Is that a CHICKEN roasting in the oven Rob, or are you just pleased to see me? Oh and Hayley, LTB. Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

How about we immortalise Schrodinger's Baby in the opening paragraph?

How long will this thread last DadDadDad?

Just caught up with yesterday. Relieved that there were no hunt fatalities - though I wonder if whatever is wrong with Henry proves more taxing than a 48 hour bug. Perhaps it might be a long term illness/condition, taking all Helen's attention, that will finally see off Rob. (But there are so many possible exits for him...) If only he could be the Christmas murder....

Love the fact you're all stressing over beagles while Caroline is leading the hunt for the truth about Roy.

What will she learn from Elizabeth? And will she believe her?

Well if lizzie claims he was behaving like a sex starved maniac she may get a raised eyebrow from Caroline.

wonder what the ambridge job fairy will come up with, now that it's known that roy is looking...

Is it entirely credible? For Roy to be conatcting GG about jobs? I know he has a family to feed but I'd have thought, under the circumstances, he'd want to keep things quiet by looking a little further afield.

Oh god this is excruciating. Why on earth is Hayley at the meeting???

Cor, Usha's cats-bum expression is getting a workout, isn't it?

They cannot kill RJ...

Who is RJ??

Poor, poor Usha - between the 'ick' of hearing about two in a sleeping bag and Hayley's desperate rantings.

Why doesn't Hayley just chuck him out? Hearing her 'carry on as normal' is simply awful. They need to go to Relate......

Rich-Johnny...

The awful thing was her constantly protesting when we know she's not in possession of all the facts.

Well she is now unemployed to boot and sounds like after all she's done for lizzie there wasn't even a drop of remorse from her

I can't judge her - she's in an impossible situation

I hope Usha bills them for her time

What got me most - apart from Hayley's deluded wittering (when will she find out the whole truth? At the tribunal hearing? ) - was that nobody discussed the finances of going to a tribunal. Roy and Hayley are not rolling in money - esp. now neither has a job - I think they'd want to know how much it would cost, esp. as Roy knows he's still lying. Did H really just pack in her job too?

I think to this will have repercussions for Usha and her relationship with Elizabeth. She will maintain professional confidentiality (I wonder if she'll even tell her husband) but Roy or H will tell E they spoke to Usha, then Elizabeth will be offended that she didn't know Usha knew. Or whatever - now I've typed this thought I am less convinced it matters but will leave it out there.

I was really irritated at how coy both Roy and Hayley were - though suppose neither could call it an affair as one knows that the other doesn't know the details. Just LTB, Hayley.

Just considering all this further - was Hayley's mention of the locket a sign of her knowing deep down it was more than a quick fumble in the a tent? or was she just trying to blame E some more for 'making Freddie' deliver the locket?

I wonder if Elizabeth will go to Usha for advice, and Usha will have to tell her why she can't help her.

I was having fun speculating about Elizabeth's reference for Roy. "Quite a good shag if you're pissed and can get past the polyester, but prone to Lord of the Manor fantasies", perhaps.

Re the chicken pox: do we think Knob is going to use this as another reason for hauling Henry out of Nursery requiring Helen to pack in working? Of course, she ought to tell him that it would ridiculous to try to keep Henry insulated against germs forever and that it's a good thing that he's had the chance to develop natural immunity - but I'm not convinced she'd have the balls.

I thought Hayley's part in the discussion with Usha suggested she believes Roy's version of events (because she wants to as much as anything I think). That version of course is nowhere near the truth - it has to come out - but when? At a tribunal or in a confrontation with Elizabeth beforehand? I also wonder how long they think they can keep it secret - tribunal or not. Vicky now knows he's left his job, Caroline is on the case, Freddie is presumably still a loose cannon might he confide in Jill? Shula's having concerns about Elizabeth - in fact wasn't Jill supposed to calling round at LL before Carole turned up?

Us has put herself in a very awkward situation. She can't tell Lizzie that she advised Roy (confidentiality), but Roy may well blurt it out when he goes to "negotiate". If Usha had any sense she'd have said "sorry, can't help, see my colleague" as soon as she knew Roy was in a dispute with Elizabeth.

It's a bit unlikely that Roy would approach her anyway. Surely, surely, he'd have gone to someone outside Ambridge who he didn't know personally, rather than having the embarrassment of admitting he'd shagged his boss to someone who knows said boss?

Thing is, for the moment Elizabeth still holds the whip hand. Roy's ridiculous decision to speak to her face to face will surely give her an opportunity to say that if he doesn't choose to go quietly then everything will have to come out. And he can hardly go back to Hayley and say " OK, lets forget it."

It is unlikely florence but there'd be no fun in Roy dealing with an anonymous lawyer.

Elizabeth values her reputation though and also will not Lily and Freddie to be hurt anymore.

She's been a fool as many have said she runs a business and knows you can't just get rid of people like that.

She'll have to give him a big settlement but it will all remain a secret known by a few, but could spill out at any time giving us years of entertainment.

Was very sad that Johnny's mum agreed to him doing the course - he's getting on my nerves already.

And Lily, if she rediscovers the power of speech, might tell everyone.

I think the SWs just wanted to remind us all they still have Usha on their list - and she is still a lawyer. It is all a bit implausible. You'd think they'd have gone to Felpersham to talk to a lawyer - or CAB for free info/advice.

But Usha did say that cases like this are usually settled before a hearing, so he can go on bluffing, even if Elizabeth says nothing doing
BUT
None of her family knows about all this yet. Shula has picked up that E is stressed. When they all find out that Roy has gone they're going to want to know why. Caroline may well mention to Shula that he came to her for a job which makes it clear he didn't leave voluntarily (never mind the fact that Hayley's resigned as well)
& that's without even considering what Freddy might come out with.
It's going to blow however much R & E try to keep it quiet

Delurks

I think it is highly unlikely that Roy would rather talk to Usha than a stranger because he was embarassed, that doesn't make sense but I think Hayley wanted Usha to know on some level and shame Elizabeth. I don't think Hayley accepts his story either, I think she's getting the family protected financially and getting over her anger at Lizzie and then it will hit her.
Confronting Lizzie on his own is a mistake. Usha didn't want to talk to them about it but they blundered on. Roy has rewritten history.

I just had to get that off my chest, thank you.