Jessie surprises (and delights) Ray by returning early from her holiday saying that she wanted to give Margi some time on her own with Emily and Nikki and that she also needs an urgent word with the Mussies. Oh, and it's clear that she'd been missing Ray, too.
She's made up with her garden fence (they'd had a row, you know). Ray had also busied himself by totally refurbishing the kitchen, decorating the living room *and* the extension as well as helping Jimmy out with his millennium 'pro-ject'.
"You've done a smashing job," says Jessie (about the bungalow, not the 'pro-ject' - Ray's sworn to secrecy on that). She delightedly opens and closes kitchen cupboards. "And everything's to hand."
"It's ergonomically perfect," says Superman, smugly.
Nathan and Jacqui, together with Darren and Charlotte have gone over to Victoria and Mark's place. Vic feels uncomfortable watching Darren and Charlotte playing the happy couple and Mark senses the effect they're having on Vic.
Later, alone in the kitchen, Mark challenges Vic over whether she'll be able to cope with caring for him when things take a turn for the worse. Looking decidedly uncertain, she assures him that she will.
Once Darren is able to get a couple of minutes alone with Vic, he asks her if she's alright. Mark catches them staring into each other's eyes and as the gang set out for a walk to the local, Mark makes an excuse and says that he'll follow on.
Sometime afterwards, when Mark has failed to appear, Darren returns to look for him - finding him in the bathroom with an handful of paracetamol tablets. The good doctor looks concerned as Mark claims that he's got a headache.
"Two," he says, firmly. "Two of those ought to do you."
Mark suggests that Darren fears that he might be contemplating suicide and makes a point of flushing the majority of the pills down the lavatory. Darren explains that there was nothing going on between him and Victoria earlier when Mark saw them together.
Darren leaves Mark and joins the rest of the group in the pub. Mark is sitting on his bed, alone with his thoughts. Having toyed with his wedding ring, he seems happier and after kissing a photograph of himself and Victoria, he jumps up and rushes towards the stairs. Except that he trips and tumbles all the way down, banging his head on the hall floorboards.
In the pub, Nathan reassures Vic that she'll cope fine with looking after Mark when the time comes and Darren excuses himself by saying he needs the Gents. In reality though, he makes his way back to the house, where he discovers Mark's (dead) body at the foot of the stairs.
And on that cheery note, it's time to catch up with the equally miserable atmosphere that is Christmas at the Musgroves'.
Niamh senses the tension between Luke and Ryan. She believes Joey to know more than he's letting on but he denies it and packs her off to the sales.
Once Niamh is safely out of the front door, Joey turns to Ryan:
"Get him down," he says sternly as he picks up the telephone receiver.
Luke is duly delivered to his father, who replacing the handset, merely says:
"Pack your bags. You're on the next boat."
On her way to the shops, Niamh meets Katie and demands to know what's been going on between her and Luke. Katie refuses to say:
"I'm not going to be the one to tell you," she says enigmatically.
On her return home, Niamh is accosted by Jessie, demanding to talk to Luke. Jessie tells Niamh that Luke's been lying about the rape all these months. Niamh points out that Luke was tried and found *not* guilty. Jessie then stuns Niamh by suggesting that Luke has now confessed. Niamh doesn't believe her and looks towards Joey for support, but he's silent. It's Jessie who cottons on first:
"My God. You *know*, don't you?" she says, staring at him.
Once inside, Niamh has it out with Joey and Ryan, demanding to know how long they've known the truth.
"How *dare* you keep this from me," she says, making her displeasure clear. She turns towards Ryan. "Give me the [car] keys."
Niamh departs and arrives at the ferry port before the boat has set sail. She spots Luke on deck. Slapping his face and shrieking, whilst other passengers look on, she makes it clear to Luke that he's not running away quite so easily:
"You're coming home," she insists. "Until *I* decide what's happening."
Oooh! And just when Joey (for once) had been so decisive, she undermines him. Still, I expect he's used to it by now!
Episode written by Roy Boulter
Summary © 1999 Graeme Selway
Brookside and all related materials are © Mersey Television 1982-2001