth, Emma, Helen, Rob, Shula, Susan

• Pouring rain and farmyard mud do little to raise Ed’s spirits, and Emma is not much comfort, prattling on about upcycled furniture while Ed frets about the lack of buyers for the business. A fall in the yard is the final straw for him.
• Rob posts a letter requiring a signature in the shop (who could that be to?) and is treated to Susan in full-on gossip mode. Has he heard about Roy and Hayley? Roy looks awful and we can all guess why – his leaving Lower Loxley was not about money, it was to do with Elizabeth … and then Shula comes in, so the Carter floodgates are temporarily shut.
• Susan quickly changes tack and tells Shula that the Parish Council will be dropping its opposition to the new anaerobic digester scheme now that the clever and charming Charlie Thomas has thought of a concrete approach road. Shula makes a frosty exit.
• In Susan’s kitchen Emma and Helen (minus the Henry she is keen to spend all her time with) make a mess sanding down a piece of old furniture. Then Ed comes in trailing mud and dirty overalls, and the puppy runs off with Emma’s cloth – and Susan returns unexpectedly. She orders them to clear up every trace of mess. Emma is left to wonder how they will survive another winter there – but at least Ed has some work at Home Farm. Then Helen discovers three missed calls from Rob and rushes home.
• Shula goes to Lower Loxley, initially to tell Elizabeth what her solicitor advised about exercising caution before realising their shares in Brookfield, but soon Elizabeth pours out her heart to her sister. She has wrecked Roy’s life, Hayley’s life – her children hate her- what is she to do? The situation is awful and can only get worse. Shula offers what little comfort she can.
• Rob piles on the emotional pressure; coming home to a cold, dark house he thought Henry was ill, or that something terrible had happened. Perhaps a text before Helen goes anywhere? Be very careful, Helen… born free, you have nothing to lose but your chains.