- Was the fete vote rigged?
- The shop’s run out of pasta quills!
- Pip decides to be reasonable
- Jennifer and Susan have a natter
- Spencer wants Adam
- Hell hath no fury like a Pip pipped by Josh
Was the fete vote rigged?
Word has got out that the village fete this year will be a Highland Games. Jennifer would have voted for Austen.
[Jennifer] “I must say I’d have preferred a Regency fete myself.”
[Susan] “Me too. All those pretty dresses, and readings and everything ... The last thing I want is Neil or Christopher rupturing themselves tossing tree trunks about.”
The Susan reveals startling news:
[Susan] “Pressure had been brought to bear.”
[Jennifer] “Not vote rigging, surely?”
Seems not quite, but close enough.
Vicky had been out in a “compromising position”:
[Susan] “Obviously, she’s a good friend of Lynda’s … but then when Vicky gets home, there’s Jazzer on the doorstep, laying it on thick about loyalty to Grange farm employees … He went on an on, he said, then he said a Highland Games could be a really good marketing ploy for their milk … the importance of milk to athletes … change their slogan for the day to Power in a Bottle.”
So – Jazzer won over Lynda by pressuring his boss’ wife.
(what?)
Does Susan ever disagree with Jennifer, unless it’s about her Christopher?
The shop’s run out of pasta quills!
[Jennifer] “No pasta quills, Susan?”
[Susan] “No, sorry Jennifer, just the shells at the moment.”
Oh, the humanity!
Pip decides to be reasonable
Though she didn’t start off well.
Spencer was running her home (again), and at least she had the sense to thank him.
[Pip] “My mum and dad should be paying your petrol.”
(eh? How did she work that one out?)
Pip is dreading going back to Brookfield, and still thinks it’s Ruth and David who are being the unreasonable ones.
[Pip] “I’m going to play it completely different this time … sweet and reasonable.”
[Spencer] “And you can do that, can you?”
Pip reckons so. Her plan is to have a cup of tea with them, ask them about their day, and answer their questions about uni.
[Pip] “Then I’m going to pitch, every so nicely, the £800 pounds again. Don’t you think that’s a good plan?”
[Spencer] “Well, it’s a plan … it’s got to be worth a try.”
But … alas. Pip didn’t even get to try her plan out.
When she and Spencer stopped off at the shop, Susan happened to mention that she must be so proud of her brother buying into the hen business.
Pip storms out, and demands Spencer drive her home.
Oops!
Jennifer and Susan have a natter
You know, for someone who sells herself as a cut above, Jennifer really can’t resist having a gossip with Susan.
They start off on Darrell and Elona:
[Susan] “I just thought they felt a bit awkward, being up and yours … it’s not like they’re used to socialising with you and Brian, not like me and Neil.”
(ha!)
Then, onto Neil’s arm. Which is a lot better.
[Susan] “He says as long as he can raise a glass for his birthday next week, he doesn’t mind.”
A moment or two is spent on Clarrie’s birthday:
[Jennifer] “Quite an undertaking, bringing the seaside to the Midlands.”
Josh gets a look in:
[Susan] “I suppose the next person we’ll be reading about in Borchester Life will be Josh. Quite the little entrepreneur!”
Phew!
Who needs the BBC’s catch-up when you have Jennifer and Susan!
Spencer wants Adam
As Spencer waited for Pip at the shop, he helped Jennifer get her bags into her car.
What a lovely chap.
He then mentioned that he wanted to speak to Adam about doing a session at the Young Farmers about the dairy.
[Spencer] “I thought Adam would be interesting to give us his take on the arable side … A new challenge,. And all that.”
Jennifer reckons Adam is a bit busy right now, what with cutting silage and the fruit pickers arriving next week.
But Spencer was thinking ahead. He only wanted Adam in the Autumn.
(what an oddly early conversation for the secret microphones to pick up on)
Hell hath no fury like a Pip pipped by Josh
Pips gets home, and immediately lets rip:
[Pip] “Thanks very much, you two. Double standards or what … Josh and the hens … buying into the egg business, that’s got to be serious money. How many are you lending him? Go on, How much? I know he’s got about £700 saved, the little miser, but a third of that business has got to be more than that. £200, £300?”
[Ruth] “£500 …”
[Pip] “£500! He’s 15, I’m 20, I asked for £800 and got turned down on the spot!”
[Ruth] “Pip, if you’ll just calm down …”
[Pip] “What have I got to calm down about? You’re happy to help him in some bonkers scheme, and at the same time watch me struggle.”
[David] “That’s enough!”
[Pip] “Oh, I haven’t even started. How can you treat two of your children so differently? And not even have the decency to tell me?”
[Ruth] “I’m sorry about that Pip, but if you’ll let us explain …”
[David] “No. We’re not apologising to her. You said it yourself Pip, Josh is 15 years and still at school. If he’s got the nouce and drive to make his own business, then all of us should be really proud and give him all the encouragement we can … Lots of kids your age are completely independent. No help from the bank of mum and dad at all.”
[Pip] “Oh, just like me then!”
(what dreamland is Pip inhabiting? Free rent, food, clothes washing … hardly independent!)
[David] “No, because your mum and me have been very happy to support you through university. You’ve got free bed and board here … and we still give you a monthly allowance.”
(really! They are pampering that lass)
[Pip] “And your point is?”
[David] “My point is you still seem to think we will subsidise every whim … you need a car, yes, a wheel at each corner to get you from a to b.”
So we’re back to Pip claiming she wants something reliable, David see that as meaning she wants “flashy”.
[David] “I’m trying to teach you a life lesson.”
[Pip] “Oh, please!”
(actually, I’m with Pip on that one. How very pompous of David to say that)
[David] “I’m serious. You’ve got to learn to live within your means, and anything beyond that you got to work for.”
[Pip] “Thanks dad, Now at least I know where I stand.”
Once Pip yet again storms out:
[Ruth] “David … you were pretty hard on her.”
[David] “Ruth, she has got to be told, she has got to learn.”
And though they both wish they had been the ones to tell Pip about Josh:
[David] “It wouldn’t have made a difference to what I had to say … And Ruth, don’t let her guilt trip you into anything.”
Ruth reckons she won’t. She just feels awful David and Pip are having such almighty clashes at the moment.
So … Pip’s wring for thinking she can get hand outs. Is David wrong for forcing her to cope on her own?
I think not. Sounds like she’s had it far too easy for far too long now.
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