Beryl tells Fiona that Mason's car was found first, in a small town on the coast, and his body was found about an hour later. Fiona tells Beryl that she doesn't have to explain right now, but Beryl says she's OK, and she goes on to tell Fiona that Mason was on the path of a scenic walk, and must have fallen onto some rocks below. She adds that the police found half a bottle of scotch in his car, and a surprised Fiona says she didn't think Mason was much of a drinker. Beryl says telling Lindy must have been dreadful for him, and Fiona remarks that the man must have been out of his mind with worry, having to cope with everything by himself. Beryl says she'll call Lindy, as she promised the police she would. Fiona offers to do it for her, but Beryl says it's all she can do for Hal, now.

Gayle and Paul arrive back at the flat after their evening out, Gayle clutching a red rose. As they go in, Paul tells Gayle that she turned a few heads tonight. Gayle attributes that to the dress, and adds that she'll get more dresses when she has some money of her own. She puts the rose in a vase, and tells Paul that she's never been anywhere really nice before. She explains that she never went to school dances because her dad wouldn't cough up the money for a dress, and when people asked her why, she used to say that she didn't care about clothes. Paul tells her that he knows how she feels, as he always wanted a dog, but his mother didn't, and he pretended not to care. Gayle remarks how crazy things like that are. She offers Paul coffee, but he says he has to be up early. As he leaves, Gayle tells him she had a terrific evening, and Paul suggests they should do it again. Gayle smiles as he walks out the door.

In the lounge at Dural, Gordon tells Wayne not to bother waiting up, as he'll tell Paul when he comes in. Wayne whines that he never expected it to turn out like this, and tells his father that he's really sorry. Gordon, though, tells Wayne that he acted out of spite and got more than he bargained for, so he shouldn't expect sympathy. Wayne stands up to go to bed, and he reaches the hall just as Paul is coming in. He asks Wayne if there's any news on Mason, but Wayne tells him to talk to Gordon. Paul does just that, and Gordon tells him that there's bad news: there's been an accident - "Hal was dead when they found him." Paul looks shocked, but Gordon tells him it wasn't his fault. Paul looks as if he doesn't believe this. Wayne stands outside in the hall, listening to the conversation.

The next morning, at breakfast, Rosie remarks that it's strange for Paul to pick at his food, but Paul just says he has a lot on his mind. Wayne, deciding to stick the boot in, reminds Paul that it was he who took Hal Mason apart. Paul says he didn't like doing it. Wayne says they're both getting the blame, but he knows it was Paul's fault. He then tells Paul that he'd be very surprised if it really was an accident. Paul says Mason wouldn't kill himself, but Wayne points out that he had nothing to live for. He tells Paul that he's not going to get off the hook that easily - he knows Paul deserves everything he gets.

At the Palmer house, Patricia tells David and John that it was a freak accident. John says he can't believe it. Kevin comes in and says he's off to school. Before he leaves, he thanks Patricia for offering to help out for the day so that Lynn can have some time to herself. He goes, and Patricia asks David when he's going to tell Kevin about Mason. David says he'll wait until later, as Kevin has a test today, and he doesn't want to upset him. John asks his father if he's rung Beryl, but David says he hasn't. Patricia suggests he should leave it, as it must have been a big blow for her. David says he's glad he sent her the money, now. He checks to make sure John passed it on OK, and John replies that he gave it to Merv, who'll hand deliver it to the boarding house. David remarks that he misses trucking, and says he doesn't think he's really cut out to be a pen pusher. Patricia tells him that he's taking a step in the right direction with his new job, and she adds that he's doing well for himself. John chips in that it's always best to do whatever makes you happy. Davey suddenly starts crying in Kevin and Lynn's room, and Patricia says she'll see if she can remember how to change a nappy!

Rosie offers Gayle a hand with clearing up, and she notices how chirpy her granddaughter seems. Gayle says she and Paul had a good time last night. Rosie warns Gayle not to bother Paul this morning, as he has a lot to deal with. Gayle goes out into the hall just as Paul emerges from the study. Gayle remarks on him not going to work, and Paul says he'll deal with anything by 'phone. He goes and sits in the lounge, and Gayle follows him. She tells him that she hates to see him looking miserable. She says she knows she's not old, but she's been miserable enough to know it helps to talk. She tells Paul that she'll be around if he needs her. Paul says, "Thanks."

Patricia comes back into the kitchen and tells David it was a false alarm. David laughs that it reminds him of Davey's dad! Patricia remarks that Kevin is very good with the baby, but she guesses he won't like it when he finds out about Hal and Beryl. She tells David that Beryl should have been honest with the kids, and told them she was planning to go away with Mason. David says he's been trying to put off telling them, but Patricia says she's learnt the hard way that it's best to be honest, as they appreciate that, and it saves problems later. David says there's no point telling the kids now that Mason's dead, and Patricia agrees, although she then tells David that she does think he should tell them his plans for the future. David says, "Early days yet," but Patricia asks why wait? David says he wants to wait and see how things work out, but Patricia tells him that that would be a mistake, as it would give Kevin the chance to build up false hopes about his parents reuniting, only for them to be dashed, which would cause problems again. She adds that she doesn't want to have to keep hiding her feelings, and she wants everyone to know about them. David says he'll think about it, and get everyone together and tell them the score later.

Paul is on the 'phone as Gordon comes downstairs. He slams the receiver down, and then bemoans to Gordon the fact that he's new at Ramberg, and yet everyone wants to check everything with him. Gordon tells him that everyone's feeling anguished, and he adds that Paul shouldn't blame himself. The 'phone starts to ring, and Paul asks Gordon to answer it and say he's out - which he will be.

Gayle is staring at the rose as it stands in its vase, when there's a knock at the door. It's Paul, who tells her that he's going for a ride on his bike, and he asks her to come with him.

Sometime later, Paul pulls up in a secluded area in the countryside. Gayle starts to jabber about being there to listen, but then realises Paul just wants her to shut up. Paul eventually says he felt like some company, and Gayle says she's glad. Paul leans against a tree and says it's good to get away and think. Gayle reminds him that he can talk to her about anything.

Beryl looks at Lindy's picture of the Ramberg offices, which Fiona has collected for her. Fiona says she has some wrapping paper, and Beryl says she'll get the picture off to Lindy this afternoon. Fiona says Lindy did the right thing, not coming back for the funeral. Beryl asks what the feeling is at Ramberg, and Fiona replies, "Shock." Beryl says she supposes the criminal charges aren't helping, but Fiona says she's just keeping quiet about it. Beryl asks where the wrapping paper is, and Fiona says it's in the kitchen. She then gives Beryl a letter that has arrived, and tells her that they've both got invitations to the Christening - plus she's been asked to be Davey's Godmother. Beryl notices her letter doesn't have a stamp, and Fiona explains that Jill said it was hand-delivered. Beryl shudders, and Fiona asks her what's wrong. Beryl replies that a ghost just walked across her grave - she explains that David must have got one of the truckers to drop it in. She tells Fiona that there's a note from David. Fiona says she hopes it's not bad news, but Beryl says it's a refund from the bank for the money that was stolen, and David has sent her half. Fiona says she told Beryl that David still cares. Beryl says she doesn't deserve to have him care after everything she's put him through recently.

Paul tells Gayle that he just seems to make people unhappy - he tries to do the right thing, but it would be better if he had never come back to Sydney. He says he's always believed that he should do as much good as possible, but he hasn't made a good job of it. Gayle remarks that Paul seems to be very religious, and Paul says, "Yes, I am." He tells Gayle that he tried to pray this morning, but, for the first time, it didn't seem to work. He says he feels so lonely. Gayle kisses him. Paul stares into her eyes, and their lips move closer. They start kissing, and then fall back onto the grass, as the water in the river flows nearby...

In Melbourne, Patricia tells Lynn that Davey hasn't been any trouble at all. Lynn thanks Patricia for her help. Patricia says she has to head off to Sydney and Kevin tells her to have a good trip. She thanks him. She and David go to the front door, where Patricia tells David that she doesn't want to desert him. David says he'll manage. Patricia says she's sick of being dragged back to Sydney every time there's a crisis at Ramberg, but David points out that there's no turning back now. They kiss, and David tells Patricia that he'll miss her.

Gordon asks Wayne how things were at Ramberg, and Wayne replies that everyone was running around like headless chooks. He adds that he noticed wonderboy wasn't in, but Gordon points out to Wayne that he can't blame Paul for being upset. Wayne says he should have known Gordon would stick up for Paul. Gordon says he wishes Wayne would take a leaf out of Paul's book, but Wayne snaps that he's sick of getting it in the neck, and he demands to know what he did wrong. Gordon tells him that Paul did what he was obliged to do, whereas he acted out of out spite, wanting to get back at Mason for demoting him. Wayne says Paul was so hard on Mason that he killed himself, but Gordon reiterates that Paul isn't to blame. He leaves Wayne to it. Wayne goes over to the bar and pours himself a scotch. Rosie comes in and tells him that drinking won't help - she knows he's upset, but drinking won't help. Wayne says he did want to get back at Mason, but if he'd known... Rosie tells him that he never learns, and she reminds him of what happened with Gayle. Wayne tells the housekeeper that he didn't want her to think badly of him. He asks her why she bothers with him, and Rosie replies that she's taken care of him for too many years to stop now. Wayne pours the scotch back into the decanter. Rosie looks at her watch and realises she's going to be late going to see May. Wayne offers to drive her, but Rosie, smiling, says she thinks she'd rather use her own car. She asks where the keys are, and she and Wayne hug.

David is on the 'phone to Susan, telling her that he'll see her in the morning. He hangs up, and Angela asks if Susan is working overtime. David confirms this. Rob comes in, and Angela offers to get him something to eat, but he tells her he had a hamburger on the way over. David suggests they get started, adding that he's not much of a speaker, so he'll keep it short and sweet. He tells his family that he's made a few decisions about the future: when Beryl left, he thought it wouldn't be too long before she came back, but he was wrong. He says he has to face facts: it seems to him that he and Patricia are in the same boat. At this point, a sour expression comes over Kevin's face, and Lynn grasps his hand. David continues, saying Patricia has been a good friend lately, and the two of them do go back a long way. He tells the gathering that he has decided to go for it, and see what happens. There's a disapproving expression on Rob's face as David says that if anyone has anything to say, they should say it now. Rob chips in that everyone knows what he thinks, but he's not one of the kids. Everyone else keeps quiet, so David concludes by saying, "That's it, then - whatever Pat and I decide to do, you all have to accept it."