Marjorie leaves her beloved dogs at Nightingale Farm; Matt Crawford has upped his offer – a real downer for Roy and Hayley.

Radio Times: Emotional goodbyes for Marjorie.

Characters: Alan, Amy, Marjorie, Neil, Roy, Susan

• At the Vicarage, Alan and Amy are breakfasting on poached eggs. This afternoon Amy is going to the Stables and Alan will be helping Marjorie move to The Laurels. They’ve heard about Ed’s recent brush with the law and Amy can’t help wondering if it’s him cutting the horses – Alan says she shouldn’t even think things like that.
• Marjorie and Roy are reminiscing under the willow in the garden of Nightingale Farm, where Charlie and Bettina are buried. She’ll greatly miss them but they both hope the new owners will “let sleeping dogs lie”. Marjorie is still worried that she’s let Roy and Hayley down. He won’t hear of it – they’ll get somewhere soon.
• Alan is in the village shop buying a few bits and pieces for Marjorie. She’s being very brave, he tells Susan. Neil comes in and Alan congratulates them both on Emma’s engagement. Neil makes no bones about wanting a long engagement and Susan hides her embarrassment by asking Alan to take some flowers from her to wish Marjorie good luck. Neil reveals he’s had problems again with Tom not turning up to move the pig arks – so he got Mike to give him a hand and has told him to invoice Tom accordingly!
• Alan has helped Marjorie rearrange her furniture in her new room. She is hesitant about showing her true feelings, but Alan asks her directly if she wishes to talk about anything. It’s good news in a way, but not for Roy and Hayley – she’s had an increased offer for Nightingale Farm.
• Neil returns to the shop for some biscuits and an Eminem DVD for Christopher. Full of criminal gangs, exclaims Susan – talking of which, Ed Grundy’s just been in the shop, cocky as you like! Neil grabs another opportunity to slate the Grundys, and can’t imagine why Emma wants to marry into that family!!
• At Marjorie’s behest, Alan tells Roy about the increased offer – an extra 25 grand from Matt Crawford, which she is thinking of accepting. Roy tells Alan about the fat cat’s other property pies around the village and Alan offers immediately to sign the petition against it all. Then Roy confides in Alan that although they’ve been putting a brave face on it for Marjorie, they are in reality desperate. They’ll probably have to go to Willow Farm after all – and Hayley really doesn’t want to do that …