Elizabeth’s spirits are lifted by a chat with Iftikar – not for the first time.

Radio Times: Will reacts angrily. Meanwhile the rumour mill is buzzing at Lower Loxley.

Characters: Elizabeth, Hayley, Iftikar, Nic, Rob, Shula, William

• A man who is going hunting needs a horse, so Rob pays an early visit to The Stables. Shula introduces him to Topper, who will do nicely.
• Elizabeth has a big day and the intrusion of a phone call from Ifty is initially unwelcome. He might be late for Freddy’s lesson; good luck with the renaming ceremony of the Shire’s Rare Breeds Centre today.
• Nic has made flapjacks and drops some off at Willow Farm. She turns down Hayley’s invitation to take them in herself but stays long enough to quiz Hayley about the Lower Loxley rumour – that they need £1million. Josh has been doing the hens and is pleased, nay delighted, to learn from Hayley that his three months’ probation has been more than satisfactory: she and Neil are very pleased with him.
• Will also gets flapjacks as he works. Nic reports that she has invited Ed and Emma to The Bull on Sunday; Will is, if anything, even less enthusiastic than Ed was. Nic won’t take no for an answer: they will all be round the table on Sunday; it’s a family party and they will do it for Clarrie’s sake and to set an example for George.
• Elizabeth is shattered after a successful day and is a bit too ready to fly off the handle when Hayley reports the rumour; she got it, not from Roy but from Nic, who got it from Rhys, who got it from Freda, who got it from Bert. Elizabeth explains the real situation to Shula.
• Ifty gets an enthusiastic account of the day’s events and learns something of Elizabeth’s dear departed relatives, Julia and Nigel himself. Elizabeth still has other problems but the chat has cheered her up; she enjoyed it; she always does!