Mike struggles to come to terms with his loss. Oliver has a plan to buy Grey Gables.

Radio Times: Ambridge feels a tragic loss.

Characters: Caroline, Hayley, Jennifer, Mike, Roy, Shula, Tony

• Caroline and Shula prepare for a ride – somewhere quiet because Caroline has news to tell.
• Jennifer brings Phoebe home and reports that Alan asked everyone who knew and loved Betty to stay behind after the service to pray for her and for her family; virtually everybody stayed. Phoebe is obviously still looking forward to the early Christmas Day celebration that Betty had planned, so Jennifer will lay something on at Home Farm. Roy and Hayley will come but Mike asks to be excused. Roy tells Tony, another caller, that there has to be a post-mortem, so there is no date for the funeral yet; this is making it even more difficult for them all.
• Caroline puts Shula in the picture about the sale of Grey Gables, possibly split up into lots. But Oliver has been doing some research: by selling everything, including possibly Grange Farm, and by taking on a retired investment banker friend as a partner, he believes they can afford to buy it themselves. Caroline takes it as a sign that Oliver really thinks something of her, that he is prepared to go to such lengths. Shula assures her that he is crazy about her!
• Mike feels numb – and occasionally mad – surely the doctors knew she was not right when they sent her home; one day later she was dead. He was so pleased with himself over buying the poinsettias, now he cannot stand to see them in the house; Tony will take them away. He doesn’t want to see or do anything that she can’t; he just can’t face it without Betty beside him.