Rob and Ursula visit a boarding school. Helen and Kirsty have a talk. With the new cows settled in, Pip plans a visit to Matthew.

Radio Times: Rob finds himself thinking about the future. Will Helen reach out to a friend?

Characters: David, Helen, Kirsty, Pip, Rob, Ruth, Ursula

• Ruth goes to the barn very early to see how the calving is progressing and she is surprised to see David is already there. All five cows have delivered without human help and all calves are healthy and thriving. Both Archers are elated.
• Rob and Ursula leave for their day excursion. Helen holds things together just long enough to see them off. She struggles to breathe when there is a knock at the door. It is Kirsty. She came over the fields and waited until Rob left. Kirsty demands to know what is going on. Helen dissolves in tears. Kirsty fixes Helen a hot drink and asks again. Helen says that she is going mad. Kirsty asks if she is sure it is Helen. Kirsty points out that Rob has hit her; there is no excuse for that ever. Helen continues to blame herself for her behaviour. When Kirsty suggests that Helen talk to Pat, she is adamantly against it. Helen begs Kirsty to promise to tell no one.
• The day excursion turns out to be the boarding school that Rob attended as a child. Ursula is very encouraging about sending Henry. He would absolutely thrive here, she trills.
• The milking is going as well as the calving. Pip announces that Rex has advised her to see more of Matthew. Rex is such a good mate, says Pip. So she asks her parents if they can spare her next week.
• Henry’s problem is that he hasn’t had a father for the first few years of his life, notes Rob. So why boarding school will be best, isn’t discussed. Brian Aldridge’s son Ruairi has been away at school and Brian says that he is thriving. Helen will miss Henry, of course, but with Henry gone she can focus on Ursula’s new grandson. Ursula will pay the fees to facilitate this move. Rob suggests that now Ursula can go back home. We do need to persuade Helen first, says Ursula. Don’t worry about that; leave it to me, intones Rob.