Roy and Kirsty up a tree, K I S S I N G? Swipe right for The Archers thread and enjoy the Ambridge dating scene.

[PseudoBadger]

Is it just that the SWs are getting short of people Rob might actually talk to?

Yes. 😁

He's probably killed Ursula by now, driven to distraction by her simpering, so there's no one else left.

We never heard what happened about the inspection? I hope he didn't get his full deposit back after all.

I don't really get why the scarf at the Dower House is so incriminating. Surely it's not unreasonable for Lillian to visit Justin there in her capacity as social secretary? It's not like it's a bra or anything.

Exactly, he is so selective about when Henry is important to him, has always used him to portray himself as a doting father when the right people are watching/listening.

I took the visit to Alan as Rob being so desperate to have a rant about the report and Alan literally being that last person left who would listen without making excuses that they need to be elsewhere. Ursula just irritates him even more. Also I wonder would he phone Ursula knowing his father would be wanting to know what was going on...there's only one person Rob is scared of.

Surely it's not unreasonable for Lillian to visit Justin there in her capacity as social secretary?

Or as his landlady.

But Justin might see a talent for blackmail as a positive asset for the task he seems to have in mind for Rob.

Possibly but Rob is also showing willingness and ability to harm Justin and that ought not to be tolerated, because it makes him more dangerous to Justin's business than helpful.

That's what I thought, Wouldhave; if he'd found some knickers and a lipstick stained fag butt in an ashtray by the bed... but it's Lillian's house. Why wouldn't she be there from time to time?

Well how often does your landlord come round and leave their belongings by mistake?

Agree it's a leap but he probably suspected anyway because in his mind there would only be one reason Justin would have Lillian around. And the social secretary thing is a bit of a lame cover.

Rob has highly attuned senses for other people's possible vulnerabilities. Lillian's reaction to the scarf - not quite a simple 'thanks', would have confirmed his suspicions and then I doubt she looked comfortable when he then made his helpful little comments about gossip.

This talent is the evil twin of empathy, I suppose.

I also wondered about the relevance of Alan but Knob probably thought he could manipulate Alan to speak up for him. What better advocate to have than a vicar? Knob needs to maintain an image of respectability so that he can tell everyone that Hellin and her family are deluded. Unfortunately for Knob, more & more people are turning against him.

Hesitate to say this but as much as I despise Pip, she's not a likely candidate for coercive control - she is confident in her own self. And Toebee is just an arse.

Grundy anniversary episode was lovely.

After reading that report Alan should steer well clear of Rob! He means well but he's out of his depth.

I think Rob's going to go all religious and forgiving.

A landlady might not leave a scarf, but someone who is employed as your social secretary and is a friend might well do so.

I'm puzzled by the scarf. So Rob found it at the Dower House while he was picking up some papers for Justin, meaning:

A) It was in the office/sitting room/kitchen

Or

B) It was in a bedroom and he was having a good poke around.

If A, so what? People leave scarves/gloves etc in other people's houses all the time. Lillian and Justin are spending loads of time together (openly) in her capacity as Social Secretary. And it's not that long since she was responsible for overseeing the redecoration of the whole place.

If B, surely Rob wouldn't want Justin to know that?

I can't work out what's supposed to be happening here.

I thought that too, Vango. I thought I was being thick. And why is Lillian flapping around about it? Why didn't she just freeze Rob out?

The more I think about it Bertrand the more implausible it seems. How would Rob even notice a scarf in someone's house, never mind take it upon himself to remove it from said house with a view to returning it to its rightful owner? How much attention does he pay to Lillian's wardrobe? How did he know it wasn't Miranda's? What the heck would he have done with it if Lillian had replied "Not mine darling, never seen it before in my life".

And the cat on hot bricks she was behaving at the rehearsal and the way she reacted to being told Rob was driving past. Where did she think he was going? To tel someone about it? Who?

enochroot Rob's going to join the priesthood (one way of getting rid of him I suppose)

I assumed she was twitchy at the rehearsal because she wanted to talk to Justin, but realistically a couple of hours' delay couldn't make much difference.

But why did she need to talk to Justin? What was she going to say?

Maybe she felt she had to warn him so that he'd be extra careful when dealing with Rob? But, as I've said, the whole thing seems illogical to me anyway.

I think Lillian would have just gone There is no reason for her to discuss it with Justin, as she know he will ignore her. Hopefully this will help her see that Justin is basically just a twat

I think she needs to talk to Justin because of all the emphasis he put on them being 'discreet' back at the beginning. Maybe she's afraid that he'll terminate their relationship and blame her for leaving the evidence lying around (not that I think it is evidence of anything!). She certainly seemed worried.

Justin is the real baddie now. He has obviously taken Rob on to do his dirty work- the apparent character transplant was just part of a long game to be accepted in the village,nand now the iron fist will appear again- with Rob as his minion.

But he's always been a baddie! He might be charming from time to time but there's never been any evidence of him being anything other than a ruthless businessman, has there? Setting up his little arrangement with lonely Lillian put me off him instantly.