Emma has a bright idea. Brenda has an unpleasant morning in the office. Lilian has a birthday lunch.

Radio Times: Emma feels sidelined, and Susan finds herself in a conundrum.

Characters: Brenda, Emma, Jennifer, Lilian, Oliver, Susan

• Sullen as ever, Emma gripes about Keira having taken her lip-gloss, about George’s prayer habit and most of all about Nic, who she would apparently like to smack.
• As Brenda catches up with a mountain of paperwork, she is relieved to see Lilian in the office, but when she asks Lilian to attend to some urgent paperwork, Lilian announces that she is off to have her hair done, a facial and a manicure. Brenda’s protestations about unpaid bills lead to some unpleasant snarling from Lilian.
• Dispensing condescension as she buys cream for syllabub at the shop from Oliver, Jennifer is pleased to encounter Susan. She asks if Susan would like to help with the swishing event. Susan is thrilled to be asked – until she discovers it will be as cloakroom attendant.
• Emma is delighted when she hears that Susan will be at the swishing party, and asks Susan to buy one of Sabrina’s tracksuits for her. Poor Susan realises that she has nothing suitable to take, but Emma has a brainwave; Susan must buy a classy item from a charity shop and pass it off as her own. A delighted Susan agrees, and promises to bring something of Sabrina’s home for Emma.
• Having cooked lunch for Lilian’s birthday, Jennifer wants to hear all about her holiday in Montenegro, but Lilian is evasive about the details, and puts her tired appearance down to the shock of going back to work – though whether a five minute snarl at Brenda constitutes work is debatable.