Lassiter's Hotel
Scott turns to Sylvie and says gently:

SCOTT: Sylvie, I'm sure it *would* be-
SYLVIE (presses): Come on, something tells me we could be very good together-
SCOTT: No, look, no-
SYLVIE: You're saying no-
SCOTT (raising his voice): NO. No, Sylvie, I mean exactly what I said. It's just not on, OK? I've already made a commitment to somebody else.
SYLVIE: Who's asking for a commitment? It's just one night.
SCOTT: I'm married; I can't cheat on my wife.

Sylvie stands there looking hurt. Scott tells her that he loves his wife and she trusts him and he's sorry, but his marriage is more important than some distraction that might just happen to come along. Sylvie runs her hand through her hair and murmurs that she thought there was a bit of a spark. Scott insists:

SCOTT: There *is*. You're a great- looking woman, OK, and if the situation had been any different, there wouldn't have been any argument.
SYLVIE (pleads): Can't you just forget her for a few hours?
SCOTT: Look, I'm sorry. I've had a great time - I just can't.

As Scott backs towards the door, Sylvie snaps:

SYLVIE: You leave now, Scott, you've blown it; you won't get a second chance.
SCOTT (shrugs): Look, them's the breaks.
SYLVIE (yells): Guys don't say that to me, Scott - *I'm* the one who does that. You'll regret not staying here tonight.

Scott just looks at her. He murmurs eventually:

SCOTT: Maybe I would, OK? But I'll tell you what: I'd regret staying here even more.

With that, he walks out.

No. 22
Beverly has turned up at No. 22. Paul is offering his congratulations at her pregnancy, but Beverly just asks flatly if she can talk to Gail. Paul calls to his wife and she walks across from the kitchen. Paul heads upstairs. Gail sits down on the couch with Beverly and asks what's happened. Beverly cries:

BEVERLY: Jim doesn't want the baby...
GAIL (looking surprised): What makes you say *that*? He sounded pretty excited about it on the 'phone.
BEVERLY: He's putting on an act. He's just putting on an act for my benefit. I heard him talking to Helen: he doesn't want the baby.

Gail asks her if she's sure. Beverly snaps that she knows what she heard. She sighs that she was too stupid to face it earlier: she's been trying to talk him into having another child for months and he only agreed because he wanted to save the marriage. Gail suggests that maybe there's some misunderstanding. Beverly just sobs:

BEVERLY: This is the only chance I'll ever have, Gail... but my husband doesn't want our baby.

Gail suggests to her that she calm down; getting upset won't help. She adds that maybe *she* could talk to Jim - or Paul could. Beverly, however, murmurs that that won't solve anything; she's got to face him herself. Gail offers to let her stay there, if it would help. Beverly, however, heads to the front door suddenly and says she'll go for a drive. Gail asks her in concern if she isn't a bit upset to be driving. Beverly just insists that it calms her; she'll sort it out. Gail watches her go, looking worried.

No. 28
Bronwyn sits down on the couch with Mike and asks him if he wants to get started. Des is also sitting on the couch and he asks what's going on. Bronwyn explains that she's testing Mike on his history notes. Des smiles that that's his favourite subject! Bronwyn says to Mike:

BRONWYN: Who was the first man ever hanged in Australia?
DES (quickly): Ned Kelly.

Mike tells Des that Ned Kelly was actually way down the line; it was Thomas Barrett. Des mutters that it was a lucky guess! The history test continues, with Des getting more answers wrong and Mike getting them right! Des's face drops and he murmurs that the history of Australian cricket was more *his* subject! Bronwyn tells Mike that it looks like History is *one* subject he doesn't have to worry about. Mike replies:

MIKE: I'm not too worried about it; I've just got some more prac teaching coming up, so I have to take it all pretty seriously.
DES: Reckon you'll come tops this time?
MIKE: I don't know about tops. I'll come pretty close - I doubt if I'll beat Jackie, though.

He looks at Bronwyn and adds:

MIKE: You remember Jackie, don't you? Yes, *course* you remember Jackie...

Bronwyn tells Des warily that she and Jackie got on like a house on fire... Mike goes to get some coffee. He then adds that he's got some chocolate biscuits in his room: whoever can answer the next question correctly will get one. He heads to his room to get them, leaving Des to comment to Bronwyn that he's glad she and Mike are getting along. Bronwyn replies that Mike's a nice guy; they're good mates now - which is probably what they should've been all along...

No. 32/Lassiter's Hotel
Jane is sitting in the lounge room at No. 32, in her nightclothes, watching TV. Mrs. Mangel arrives home from work and tells her granddaughter that she's glad she found her alone, as she feels it's her duty to pass on a little information. Jane asks:

JANE: What *sort* of information?
MRS. MANGEL: Now, I'm not one to snoop or pry, as you well know - but as I was on duty, I couldn't help but notice.
JANE: Notice *what*, nan? What are you on about?
MRS. MANGEL: Well, it seems that just when Scott and Charlene get over *one* crisis, another arrives to take its place.
JANE: Go on...
MRS. MANGEL: Would you believe: I saw Scott entering the hotel room of a very attractive but very immodestly- dressed young lady?
JANE: What did she look like?
MRS. MANGEL: Slender... dark... and with a very wanton look in her eye.
JANE: Nan, I'm sure you just exaggerating. Scott's doing a story on a girl I know - a model.
MRS. MANGEL: A story? Ha! Well, I'm sure Charlene would be interested in *this* particular instalment.
JANE: Scott will tell her. Besides, it's *their* business; you shouldn't spread rumours.
MRS. MANGEL (insists): I've never spread a rumour in my life, Jane! Like Scott, I simply report the facts.

With that, she heads off to get changed. Looking thoughtful, Jane walks out into the hallway, picks up the 'phone and dials a number.

The 'phone rings in Sylvie's hotel room and Sylvie, who's standing looking in a mirror, mutters:

SYLVIE: If that's you, Scott, I might give you one more chance...

She goes and picks up the 'phone, but her face drops when Jane comes on. Jane says:

JANE: Um... would Scott be there with you?
SYLVIE: That's none of your business.
JANE: Well, I'd like to talk to him.
SYLVIE: I'm afraid you can't.
JANE: Why not?
SYLVIE: He, er, has his mind on other things...
JANE: *What* other things?
SYLVIE: Oh, use your imagination, Jane - I'm sure it's had plenty of practice.
JANE (sighs): Come on, Sylvie, I just want to talk to Scott. This is important - and I *am* his friend.
SYLVIE: Yeah, well, so am *I* now. In fact, I've become very, very close... Bye...

She hangs up. Jane does likewise, looking worried.

No. 28
Mike is wiping up dishes in the kitchen area. Des offers to help him, but Mike tells him that he doesn't think wiping wet plates will do the dressings on his hand any good! Des smiles:

DES: Since when have *you* turned into a white tornado?!

Mike shrugs that he guesses he's just feeling pretty good - mainly about Bronwyn... Des asks him how he means, and Mike explains that he's glad she's staying with them: it gives them a chance to get to know each other properly. He adds that that was the problem the first time round: they didn't really know each other that well and they rushed into things. Des says warily;

DES: What do you mean 'first time round'? You mean there's going to be a second?
MIKE: Well, I'm not counting my chickens, but I still reckon there's something between us.

Des asks Mike in concern if he's sure he's not confusing friendship with something stronger. Mike just muses that he guesses he'll find out sooner or later - but one thing's for sure: he's going to find out. All of a sudden, the burglar alarm at No. 32 goes off. Bronwyn emerges from her bedroom and groans that it'll wake up the whole street.

No. 26
Jim and Helen emerge from their respective rooms and meet in the lounge room, where Helen asks Jim in concern if he thinks everything's all right. Jim mutters that the *alarm* works, that's for sure. Helen comments that it's a good thing Nick and Katie are sound sleepers. She asks if it woke Beverly, but Jim tells her that she's still at the hospital. They head through to the kitchen and Jim suggests that they might as well have a cup of tea. He picks up the kettle, but at that moment the alarm stops and the two of them say goodnight to each other and go to head back to their rooms - only for the alarm to start sounding again! Jim sighs that he'd better go and investigate, just to make sure.

No. 32
Mrs. Mangel is looking frantically through the drawer in the writing desk in the lounge room for the alarm key. She tells Jane in horror that it isn't there. Jane spots it on top of the stereo, though, and she grabs it, dashes out into the hallway and silences the alarm. Mrs. Mangel then asks where Sharon is, as she can't possibly have slept through that! Jane smiles that she woke up but stuck her head under the pillow and went straight back to sleep. There's suddenly a knock on the front door and Jim calls out to ask if everything's all right. Mrs. Mangel calls back:

MRS. MANGEL: Yes. Thank you for asking.

Jane tells her nan to open the door, but Mrs. Mangel hisses back:

MRS. MANGEL: I'm in my night attire!

Jane opens the door nonetheless and tells Jim that the alarm went off by itself, but they managed to turn it off. The alarm starts sounding again, suddenly, and Mrs. Mangel runs to the box, muttering that it's got a mind of its own. Jin suggests that maybe he'd better disconnect it at the fuse. Mrs. Mangel, protests:

MRS. MANGEL: No, no, you can't do that - it's on the same thingummy as the refrigerator.
JIM (points out): Do you want to get some sleep tonight or do you want cold milk for breakfast?

Jane tells her nan that Jim's right: everyone will be awake. Jim tells Mrs. Mangel that Jane's right: if she leaves the alarm on, *no one* will get any sleep.

No. 22
Paul and Gail are in the kitchen, Paul boiling some milk on the stove and groaning that it's a bad night for this: they need to sleep... The alarm stops suddenly. Paul stands there on tenterhooks, but after it doesn't start up again, Gail exclaims in relief:

GAIL: I don't believe it!

She then thanks Paul gently for his support. Paul smiles warmly:

PAUL: It's what you deserve - you've been through a *lot* to give us this child. I think people like Beverly don't really realise how lucky they are.
GAIL: Well, she's lucky in *one*way - but apparently *Jim* doesn't seem too keen. That's why she came over here before: she doesn't think Jim's absolutely committed one hundred per cent.
PAUL: Ah, I see...
GAIL: And I really didn't know what to say to make her feel any better.

The two of them go and sit down at the table with their hot drinks and Paul says he knows his dad wasn't enthusiastic at *first*, but he can't believe that he's not looking forward to all of it. Gail tell him that *Beverly* believes it. Paul exclaims:

PAUL: Dad *loves* kids. Lucy was a fair way behind all of *us*... and look at the way he's taken Katie and Todd under his wing. And Nick.

Gail murmurs that Beverly was pretty worked up about it; it worries her...

No. 26
In the lounge room, Helen hands Jim a hot drink as he hangs up the 'phone. He tells her that the hospital said Beverly finished hours ago. Helen asks if he's tried her pager, but Jim replies that there's nothing. Helen suggests that perhaps she came across an emergency of some kind. Jim insists that she'd have 'phoned to let him know where she was. He adds:

JIM: Beverly has had a lot on her mind just lately. Something tells me I ought to call the police.

Helen exclaims that it surely can't be as drastic as all that. Jim shrugs that maybe not - but he'd rather be safe than sorry. He goes back to the 'phone and picks it up.

Beverly's car
It's morning- time and Beverly is sitting in her car, tears streaming down her face as she thinks back to overhearing Jim say that he realised it was a case of give into her or her walking out, and him saying he didn't want any more kids and made no secret of that. She eventually climbs out of her car. It's parked by the edge of a cliff, overlooking the sea. She walks to the very edge of the cliff and gazes out at the water and down at the rocks below, tears still flowing...

No. 22
Paul is sorting out some files for work when Gail comes downstairs. He asks her how she's feeling and she mutters that she's better for three hours' sleep... Paul smiles that she looks a million dollars! There's suddenly a knock on the front door and Paul opens it to Jim, who says:

JIM: I was wondering if you'd seen Beverly.
PAUL: What - this morning?
JIM: Yeah - she didn't come home last night.

Paul looks at Gail. Jim adds:

JIM: It's not as if there's any reason why she *shouldn't* come home. We hadn't had a fight or anything.

Gail suggests to Jim awkwardly that he'd better come in.

Cliff- edge
The sun is shining and the sea is blue, but there's now no sign of Beverly standing anywhere near the cliff...

Ramsay Street
Scott is walking up the street, looking at a magazine, when Jane walks over to him and mutters that he seems pleased with himself. Looking surprised, Scott says:

SCOTT: Do I?
JANE (snaps): I suppose you're going to tell me it was all in the line of duty, huh?
SCOTT: Oh, no, it was just my turn, that's all.
JANE (blankly): What?
SCOTT: Hm? To get the milk - it was Henry's last time.
JANE (mutters): Don't play games with me, Scott - you know what I'm talking about.
SCOTT: No I don't.
JANE: Nan *saw* you.
SCOTT: You mean at the shops?
JANE: At the hotel.
SCOTT: But I haven't *been* at the hotel.
JANE: She saw you going into Sylvie's room.
SCOTT: Oh, you're talking about last night. Yeah.
JANE (angrily): How *could* you, Scott? How could you do it?
SCOTT (blankly): Do *what*?
JANE: Stay the night with Sylvie?
SCOTT (splutters): *Stay* the night? Jane, I was just going in there to get some photographs.
JANE (disbelieving): Oh sure...
SCOTT: What are you getting so hot under the collar for? So, I was seen going into a room. That's no big sin, is it?
JANE: No, but what happened *afterwards* is.
SCOTT: So, Sylvie came on strong, yeah. Look, Jane, Charlene is my wife. She's the only girl that I want.
JANE: I *rang* Sylvie late last night and she said you were still there. In fact, she gave me the impression that photographs were the *last* thing on your mind.
SCOTT: Well, I'm sorry, but nobody rang while *I* was in the room.
JANE: Why would she make up something like that?
SCOTT: I don't know, but look, either you believe her or you believe *me*.

No. 28
Bronwyn is doing some ironing in the lounge room when Des joins her. She asks if Mike's out of the shower yet, but Des replies that he isn't. He then adds that he reckons having a woman in the house is working out all right! Bronwyn smiles that she does get *paid* to do the ironing! Des points out that she's paid to be a nanny, not a housekeeper: she doesn't have to do *Mike's* laundry; *he's* the one who's paying. Bronwyn shrugs:

BRONWYN: If I only did yours, it would look like I was playing favourites.

DES (muses): Who *is* your favourite - just for interest's sake!
BRONWYN: Uh- uh - that'd be telling!

Des comments that she was pretty keen on Mike for a while. Bronwyn replies that she was new in the city: everything seemed new and romantic and Mike was *there*. Des remarks:

DES: So it's just mates now?
BRONWYN: Yep. As friends, we're made for each other!
DES: So you haven't got your eye on anyone else?
BRONWYN: There's only one man in *my* life, Des!
DES: Yeah? Who's that?
BRONWYN: Jamie Clarke!
DES: Oh, right. I thought it might've been Henry!

With that, he walks off, whistling!

Lassiter's Hotel
Scott and Jane are both in Sylvie's hotel room. Sylvie is sitting on the bed as Scott demands angrily to know what she was trying to prove. Sylvie retorts that it was just a joke. Scott snaps:

SCOTT: If it had gone any further, before I found out, it could've really hurt my marriage - and I'll tell you something: if there is one thing I cannot stand, it is scandals.
SYLVIE: I'm sorry. What more can I say?

Jane tells Sylvie that she can't go through life doing whatever she wants and then throwing out a few sorrys; she has to have some consideration for other people. Sylvie doesn't respond for several seconds. She then murmurs eventually:

SYLVIE: You're right. It was a nasty thing to do - especially to someone I like.
SCOTT (shouts): Then why the hell did you do it?
SYLVIE (snaps): I just can't handle being rejected.

Jane tells her that *everyone* gets rejected sometimes. Sylvie retorts:

SYLVIE: *I* don't.

Scott tells Sylvie that it's not as if she was being rejected, anyway: he told her that if he hadn't've been married, things would've been totally different. Sylvie murmurs that he could've been saying that just to make her feel better. She adds:

SYLVIE: My *parents* used to say things like that to me.
SCOTT: What do you mean?
SYLVIE: My sister? *She* was always the pretty one and my mother always favoured *her*. You know, it's like not being pretty was my own fault.

Jane sits down with her and says gently:

JANE: Hey, come on... I know you still hurt because of all of that, but believe me: you're not the only one who's been through it. I mean, I always had to *compete* with my mother.
SCOTT: Guess *I* always had to live in Paul's shadow, too.

Jane tells Sylvie that she just doesn't realise how lucky she is; there are a lot of girls out there who'd *kill* to look like her. Sylvie sighs at Scott that she just never seems to meet any nice guys. Jane assures her that she will.

No. 26
Jim is pacing the lounge room floor, looking worried. Helen joins him and tells him that there's no way they'll get Katie off to school before they hear from Beverly. She then asks if there's anything that happened yesterday that they hadn't thought of. Jim replies:

JIM: Beverly told Gail she had overheard us talking.
HELEN: What harm would *that* have done?
JIM: Well, apparently, she only heard the part where I was saying how I felt *before* - you know: when I *didn't* want the baby.
HELEN: Oh no...

The doorbell rings suddenly and Jim opens the door to find a police officer standing on the step. The officer asks Jim if he's Mr. Robinson and Jim nods that he is. The police officer goes on:

POLICE OFFICER: It's about your wife - Dr. Marshall.
JIM: Come in. What's happened?
POLICE OFFICER: Well, we've located the doctor's car.
JIM: Where?
POLICE OFFICER: On the cliff- top at Rocky Heads.

Jim looks at Helen. He then asks the police officer:

JIM: What about my wife?
POLICE OFFICER: I'm afraid there's no sign of her as yet. We just had a report the car was found abandoned.

Jim stands there looking worried.