The loan shark is causing Clarrie to worry and Lizzie’s full of ideas about how to change Lower Loxley for the better.

Radio Times: Life changes after moonlight reflections.

Characters: Clarrie, Eddie, Jill, Lizzie, Nigel, William

• In between contract work and worrying about their herd, Clarrie gets a mysterious phone call from Mike Butcher, the acquaintance of Eddie’s friend “Fat Paul” who lent them money recently. She’s suspicious about him and his real status and Eddie’s decidedly shifty.
• It’s all go at Lower Loxley with mobiles ringing, couriers causing problems and conference delegates being absurdly dumb. In the midst of this chaos Jill calls round with a birthday present for Julia – and as a means to get out of the bungalow for a couple of hours. While her birthday party is next week (you’ll be happy to hear that Sir Sidney and Mercedes Goodman are able to attend), Louis is taking her out for dinner tonight and she’s off having a birthday hairdo!
• Clarrie catches Eddie’s out, in the middle of a conversation she refers to Mike Butcher as a loan shark and he doesn’t disagree. She’s decidedly unamused, but he’s confident that they’ve got the money in hand to make the first payment and all the contract work will keep them on top.
• Lizzie’s watching the house through a thunderstorm instead of sleeping. She’s still taken with Lower Loxley’s beauty and grandeur and is thinking about a comment her mother made earlier – don’t try and compete with the new conference venue, Atherton Lodge, if it would kill them in the process, exploit their strong points. She’s buzzing with ideas about museum, heritage centres, falconries, rare breeds and outdoor pursuits. Nigel’s very taken with the ideas and it sounds like a nicer place for their family to grow up.