Ruth’s culinary skills are tested.

Radio Times: David has friends for dinner.

Characters: David, Jill, Phil, Ruth, Shula, Sophie, Usha

• Things are very tense at Brookfield as Ruth struggles to cook for the dinner party. Usha does her best to calm Ruth down and lend a hand in the kitchen, but Ruth is convinced it’s going to be a disaster.
• Sophie arrives early, and gushes over David. She has brought presents for all the children, and David can’t stop saying how pleased they will all be.
• Phil, Jill and Shula make up the party, but the conversation is decidedly stilted. Phil and Jill ooze over Sophie, and poor Ruth feels more and more left out, especially when Sophie says she’ll be around for some time yet. David continues to overdo the flattery.
• Ruth’s feelings of failure seem to have some substance when she realises she didn’t put the roast potatoes in the oven! Jill comes to the rescue, and the half-cooked potatoes magically become rosti. The diners are most impressed. Phil thinks he’s never tasted such good wine at Brookfield; David reveals that Sophie brought it.
• At last the evening comes to an end, though David brightly tells Ruth they should do it more often. Jill tells her she did well, and Ruth tells Usha how very grateful she is for her support, especially now she knows that Sophie and David will be seeing so much more of one another.