Postwoman Mrs Macey receives news that her husband Dan has escaped from prison. Before long the whole town is alight with gossip, and Mrs Macey fears that the damage to her reputation will force her to leave Candleford. Meanwhile, her son Freddy has been secretly meeting a mysterious stranger in the woods.

A strange old man arrives in Candleford looking for his estranged daughters - who turn out to be Ruby and Pearl Pratt. Horrified to see him out in public, playing scams on the local residents, the girls must decide whether they can forgive him for deserting them when they needed him most. Meanwhile, Caroline is being pursued by a bailiff collecting debts for the brewery.