Lionel and Jean are leaving their house in Hampshire and heading back to London. Mrs. Bale is concerned that Lionel is not up to the trip, but he assures her that he's fully recovered from whatever it was that was going around. Jean thanks Mrs. Bale for looking after them. She says "You were no trouble at all." When Lionel responds by saying "Good," she points out that she didn't mean him. They're packing the trunk and Mrs. Bale tells Jean that she doesn't understand why they don't just move everything to Hampshire now that she's retired. Jean says she hasn't retired -- she just doesn't go to work anymore. And the difference? Jean doesn't know, and immediately shifts the responsiblity for answering to Lionel, who is, once again, caught off-guard. All he can manage to say is "uummmmmmmm."
On the drive home Jean asks Lionel if he thinks there is intelligent life in space or not. He knows there is. She's incredulous. She doesn't she how he can know for sure. He tells doesn't see why not, he's supposed to know a lot of things -- the difference between giving up work and retiring, for example. She's surprised he's still going on about that. Her mocks her: "Lionel knows." 
Well, Lionel didn't know and Lionel made a complete fool of himself. Jean tells him that Mrs. Bale thought his was a very interesting answer, but Lionel guesses that she just thought he was still light-headed from whatever bug he caught over the weekend. They arrive at home and he stops the car. He asks her what the difference is between giving up work and retiring. She tells him that she doesn't know, but there is one ... and she changes the subject -- "it's nice to be home, isn't it?" He walks around the car and wonders why Mrs. Bale always packs a box of vegetables. Jean proposes that she may think they don't sell vegetables in London. She, without helping with the unpacking, tells him to come inside -- she'll put a kettle on.
Jean walks into the house, followed by Lionel and his box of vegetables.
She shouts "hello" and asks if anyone's home. Lionel reminds her that the girls will be at work. A man walks down the stairs, surprising them and wishing them a "good morning." The man extends his hand, presuming that he is addressing Jean and Lionel and introduces himself as Paul, the friendly neighborhood burglar. They keep staring at him, mouths open, so he feels he had better explain himself a bit further. He's Paul, the man who has been going out with Judith. They remember.
He tells them that he's just on the way to have a cup of tea in the kitchen before leaving and asks if they'd like one. Jean looks stunned; Lionel looks distrusting -- both of them say they'd like some tea. Paul walks into the kitchen, tells them to have a seat and says he shan't be a tick. He seems very familiar with the layout of the house and goes directly to one of the cupboard and takes out a tin. He offers them a biscuit, but they decline. Both of them are nearly speechless. He grabs another tin and offers Lionel a custard tart, adding that Judith warned him -- on pain of death -- not to eat any of them. He tells them that he didn't have to be at work until late that morning so he had a bit of a lie-in. Jean and Lionel say that they are not shocked. At first he doesn't understand and then says oh, that kind of shocked. He assures them that Judith told him that they could be quite young for their age. Jean asks him how his wife is? As far as he knows, she's fine. She's away at University -- a mature student. He doesn't see her.
"These things happen," he tells them. Lionel says "I got divorced." Paul seems unimpressed. "Seemed the thing to do." Paul is still unimpressed. Jean says that Lionel didn't have the custody battles that children bring, but Paul reminds her that his children are 16 and 19 -- a little old to trigger custody battles. Lionel thinks that divorce is a lot cleaner and more absolute. It ends the chapter. 
"If there is to be another chapter," Jean says. Paul tells her that he's very fond of Judith. She says that she didn't mention Judith, but Paul describes himself as highly intuitive. Jean and Lionel both back off from prying, but Paul knows what they're thinking and says that he's not very forward thinking at the moment. He doesn't fall into patterns and is just living life as it goes. Jean tells him that he's being very honest. Lionel agrees -- "not reassuring, but honest." Paul looks at his watch and says he's got to go cover a basketball match in Manchester that evening. Lionel realizes that Paul is a sports journalist. Paul asks if Lionel likes cricket. His eyes widen when Paul says that he will fix him up with tickets to the Lord's Test in the summer. 
Jean looks at Lionel as though he's defected. 
She reminds him that summer is a long time away. Paul, who is quite bold and hasn't looked uncomfortable at all during these exchanges, tells them it was nice to have met them and starts to walk out. Jean says she'll walk him to the door and asks if he has a bag. He tells her that he doesn't. Jean looks at Lionel and mouths the words "He doesn't have a bag."
Lionel immediately walks to the cupboard, pulls out the tin of custard tarts, does a quick count, smiles, closes the tin and puts it back in the cupboard. Things seem to be as he had left them.
Jean comes back in and Lionel can't get over the Test Match tickets. Jean tells Lionel that Paul will forget about them by the time Summer comes along. He asks how Jean knows that and Jean says that he seems like that sort of a chap. Lionel pronounces him quite personable. She has to agree. Lionel gets up to go and unpack the car. Jean wonders if he has to do it now. They can't bury their heads in the sand -- they have "a situation." He says she sounds like NASA control. She thinks Paul is a gypsy -- he's probably going to Manchester in a horse-drawn caravan. 
Lionel gets up -- to either unpack the car or to bury his head in the sand. It depends on how she chooses to look at it. She accuses him of not caring. He cares, but suggests she stop clucking about like a mother-hen and just let Judith get on with her life. "What happens if she makes a mess of it?" Jean asks. He says that they could help her to pick up the pieces. She thinks that Lionel thinks that Judith will make a mess of it. He doesn't know -- he's not Mystic Meg. She is not asking Lionel to look into a crystal ball, she just wants him to express an opinion. He tells her that some people make a mess of it and some don't -- could be Fate or Luck or whatever else that enters into it. He tells her that he knows he made a mess of his own life. She thanks him sarcastically. No, not this bit -- the big slab of it without her in it. When the letter didn't arrive he just assumed that she lost interest and didn't even bother to write her to find out. Now that is messing up a life. She thinks she should have written him to find out. No he should. No she should. No he should. Well, anyway -- she says that they did meet up again. And all they missed out on was about forty years. So some messes come out right, against the odds. Right. He turns to go. "....but you think that Judy's won't?" He rolls his eyes.
Judith and Sandy are walking along the street. Judith doesn't understand how Sandy can feel sorry for Alistair. Sandy observes how hard he's trying to get Judith to come back -- she thinks that sending the Herald was sweet. 
And his coming around himself on horseback was a nice touch. Judith tells her that the trouble with Alistair is that he only ever wants her when she's unavailable. When she is available.... They're interrupted when Sandy sees the car and tells Judith that Jean and Lionel are back. Judith wonders when they got back. Sandy smiles knowingly and Judith tells her she hates it when she smiles like that. They go into the house.
Jean is sitting at the desk in the study writing. Judith walks in, looks around and then gives Jean a kiss. Sandy wonders if they had a nice break in the country and Jean says that most of it was spent in bed. 
No, Lionel was sick, but is feeling better now. He's back on the custard tarts and she's working. Judith looks surprised. She thought Jean had retired. Jean says that she has retired, but she's merely formalizing it. The girls will actually run the place while she will stay on in an advisory capacity. Sandy and Judith look at one another. Jean reassures them -- she will not sit on a perch in the office every day. Sandy wonders when she will be in the office. Jean tells them that she'll be there when she's needed in an advisory capacity. But she wouldn't need to come into the office for that, Judith says. She might. You might? If I'm needed. In an advisory capacity? Yes. Jean tells them she wouldn't want to lose touch altogether. She jokes that she can always turn up and snoop around disguised as a charlady. The girls don't find it funny. Jean says that she feels unwanted. She assures them that they can run the office any way they want to and that she's given up work -- she just hasn't retired, that's all. VERY nonchalantly she tells Judith that they've met Paul. Sandy excuses herself. Did you? Jean tells her that yes, he'd had a lie-in. Judith wonders how they got on. He's a nice chap, very personable. She changes the subject and Judith looks completely confused.
Sandy is in the kitchen helping Lionel empty the dishwasher. She tells him that she doesn't understand how someone can stop going to work and not retire. 
He tells her that's the same thing that Mrs. Bale had asked that very morning. Sandy asks what Jean told her. Lionel reports that she left it for him to explain. She wonders how Lionel did. Well, Mrs. Bale's eyes glazed over after the first minute. Not that she's doing either of those things -- she asks Lionel if he knew that Jean has decided to stay on in an advisory capacity. He tells her that he didn't. He wonders if that is an official way of saying that she can stick her nose in any time she feels like it. Sandy wouldn't put it quite like that. Lionel asks her how she would put it. She reconsiders and concludes that she would put it exactly like that. Lionel says that he can't keep her locked up. He asks if Sandy would like some wine. She tells him yes and says that she thinks that the two of them are confined to the kitchen for a while. Why is that? 
The Inquisition is at work in the living room. She tells Lionel that it all started quietly enough -- by the way, we met Paul this morning -- very casual. Lionel asks Sandy what she thinks of Paul. She says that he's nice enough. For what? She means just generally and wonders if Lionel is as worried at Jean is. Sandy thinks that Jean would worry if Judith started going out with the Pope. Lionel thinks that the Pope is not allowed to go out with girls. Judith walks in saying that this must be where the heavy drinkers gather. Lionel tells her that they're staying out of the firing line. Sandy wonders if it is half-time, but Judith says that all Jean had to say about Paul is that he was a nice chap and immediately after that she changed the subject. Sandy is confused by that and says that's not like her. That's what Judith thought. The doorbell rings and Jean hollers that she'll get it. Judith asks Lionel if he's had a well chosen word with Jean. Lionel says that she should credit her mother with some sense of discretion. Not her strong point, Judith thinks. Jean walks into the kitchen and says it's Alistair. Judith asks if he is on a horse. Sandy asks what he's dressed as. As Alistair. Judith asks where he is. Hanging upside-down from the rafters in the attic. No, but really -- Alistair is in the living room -- he wants to talk to them. Sandy wonders if by "them," he means Judith. Judith thinks they have nothing much to talk about. Jean repeats that he wants to talk to all of them and they won't know what it's about unless they go into the living room. Lionel thinks he might have just been being polite. Sandy thinks it might be embarrassing if they all barge in. Jean will go and check.
Jean walks into the living room and tells Alistair that there's a debate going on -- did he want to talk with Judith? 
He tells her of course. Jean says he'll send her in. She's misunderstood, but Alistair has no time to stop her. Judy walks in tentatively. After an awkward moment, Alistair tells her he wants to talk with everyone. Judith calls them all in. They walk in and Alistair says, "Hi Gorgeous," to which both Jean and Sandy respond by saying "hello."
Alistair looks warmly at them and tells them they are just like family. Jean asks what he wants to talk with them about. He says that he's engaged. They look shocked. "As in "engaged," he says. 
They all look at him, but Judith glares. "To be married," he says. Lionel congratulates him. They don't seem much more responsive than that. He tells them that he is open to hugs. Jean walks up and hugs him. Sandy hugs him. He looks at Judith and holds his arms out. "No hard feelings?" 
She tells him, of course not, and gives him a hug. She points out that it's a bit sudden. He tells them that "Impulsive" is his middle name. She knows about his impulses, it's just that marriage never seemed to be one of them. Jean points out that a couple of weeks before, he was dressed in armor and pledging his troth to Judith.
He reminds her that she didn't troth back. All of them confirm how hard he was trying. Alistair says that a guy can say no only so many times. Judith doesn't remember his actually proposing marriage. He reminds her that she wouldn't even go out to dinner with him. Jean asks what his fiance is like and Lionel cautions that they should not be interrogating Alistair -- it's none of their business. Jean points out that he's family. 
He's not family, Lionel says. Alistair, too, thinks they're family. That's why he wanted to talk to them about Mercury. They seems startled by her name. They all start laughing. Alistair wants them all to meet her. He asks them to dinner the next night. Lionel seems tentative, but Jean tells him they'd love it. Judith walks out of the room. Alistair asks Sandy what she's doing that evening. She says she doesn't believe that he asked her that. He tells her he means she should keep an eye on Judith. Console her? That's what he means. She can't believe he said that either and walks out after Judith.
Alistair wonders if he's said something wrong. Lionel doesn't know, but Jean says that Judith isn't heartbroken -- in case he's forgotten she has a relationship of her own going. George, isn't it? No, she corrects him -- It's Paul. She tells Alistair that they've met him. Lionel starts to beam -- "he's going to get me tickets for the Lord's Test." Jean says that they thought he was a really nice chap and that they took to him straightaway. "Did we?" Lionel asks. Well, she did -- Lionel takes longer to sum people up than she does, but she likes Paul and so does Judy.
Alistair says that Judith is a great girl. "Then why are you letting her slip through your fingers?" demands Jean. Lionel reminds Jean that Alistair is engaged, but Alistair answers the question by saying that even a guy like him runs out of ideas eventually. He supposes that at the end of the day, he just wasn't what Judith wanted. She wants to be frank with him and asks if he's gotten engaged on the rebound. Yes, he wants to be frank, too -- he says she'll know the answer to that question when they meet Mercury tomorrow. Jean asks if it would be okay for Judith to bring Paul. Lionel asks what if she doesn't want to bring Paul, but Jean knows she'd want to bring him. Alistair tells them he'll email them the details and when Lionel asks why he can't just telephone them, he tells Lionel to move with the times. On the way out Alistair shouts that he'll look forward to meeting Paul. Judith runs into the living room, where Lionel sits alone reading a magazine and asks what Alistair meant about meeting Paul. Lionel tells her that Jean is in the kitchen and he pleads the fifth amendment -- he declines to answer.
Judith runs into the kitchen and asks Jean what Alistair meant. Jean thought that Judith would like to bring him, she says. "You've invited him, haven't you?" Jean says that she didn't do so personally. She thought that if Alistair is showing off Mercury, Judith might like to show off Paul. Judith protests that Paul is NOT a trophy and, besides, Jean doesn't even like him. Jean contradicts her, saying that she thought Paul was a nice chap. Judith knows her too well. 
That's ALL she said, which means she was just being diplomatic, which means that she doesn't like him. Judith storms out of the kitchen just as Lionel walks in. Jean asks him if he heard that. "Yes, spot on, wasn't it?" is his answer. Jean denies this but Lionel tells her that that morning she didn't have a nice word to say about him. Jean says she thought he was very personable. He mocks her behaviour in the living room with Alistair -- he doesn't understand why she'd tell him that they took to him straightaway. She tells Lionel that she really likes Alistair. So does Lionel, against his better judgment -- but if there's any logic in her telling him that just then, he fails to see it. She tells him that she knows what Alistair is all about -- he's got his faults, but he's been very kind to the family. 
He realizes that she's trying to get Alistair and Judith back together. She tells him that in Alistair's heart it's always been Judy. Lionel reminds her that he's just gotten engaged. She tells Lionel that Alistair's a fly-by-night and it will never last. Lionel asks if that's what she wants for Judith -- a fly-by-night? He's a nice fly-by-night. Lionel gives up. Jean wonders what this Mercury is like. Lionel isn't sure he can bring himself to call anyone Mercury. She tells him that it could be worse -- she could be called British Telecom.
Sandy's sitting in her bedroom at the makeup mirror. Judith knocks on the door and tells her that she's ready.Sandy says she's ageing and it taking longer and longer to get ready. Judith walks in, dressed VERY casually and Sandy asks if that's it, if that's what she's wearing. Judith wants to know what's wrong with it and Sandy tells her that it's bordering on the matronly. Judith tells her that she's as bad as Jean -- they both expect her to get all glammed up to show Alistair what he's missing. 
Sandy tells her that she expects her to get all glammed up to show Paul what he's got. Judith tells her that Paul won't be able to come. He phoned earlier to tell her he's got an assignment that evening. Sandy points out that that's rather short notice. Judith asks what she means and Sandy just feels that he should have known he'd have an assignment that night. Judith asks what if a war had broken out. Sandy doesn't seem to understand. If Paul were a war correspondent he'd have to leave on short notice. Sandy points out that it isn't on the same scale as a sporting event. Judith insists it's the same principle though. Journalists get sent places at short notice. "It's happened before, hasn't it?" Sandy asks. Judith tells her that it hasn't and that Paul is a nice bloke and it's only one evening. Judith tells her not to say that she's fond of her because that's what Jean says every time she thinks that Judith is going out with a disaster. Sandy says she never called Paul a disaster. 
"Fair enough," Judith tells her. Sandy thinks that she should call Jean "mom" and her "mother." She asks her if she's still going to wear what she's got on. Judith says it is comfortable. Sandy tells her to just slip into a beige cardigan and be done with it. Judith will take one with her in case it turns cold. Sandy feels she has a very defeatist attitude. She's not defeated -- Paul can't come and she's not interested in impressing anyone else. "Whatever you say," Sandy tells her. "Even so." Judith tells her to be honest -- what chance does she have of outglamming someone called Mercury. Sandy says that they don't know for sure that Mercury is glamorous. She bets that Mercury makes Claudia Schiffer look dowdy. Even so. And she'll speak eight languages into the bargain. Even so. Judith tells Sandy to stop saying "even so" because she's too old for those kinds of games. "Even so." Judith tells her she'll go and get changed.
They're in the bar area of the restaurant. 
Judith appears to be getting restless. She wants to know if they're early. Lionel tells her that they are unfashionably punctual. Judith and Sandy go to the loo. Lionel wonders why women always go to the loo in droves. Jean wouldn't call two a "drove." Collectively, then. Jean supposes that Judith is apprehensive about meeting Mercury. Lionel doesn't understand. Jean seems to think that the name seems to say it all. Lionel guesses that Jean will hate her on sight. Jean tells him she doesn't know, but he's pretty sure she will. He supposes that Judith wouldn't be nervous at all if the woman's name were Gert. Jean says that nobody is called Gert anymore. 
Lionel, for his part, didn't think anyone was called Mercury. Jean tells him that it was a shame that Paul had to cover the event he told Judith about. "Yes," says Lionel. She asks him why he said it that way. At first he doesn't want to say -- he wanted to keep it from her, but eventually he tells her that he checked the paper and there is no such event that night. Jean wonders if Judith knew. Lionel thinks not -- Judith doesn't read the sports pages. He's also given up on the tickets that he was promised. Jean wonders if they should tell Judith. 
Lionel whispers that they're coming back. Sandy tells them that they both look very serious. Jean says they aren't serious at all -- in fact, they were just laughing at something Lionel said. Sandy asks what that was. Once again Lionel is caught having to make something up. "I'm not a sneak, by nature," he tells them. 
Judith doesn't think that's very funny. Lionel says he was just prefacing his statement. "...which is the joke?" Sandy surmises. No, he tells her, it isn't the joke. He tells Judith that this game that Paul was supposed to be covering that night is non-existent. Judith is very surprised by this. Jean jumps in quicky and tells her she had nothing to do with it -- she didn't pry and she didn't make any telephone calls. Lionel says he simply was looking at the sports pages and noticed for himself. Sandy wonders if toads are taking over the world. Jean tells Judith that she really didn't like Paul, but she's still sorry about this. She says that she's all right -- it was never meant to be the great romance of the century. Sandy looks up at the coat check area and sees Alistair. "It's Mercury time," she says.
Jeans wonders if she still wants to go thru with this, but Judith says she can't miss the opportunity of seeing the woman who can make Alistair propose marriage. 
A tall, bosomy blonde with a clinging dress that ends waaaay above her knees precedes Alistair down the staircase. They all start staring and Jean informs Lionel that his mouth is open. He pulls out a chair and says hello to the woman. She says "hello" back and continues past the table. "Hi guys," says Alistair who, it appears, is all by himself. Jean tells him that they thought that was Mercury. 
"What, the plain girl?" he says. He tells them it's great to see them all. They look puzzled. Mercury, it turns out, is not coming. Jean wonders why. He says that the engagement is off. Lionel tells him that must be some sort of record. He didn't even have enough time to buy an engagement ring. Sandy says he should think of it as a savings. Judith wonders if he got cold feet. He thinks that suddenly it all seemed like a bad idea. It was Mercury who broke off the engagement. Alistair asks what happened to her guy -- John, isn't it? No, Paul -- he was called to cover a sporting event. "Put another way, he stood me up," says Judith. 
Lionel tells him that makes him a total twerp. Alistair asks what sort of a guy would do a thing like that, but Judith tells him that he should know -- he did it often enough. He takes offense. He may not have been around all the time, but when he was around he never stood her up. Jean, who is anxious for them to get together, quickly points out that there is a difference. Sandy suggests that it's all on a scale of unreliability. Alistair feels he's outnumbered and looks to Lionel and weakly says "Li?" hoping for some show of support. He tells him that sometimes it takes a guy to understand a guy. Lionel insists that this isn't one of those times. The tall blonde walks by and in a very delayed reaction Jean says "you said she was plain." Alistair tells her that he must have been comparing her with Mercury. Lionel tells him that Mercury must have been quite something. "Quite something," he echoes. Jean feels it must be asked: why did Mercury break off the engagement? Alistair tells her that Mercury said he wasn't all there. They feel that was a pretty rude thing to say. He explains: he means commitment-wise. Mercury felt that a part of him was somewhere else. 
Jean asks where. Alistair thinks perhaps she was right. And he looks at Judith, who blushes and asks if they're going to eat or what. They offer to leave and let Alistair and Judith eat alone. He tut-tuts them and tells them it wouldn't be fair of him to use a situation like this. He wants them all to just share a nice meal -- "Perhaps there will be other times for me and Judy." Judith says "Let's eat." She and Sandy get up -- Sandy says she wants to take another look at the plain girl. Jean tells Alistair that she knows he's a bit of a fly-by-night, but she just wants him not to fly-by-night quite so often. She says that she wants to have another look at that plain girl, too.
Lionel is alone with Alistair. He tells Alistair that he thought he gave up a bit quickly after the armor let him down. 
He looks around and whispers as though he were saying, just between you and me "There never really was a Mercury, was there?" Alistair, who may not be the most transparent man in the world, but who is pretty close, looks horrified. "You don't seriously believe that I..." Lionel shakes his head, yes, Alistair decides it will do no good to deny it any further and they walk into the restaurant.