Ian gets the job as chef at Grey Gables. Susan is worried about Christopher.

Radio Times: Christopher is causing problems.

Characters: Emma, Ian, Jack, Neil, Peggy, Susan

• Peggy is worried about Jack’s progress and uses Ian’s shoulder to cry on. He is positive; they must all encourage Jack to stick at his exercises and, at 84, they must recognise that it might take a while. Jack had little appetite for breakfast but he cannot avoid a big lunch: Bernie is coming in to cook it.
• Susan will see Christopher’s teacher today but Emma is a bit critical of her intervention; she herself is going to look at wedding dresses with Fallon.
• After lunch Jack is outnumbered: he thought the sticky toffee pudding was very good but Peggy and Caroline thought it was stodgy and that Ian had never produced anything so mediocre. In the end Jack has to admit that Ian’s food is better; he is still concerned about Ian’s inexperience but he will trust the judgement of the ladies.
• Back at The Lodge, Ian returns to a welcoming committee; he is offered the job and is delighted to accept.
• Susan has to report to Neil that Christopher is doing very well in most subjects but he has lied about going to basketball; although he has been putting his kit in the wash regularly and talking about the sessions, in fact he has not turned up for weeks. Faced with the evidence he admitted that he had been seeing friends but when Susan pushed him he flew off the handle. Susan is worried that there is more to it; Emma never lied to them about such things. She just wants the best for him. Neil will talk to him; he is confident that there will be a reasonable explanation.