23 December 2025

Gaynor looks at a Christmas card

Gaynor is looking at a Christmas card when Tom comes downstairs, carrying a bag;  “I’m worried about you leaving you tonight, 

"It's supposed to be bad luck"

“but it’s supposed to be bad luck to be together the night before the wedding, isn’t it?”

She is sure that she will be fine and tells him to go, as the hotel looks lovely.   

"Have you seem your socials?"

He asks whether she has seen her socials yet, 

"Lovely"

then shows her on his phone various photos of the two of them together.   “Lovely,” she comments unenthusiastically.  

He wonders if that is all she can say, so she adds that it is a lovely message.   

"What's wrong with you?"

He can clearly see that something is wrong and demands, “What’s wrong with you?   You’ve hardly said a word since last night.”

"I'm just a bit nervous . . ."

Gaynor’s excuse is that she is just a bit nervous and he wants to know why;  

". . . but I'm looking forward to to it"

she points out that it is a big thing, but that she is looking forward to it as well.

"It doesn't sound like it!"

“It doesn’t sound like it!” he snarls, “Talk to me – what’s going on?   Why do you have to ruin everything?   Can’t you even be happy the day before we get married?”

"I know about the affair!"

She turns round and informs him, “I know about the affair!” 

That shuts him up for a minute

which renders him temporarily speechless.

Ffion is also looking at the pictures . . .

Meanwhile at Deri Fawr, Ffion is also looking at the same pictures on her phone 

 . . . in a mood of furious hatred

with an expression of intense hatred;  

She gets up . . .

she jumps up, 

. . . grabs her jacket and leaves

grabs her jacket and leaves the house.

"You don't believe Mark, do you?"

“You don’t believe Mark?” scoffs Tom, and Gaynor tells him that Ffion admitted it to him.   “According to him,” Tom stresses, “He’s just trying to say anything to stop you marrying me, isn’t he?   You know what he’s like – and Cai – and Cassie – 

"They've got some kind of vendetta against me"

“they’ve got some kind of vendetta against me.”

"I trust Mark"|

Gaynor is insistent, “No, he’s telling the truth – I trust Mark!”   

Tom loses it, big time

Tom's temper boils over 

He deals Gaynor such a blow . . .

and he delivers a hefty slap to the right side of Gaynor’s forehead, 

. . . which sends her reeling

which knocks her sideways.   

She has an insight into the real Tom

She now has a taste of what Tom is really like.   

"He is momentarily speechless"

Again, for a moment, he does not know what to say.

Ffion goes in search of Tom

Ffion is searching along the High Street;  she peers in through the shop window, then crosses the road to look into the deli.   

"Are you all right, Ffion?"

Cai is approaching and asks if she is all right;  “Have you seen Tom?” she asks, 

"If you see the swine . . ."

“If you see the swine, tell him I’m looking for him!”

Tom examines the injury . . . 

Now Tom is looking at the bruise which he has inflicted on Gaynor, 

. . . and says how sorry he is

while assuring her of how sorry he is and cannot believe that he did that to her.   

He applies a cold compress to the injury, 

"I completely panicked"

as he continues to excuse himself, “I completely panicked when you said you believe Mark.   He is just trying to make you think there was more going on between Ffion and me than there was.   

"I'm going to be honest" — yeah pull the other one!

“OK, I’m going to be honest with you now – I’m sorry, I should have done this sooner, but yes, I did sleep with her.   But it was only once – at the beginning of the year, 

He puts the blame on Gaynor

“straight after you refused to marry me.

“My head was all over the place and she threw herself at me – I wasn’t strong enough to reject her.   

"Please don't say I've lost you!"

“Please don’t say I’ve lost you because of this.   I don’t know what I’ll do if you say you don’t want to marry me.”

"I need some time"

Gaynor maintains that she needs some time, but he will not permit that, making a show of insisting, “Gaynor, I can’t live without you – 

"I'd anything to make up for it"

“I know you’re scared – I’ve scared myself.   I’ll do anything to make up for what I’ve done to you.”

"I want to believe you"

Gaynor wants to believe him and he insists that she can;  

"I'll never let you down again"

“Honestly now,  I’ll never let you down again.”   

She is not convinced

She looks far from convinced.   

"Are you going to be all right?"

Tom maintains that now he has to go and see Colin to try on the suit;  “Are you going to be all right?”   She replies that she will be.

"I'll see you tomorrow"

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he says, as he leaves the house.

Eleri walks into number 9

Eleri walks in through the back door of number 9;  Jinx protests, “A bit of warning, yeah, please?   

"I know you don't like Christmas"

“I promise that I haven’t gone overboard – I know you don’t like Christmas.”   

"I'm looking forward to it"

Uncharacteristically, she says that she is looking forward to it, now that she gets to spend Christmas with him.

"Our last Christmas before I move in"

“Our last Christmas before I move in with you,” he comments, “Why don’t we start now?   Do you fancy a mulled wine?”

"I'll come back tonight"

Eleri replies that she will come back tonight;  now she still needs to pack, 

"Do you need anything from the shop?"|

asking whether Jinx needs anything from the shop, but he is confident that everything is covered.   He offers her his keys, pointing out that it is only temporary and does not mean that he wants to marry her.

"Merry Christmas from Bethania"

Megan comes round the corner by MFC, as Britt is looking at her phone;  “Merry Christmas from Bethania,” says Megan, 

"There's a service in the chapel today . . ."

handing Britt an invitation card.   “There’s a service in the chapel today – 

". . . you're more than welcome"

“you’re more than welcome.”

Britt replies that she only goes to the chapel for funerals these days – and weddings, of course.   She is assured, “Everyone is welcome at Bethania,” 

"Catrin and her boyfriend are coming"

but Britt will be unable to attend because Catrin and her boyfriend are coming to stay over Christmas and she is trying to get everything ready before they arrive.

"When are you leaving?"

As soon as Megan continues along the street, Britt’s phone sounds and she finds that it is Catrin calling;  “So when are you thinking of leaving?” she asks.

"Oh, no!"

Then she receives unwelcome news;  “Oh, no!” she exclaims.

"Eleri's staying over for a few days"

As they pass the shop, Jinx is informing Mark that Eleri is staying over for a few days, so he has been buying Tamed’s best wines.   Mark comments that it is an expensive business, 

"I don't feel like celebrating this year"

adding that he does not feel like celebrating this year.

"Sorry, but I won't be able to come"

Megan greets them and invites them to the chapel, but Jinx replies, “I’m sorry but I won’t be able to be there this afternoon.”   

As he watches Megan, Jinx notices . . ."

As he watches Megan walk away, 

. . . Eleri carrying a black holdall

he sees a taxi by the chapel, with Eleri, carrying a black holdall, alighting from it.

"No need to ask what your plans are"

Tom emerges from the alley and Jinx comments, “No need to ask what your plans are for tomorrow.”   Tom would like a word with Mark, so Jinx continues on his way.

"I want you to stay away!"

“I want you to stay away, do you understand?” Tom threatens, “You must know by now that it’s not wise to cross me.”   

"Gaynor deserves better"

Mark is not put off, but insists that Gaynor deserves better.

"She still wants to marry me!"

“Gaynor gets the best – and so you know, she still wants to marry me!”   Tom gloats before walking away.

That padlock did not last long . . .

The rather inadequate padlock on the door of the site hut 

. . .after Ffion had a go at it

is being attacked with a spade by Ffion.   

She gets to work, smashing up . . ."

Once inside, she wields the spade 

. . . pretty much anything she can find

to destroy as much as possible, then flings it down.   

"When I find you . . ."

She takes out her phone and leaves an angry voice message for Tom;  “I don’t know where you are, you coward, but when I find you, 

". . . I'm going to make your life hell!"

“I’m going to make your life hell!” she rages.

"This collar is tight"

Tom is finding the collar rather tight, but Colin insists that he looks great 

"Gaynor will be sprinting down that aisle"

and predicts, “Gaynor will be sprinting down that aisle, guaranteed!”   Tom is hopeful that will be the case.

"It's going to be a very special day"

He points out that this wedding would not be happening if it was not for Colin;  “Thank you for being so supportive – you’re a good friend to both of us.”

Colin says that it will be a very special day and at that moment, 

Movement detected

Tom receives a message on his phone that motion has been detected at the site.   He apologises that he has to go immediately, but is advised to take off his suit first.

"You look beautiful . . ."

Colin is very pleased by his own appearance, and imagines himself escorting Gaynor down the aisle, remarking that she looks beautiful, 

". . . almost as good as me!"

“Almost as good as me!”

Britt comes back in and he compares his appearance with that of James Bond;  

"The name's Bond, Col Bond!"

“The name’s Bond – Col Bond.”   

"Catrin's not coming home . . ."

He can see that something is wrong and she tells him that Catrin cannot come home now, as her boyfriend broke his leg on a night out last night, so they have to stay in London.

". . . I was looking forward to seeing her so much"

“I was looking forward to seeing her so much,” she wails and Colin assures her that they will go and see her in London at the start of January.

"We'll have mince pie"

“Let me change out of this suit and then I’ll make us a cup of tea and we’ll have a mince pie.”   

Britt takes out the card

Britt sits down and takes the phone from her pocket, with it also taking out the card given to her by Megan, 

'Everyone is welcome'

which reads, ‘Everyone is welcome at Bethania.’   

She decides that she will go

She decides that she will go after all.

Jinx is going to a lot of trouble

Jinx is meticulously preparing the food and wine when he hears the front door open;  

Eleri is here again

Eleri comes in and wishes him Merry Christmas.  

"You still feel like celebrating, then?"

 “You still feel like celebrating, then?” he says.   

"If the invitation is still there"

She can see that something is troubling Jinx so adds, “If the invitation is still there.”

"Why was a holdall delivered to Cysgod y Glyn?"

He enquires, “Why was a holdall delivered to Cysgod y Glyn?   I’m not accusing you of anything, but I just feel there’s something you’re not telling me.”

"Presents for the wrinklies and you"

She has to do some quick thinking and comes up with, “Presents – I’ve been buying presents for the wrinklies in Brynawelon and you.   I haven’t really done this before, and I thought it was supposed to be a secret.”   

She takes them from the white holdall

She takes a few presents from the white holdall that she brought into the house, and realises that she may have gone a bit too far.

Jinx apologises

“No, I’m sorry – I’m the one who’s anxious,” Jinx admits, 

"Why don't we put them under tree"

“Eleri, this is great – why don’t we put them under the tree?   Our first Christmas.”

Is that Llinos on the organ?

At Bethania, where Llinos appears to be playing the organ, Megan is reading from the Bible, “To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David.”

Britt arrives . . .

Britt arrives as Megan goes on, “And the angel came in unto her and said, ‘Hail, thou who art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee.”   

. . . and sits down

Britt sits down in a pew, and it appears that the congregation does not include any of the other cast members.

The minister announces carol number 466;  “In the bleak midwinter.”  

"In the bleak midwinter"

They all stand to sing, 

♫“In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan, 

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow.”♫

Britt sits down again . . .

At this point, Britt sits down again with her eyes closed 

. . . and is becoming emotional

and becomes quite emotional.

Gaynor examine her injury

At Llwyncelyn, Gaynor looks at the bruise inflicted by Tom and suddenly there is a battering at the door.   

Gaynor hesitates . . .

She hesitates 

. . . before opening the door

before answering it and Ffion bursts in.   

"It's only fair that you know"

“Gaynor, listen, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but it’s only fair that you know.”

"I know!   How could you?"

Gaynor informs her, “I know!   How could you?”   You’re supposed to be a friend!”

"Are you still going to marry him?"

Ffion demands, “Are you still going to marry him?”

"Get out of my house!"

Gaynor snarls that she is and orders Ffion to get out of the house.   

"How did you get that bruise?"

“How did you get that bruise?   What happened?” Ffion demands, 

"Go on – get out!"

but Gaynor is only interested in getting rid of her.

Ffion protests, “Tom more or less drove the entire relationship – 

"He's been playing both of us"

“can’t you see that he’s been playing both of us?”

Gaynor shouts, “I don’t want to listen to your lies!   I know what you’re like!” 

"Gaynor – don't marry him!"

Ffion insists, “He hasn’t treated you properly – or me, actually – please don’t marry him!”

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” sneers Gaynor, but Ffion maintains that she told him it was wrong.

She is literally thrown out of the house . . .

“Just get out – I don’t want you here – I don’t want to look at you!” Gaynor says as she pushes Ffion out of the front door and closes it behind her.   

. . . and Gaynor ignores the hammering

She ignores the hammering on the door and walks away.

"I'm so pleased you came"

At the end of the service, Megan goes to speak to Britt, so pleased that she came;  “Well I used to go to the Christmas services with Gloria up in Newcastle, 

"That brought back a lot of memories"

“so that brought back a lot of memories for me.”

"Did you make all the arrangements?"

Megan asks if she managed to make all the arrangements for tomorrow, but is told that Catrin cannot come home now.  

"I miss my family"

“That’s why I’ve come here to be honest, there was something in that invitation about the Bethania family – and I miss my family, so . . .”

Britt is given a present

As she is about to leave, Megan gives her a small present 

"Everyone is a member of God's family"

and assures Britt, “Everyone is a member of God’s family.

"Ffion was after his blood!"

In the Deri, Cai tells Mark that he saw Ffion at lunchtime;  “She was looking for Tom – and she was after his blood!”   

"He was so smug just now"

Mark is unaware of what is going on, but points out that Tom was so smug just now;  “We need to find evidence to tie him to Cheryl’s disappearance.”   

"That poor girl deserves justice"

Cassie agrees that the poor girl deserves justice.

“That’s the only way we can show Gaynor what sort of bloke he is.”   

"Don't forget all that CCTV"

Cai reminds him that with all of the CCTV that he has put up at Llwyncelyn they have no chance.

"He'll be too busy tomorrow . . ."

“Well, he'll be too busy to check the cameras tomorrow,” Mark predicts, 

". . . that's our chance

“He’ll be at the wedding – so that’s our chance.”

“What?   To go back to the garden?” asks Cai;  

"Its the only way to find out"

Mark maintains that is the only way to find out what happened to Cheryl.

Colin is taking it easy . . .

Colin is asleep on the sofa when Britt comes back from the chapel;  

. . . but is awoken

she tickles his foot, which immediately wakes him.   He asks where she has been 

"Just for a walk"

and she replies, “Just for a walk to clear my head, that’s all.   

"I hope Father Christmas brings you a new pair of socks"

“I hope that Father Christmas brings you a new pair of socks, Col.”   He will make her a cup of tea.

She sits on the sofa . . .

She sits down on the sofa and takes the present out of her bag;  

. . . and unwraps the present . . .

unwrapping it, she finds that it is 

. . . which is a little dove

a small Christmas tree ornament in the shape of a dove, 

It is placed on the Christmas tree . . .

which she carefully hangs on the Christmas tree 

. . . and makes Britt smile

and looks much happier.

Tom steps from the car

Tom’s car door opens and he looks around, 

He is alarmed to see what has happened

then discovers that the site hut has been broken into, which he finds most disturbing.   

His first concern is Cheryl's hiding place . . .

He pays no attention to the rest of the damage, but turns immediately to the cabinet, which he finds is still secure, much to his relief.

. . . and only then looks around

Only then, does he turn to the rest of the contents of the hut, 

He picks ups the diminutive spade . . . 

picking up the rather small spade which was used to do the damage.   

. . . then Ffion's message arrives

A message tone sounds;  he listens to the answerphone message from Ffion.

"I'm going to make your life hell!"

“I don’t know where you are, you coward, but when I find you, I’m going to make your life hell!”  

"We'll see about that, shall we, Ffion?"

He looks at the phone and snarls, “We’ll see about that, shall we, Ffion?”