Chris and Alice resolve to work together to buy the farrier business.

Radio Times: Alice confronts some economic realities, and Elizabeth is feeling alone.

Characters: Alice, Christopher, Elizabeth, Jill, Lynda, Susan

• Gardens are the topic of conversation for Lynda and Jill, also Lynda’s party preparations. Alas, Coriander will not be there; she and Oscar are going to the Netherlands, where Justin has a month long assignment.
• Her mother-in-law is keen for news of Alice’s graduation and eagerly accepts an invitation to come and look at Chris’s photographs later, when she has finished in the shop. Alice is rather taken aback by some of the village shop prices; she buys only what she really needs. When Lynda arrives, Susan admits that, though they have new stocks of Bridge Farm yogurt and ice cream, they are not selling.
• Chris is anxiously looking forward to an interview tomorrow with his bank manager to present his business plan and seek a loan of £200k. Will it be dismissed as a crazy punt?
• Jill has spotted an opportunity: the Lower Loxley Garden Festival is just the place to give out leaflets for the Ambridge Open Garden event, so she takes a handful over there and some posters too. Elizabeth is missing Roy but he has left everything in good order. She has arranged a week in Cornwall with the children; she feels she is not giving them enough time and needs to get away from work.
• Alice wonders whether Chris needs to buy Ronnie’s premises but he explains that, in practice, he does. When Susan arrives she brings ice cream, with the assurance that it is safe; she noticed that Alice didn’t buy any in the shop. Alice explains their need to economise; it was just too expensive.
• Alone again with Chris, Alice admits that she has never had to economise before. Whatever the bank manager says tomorrow, they will have to save. If they manage to get the business up and running, it will be their own achievement. He is Alice’s hero and tomorrow they will have been married a whole year; she loves him even more than she did then.