30/12/2021

Ruth catches up with Stella who really enjoyed being in the first of The Ambridge Mystery Plays. Meanwhile Ruth is please that the complaint made to Borsetshire Animal Protection about the outwintering cows isn’t being followed up. They bump into Usha and Ruth introduces her and Stella. Usha asks if Ruth would like to come to a salsa class this evening and Ruth extends the invite to Stella. Later, while waiting for Ruth, Stella laughs at Usha’s tale of her Christmas hibernation and the village gossip that she and Alan had split up. Flustered Ruth joins them, feeling the least glamourous of the three. She was delayed by an argument between Pip and Josh over who will move into the Bungalow – she can’t see how it will end happily.

Before Ruairi heads back to London, Jennifer tells both him and Alice how proud she of how they’ve got on with one another. Ruairi is gracious, saying it’s been a good opportunity to set the record straight. Jennifer also tells Alice how well she did while Kate drank too much alcohol. Alice assures her she had no problem with Kate’s actions.

Just before Ruairi leaves Alice checks he really meant what he said yesterday. Ruairi says he’s actually grateful to Alice because now he knows who he can trust and who cares for him. When Alice asks what their parents will think, Ruairi twists the knife. How could she cause them even more pain? And whose side will they take? On her return from dropping Ruairi at the station, Jennifer senses something up with Alice. Alice admits it’s because of Ruairi but then swerves the truth by saying she will miss him just as Jennifer will.