Episode 581

Extended Summary

Pippa and Carly are both up early. Carly wonders about the arrangements and suddenly starts panicking about whether Bobby arranged the flowers or not and wants to call her, even though it’s half past six. Gina and Antonio come down and Carly’s panic spreads to Gina, who wants to call the florists. Pippa just about manages to restore order and Antonio convinces Gina to make breakfast instead. Pippa tells Carly nothing is going to go wrong. At that moment, in the caravan, Ben’s bed is empty while Angelo lies asleep. Gina arrives with the breakfast tray and wonders where Ben is. Angelo claims he got up early and went for a jog and says he’ll go and look for him.

Adam and Angelo head out to the spot in the bush where they dumped Ben, but he isn’t there and he wasn’t at the surf club either. Adam is worried but Angelo thinks Ben’s playing a joke on them by letting them think he’s missing. He says Ben will be at the last place they expect. They go to the church but quickly realise Ben isn’t there. Angelo still isn’t concerned, despite Adam pointing out it’s ten o’clock and the wedding’s at twelve.

Carly is looking through her things in her bedroom while Bobby and Sophie try to get her to come to the hairdresser’s appointment. Carly is worried she hasn’t got her “Something Borrowed”. She wonders if Ben will fall out of love with her. Bobby assures her he won’t, but Carly says Bobby thought that about Frank. Bobby replies that she always knew she and Frank had different ideas about her role as his wife, but she thought they could work through them. Carly acknowledges that she and Ben don’t want to change each other and goes to the appointment.

Alf is setting things up at the surf club while Ailsa leaves for the Diner. Pippa and Grant arrive to do the flowers, but Pippa realises she has forgot the vases. Angelo is casually drinking coffee at the Diner while Adam frets. Ailsa returns and Adam convinces Angelo that they need to leave before she wonders why Ben isn’t with them. Angelo insists there’s nothing to worry about while no-one else knows he’s missing. Gina goes to the caravan and finds the breakfast tray untouched. Pippa and Grant are preparing to leave the house again when Gina arrives and tells them Ben and Angelo are missing. She wants Grant to go and look for them, but Pippa protests she needs Grant’s help with the flowers. She asks Gina to come with her instead, but Gina insists she needs to get ready. Antonio steps in and says he’ll go with Pippa while Grant searches.

Adam and Angelo arrive back at the caravan. Angelo sees the breakfast tray has gone and thinks this means Ben’s been there. Adam points out it could have been Gina, especially since nothing else has been touched, and Angelo is forced to accept it. Adam points out there’s only an hour and a half to the wedding, but Angelo still thinks Ben will turn up. Alf has finished helping Pippa and Antonio set up the surf club. After they’re left alone, Antonio tells Pippa that Gina is never happy and, if she continues to tell her what to do, Pippa should put her in her place.

Grant goes to the Diner and questions Ailsa, who says Adam and Angelo were in earlier, but Ben wasn’t with them. He goes back to the surf club and admits he hasn’t found anyone who’s seen Ben. He’ll give Pippa a lift back to the house then check out the suit hire place. Antonio says he’ll walk. In the caravan, Adam continues to fret in front of a nonchalant Angelo, since it’s nearly half past eleven.

The phone is ringing at the Fletchers’. Upstairs, everyone is getting ready, with Sophie and Bobby in their bridesmaid dresses and Gina advising Carly on her make-up. Pippa tells Gina to let Carly sort it herself. She calls out for Steven to answer the phone, but Bobby says he’s feeding Christopher. Pippa goes to answer it herself but they ring off just as she picks up the receiver. Grant has brought the suits back to Alf’s place so he can change. Alf is getting a lift to the Fletchers’ place with the hire car. They hear the car and go outside. Just after they’ve gone, the telephone starts ringing.

Alf joins the group at the Fletchers’ place. Pippa is about to get a lift with Antonio and Gina; Alf will be going with Carly in the first car while the girls follow in the second car. Carly, Bobby and Sophie come downstairs with Carly in her wedding dress. Everyone is impressed. Meanwhile, Grant is fretting at the Stewart house when Adam and Angelo arrive. Adam assures him Ben’s on his way and Grant leaves, relieved. Adam tells Angelo they should have told someone what was going on before now but Angelo is still relaxed.

Grant sees the cars draw up outside the church. He hurries over to the first car and tells Alf and Carly that things aren’t quite ready for them yet. Carly asks if Ben is nervous, and Grant says it’s hard to tell. Adam takes a phone call, hoping it’s Ben, but it’s Grant wondering where they are. Adam finds Angelo has changed out of his suit into his normal clothes. Angelo says it was a fun morning and they nearly got away with it but now Ben hasn’t shown up he’s leaving. Adam protests that they need to go to the church and tell people but Angelo hands him the ring and walks out.

At the church, Pippa, Antonio and Gina see Adam arrive and chat to Grant. Adam admits he hasn’t seen Ben all day. Pippa goes over and Adam tells her they’ve lost Ben. Meanwhile, Ben is running along a country road, still dressed in the borrowed shirt and his underwear. He tries and fails to flag down a passing car. He checks his watch and looks defeated.