Lionel and Jean arrive back home in London from the Hollywood trip. It's raining outside and Lionel wishes he had a raincoat which would actually stop the rain from trickling down his neck. Jean reminds him that he actually looked forward to the rain when he was in Los Angeles. "A Drizzly Day in Holland Park," that's what you kept telling them. Yes, but it took you to tell them was the title of my new book, Lionel says. "You're getting as bad as Alistair." Jean tells him to stop knocking Alistair because what he's doing is looking out for Lionel. Yes, says Lionel, he keeps expecting Alistair to pop in at night and tuck him in bed. Jean says that Lionel is jealous of Alistair, but that he needn't be -- she had her chance with him, but she threw him over for some old wreck she knows. She asks Lionel if he wants some proper tea. He'll get it in a minute. "You weren't really ever tempted were you?" Lionel wonders. "What, being chased by a rich, young, good-looking man? Of course I was," she tells him. He's hungry for some custard tarts, but she doesn't think they have any. He's still not off the subject. He asks her again if she was tempted by Alistair. Again she says yes. He tries to point out the age difference -- when he is forty-five you'd..... she won't let him finish. She says she never considered it a permanent relationship -- just a sort of fling. He wonders if that's a word that she uses often -- fling. She tells him that's what she's having with him. Less of a fling, he says and more of a gavotte.

She'll bring some custard tarts on the way back from the office. He didn't think she was going in to work. She says that she slept on the plane and she'll be just fine. She'll be better off in bed, he says. In a fling sense? she wants to know. No, in a sleeping sense. Well, forget it then she's going to the office. Lionel can't figure out the time difference, but he knows they're out of sync and warns her that it will catch up with her sometime. When it does, she says, she'll fall over. Lionel says he can't believe that he is being paid good American money to write this miniseries. He'd better start soon. Frankly, he says he's a little scared. Jean tells him to follow Alistair's advice and "Hang Loose." She's going to change and go to work. He says he's going to bed. That surprises her at this hour, but Lionel says even though he knows he can't figure out the time difference properly he knows enough to know he should be in bed.

Judith is on the phone with Miss Ice Cubes who called to see if Jean was in. She says that Jean just got back and may or may not be in the office today. Judith tells Sandy that she really called to say how brilliantly she was running the other branch. "She didn't actually say brilliantly, did she?" Sandy asks. Well, she really said "rather nicely," but coming from her it meant the same thing, Judith reasons. Sandy tells Judith that she went to see her last week and felt as though she were being granted an audience with the Queen. Her complexion is flawless, Judith says. Sandy says there's not a split-end on her head. Judith wants to know what her temps think of her. They're in awe, says Sandy.

Jean comes into the office. They want to know how she liked L.A., but she says she'll tell them all about it over lunch. Judith does want to know one thing: did they actually shop on Rodeo Drive? Jean tells her they couldn't even afford the money to pay the parking meter on Rodeo Drive. Jean asks how things are going. They tell her that she doesn't have to be worried, the books are full, they've treated themselves to new cars, just something to run about in. She says she'll see for herself. Judith tells her she didn't expect her in the office. Jean says that Lionel has gone to bed. Very sensible of him. Sandy says she thinks it's time for some coffee. Jean is surprised she wants coffee at this hour and then realizes she's lost track of time. Judith tells her she needs to readjust. She'll be fine, she says. Jean wants to know about the other branch. How is Sally Curtis? They look at one another. Jean tells them that some might call the silence deafening. They say she's fine. Very organized. What else is there to say, Judith wants to know. Jean thinks that judging by the looks on their faces there must be quite a lot more to say.

The doorbell rings at home and Lionel opens the door to find Alistair. He's surprised to see Lionel in his robe and "jimjams." Lionel says that Alistair didn't wake him -- he was trying to outmaneuver jetlag, but it didn't work. Alistair says he never lets jetlag into his life. Lionel offers him coffee, but Alistair says he's got an appointment in Covent Garden soonish. Lionel asks what he's singing and catches Alistair by surprise. Alistair appreciates the joke: "Nice one, Li."

Alistair has come to tell Lionel that this is the major leagues. They have to approach this whole project in a professional way. They can't just present it to the big guys in America on the back of an envelope. Lionel says he never planned to do it that way, but Alistair says he knows what he means. Lionel tells him that for starters he will need a secretary. Alistair has a nice one lined up, but Lionel prefers that Jean handle that. Alistair says he understands that he wants to keep it in the family. After all, Jean is not only..... Lionel interrupts him and tells him he prefers that Alistair not talk about Jean so much. Alistair looks confused. Lionel tells him that he may not be talking about her a lot now, but he has, and he does and he'd sooner he didn't. Alistair shrugs his shoulders and says fine. He gets up to leave and, as a sort of an I'm sorry, Lionel tells Alistair that he's grateful for all that he has done. Alistair doesn't need an I'm sorry -- he has forgotten about it already.

Lionel is walking down the street towards Jean's office. He smiles when he sees her walk out the door. She can barely stand -- looks as though she's been drinking and staggers forward. Lionel says hello, but she almost passes him by. He tells her he's on the way to see her because he needs a secretary. He wants to know if he can have Sandy. No, she says -- for two reasons. First, Sandy's her secretary and second, she doesn't like the fact that he once told her that Sandy's knees keep popping into his head. She tells him to go in and talk with Sandy and she'll fix him up with a secretary. She says she'll see him this morning, er, this evening, er. Lionel tells her she should be resting. She thought he was resting, she says. He tells her he couldn't get to sleep. "There, you see, jetlag's all in the mind," she says. She turns and walks away but looks as though she's going to fall. He watches her walk away and laughs.

Sandy checks her computer and there is no-one available to assist Lionel. Sandy says she can help some evenings, but Lionel says he doesn't work during the evenings because Jean is at home. Sandy thinks that's romantic. Judith tells him that Alistair works all hours. That's why he's rich, says Lionel and I'm grubbing about looking for a secretary. Sandy doesn't appreciate the "grubbing about" remark. Judith tells him that they are a reputable agency with a second branch. She knows -- Lionel should ask Miss Ice Cubes. They tell him that she might grant him an audience, but he must be sure to walk out backwards and bowing. He already knows the answer but asks "You don't like her do you?" They tell him that they'll like her better once Jean puts her in her place. Lionel looks worried. Is that where she's going now? he asks. Yes, it is, they tell him -- what's the matter? He says he just saw her and she didn't look like she could even find her place let alone put her in it. She did look kind of dreamy this morning, Sandy remembers. Judith tells him that Jean thinks jetlag is all in the mind. "So's me thinking I can run up five flights of stairs without getting out of breath," he answers.

The cab driver pulls in front of the branch office. The proud cabbie tells Jean he made it in 17 minutes. He gets no response. He turns around and finds Jean asleep. He wakes her. "Lionel? she wonders where she is -- she looks around. The cabbie says no, his name is Francis. He says they're here. Where? she wants to know. Where you wanted to go. She remembers. She gets out to pay him and he asks if he may say something. She says it depends on what it is. He tells her she's a very attractive lady. She smiles and thanks him very much, pays him and tells him to keep the change. He continues: "but you won't be for long if you start drinking this early, love." He drives away and leaves her standing there with a stunned look on her face.

Jean walks into the branch and the receptionist asks if she can help her, but Jean says she'll show herself in. She walks into Sally's office. Sally tells her it's very nice to see her and offers her a cup of tea. Jean says that would be nice. She walks over to the chair and nearly falls over it. She has trouble orienting herself and just plops down. Sally keeps watching her. "Are you all right?" she asks. Jean looks offended by the question and says she's perfectly all right. Sally walks over with the cup and Jean knows she can't hold it. She looks at it for a second and then tells Sally to just put it down. Jean is trying very hard to keep her eyes open. "Are you sure you're all right?" Sally asks again. Yes, Jean insists -- I've told you. She starts out by saying "Look Sandy, er Sally, I'll come straight to the point. I don't want to beat about the bush. The bush, she says again, with a blank look on her face. Sally says she likes the direct approach. Jean says "good" and nearly falls off the chair. She holds her forehead. Sally asks if something's wrong with her -- if there are areas of dissatisfaction. Jean can't even carry on a conversation. Sally wants to know if Jean wants to see the books. Jean says no. Then that's not an area of dissatisfaction? Jean is very confused. Sally says she really does look unwell. Perhaps she can see her at another time? " You are not seeing me, I am seeing me, uh you," Jean tells her. The telephone rings. Sally tells the secretary she asked her to hold her calls. Jean says that she'll see Sally another time because she's obviously very busy, being on the phone all the time. Sally looks confused and suggests Jean get some rest. Jean doesn't need any. She'll phone another time, she says. But here's something to think about, she tells Sally -- you're too heavy. Sally looks down at herself. "Handed," adds Jean. Heavy-handed. Jean can barely get the words out. Sally is even more confused. Jean turns to leave and can barely walk.

Back home, Jean is getting into bed and telling Lionel that she felt like a complete and utter fool. She tells Lionel that the cabdriver thought she was drunk. She doesn't understand why Lionel doesn't have jetlag. Because he expected to get it, he says. She promised Judith and Sandy she'd take them to lunch. That's a pleasure they'll just have to forego, he tells her and tucks her in bed. He tells her to go to sleep. She says she's not tired. He says she's not right. She agrees. Miss Ice Cubes can testify to that too. She bets she's laughing up her beautifully tailored sleeve right now. The first time she met her she put her hand into her briefcase and got it all covered in cheese and pickle. This time she just blundered about like a drugged elephant. Lionel says he doesn't understand why she wants so badly to impress her. Because she's so bloody perfect. Just wait until you meet her, Jean says. Lionel tells her it will be today because they had no temps at her branch and he has an appointment with Miss Ice Cubes this afternoon. He tells her that right now she's got to get to the business of getting on her feet again and for that she'll have to sleep. She says she's not tired -- just a bit woozy. She falls asleep in mid-sentence. Lionel puts her hand under the cover.

Sally tells Lionel she can have a secretary to him in the morning. Her name is Daisy and she's a very competent girl. "Excellent!" Lionel says. Sally observes that it must be wonderful to be a writer. "Yes, it must be," he says. But you are, she says. He supposes he is. He thanks her very much and starts to leave. If there are any problems, Sally tells him, just let her know. He will. Before he can leave she says "Jean doesn't like me, does she?" Lionel claims not to have the faintest idea. "Judith and Sandy don't like me either," she says. Lionel tells her he's outside of all this and doesn't know who likes who. She tells him she's sorry, she shouldn't have asked. She extends her hand to shake his and says "goodbye." She returns to her desk and sits down. He says goodbye, but comes back to her desk. It's not a question of not liking her, he says -- it's not "warming" to her. Miss Ice Cubes, she says. Lionel looks surprised that she knows this. "Word gets round, you know," she says. She thinks she just doesn't have the knack for inspiring affection. "And look at the way I look," she tells him. He blushes and she says, "no, look." He looks her up and down. "I'll be honest," he says, "I don't see a lot to complain about." She tells Lionel she didn't choose to look like that, or to be bright or to be academic -- she is what she is, she can't help what she is. He says he doesn't she why she would want to change what she is. "Because it turns people off," she says. "Women people," Lionel thinks she means. She says they don't actually like her. Lionel tells her he likes her. She looks very grateful and says "Thank you, Mr. Hardcastle." He tells her to call him Lionel.

Lionel gets home and meets Judith who is on the way upstairs with a tray for Jean. He wants to know how Jean is. Judith tells him she knows what day it is. She tells Lionel that Alistair is in the living room. Lionel walks in and asks Alistair if he got there before Judith or with her. He assures him that he got there with Judith, although he has no idea what's going on in Lionel's mind. Alistair wants to know how the secretarial situation is going -- but he calls it the "you-look-beautiful-without-your-glasses,-Miss-Smith" situation. It's all sorted, he says. Sally fixed him up. Alistair observes that Sally appears to be getting under everyone's skin. Lionel tells him it's not hard to see why -- she's rather good looking. Gorgeous, if pressed. Judith comes back and tells Lionel that Jean is so comfortable where she is that she's going to stay there. He says he thinks he could do with an early night himself. Alistair, of course, says "hey hey?"

Lionel is reading in bed and Jean starts looking in his book and excuses herself for taking it over. He puts it down, telling her it's too heavy to read anyway. She gets up to brush her teeth and gets back in bed. He says goodnight, but she asks him about Sally. She says he didn't tell her anything about it. He said he told her she got him a secretary. That much, yes, but he didn't give her his general impressions of Sally. He tells her he's been home all evening, why was she asking him now, when he's just going to sleep. She says she didn't want to seem overanxious. Fine, he says. "Did you like her?" He tells Jean that "Fine" was the general impression she asked for. It's clear that Lionel doesn't want to get involved. But she pushes him and he says that he liked her. He thinks she's a very honest girl. "Really?" Jean says in a disappointed, huffy way. Lionel says that quite frankly, he doesn't understand why she went to put her in her place. Jean asks if she gave Lionel the old sob story. No, he says -- she simply told him that she was aware that she wasn't liked and she knew why. Lionel says she can't help being gorgeous. Jean is taken aback. She doesn't know what this has to do with anything. Lionel tells her it is one of the reasons they don't like her. She can't help being clever either but they seem to resent that, too. Jean tells him that she can't believe he's this gullible. She can see her now draped over her desk asking why her beauty is such a curse. Lionel says that she did no such thing. She bets that she wore a short skirt, apparently forgetting she had been in Sally's office earlier that day and knew exactly what she was wearing. Under the circumstances it's not surprising she forgot. Jean says it's hard to warm up to someone who makes you feel like a bag lady without even trying. Plus she's arrogant and overwhelming. Lionel says she wasn't with him. She says "oh, go to sleep." He tells her that that is what he's been trying to do. He turns over and laughs. She wants to know why he's laughing. He says that she accused him of being jealous of Alistair and she is jealous of Sally, but there's a difference. What's that? she wants to know. He tells her she was jealous of Sally before he even met her. He cackles again. She turns over, again in a huff, and turns off the light.

Judith walks into the living room where Jean is going through her briefcase. Jean asks what time she got in the night before. About 2 a.m. Jean tells her she has no right to look that good then. She says she and Alistair went out with Nick and Sandy and they had a discussion about what went on with Sally. It wasn't right that Jean went to put her in her place. Well, not in that condition, Jean says. No, not at all, says Judith. She went, based on their conversation and they shouldn't have made it appear as though Sally were doing something wrong, when in fact she runs the other office like clockwork. They really don't know her at all, she says. Jean tells her that Lionel accused her of being jealous. "Well you are," says Judith. They both are -- that's the real problem. Jean acknowledges that Judith is right -- after all, what could she have said to her? "Can't you make yourself look more dowdy? Can't you be less efficient? Can't you manage to fall in a puddle and make yourself muddy?" They decide to just let it lie.

Judith leaves and passes Lionel on the way out. She tells him she hopes he shaved because there's a secretary coming to see him. He knows and he did. Jean tells Lionel that everything is sorted out -- they decided to be very large-hearted and not to envy Sally because she's perfect. And you don't have to see her anymore, do you? she says. He tells her no, unless she's so besotted with him that she can't leave him alone. You should be so lucky, Jean says. He doesn't want to do anything with anyone who's perfect. He prefers Jean. She tells him if she thinks about that for a very long time she might be able to take that as a compliment. She gets up to leave. He tells her she might even get to like her. Jean thinks he's entered the realm of fantasy now. He says to her "You're bigger than she is." Jean pulls back, offended. "I know," she says. "Hearted," he says. "Bigger-hearted." Everything is smoothed over and Jean is ready to leave.

The doorbell rings and Jean opens the door to find Lionel's new secretary, Daisy. Daisy is young and attractive and Jean is visibly shaken. Jean walks into the living room and says "Look what Sally sent you." Jean stands aside and watches. Daisy introduces herself. Lionel tells her "Good morning" and snickers like a dirty old man. Lionel tells her he just made a pot of coffee and they walk out of the living room. Jean starts for the door. "I'll kill her, " she says as she leaves the house.