Irene Ruddock dashes off letters with her trusty fountain pen. When she's not writing, she's keeping an eye on the couple opposite and a little girl with bruises. But when the police come by, it's Irene who's in trouble.

After the death of her husband, Muriel's son Giles appears with papers for her to sign. It turns out there's a liquidity problem. Nonetheless, Muriel is determined to soldier on.