Clive’s return causes upset in the village. Jim’s powers of persuasion are put to work on Joe.

Radio Times: A face from the past returns to Ambridge. Meanwhile, Jim uses all his powers of persuasion.

Characters: Alice, Jennifer, Jim, Joe, Neil, Susan, Usha

• Alice calls at Home Farm in search of bread. Jennifer insists that she stays for lunch, more to appease her loneliness than to help Alice. A letter from Ruairidh has arrived, full of excitement about his weekend at home and his new school. It serves only to make Jennifer miss him more.
• A text from Susan causes Neil to rush home. She is very distressed, having run into Clive at her mother’s. Neil is angry that he should have been allowed to return to Ambridge, and offers to stay home while the book club meets.
• Jim broaches the subject of the neglected orchard at Oliver’s. At first Joe is too low in spirits to respond, but eventually Jim manages to coax him into seeing that his years of experience would be vital if they were to develop it as a community orchard. Jim will put the idea to Oliver as long as Joe is willing to be the overseer.
• The book club meeting gets off to a bad start, with Susan terrified that Clive will appear. When Joe and Jim make a late appearance, Susan is so scared that she rushes into the kitchen in tears. Jennifer and Usha follow her, and learn about Clive. They, too, are shocked, but remind Susan that she must not let Clive ruin her life.