Helen is unable to keep a secret. David is unable to help Ruth. Ruth is unable to cope.

Radio Times: Ruth is at a low ebb, and Ian needs to keep a secret.

Characters: Adam, David, Helen, Ian, Jill, Ruth

• Ruth apologises for a meagre lunch; she has been trying to catch up on paperwork. Meagre it may be, but David still manages to speak through a mouthful of cheese and pickle. Fallon wants to hold the Sports Relief race up Lakey Hill. Eddie is due to milk this afternoon as David has Adam and the agronomist to see, and Jill is lunching with Chris, so Ruth can get on uninterrupted.
• A rather better lunch awaits Helen and Ian. Helen excitedly tells Ian about Jess agreeing to a divorce and then, of course, hints at more. It takes little persuasion on Ian’s part for her to tell him about the Very Secret Engagement, though of course he mustn’t tell a living soul. Ian says he will tell Adam, because there must not be secrets between couples. Unless you are called Rob or Helen, presumably.
• Eddie rings to say he is going down with a virus, but the agronomist has cried off, leaving David free to milk – until Mike rings to say that Vicky is stuck in a ford with Bethany, so David will have to take the tractor and rescue them.
• Ian finds Adam at home, also stood up by the agronomist, and immediately tells him Helen’s news. Adam is stunned, especially when he hears that she has not yet told her family. Adam has grave reservations about Rob, who must be difficult to live with. Ian swears Adam to secrecy. Helen wants them to go round for supper, so they must be careful not to mention the engagement. Adam thinks having secrets from one another is the start of a slippery slope…
• Helen leaves a message on Rob’s phone to say how pleased Ian was to hear about the divorce and that she wants to have Ian and Adam over for supper. Rob, of course, is very busy at work so unable to take the call.
• Jill returns to Brookfield and is shocked to see how tired Ruth looks. Ruth admits to feeling woozy, and becomes tearful when Jill suggests that she should go and stay with Shula, but Ruth begs her to stay and asks her not to tell David; she is just having a bad day.