Alf throws a party to celebrate moving into a cottage of his own. He entertains his guests with a new song, and its haunting words have a profound effect on all of them.

Edmund rebels against his parents; Thomas and Margaret have their first marital tiff; and Dorcas's plans to prepare Minnie for marriage and motherhood backfire terribly.

How will harmony be restored? And what are the contents of the strange and wonderful parcel that arrives at the post office, which Minnie wants to keep a secret?

Everyone is talking about the mysterious recluse, Mr Reppington, who's been hiding at the Golden Lion Hotel for months. Why is he here, and why is he handing out money to local widows?

Dorcas is fascinated by his lonely existence and is determined to entice him back into the world. Can she succeed, and will she discover his true identity and the dark secret which has brought him to Candleford?