Naughty, naughty: the doctor and the vicar under the mistletoe.

Radio Times: A kiss under the mistletoe

Characters: Caroline, Janet, Shula, Siobhán, Tim, William

• Tim is having no success prising his wife away from her preparation for an imminent conference. Lynda had managed to steal some of her time earlier to show the Mikado photographs but for Tim she has none to spare; he promises to keep out of her way this afternoon. It doesn’t look as if the situation will improve before she goes off to Amsterdam for the conference. To make matters worse, the green scarf he bought her is not to her liking.
• Caroline is busy preparing for her party. Oliver phones to say he is stuck in Bristol. Shula calls to help with the preparations and cannot resist teasing her friend, whose tone of voice gave away who it was on the other end of the phone.
• Tim is banished to his surgery doing paperwork. Janet is there too, in her office. This provides an opportunity to exchange notes about Christmas and thanks for each others cards. Tim has bought her a present as thanks for her work on the calendar (but didn’t he) do the work!?). It is a lovely scarf, a green one; no prizes for guessing what is her favourite colour or where she standing – right under the mistletoe. Are married parishioners supposed to do that with their vicar?
• At Caroline’s party, Eddie has been making unpleasant remarks about the absent Oliver. William apologises for his father’s behaviour and assures Caroline that his Mum is dealing with the situation. In William’s opinion, the loss of Grange Farm should be a relief to Eddie: keeping it going was a nightmare. Siobhán and Tim arrive late and she is disappointed not to be meeting their new neighbour, of whom Caroline is a good friend, she has heard. Cue for more teasing from Shula.