The business is going well and the Eliotts are enjoying an ever-positive reputation for their innovative designs. A new client in particular, Mrs. White, is giving them both her custom and recommending them to all of her friends and acquaintances. Bea is shocked however when her husband Philip calls to collect her and she realizes just who Mrs. White is married to. Penelope Maddox is at her wits end and is approaching a nervous breakdown in her attempts to help the poor and the homeless. Evie continues to see both Hugo and Sebastian regularly. When Sebastian suggests that she accompany him to Paris for a weekend, Bea flatly refuses to give her permission until Sir Desmond Gillespie comes up with an acceptable solution. The planned trip however results in disaster and heartbreak.

The Eliott sisters are still bickering over the direction of their new enterprise. Evie wants to go forward with flair and provocative designs, while Bea feels they should cater to their more conservative clientèle. Their relationship hits a new low when Evie moves out. Jack has a vision for a new film and dreams of being able to produce it. Bea provides him with a solution on the money front but Jack faces other difficulties. Aunt Lydia offers to host a charity ball in her home and puts a great deal of time and effort into its organization only to find that the social stigma of her son's criminal conviction has yet to wear off.