Major Spoilers Ahead
Survivor’s Guilt
Dr. Enys is finally home from France, but his time in prison has taken its toll physically (what is on his face?!) and mentally. It doesn’t help that Caroline has become a major helicopter wife and isn’t giving him the space he needs to put himself back together. She is used to a life of comfort, and has no frame of reference for the deplorable conditions he endured.
Right when it appears their marriage will end before it had a chance to start, Dwight takes Ross’s advice and puts a little more faith in his wife. It is amazing what a little communication can solve, kids! He explains to her that sleeping in a bed with clean linens seems extravagant after months of nothing but dirty straw. He wonders why it should be him who survived after months of living “in the shadow of the firing squad.” He asks Caroline to bare with him while he sorts out his demons, although it seems he is finding more comfort in spending time with his prison mate Hugh Armitage.
A Toad by Any Other Name
Trenwith has a toad problem. Because why send the woman you love roses when her evil boss/caretaker hates toads, and she needs a reason to smile?
Drake is making one last attempt to win the heart of Morwenna. Little does he know, he already has it, but she feels duty bound to marry within her class for the sake of her family. Who cares about your family when it is your duty to pursue happiness! The toads do the trick! Morwenna decides to stand up to George and reject Rev. Osborne’s marriage proposal. As punishment, she is to be sent home to her mother in shame which, much to the surprise of George and Elizabeth, Morwenna does not find all that upsetting. Have Drake and Morwenna won their chance to find happiness together?
To celebrate, Drake continues to invite George’s wrath by releasing more toads into his pond. George is determined to capture the culprit, who he believes to be Ross. These antics lead us to discover that the rivalry between George and Ross might go back much further than we thought. As Aunt Agatha points out, school boys can be so cruel, and it appears George’s habit of putting on airs brought much cruelty down on him in he school yard. We find out George despises toads (and Ross) because Ross put toads down his pants when they were children. Drake manages to escape George’s guards with a little help from Ross and Demelza, for now, but fate has a much larger trap in the works.
Things Fall Apart
Geoffrey Charles has been making friends with the wrong sort of folks, mainly those connected to George’s sworn enemy. George decides it is time for his step son to be sent away to school. Innocently enough, Geoffrey Charles wishes to leave a parting gift for his friend Drake. What does he leave? Some handmade trinket like most good little children? No! The very thing George needs to make all of his wishes come true? Nailed it! So Geoffrey Charles gives Drake an ornate and expensive Bible, worth just enough to hang Drake for stealing it. Because as we all know, stupid Ross turned down the magistrate position, leaving George with all the power to play with these people’s lives!
While Ross is busy running around asking for favors from friends to help build a case to free Drake, everything George needs to inflict maximum misery on his enemies is falling right into his lap. His manservant spotted Morwenna and Drake on one of their beach trysts. This knowledge leaves him perfectly poised to use Drakes life as leverage to force Morwenna to marry the great foot fiend, Rev. Whitworth. Shiver with me…
It is was so heartbreaking watching Drake’s release from jail, everyone celebrating, thinking they have a wedding to plan, only to receive an ominous note from Aunt Agatha. They make it to church in time to find out why Drake was set free. The triumphant smirk on George’s face does nothing to soften the sting. So much for the pursuit of happiness!
