Rob extends his mastery: not just Helen but now Tom and Henry too.

Radio Times: Henry widens his vocabulary and Pip seems to be feeling more hopeful.

Characters: Helen, Henry, Rex, Rob, Toby, Tom

• There is no let-up in Rob’s protectiveness: he has arranged for his mother to come and stay for half-term; Helen’s resistance is futile.
• In the farm shop, the initial batch of scotch eggs has sold out. Rob is very scathing about the market for such products. Tom points out that he has noticed his sausages have been out of stock several times recently. He gets short shrift: Rob insists Tom must leave stock control to him.
• Ruth and David are back from a successful trip to Ireland; she tells Rex that they have seen some great cattle and have bought some. She thanks Rex for raising Pip’s spirits; Matthew has next weekend off, so they will be able to spend Valentine’s Day together. That’s really not what Rex wanted to hear.
• It’s happy hour in The Bull. Toby takes a different view to his brother over Pip’s romance: it’s just a matter of time before it all implodes and Rex needs to be on hand when it does. They take the decision to go for pastured eggs; Tom joins them just as they reach that conclusion and promises to take some in the shop (perhaps a rash promise in the light of the earlier conversation with the stock-controller-in-chief).
• The midwife is coming to see Helen next week; Rob makes it clear he intends to be there, though Helen weakly protests that it really isn’t necessary. Henry’s bedtime story is laced with a bit of fatherly advice. Mummy has been very ill, so Henry needs to be a good, quiet boy – and obedient. That’s a new word to Henry but no matter, Rob is about to explain it to him.