Pat gains insight into Tony’s actions; the rift deepens between Tony and Tom; Rob gets his way… again.

Radio Times: Rob has a cunning plan and Tony is feeling upbeat.

Characters: Helen, Kirsty, Pat, Rob, Tom, Tony

• Rob walks in with a surprise for Helen, tickets for today’s showing of “Oklahoma” at Felpersham’s film festival. Helen raises the difficulty of short-notice childcare. Rob is convinced that a phone call to Pat will solve their problems; she would surely love to see Henry. Helen says that things are still difficult with her mother and she doesn’t want to push things. Rob says that by springing it on her, she won’t have time to think of an excuse.
• At Bridge Farm, Tony walks in just as Pat puts down the phone. Helen has had a flea in her ear. Pat will not look after Henry. Tony tries to pour oil on troubled waters; Pat lets him know just how she feels about the situation. She is angry and insists that they won’t become prey to emotional blackmail; they are not relief child-minders. Having made her feelings very plain, Pat goes outside with Tony to take a look at the new herd.
• Henry and Rob are playing. Rob hears the news from Pat and wonders if Tom and Kirsty would be likely babysitters. Helen tells him that they are out house hunting. Rob suddenly suggests that Henry’s bedroom could do with a new bed and that they should go shopping immediately. “We have a new bed, Henry should have one too”.
• Tony and Pat are admiring the new stock. Pat still can’t understand why he bought them in such a secretive way; it was almost as if he didn’t trust her. Tony explained that he was really trying to keep his plan from Tom, not her. Quite simply, Tony didn’t want any aggravation from his son. They both laugh. Tony later admitted he may have been sending his mother a message too, that he was not on the scrapheap yet. In his own way, he was offering an apology to Pat for the loss of the dairy herd. Pat understood, saying “We’re back where we belong”.
• Helen, Rob and Henry are in a bed shop. Henry is running up and down the ladder of a mid-riser bed having clearly decided that he wants it. Helen is less convinced but, claiming to be an expert at self-assembly, Rob wins the day and the bed is bought. Rob hopes that Henry will have tired himself out shopping and that Rob can have Helen “all to himself tonight”. They kiss… in public!
• Tom and Kirsty are house hunting. Tom is totally distracted by his father’s decision to buy a new herd. He cannot understand! Just what was his father playing at? It’s their future that matters. Their wedding day should be perfect. Tom has arranged a new venue. When Kirsty tries to explain that Tony may have been hurt by Tom borrowing money from his grandmother, Tom tells her to “forget about dad”. She says that Tom must get to the bottom of the problem. “Talk to him Tom… please”.