Dan’s 21st party is a great success and Ruth confides her discontents.

Radio Times: Birthday Boy Dan has a moment of clarity, and Ruth pauses for thought.

Characters: Brian, Dan, David, Elizabeth, Phoebe, Ruth, Shula, Usha

• Elizabeth and Brian joke about Dan’s relatives terrifying the tank command. Phoebe is nervous about her driving test along with her entrance exam to Oxford. It is surprising that there seems to be no ill-feeling between Elizabeth and Phoebe and Elizabeth pays extravagant compliments to Phoebe over her hair.
• Brian tells Usha that he is paying for Kate’s yurts; Kate will pay him back from her profits. Brian notes wryly that he looks forward to his great grandchildren receiving the windfall. Brian also tells the group that he heard from Eddie this morning. He was inquiring about holiday cottages that may be affordable but Brian regrets he has nothing for the Grundys.
• Dan reassures his mum that his friends won’t wreak havoc inside Grey Gables. Richard Locke has left a St. Christopher’s medal for Dan who remarks that he hadn’t expected anything from him.
• The older folk look admiringly on Phoebe who seems to have many admirers and has blossomed into a true beauty. Everyone is pleased to hear of Adam’s upcoming nuptials. Dan apologizes to Elizabeth over his friends’ high spirits. But then Dan stuns his mother and aunt with the news that he is going to marry the young woman he has brought to the party. Shula doesn’t seem too concerned.
• Phoebe is discussing farming and cows with Brian and David, much to their surprise. Meanwhile, Shula and Ruth have repaired to the inside. Ruth confesses that she is disturbed that David has assumed that the money for Pip will come from Heather’s estate. When Jill returns, she will fall into her old routines. Ruth is feeling left out and without a role in the household. She has been feeling this way since her miscarriage. She thinks David is great guy but he has such a sense of entitlement that he can’t see what others are experiencing. Ruth is not even sure they are right for each other anymore.