Tom has to face the wrath of Brenda. Ifty helps Freddie face up to what happened. Alice has to face a terrible situation.

Radio Times: Alice prepares for the worst. Meanwhile Iftikar digs deeper.

Characters: Alice, Brenda, Brian, Elizabeth, Freddie, Iftikar, Tom

• Elizabeth tries to get Freddie to talk to her, but he avoids the topic of Christopher’s accident by talking about Josh and Ben’s plans for a Mothering Sunday treat for Ruth.
• Brian meets Alice at the airport. She wants to go straight to the hospital, though Brian warns her that Chris is in a very bad way.
• Freddie shows Cranford Crystal to Ifty and, when Elizabeth has gone, comments on the unpredictability of horses. Recognising what is going on in Freddie’s head, Ifty gently draws him out, getting Freddie to go over what happened and eventually Freddie tells him that he thinks the accident was his fault. Ifty reassures him; accidents just happen. He urges Freddie to talk to his mother, but Freddie is worried that it will bring back memories of Nigel’s accident, and upset her. Ifty tells him that she would rather be upset by that than feel that she could not help her son.
• At the hospital, Alice asks to be left alone with Chris. She tells him how sorry she is for the way they parted last weekend, and begs him to get better. Then she breaks down in floods of tears.
• A weary Brenda gets home very late, having had to finish a report for Matt as well as do Lilian’s work. Tom had promised to make a start on supper, but Brenda is furious to find that it consists of just a frozen pizza. When she asks why there is no salad to go with it, Tom manages to blame Pat. A furious Brenda rounds on Tom, telling him that he needs to recognise just how much Pat and Tony have done for him, how utterly self-centred he is, and how he should go and apologise to them. For once, Tom is left speechless.
• Ifty tells Elizabeth about his conversation with Freddie, and asks if he would like to come and test a Maths Trail that he is setting up for his KS3 classes. Lily and Elizabeth are invited too. Elizabeth thinks it would be lovely.