Kate takes advantage of Hayley’s absence.

Radio Times: Brenda pleads her brother’s case.

Characters: Betty, Brenda, Joe, Kate, Lucas, Mike, Roy

• It is pouring with rain and Joe is soaked, so he is very glad of a lift from Brenda; he talks her into letting him dry off in the nice warm kitchen at Willow Farm. Mike and Betty have quite a surprise to find him, snoring and without trousers, when they come home later deep in conversation about free range chickens. Basically Betty is for, Mike is against and Neil is thinking about it.
• When Brenda calls at Home Farm, she interrupts a bit of an argument. Kate wants Phoebe to stay the night on Thursday, Lucas is not so sure about it because Phoebe is not used to staying. He points out that although Kate wants him to love Phoebe as much as Nolly, she cannot accept that Hayley might love her as much as Kate does herself. Before taking Lucas off to see the radio station, Brenda is able to provide a valuable bit of information: Roy will be at Willow Farm this evening without Hayley, so Kate spots her opportunity.
• Brenda does not expect Lucas to be impressed with Radio Borsetshire: the equipment is not exactly state of the art and nothing exciting ever happens. On the contrary, Lucas feels that the closure of the local school is a good story. He agrees to be interviewed before he goes back to South Africa in about 5 weeks. What about Phoebe, Brenda asks. Roy adores her. Lucas understands that Roy would not give her up without a fight.
• At last the Tuckers’ conversation moves away from hens and Roy is able to bring his parents up to date on wedding plans: they want three little bridesmaids as well as Brenda but he has not given any thought to the best man. The vicar wants them to go on a course which she thinks might be helpful because of the Phoebe situation. Bang on cue, Kate knocks and puts in her request. She feels she has been neglecting Phoebe in the last week or two (the last year, actually, as Mike quick to point out) and since Phoebe will be at Home Farm on Thursday and Friday anyway, why should she not stay the night.