Brian seems to have chosen but is he really not going to see Siobhán again?

Radio Times: Party-time at Home Farm.

Characters: Alice, Brian, David, Debbie, Elizabeth, Jennifer, Shula, Siobhán

• Brian is spending the afternoon of the party with Siobhán; she isn’t happy about him leaving for the party but she tries not to complain. Brian doesn’t think he deserves her or Ruairidh. He will visit again when he can but he can’t let Alice down at the carols.
• David is finding the party quite a strain and Elizabeth is finding it a struggle. Debbie says she is coping but notes that Brian hasn’t turned up. Jennifer has really made an effort. She looks wonderful. Brian turns up eventually and nearly forgets Alice doesn’t know but Jennifer covers for him. Debbie is furious. She says he just doesn’t care.
• David tells Brian to calm down. No one would know from Jennifer that she wasn’t the happiest woman alive. That is what Jennifer told David when she rang – she knew that David knew about their problems but they were sorting them out between them and she know she could rely on his discretion. Brian says he nearly didn’t come back from Felpersham. Siobhán wanted him to stay. David isn’t keen on getting dragged in further. Brian was so tempted but he didn’t.
• Debbie asks Elizabeth to try to explain how Siobhán can do this to them – to Jennifer, her and Alice. Doesn’t she even think about them? Elizabeth says Siobhán can’t let herself think. If she did, she would have to care and she doesn’t want to because she loves Brian. That’s not an excuse but it is the explanation. She loves him. Debbie doesn’t understand how Jennifer can still love him. He doesn’t deserve either of them. Debbie relates it to how she loved Simon. Both the most important men in her life that she loved have let her down. She doesn’t deserve this. How can she trust anyone ever again.
• Jennifer tells Shula how beautiful Caroline is looking. Shula says its because Oliver has arranged a romantic weekend away. Jennifer says Oliver must really love her and weeps a little. Brian points out that since Jennifer knows everything it wasn’t very tactful of Shula to go on about romantic breaks but Shula says she didn’t know. Shula has the downright cheek to refer to “Brian’s sordid little affair” and he apologises. He doesn’t know how Jennifer has coped with the party. She is just amazing. Shula, typically smugly, says has he only just realised that.
• Alice had a good time at the party but goes to bed shattered. Brian offers to help clear up. “It won’t take them long to get it sorted”. Jennifer asks “Won’t it”. She asks if Brian will still be here in the morning. He says yes, he has always chosen to come back and he has chosen to this time. So, that means he won’t be seeing Siobhán again . . .