26 August 2025

Ffion is doing some gardening

Ffion is out in the garden of Deri Fawr, filling some pots with compost, when her phone sounds;  she takes a cursory glance at it and continues with what she is doing.

"Any news from the water company?"

Jinx approaches, asking if there is any news from the water company.   

"I can't get through"

“I’ve phoned and phoned but I can’t get through,” she replies.   The water is still off, so he offers that if she needs a shower or anything, she should just come over.

"I can't believe you only just found out"

“I can’t believe you just found out about this!” he exclaims, and she confesses that she should have phoned back when the surgery called about the blood test two months ago, 

"My head was all over the place"

but then her head was all over the place.

"You've had a terrible time"

He appreciates that she has had a terrible time, all things considered, 

"I don't think it was the water"

but her main concern is, “I don’t think I was poisoned through the water – you and Arwen would have been ill as well, wouldn’t you?”   He recalls that he was ill for a while when he was staying there, but she points out, “A few days – I was ill for weeks!”

Jinx reminds her that she was recovering from a serious head injury, 

"I think somebody tried again"

but she is convinced, “I think somebody tried again – whoever attacked me, I think they tried to poison me, too.”   He maintains that to be rather far-fetched.

Greta is not happy

Iolo calls to Greta;  she comes downstairs and sits down miserably at the bottom.   

"I thought you'd be excited to go out"

“What’s wrong?   I thought you’d be excited to go out,” he says.

"What about that dangerous woman?"

“What about that dangerous woman?” Greta demands.   Iolo explains that she is only going to Jade’s house and the park;  she will be fine.   

"Why don't you go for an hour?"

She does not look convinced, so he sits down beside her;  “Look, why don’t you go for an hour?   

"If you're not happy, I'll come and get you"

“If you’re not happy, I’ll come and get you – how about that?”   She is persuaded by this, so he tells her to go and get Winnie and Tedi and then they are going.   

Iolo is worried

He looks concerned, as she returns upstairs.

Mathew has slept on the sofa

At the farmhouse, Matthew has been sleeping on the sofa and Sioned bring him a cup of tea and some toast.   “Thank you,” he murmurs, 

"Look, Sioned, I'll make it up to you"

“Listen, Sioned, I promise, I’ll make it up to you – why don’t we take the children out today?   A farm or a park or something.”

"I don't want any big gestures . . ."

Sioned answers that she does not want any big gestures;  

"I just want you to talk to me"

“I just want you to talk to me.”

His phone rings

Then his phone sounds and he receives some disturbing news;  

"What?   I'll be over now"

“Slow down!” he snarls, “What?   Yes, all right – I’ll be over now!”   

He rushes off . . .

He rushes out of the farmhouse without a word to Sioned, 

. . . leaving Sioned on her own

who angrily folds up the blanket which he has been using.

APD is in disarray

APD is in a state of disarray with things scattered across the floor and Howard trying to sort it out.   Mathew comes in and surveys the damage;  “Come on – what’s been stolen?” he asks 

"Nothing appears to be missing"

and is told by Howard that there appears to be nothing missing, from what he can see.   It is a mess more than anything.

Mathew cannot believe that someone has broken in again;  

"It was probably kids"

“It was probably kids – I’ll change that lock for you now,” Howard tells him, “Have you phoned the police to get an insurance number?”   

"Is there anything on the CCTV?"

Mathew confirms that he has and wants to know if there is anything on the CCTV.

"It was off"

“It was off,” says Howard, which angers Mathew, 

"Who did that?   You?"

who wonders why it was turned off and who did it.   “Why do you think it was me?” Howard demands and is told that he is careless.   

"Cheers, pal!"

“Cheers, pal!”

Mathew ask who it could have been if it was not him;  “Anita, Ieuan?   

"Anita's starting to become a liability"

“I bet it was Anita – she’s starting to become a liability.”

Howard immediately springs to Anita’s defence;  

"You'r the boss!"

“You’re the boss – you should be checking the CCTV.   I had to cover for you because of your disappearing act – and this is the thanks I get!”

"You think blaming me helps?"

“And do you think blaming me helps?” growls Mathew, with Howard stressing that there is no-one else to blame.   “I had stuff to do!” he replies.

"What – like drinking the Deri dry?"

“What – like drinking the Deri dry?”

"I should be able to trust my staff"

“I should be able to trust my staff with this place when I’m not here!” Mathew rants, but Howard is of the opinion that it is his fault and no-one else’s.   

"I'm serious – just get out!"

“Just go – go on!” shouts Mathew, kicking the door in his fury, “I’m serious – just get out!”   

Howard does as he is told

Howard follows the instruction.

"My counselling expertise will cost more than that"

In the deli, Iolo is sitting with Jinx, who warns him, “You know that my counselling expertise will cost more than a cake and coffee, don’t you?”   

"I'm willing to pay"

Iolo is quite willing to pay, 

"Only joking, Iol!"

but he is only joking.

"Liv's been prowling around the place"

Iolo begins, “Greta’s mum, Liv, has been prowling around the place – she just turned up out of nowhere.”   Jinx ascertains that Greta does not have any contact with her and Iolo explains, “She was an addict and she couldn’t cope – the last time we saw her she was being taken to prison.”

"I may be out of my depth here"

Jinx admits that he may be out of his depth here, if Iolo needs legal advice;  “No, I’ve already had legal advice – I’m just a bit worried about my mental health – and Greta’s.   

"I feel uncertain – paranoid"

“I feel uncertain – paranoid – we haven’t been out of the house much.”

"I warned Greta she's a dangerous woman . . ."

Jinx appreciates that is not healthy and Iolo goes on, “I showed Greta a photo of Liv to warn her that she’s a dangerous woman and to stay away.   

"Now she's frightened of her own shadow"

“Now she’s frightened of her own shadow and won’t leave my side.   I know I’ve made a mess of things, 

"I want to know how to fix it"

“but I just want to know how to fix it and keep her safe.”

"You can't avoid telling her for ever"

Jinx enquires how much Greta knows about Liv;  “You can’t avoid telling her for ever – and she has a right to know.   It might be a way for Greta to understand why you overreacted.”   

This is what Iolo must do

Iolo realises that this is the only way.

Mathew looks at the broken padlock

Mathew is looking at the broken padlock at APD when Sioned comes in and he wonders what she is doing there.   

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

“I heard that someone broke in – is there anything I can do to help?   Have you phoned the police?”   He confirms that he has one of those reference numbers – for all the good it will do.   

"I have to be in Llanarthur"

He is also late to price a job in Llanarthur.

Howard returns with two takeaway coffees from the deli and offers one to Mathew;  

"What's that?"

“What’s that?” he snarls.

"Tap water – what do you think it is?"

“Tap water – what do you think it is?” sneers Howard.

“If this is your way of apologising, you can stuff it!” Mathew snarls, 

"I was not apologising"

with Howard insisting that he was not apologising anyway.   

"What's going on?"

As he gives the coffee to her instead, Sioned wants to know what is going on and tries to assure Mathew that everything will be all right.   

"I have to go"

He leaves for Llanarthur.

"I know that look, Sioned"

Sioned pretends that she is all right, but Howard knows that look;  

"Things are not quite . . ."

she admits that things are not quite . . .   

"Between you and the big boss?"

“Not quite right between you and the big boss?” detects Howard, “He hasn’t said anything – but I live with both of you and I’ve got eyes.   You’re on eggshells with each other.   Come on – tell me.”

Sioned does not want to do that, 

"If you won't talk to me, then talk to him"

so he advises, “If you won’t talk to me, then talk to him.”   

"I've already tried that"

She has already tried that, so Howard continues, “Try harder, because whatever is going on is affecting his work.   

"If you don't do it now, things will get worse"

If you don’t do it now, things will get worse.”   

Sioned realises he is right

Sioned realises that he is talking sense.

Tom is sniffing around Ffion yet again

Now Ffion has another visitor in the garden at Deri Fawr – Tom once again;  “I’ve been phoning and phoning you,” he says, but she answers that she is expecting a call back from the doctor.

"I had another blood test this morning . . ."

“I had another blood test this morning – Jinx and Arwen did, too.   

. . . and I'm waiting for the water company"

“They are going to fast track the results – and I’m waiting to hear from the water company in case the poison came from there.”

"I expect it did"

Tom imagines that it did, but she maintains that it does not make sense;  

"Someone must be targeting me"

“I think that someone’s after me.   Jinx thinks I’m bonkers, but someone must be targeting me intentionally!”   

"I have no idea"

Tom wonders who that might be, but Ffion has no idea.

"Do you think I'm being completely paranoid?"

“Do you think I’m being completely paranoid?   Why would someone be after me, Tom?”

"I'll make sure they don't lay a finger on you"

He instructs her to stop this now, promising that if there is someone after her he will make sure they do not lay a finger on her ever again;  “You’re safe with me.”

"It's the surgery"

Ffion’s phone rings and she finds it is a call from the surgery;  when he offers to stay in case it is bad news, she insists that there is no need, 

Tom walks away

so he walks away.

"This is nice, isn't it?"

Iolo and Greta are out, probably in the garden of Y Felin;  “This is nice, isn’t it?” he says, “Being stuck in the house all holidays hasn’t been fun, has it?”   

"Do you want to her a story?"

Greta shakes her head.   “Do you want to hear a story about Dad and Dadi?” he goes on.

Jinx is back with good news

Ffion is still out in the garden at Deri Fawr when Jinx comes back once again.   She is speaking on the phone;  “But how?   It doesn’t make sense.   No, you’re right, it’s great news – thank you.”   

His blood test is clear . . .

Jinx informs her that the doctor phoned and his blood test was now clear.   

. . . and so are Ffion's and Arwen's

She confirms that hers and Arwen’s were also clear.

"That's good news, isn't it?"

“That’s good news, isn’t it?” he says, while she goes on to say that the water has been cleared as well, so he assumes, “It must have been an accident about two months ago.”

"How did it get into my blood by accident?"

“But how did arsenic trioxide get into my blood by accident?” Ffion demands.    

"Even through painting"

He has Googled it, discovering that it can be picked up from loads of different places, like the air, the dirt, food – even through painting.

"I forgot I've been painting the Sistine Chapel!"

“Oh yeah – I forgot that I’ve been painting the Sistine Chapel!” she snarls, to which he says there is no need to react like that.   She stresses that she has breathed the same air as him, eaten the same food, walked in the same places.

"It proves that someone tried to poison me!"

“Jinx, the fact that only I was ill proves that someone tried to poison me!”   

"No-one has any reason to poison you"

He insists no-one has any reason to poison her.   

"If you're not going to take me seriously . . ."

“If you’re not going to take me seriously, just forget it!” she snaps, then walks away.

Iolo explains to Greta

Iolo is explaining, with the help of the photo on his phone, “But Olivia, Dadi’s sister, was ill at the time, so she asked if Dadi and I would look after you – 

"Olivia is you biological mother"

“so we’re your parents, but Olivia is your biological mother.   

"Dad has messed up a bit"

“The thing is, Grets, Dad has messed up a bit – adults do that sometimes, although they don’t like to admit it – but when Liv turned up without warning at the carnival, it frightened Dad, because I thought perhaps she wanted you back.   That’s why I told you she was a dangerous woman – and I’m sorry.   

"I should never have scared you like that"

“I should never have scared you like that.”

"Is she going to come back"

Greta asks, “Is she going to come back?”   Iolo is not sure of that, but asks if Greta would like to see her.   

"No, I love you, Dad!"

She replies, decisively, “No, I love you, Dad!”

"Why don't we go to Pembrokeshire?"

He proposes, “Why don’t we go to Pembrokeshire for a few days?   I’ll ask Tad-cu and Lleucu to look after Winnie and the teddies until we come back – what do you say?”   

Greta likes the sound of this 

Greta is enthusiastically in favour of this;  “Just you and me at the seaside, far away from everything!   I’ll get some squash for us to celebrate – we’re going to have so much fun!”   

Greta examines Iolo's phone

Greta picks up the phone and looks at it.

"What's all this?"

At Penrhewl, Sioned is preparing a meal when Mathew comes in;  he exclaims, “What’s all this?”   

"I wanted to do something nice for you"

She wanted to do something nice for him after the burglary.   

"I should be the one treating you"

He protests that he should be the one treating her, but she appreciates that he has had a bad day.

"A chance to talk properly"

“I thought this would be a chance for us to talk properly – things haven’t been quite right between us, have they?”   

"Everything's fine"

Once again he insists that everything is fine, but she points out that he has been sleeping in the spare room.

"I've just come home for my sleeping bag"

He promises that they will discuss it, but not tonight because he has just come home for his sleeping bag.   “I have to stay at APD tonight, in case the burglars come back – we can’t be certain who it was.”   

"They didn't steal anything"

Sioned reminds him that they did not steal anything 

"Not this time!"

and he replies, “Not this time!”

"I've gone to all this trouble, Math"

She protests that she has gone to all this trouble, so he advises that she can freeze whatever is left over;  

"I didn't know you were doing this"

he did not know she was going to so much trouble.

"What am I doing wrong?"

“What am I doing wrong?” she demands, “I must have done something – why else would you be behaving like this?   I don’t know the person standing in front of me any more.   You’ve changed – and you won’t talk to me!   

"I can't carry on like this"

“I can’t carry on like this.”

He asks what she is trying to say;  

"It's not fair"

“It’s not fair – that’s what I’m saying.”

"I'll collect my stuff tomorrow"

He decides that he will come and get his stuff tomorrow and will find somewhere else to live;  

Off he goes without another word

he will not listen to anything Sioned says but walks out.

Tom is preoccupied

In the Deri, Gaynor tells Tom, “So we can go and see this plot next week, but Hywel needs to know what day suits us.”   

He says it has been a busy day

Tom’s mind is obviously somewhere else;  he maintains that it has been a busy day.

Ffion arrives

Ffion comes in 

"Any news from the doctor?"

and Gaynor enquires whether there is any news from the doctor;  

"We could go on Thursday . . ."

Tom is desperate to change the subject and suggests that they could go and look at the plot on Thursday, 

". . . I'll be free that day . . ."

as he believes that he will be free that day.   

". . . you could go and see Hywel now"

Then he suggests that she could go and see Hywel now to make an appointment.

"The blood tests are clear"

Now that he has got rid of her, Ffion tells him that the water was not to blame and the blood tests are clear;  

"I have to go to the police!"

“Someone must have done it intentionally – I have to go to the police!”

"Are you sure about that?"

Tom wonders whether she is sure about that;  “Don’t you think it could be something else?   Something you’ve drunk or somewhere you’ve been”

“I’ve been stuck in the hospital or the house for months,” she reminds him, 

"You can't go to the police with a hunch"

but he still argues that she cannot go to the police with a hunch.

“Don’t you think you might be adding two and two and getting five?” he suggests, 

"I must be right"

but she is still convinced that she must be right.   Now he changes his approach;  “If you want to go to the police, then go – but I’d think carefully about it first, 

"Not in your right mind – like last time"

“because you don’t want them to think you’re not in your right mind – like last time.”

Mathew locks up APD . . .

Mathew is locking up at APD, 

. . . and settles down for the night

then sits down and thinks.

"Thanks for that favour"

Back at Llwyncelyn, Tom is on the phone;  “Thanks for phoning me back, mate – and thanks for that favour – it means a lot.   Hold on . . .”   He hears Gaynor coming downstairs 

"Are you coming up?"

and she asks if he is coming to bed.

He says that he was going to clear the dishes first, but she would rather that he forgot them;  

"I can think of more interesting things to do"

“I can think of much more interesting things to do.”

He says that he will be up in a minute, 

"Thanks – you're a life-saver"

then resumes his phone call, “Sorry, can I phone you back tomorrow morning?   Thanks – you’re a life-saver!”