Sons and Daughters logo
    Written by: Greg Stevens   Produced by: Posie Jacobs   Directed by: Russell Webb

A short time later, Susan is treating Wayne's wound in the kitchen as she gasps, "I don't believe it - it's just not like him." Wayne tells her, "I thought I'd make one last effort; try to get him to come round, somehow. He went berserk." Susan asks warily if he tried to hit her father first. Wayne insists, "No." Susan cries, "Dad doesn't fight unless he's antagonised." Wayne 'assures' her, "I was trying to get him on-side; not turn him against me even more." Susan murmurs, "I'm sorry." She then adds, "You're going to be bruised for a couple of days. "Wayne murmurs, "I'll survive." Susan mutters, "Dad'll be lucky if he does." Wayne suggests, "Maybe you should just leave it?-It'll only make things worse." Susan, though, retorts, "Huh! We're going to have it out with him whether he likes it or not. He's got a hell of a lot to answer for." With that, she goes to the sink to get some clean water. As she turns her back to him, she doesn't notice the nasty grin that crosses Wayne's face...

Fiona is adding up some figures on a sheet of paper in her room at the mansion when the 'phone rings. She answers it, and Glen comes on. She tells him that she was hoping he'd call. She goes on, "I rang the Immigration Department and your passport is ready. I thought I'd go in and pick it up this afternoon." Talking from a public 'phonebox, Glen warns her, "Be careful - Wayne's bound to have someone watching. I don't want you getting yourself into any strife." Fiona assures him that she won't let her guard down. She then asks him how he planned to pick up his passport. Glen tells her, "I'll call you back when I've arranged something. I've got an idea in mind. Wayne may think he's smart but I'm one jump ahead of him." Fiona sighs, "Don't you try and be too clever." She then adds that she'll talk to him later on and she hangs up.

David walks from outside into the kitchen at the country house. Susan is alone, doing some drying-up. David puts a box down on the table and smiles at her, "I hope you still like sponge cake - I've got one here covered in cream and strawberries!" He then notices the expression on her face and asks, "What's wrong?" Wayne suddenly appears in the hall doorway, standing sideways and leaning against the frame. David snaps at Susan, "What's he still doing here? I told him to clear off." Susan retorts, "I know. We'll be leaving shortly." David asks incredulously, "You're not going with him?" Susan snaps, "I'm certainly not staying in the same house with someone who goes around bashing people." David asks in surprise, "What are you talking about?" Susan retorts, "You - getting stuck into Wayne." David laughs bitterly, "That's what he's done, is it? Come running back to you because I gave him a tap on the snout?" Susan indicates Wayne and growls, "You call that a tap?" She goes and pulls Wayne into the room so that David can see the full extent of his injuries. David doesn't even glance at him, though, protesting instead, "I hardly touched him. He took the first swing." Susan cries, "Look at his face." David turns away and mutters, "I don't want to look at him." Susan repeats forcefully, "Look at him." David turns and looks at Wayne's injuries. Susan goes on furiously, "A tap on the snout? I'd hate to see what he'd look like if you really got stuck into him. You disgust me." With that, she picks up her jacket and she and Wayne head outside. David follows them out to the courtyard, protesting,"I hardly laid a finger on him. I don't know how that happened, but it had nothing to do with me, OK?" Susan turns to Wayne and says gently, "Please - wait in the car for a minute; I won't be long." Wayne walks off. Susan then turns back to David and cries, "I don't believe you, dad. You've got a bad temper - I've seen it - and when you go off the deep end you're capable of anything." David sighs, "OK, fair enough - but you answer me one thing: have I ever lied to you?" Susan looks down guiltily and David points out, "No, I haven't, have I? So why should I start now? I didn't get stuck into Wayne; it must have been someone else. If it had been me, I would tell you. I wouldn't lie to you." Susan cries, "You would do anything to break us up, though; I mean, you were quite prepared to use emotional blackmail on me just to get what you wanted." David snaps, "Because Wayne's no good for you. I can't see why you can't see that. You know what he's like." Susan retorts, "Yes, I do - and I love him enough to marry him." David sighs angrily, "Listen, girly, you don't know what you're letting yourself in for." Susan snaps, "I think I do." She goes to walk off. David calls, "Susan." Susan turns back to him but says, "There's a difference, you know, between loving and respecting someone. I love you, dad - I always will - but after today... I'll never be able to respect you again - and that makes me feel very sad." With that, she walks off. David stands there looking worried.

A short time later, Beryl is talking on the 'phone on the bar at Dural, saying, "You think Wayne deliberately had himself bashed-up so you could get the blame for it? The man's mad." David, in the kitchen at the country house, mutters, "You don't have to tell me that." He then curses, "Dammit - we almost got rid of him and now Susan reckons the marriage is back on." Beryl points out, "They haven't tied the knot yet, so don't let's give up hope. She's called it off once before, so I think deep-down she's not really committed." David mutters, "Let's keep our fingers crossed, I suppose." He then asks, "You staying up in Sydney?" He listens to the response before saying, "Yeah, I suppose it's best to stay there and keep an eye on things." He adds, "Make sure Wayne doesn't cause any problems for Glen - he still may have a chance to pull the plug out on the mongrel." Beryl nods, "There's every chance he will - he's leaving for Bali tomorrow to try and find proof of whatever Wayne may have been up to when he was over there." David tells her, "Wish him luck. I wish there was something positive I could do." He listens and then says, "Like what?" Beryl tells him, "You just work out a way to protect yourself - Wayne's threatened to wreck your trucking business." David, however, growls, "Wayne has had all the wins he's getting out of me. That I can promise you..."

Fiona is walking along a footpath. She glances at a young man sitting leaning against a tree at the side of the road and then walks on...

Craig is looking at the cake that David placed on the kitchen table at the country house. David joins him from the hallway and Craig asks, "Someone's birthday?" David, sitting down, mutters, "No, I, um... it's for you and Deb - you've been doing such a good job lately. It's a way of saying thanks." Craig smiles, "No worries." He sits down as David asks, "Where is Deb?" Craig tells him, "In the bedroom, getting changed. There's something she wants to show you." David just murmurs, "I can't hang around too long - I've got a lot to do this arvo. Now that Caroline's not going to drive for me, I've got to find someone else." At that moment, Debbie appears in the hall doorway, wearing her new chauffeur's uniform. She smiles, "Ta-da! You've found her!" David frowns in confusion. Debbie explains, "I've just been out and got my Class C licence - and I've already spent the money on a uniform, so you can't say 'no', can you?!" Craig adds, "I reckon she'd be really good." David looks at Debbie and asks, "Are you serious about this?" Debbie nods, "Well yeah! That's why I went ahead and bought the uniform." David, standing up, grins, "You're on! As long as you can stick it out, you've got yourself a permanent job!" Debbie smiles, "Thanks! That's great!" Craig suggests, "What say we celebrate? Cut the cake." David, though, tells them, "You two get stuck into it. I've got to slip into town to see the accountant about this market garden - get the lease sorted out. Then I've got to make arrangements about selling the truck." He heads out. When he's gone, Debbie sits down at the table and comments to Craig in surprise, "Why does he want to sell the truck?" Craig shrugs, "Search me - it's the first I knew of it."

There's a knock on the door of Fiona's room at the mansion and Janice walks in. Fiona is arranging some flowers, and she tells Janice, "I'm absolutely snowed-under here. I wonder if you could do me a favour: I promised to go by the hairdresser and pick up May's wig. Could you do it for me?" Janice, though, says bluntly, "I'm sorry. I can't." Fiona insists, "It'll only take you a minute or two." Janice, though, explains, "I'm expecting Owen." Fiona says, "If he comes by while you're out, I'll tell him where you are." Janice, however, mutters, "I'd rather not, if you don't mind." Fiona, looking surprised, retorts curtly, "I'm sorry I asked. I didn't realise how much Owen was running your life. I only thought you had a mind of your own." Janice retorts indignantly, "I do." Fiona laughs, "It sure shows." May walks up behind Janice as she growls at her aunt, "I told Owen I would be here when he arrived. Now, if you can't tell the difference between common courtesy and being under somebody's thumb, you can't be all that bright." May gasps in surprise, "Janice! That's not a very nice thing to say. What's going on?" Janice turns to her and says, "Nothing. Owen's due shortly, but I'm just popping out to get your wig, so if you see him can you tell him where I am?" May nods, "Of course, dear." Janice thanks her and heads out. May then looks at Fiona and queries, "Nothing?" Fiona muses, "Just a storm in a teacup." May crosses her arms and sighs, "I don't take kindly to being fobbed-off, and that's exactly what you're doing. Now, what's going on?" Fiona hesitates and then explains, "You and I have forced Janice into a corner - or, more to the point, we've forced her into the clutches of Owen Brooke. Deep down, she doesn't like him - but she is persistent in her pretence that she does, a) because I interfered and told her to drop him; and b) because she realises that if she gives him the heave-ho now, you're going to miss out on your invitation to the ball, and she cares enough not to want to put your evening at risk. Janice feels trapped, and that's what all the tension's about." May asks, "Why on earth didn't you say something before?" Fiona sighs, "I'm already in the girl's bad books; I didn't want to make it any worse by poking my nose in any further. Besides which, I want to see you go to the ball, too, Cinderella!" May smiles warmly, "Thankyou, dear." She then adds, "There's really nothing to worry about, though: when I put my mind to it, I can have my cake and eat it, too." Fiona, looking confused, comments, "You've lost me." May tells her, "I'll still go to the ball, but I'll also put a spanner in the works for Mr. Brooke." She goes to walk off, but Fiona says quickly, "Hold it, May. If Janice smells a rat, she's going to dig her heels in even further." May just smiles, "We'll just have to make quite sure that she doesn't smell a rat, won't we?!" She adds, "Just remember who you're talking to, my girl: the smartest parlour operator ever to come out of World War II! Now, I used my brains then and I'll use them again to trip-up 'his nibs'!" Fiona laughs, "Darling, I don't know what I would do without you - sometimes!"

Maggie is talking on the 'phone in Gordon's room at Seabreeze Towers, saying, "Thanks for your help. I'll think about it and let you know." Gordon suddenly comes in through the front door and Maggie hangs up and tells him quickly that the money for the 'phone's on the table. Gordon, though, smiles, "I think I can afford one call!" Maggie goes on, "I was talking to an insurance salesman about some life insurance. They say I have to have a medical examination." Gordon nods, "That's the usual procedure - but don't worry about it; I'm sure you'll come through with flying colours." Maggie mutters, "I'm glad you think so. I told them I'd think about it." Gordon comments, "You're not scared of going to a doctor, are you?" Maggie retorts, "Of course not." Gordon indicates the 'phone and tells her, "Go ahead. Make an appointment." Maggie, however, snaps, "Stop pushing. I'll do it when I'm good and ready." She heads into the kitchen area. Changing the subject, Gordon indicates a long cardboard tube that he's holding and he smiles, "I bet you can't guess what I've got here." Maggie just retorts sarcastically, "I wasn't born with x-ray vision." Gordon tells her, "It's a present - for Cassie. It's a kite." Maggie, looking horrified, demands, "What did that cost?" Gordon just replies, "That's my business." Maggie mutters, "It must have set you back quite a bit. That's silly, spending that much money on a nine-year-old girl." Gordon insists, "I can afford it." Maggie, though, retorts, "I don't care whether you can afford it or not; she's not having it. Cassie and I have never looked for handouts from anyone and we're not about to start now." Gordon sighs, "Maggie, this is not a handout, it's a present for your daughter." Maggie snaps, "Call it what you like; she's not having it - that's all there is to it." Gordon mutters, "For God's sake, stop being so pig-headed. This so-called pride of yours is insulting to me and it's totally unfair to Cassie. She'll love the kite and there's no reason on Earth why she shouldn't have it." Maggie retorts, "Yes there is: her mother says 'no'. That is the end of the matter. Keep your present; Cassie doesn't need it." With that, she storms out, leaving Gordon looking puzzled.

Beryl and Robert are sitting with Fiona in her room at the mansion. As Beryl prepares some baby food, Fiona comments to her wearily, "In a world of change, it's good to see that some things don't. Wayne will never be any different. He's evil. It's as simple as that." Beryl tells her, "I agree, but recognising the problem doesn't necessarily solve it. Susie is set to marry him. I told David Glen would come up with something to make him pull his head in, but it's me I'm trying to convince." Fiona smiles, "Glen will come through - we just have to give him all the help we can; make sure he gets the dirt on Wayne in time to stop the wedding." Beryl sighs, "I hope he does." She then adds, "I don't know what I'm going to do when I see Wayne - when he comes back with Susan. It's going to take all my strength not to slap him down and tell him what I really think." She then hands Fiona the bowl of Robert's food and Fiona starts feeding it to the toddler. As she does so, she goes on, "He had me trailed this afternoon - Wayne. I had gone out to go and pick up Glen's passport... took me a while to twig... I mean, who would suspect this young teenager, wearing one of those radio things and carrying a skateboard?" Beryl comments, "You lost him before you got to the passport office?" Fiona laughs, "Oh yes. Once bitten..." Beryl sighs, "I feel so useless. I wish I could do something instead of just sitting here talking about it." Fiona asks, "Would you mind if May babysat Robert for a couple of hours?" Beryl asks in surprise, "What for?" Fiona explains, "You could do something to help me. I think maybe it would stop you from feeling so useless..."

May is in her room next door. There's suddenly a knock on the door and she answers it to find Owen standing there. She tells him curtly, "If you're looking for Janice, she's out - but she won't be long." Owen, though, replies, "It's you I've come to see, actually." May invites him in and adds, "This is just a social call, is it?" Owen replies, "More or less. Any friend of Janice's..." May concludes, "You'd like to be a friend of yours..." Owen nods, "Exactly. The trouble is, we don't know each other very well and I'd like to change that." May sits down at the table and smiles, "Janice would be pleased if you and I are going to be friends. It would probably bring you two closer together." Owen mutters, "We're close now." May says quickly, "I know, I know - it's quite obvious Janice is the girl for you; I can tell when I see you together. It's just that, sometimes, I get the feeling--" She breaks off. Owen asks, "What?" May murmurs, "It doesn't matter." Owen, however, insists, "Tell me - please." May sighs and goes on, "Sometimes, I get the feeling that... well, I could be wrong, but... do you ever feel that there's a reserve with Janice; that she's unsure?" Owen nods eagerly, "Yes. Yes, I do. You know, sometimes I feel that she is as keen on me as I am on her. But then she backs off and..." He adds quickly, "But that hardly ever happens... very rare." May muses, "Just now and again." Owen replies, "Yes." May then offers, "Would you like me to help you?" Owen sits down and asks, "How?" May tells him, "Janice and I are very close. I know how she thinks, and I could advise you how best you could help her overcome any doubts she may have about your relationship." Owen asks enthusiastically, "Would you?" May smiles, "It would be my very great pleasure, Owen, believe me! Besides, I owe you a favour - the invitation to your mother's ball: it was very thoughtful of you." At that moment, there's a knock on the door and Janice walks in, carrying a hat box. Owen stands up for her and Janice hands the box to May. She then tells Owen sincerely, "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived." Owen, however, assures her, "That's quite alright. It gave Miss. Walters and I a chance to have a little chat. We've decided to become friends - and I think we've made a very good start. Don't you, Mrs. Walters?" He looks at May and she beams, "We certainly have!" Janice smiles, "That's wonderful - I want you to be friends." Owen suggests to May, "I think you and I could drink to that, Mrs. Walters." May grins, "I'm sure of it!"

A short time later, May walks into Fiona's room. Beryl is still sitting with Fiona. May is carrying her hatbox, and she declares, "I've fixed it, Fiona. I've solved your problem!" Fiona asks warily, "What have you fixed?" May explains, "Janice and Owen: I told him I'd advise him how best to court Janice, but with the advice I have in mind, he's going to be lucky if she ends up talking to him, let alone marrying him!" Fiona asks, "How did you get Owen to take your advice?" May replies, "The man's a fool - he's just so--" She breaks off as she flips open the lid of the hatbox and stares at her wig in horror. She lifts it out; it's been covered in several different bright colours of hair spray!" May stares at it and gasps, "What have they done? It's ruined. It's absolutely ruined. I can't wear that to the ball; I'll look like the wild woman from Borneo!" The 'phone starts ringing and Fiona goes to answer it. May carries on crying to Beryl, "It'll just never be the same again." On the 'phone, Fiona asks the caller to hold on a moment. She then turns to May and asks for some shush. Returning to the 'phone, she asks, "Hello? Who is it?" From a 'phonebox, the reply comes, "It's me: Glen. I've worked out how I'm going to pick up the passport." Fiona listens and then says, "OK, then. Bye bye." She turns to Beryl and announces, "We're on our way!"

Sometime later, Fiona and Beryl are wandering slowly along a footpath, Fiona telling Beryl as they do so, "We've got plenty of time. There's no need to hurry." She suddenly becomes aware of a young man walking slowly on the other side of the road. He's carrying a skateboard. She murmurs to Beryl, "We're being followed. Don't look - just keep walking. On the other side of the road... it's the same kid who trailed me before." She then adds, "I hope this works..."

A while later, Fiona and Beryl are standing next to a bench at the side of the road. They're both carrying several bags of shopping, and Fiona says loudly, "My arms are falling off!" She and Beryl sit down. The teenager skates past behind them as Beryl offers Fiona a banana. Fiona declines, but then takes out a newspaper, commenting as she does so that she never knows why she buys an afternoon paper as there's never anything in it! The teenager sits down at the side of the road a few feet away from them. He's wearing dark glasses and has headphones on.

Gordon takes a cake out of the oven in his room at Seabreeze Towers and looks at it triumphantly. There's suddenly a knock on the door and he opens it to find Maggie and Cassie standing there. He invites them in. Maggie tells him, "We won't keep you long." She then goes on, "I was wrong: what I said earlier... you were right - sometimes I do let pride get in the way. I'm sorry." Gordon assures her, "It's over and forgotten." He then bends down to Cassie and asks, "Did mummy let-on that I bought you a present?" Cassie shakes her head vigorously. Gordon tells her, "I did. I hope you like it. It's over there." Cassie runs over to where the cardboard tube is and starts opening it. Gordon then tells Maggie that he tried out her recipe for teacake. He invites her and Cassie to hang around while it cools. Maggie thanks him. Over on the couch, Cassie looks at her present and exclaims, "It's a kite! Thankyou! It's just what I wanted!" Gordon smiles, "As long as it makes you happy, Cassie, that's the main thing." Cassie assures him eagerly, "It does! It does!"

The teenager on the skateboard is skating along slowly on the opposite side of the road to where Fiona and Beryl are sitting. Fiona is still looking at her newspaper. Beryl asks her quietly, "What's he doing now?" Fiona murmurs, "He's probably bored. Or maybe he's going home. Or maybe he's going to watch us from the other side of the road. Or maybe he's finished his shift and someone else is going to take over from hereon in." She adds, "Anyway, come on, let's go." The two of them stand up and Beryl goes and drops her banana skin into a nearby waste bin, smiling, "Do the right thing!" Fiona suggests to her, "We could probably get a taxi down at the intersection. How about we take a cab back to the mansion?" Beryl smiles, "Why not? Who cares if we can't afford it?!" Fiona then drops her newspaper into the waste bin and the two of them walk off. A few seconds later, a motorcycle pulls up next to the bin, the rider's hand reaches for the newspaper, picks it out of the bin and the motorcyclist rides off.

A short time later, the motorcyclist pulls to a halt at the side of the road. He unwraps the newspaper to reveal a passport in the middle. The passport contains a photo of Glen.

Wayne is looking at the mail piled up on the hall table at Dural. Susan comes downstairs and tells him, "Everyone seems to be out." Wayne muses, "Oh well. Gives us a chance to be on our own." Susan joins him and asks, "How's the face?" Wayne replies, "Sore." Susan suggests, "Why don't you take a couple of days off work? Give the swelling a chance to go down?" Wayne agrees, "Not a bad idea." As he goes through the mail, he comes across a letter and he smiles, "I was hoping this had turned up." He opens it, adding as he does so, "Who says you can't hurry-up the public service?!" He shows Susan the letter and explains, "Our marriage licence." Susan, looking surprised, comments, "You organised that early." Wayne tells her, "I just wanted to make sure we had it. I had a nightmare: it was the day of the wedding and no one would give us a licence." Susan smiles, "That's silly!" They head into the lounge room as Wayne goes on, "There are plenty of people who don't want us to get married: your father... your mum, if she was honest enough to admit it... half the guests at the church are going to be hoping you leave me standing at the alter. The wedding is going to be a shambles; I can see it sticking out a mile." Susan asks warily, "What are you trying to do? Give a girl a bad case of the jitters?" Wayne replies quickly, "That's exactly what I don't want. If people can't handle us getting married, that's their problem, not ours. Why should we have to put up with their flak? We don't deserve it." He then suggests, "Let's elope; go off and get married by ourselves. What do you say?" A look of surprise crosses Susan's face...

 

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