Anthony Mottram lives with his dominant mother, but the quiet bachelor has his sights on a beautiful woman called Sandra and to afford dating her he is selling off four old maps from his late father's collection to Greengrass without his mother's knowledge. Oscar Blaketon is not pleased to find out that Ray Nixon, an old acquaintance of both him and the police, has checked in at the Aidensfield Arms. When Blaketon was still sergeant he promised Nixon a reduced sentence if he would turn queen's evidence against his accomplices in a robbery, but the judge saw it otherwise and gave Nixon a full sentence. Blaketon thinks Nixon will be out for revenge, but Nixon says his only in Aidensfield because of his old girlfriend Wendy.

Maggie Hutchinson gives birth to a little girl who dies because nurse Cassidy could not get hold of a doctor when she needed one. It goes hard with her husband Ken and he gets into a regular fight with PC Walker when Oscar Blaketon refuses to serve him any more drinks. He gets off with a warning, but continues to act like a complete idiot. Emily Merryweather has just been widowed for the second time. The first time she remarried within three months and it seems she intends to become Mrs. Bernie Scripps before long. Aunt Peggy makes at bet with Oscar Blaketon that she will not succeed. A bet she does not fancy losing at any cost.