Episode 577

Extended Summary

As they wash the dishes, Bobby grills Donald over the money he’s lost on Pippa’s car; he does someone a favour and ends up out of pocket. Donald says it’s his own fault but Bobby doesn’t think Pippa will see it that way. Donald says that’s why he doesn’t want her to know.

At Summer Bay House, Ben gets a phone call from his mother. His parents will be here in a couple of days. He and Carly carry the chest Marilyn gave them up to their room where Carly worries whether Ben’s family will like her.

Grant hassles Jane as she leaves her caravan the next morning; he wants to know what’s going on. Jane is blunt with him and says she has to get to work.

Steven comes home to the good news that Pippa has received the cheque for Tom’s car insurance. Carly is fussing about the Lucinis’ arrival; she wants the house spotless and suggests everyone else move out into caravans! Pippa refuses and leaves the house. Steven calls Carly tactless; Ben’s family can take them as they come.

Pippa goes to the Diner and shows Ailsa the cheque. She can buy a new car when Ben has the time to look. She doesn’t want Donald involved this time as he doesn’t seem to know a lot about cars! At least he got his money back. Pippa sees the look that Ailsa and Bobby exchange, and Bobby reveals that Donald didn’t get his money back.

Pippa goes to Donald’s house and wants to pay him back some of the money but Donald insists it was his own fault for trusting Kevin and refuses to take her money.

Grant is at Ben’s caravan, complaining about Jane. He doesn’t know what he’s done wrong. Ben thinks plenty of women get in a bad mood about nothing and advises Grant to sit tight until it blows over!

Emma and Steven are doing deliveries for Alf in Alf’s car when Jane pulls them over for not having a ‘P’ plate on the back. Emma insists it was there when they left. Jane tells her to replace it, and warns Steven that if she sees him driving without ‘L’ plates in the company of a ‘P’ plate driver she’ll make sure he doesn’t get behind the wheel of a car in a very long time.

At the Diner, Carly is trying to learn some Italian from a phrase book. Donald comes in and has a go at Bobby for telling Pippa he didn’t get his money back. He says she came to the house trying to pay him back but he refused. He storms out and Bobby says she doesn’t know what’s wrong with him at the moment but Ailsa says she’s beginning to guess.

Back at the house, Ben says he heard Pippa got the cheque for Tom’s car but Pippa says she’s going to have to pay Donald back for the other car. Steven says it was Donald’s decision to buy the car, and he can afford to forget about it. Ben has an idea.

Grant catches Steven in the caravan park and lectures him for driving Alf’s car yesterday. Steven tells him Jane has already given him a lecture. Now everything makes sense to Grant; he thought she hadn’t noticed when he was trying to distract her.

Pippa returns to Donald’s with Ben. Ben says the car is fine other than needing a new engine so they offer to buy the car from him less the cost of a new engine. Donald is reluctant but they talk him into it on the condition that he can take Pippa out for dinner tonight.

Jane arrives back at her caravan and finds Grant setting up candles as Steven let him in. Grant says he knows what’s bugging her and apologises.

Carly is cleaning out the entire kitchen and trying to learn Italian at the same time. Steven arrives home and Carly orders him to clean his room but then remembers he’s learning Italian and begs him to help her. Steven says he’d like to but has to clean his room!

Donald returns to the Diner and apologises to Bobby for losing his temper. He tells her and Ailsa about the compromise with Pippa and that he’s taking her out for dinner… at Florentino’s. Bobby points out how expensive it is and Donald feigns ignorance but Ailsa isn’t buying it.

Jane tells Grant that if they’re going to have any kind of relationship he has to trust her. Grant says he knows she’s worried about people liking her and he thought if she saw Steven and had to book him then she’d worry even more. Jane says she would have given him a warning so all this has been for nothing. They make up and hug.

Ailsa delivers some groceries to Pippa who is ironing her dress for tonight but Ailsa reveals Donald is taking her to Florentino’s and so she thinks her black cocktail dress might be better. Ailsa stops her and asks what kind of message that would give to Donald. She’s known him for years and if he’s not already in love with Pippa he’s part way there! Pippa looks horrified.