Lockwoods III

Oliver is visiting the Hunters, when he gets a headache and Mrs Hunter, who is a doctor's daughter, offers him a headache powder to cure it. He is surprised to find it was very good. He suggests to Mrs Hunter that he could market it, and he's sure it would sell well. As the owner of the recipe, she would get a small percentage of the takings. Mrs Hunter is taken aback, but agrees to the idea. Oliver starts off having it made up and packaged and offers Thea a job as his secretary, helping to write the letters and do the paperwork. Thea is pleased to have work to do, even if it's not as well paid as teaching. It is interesting and she and Oliver work well together and she is growing to like him more. Martin continues to go about with the Lockwood girls which feels like a betrayal to Thea, when the Lockwoods have never been very nice and Mrs Lockwood has snubbed his mother. Molly is happy with her shop, and is making good money and the Hunters think that they might be able to move into a better house soon. Martin tells Clare that he can't bear to go on hiding his feelings for her, and he's going to ask her father for permission to marry her. Mr Lockwood however reacts angrily. He can't believe that a young man who is not earning much, should want to marry his darling youngest daughter. He is even more annoyed that Martin should ask him for help in getting a better job so that he could support her. Lockwood is a heavy, overweight man, and lives a high stress life. When he stumbles and falls down after this angry outburst, he decides to make use of this. He gets his doctor to suggest that he has almost had a heart attack and that on doctor's orders, he should take a break and go abroad for a holiday with his family. He hopes this will make Clare feel guilty. Martin is very upset when Clare tells him she has promised her father she won't get in touch with him while they are away on holiday. Mr Lockwood has been hard working all his life, trying to make as much money as possible for himself and his family. He has acted dishonestly often and at times he worries about what would happen if his behaviour came out. He has mortgaged property, borrowed funds from his clients and taken the paddock from Mrs Hunter. He and his wife and daughters decide to go to Switzerland. They find it a very pleasant place. They enjoy simple pleasures like walking and seeing spring flowers. Mr Lockwood toys with the idea that when he comes back he will sort out his business and clear up all the dishonesty. While they are away, Oliver persuades Martin to give up his job at the bank. He tells him that he should get away from the North before Clare comes back. He offers him a job in his organisation and Martin decides to take up the chance to escape and get on with his life while she is away. Edith Reade gets married. Trying to help Mrs Hunter, Oliver offers to look at the Hunters' legal papers. When he does so, he and Thea find that there is a receipt for the money that Mr Hunter borrowed and repaid, so the fraud of stealing the paddock comes out. She had found a receipt for repayment in a bag she had been using a year earlier. She had borrowed it from her mother, to carry her belongings to France. They are confused but it becomes clear that Mr Hunter did borrow the money and paid it back soon afterwards.