Clive thinks he will escape gaol by pleading mental damage.

Radio Times: Caroline builds bridges.

Characters: Caroline, Clive, David, Ruth, Shula, Trainee solicitor, Usha

• At Brookfield the testing of Jill’s unusual marmalades continues but David gets more than he bargained for with Onion marmalade. David checks the diary for 21^st because they have been invited to the Grundys’ party along with the rest of the village – bring your own food and drink!
• Caroline calls at The Stables to rescue her friendship with Shula; the business with Clive must not be allowed to come between them. They decide on a ride.
• Usha is visiting her client in prison, accompanied by a trainee. Clive is going to plead guilty so they need to concentrate on mitigation. He feels like somebody else did the attacks, a different person; he thinks he needs psychiatric help because he suffered a “sustained period of brutal intimidation” (who gave him that line?) in prison. Usha can ask the court for a psychiatric report but it is up to them. Clive is unwilling to ‘cough’ for the earlier attacks unless there is evidence against him; however, Usha persuades him that it would be in his best interests to ask for them to be taken into consideration because then he could not be prosecuted for them later.
• On their ride, Shula and Caroline encounter David, which gives an opportunity to ask about the use of a barn for the church’s Harvest Home; the date in question is 3^rd October, their mum’s birthday, so the two could be combined. David will even provide some of his excellent Hereford beef.
• Over lunch, Usha and her trainee (Clive called him a ‘toy-boy’) compare notes. She thinks Clive sees the mental damage route as a way out of gaol; she will ask for the report but will be very surprised if the court agrees.