Elizabeth is still not going to agree and Phil’s desperately trying to get concensus.

Radio Times: Owen brings an unexpected extra.

Characters: David, Julia, Lizzie, Nigel, Phil

• Niggles abound at Lower Loxley – Owen, their new chef, has brought an assistant with him (which was as agreed). Only it’s Tracy Horrobin and Nigel thinks there’s more than cooking to that relationship … Julia is going to take the twins for a walk around the grounds (she promises to not go near the builders – later she’s making tea for them and asks Nigel if he would take them the thermos!) so as to let Nigel and Elizabeth work. Before they work, they talk about her conversation with David yesterday and, while she’s got no intention of agreeing, he wonders if she might be seen to be thinking about it – it might be a little more obviously diplomatic?
• David tells Phil about the conversation too, and Phil’s not happy at Lizzie’s refusal. David didn’t mention the potential return to the original plan, he thought that would seem too threatening, but Phil thinks that plainspeaking is required. He rings her and asks her to make time in her busy schedule to consider the offer. She agrees. He admits to David that some of his short temper could be because they’re due to lose the pigs tomorrow. The better part of Phil’s working life being waved goodbye too and as a consequence he’s not in the best of tempers.