Matt donates a major prize to the hunt ball and demands both that Shula accepts it and that he gets to present the prize.

Radio Times: Shula struggles to remain calm and Jill has concerns

Characters: David, Jill, Matt, Pip, Shula

• Shula finds Matt in the middle of the lane having “run out of petrol”. She reluctantly gives him a lift and tries to ignore him. Matt tries to claim he was supportive of Anisha but Shula doesn’t believe him.
• Pip is definitely supporting Emma over Robert but David isn’t so sure. What Robert says is sensible but Pip thinks it is the blindingly obvious. David and Ruth are getting ready for their holiday and Pip is getting ready to move back into Rickyard. David is making a ridiculous fuss over leaving Pip on her own which he has done rather often before. He is surprised to see Shula drive up with Matt as a passenger.
• Shula then makes an over the top fuss about David talking to Matt and is getting herself into a ridiculous state about the ball and about Grahsm who is proving to be very high maintenance. Jill tries to calm her down and Shula agrees she is probably being unfair. She is just so tired of everything and wishes it would go away. Jill says it will all be better in a week’s time. And Shula agrees that Graham is doing them a favour.
• David gets rid of Matt finally. Shula is pleased she won’t see him again but Matt says she’ll never know, he might surprise her. Ruth isn’t relaxing yet, she is still dealing with phone calls. But David is looking forward to it. But then Shula gets a phone call to say she has received a good gift for the raffle. But then rushes off saying there is something she needs to do. Pip wonders if it is about the donor of the raffle prize.
• It is Matt who offered the prize. Shula chases after him and challenges him that he has been bad mouthing the business around the county. Of course she won’t accept the gift. Matt denies it was him talking and how would the hunt feel if she turned down the best prize on offer which didn’t even come from him but from Hugh Melling and makes it clear he will tell people. Shula reluctantly accepts it and Matt then demands a ticket to the Ball so he can present the star prize.