Father.
What's happened?
The Kembleford Players auditioned for Private Lives yesterday.
But I heard you weren't there.
I decided to give someone else a go this time.
And you got new suitcases.
I saw them being delivered yesterday.
I've been meaning to give this to you for days.
Ah.
Erm, what's that?
I rather suspect it's a resignation letter.
Mr Sullivan's got Edgar this amazing job...
..so after the wedding, we're moving.
To London.
Come along, Mrs D!
Irene is a marvellous florist.
Such a find.
So, I've done exactly what Lady Felicia asked.
I really hope you like it.
I'm sure I will.
Isn't it gorgeous?
It's... Gosh.
What is it, Mum?
Well, I suppose I'd imagined a tiny bit more colour.
Colour?
Pink roses, orange peonies.
They're all so lovely at the moment.
And perhaps some green as well?
Oh, no.
One has to be far more subtle these days.
Audrey Hepburn went entirely white at her wedding. Did she?
I could add a few peonies, if you like?
No need, Irene.
Mrs Devine, you have so much to think about.
Just leave the hair and the flowers to me, as we agreed.
Of course. Thank you, Lady Felicia.
Poor Mum. She's got a lot on her plate.
What's it like, then, London?
Huge...
..loud, dirty.
I love it.
I don't get why Mum wants to go there.
Kembleford's perfect for her.
Did she approve?
I fear my advice about what's "in vogue" is wasted on Mrs Devine.
This is a bride who chose the Red Lion over Montague
as her reception venue.
Anyway, I've got big plans for her hair.
My friend Raymond owns one of the most a la mode salons in Kensington.
Lady Felicia's being awfully kind, Father,
but I do feel a little out of control.
You must have the day that you want, Mrs Devine.
Something old.
Our Lady.
That's so thoughtful, Father.
I was thinking here.
Mrs Devine?
Yes, lovely. Thank you.
Flowers, moving house.
You know, none of it really matters
as long as you're with the right man.
Are you married, Irene?
I was engaged once.
It didn't work out.
But at least with this job, I get to imagine the day I might have had.
I hope I'm not interrupting.
Oh, just important flower discussions.
Ah!
I'll be inside if you need me.
Your Something New.
To stop you getting lost.
Look at it all.
I know it's a wrench for you to leave this place.
It's worth it.
CAR HORN BEEPS
Darlings!
Hello, Mother. How was the drive?
I averaged 70 after Chiswick.
Married for over 50 years and I'm still terrified of him!
Hello, Isabel.
Lovely to see you, Mrs Sullivan. Mr Sullivan.Isabel.
Father Brown, any joy finding a new parish secretary?
Not as yet, Mrs Sullivan.
But replacing Mrs Devine was never going to be an easy job.
With Edgar and Isabel gone, perhaps you'll focus on your real job.
Mr Sullivan!Mm, yeah? Nice motor.
Fancy driving them to church, sonny? Seriously?
Oh, Eddie's bringing me in Hercules.
I can't have my future daughter-in-law turning up
in that wreck!
Walter...What? If it's what Mr Sullivan wants, Mum.
Is it what you want, Isabel?
Oh, absolutely. Thank you, Mr Sullivan.
So, have you got the ring?
Goodfellow's bringing it later.
Right. Oh, poor chap. He must be so disappointed.
Well, you think a disgraced copper's a suitable best man, do you?
Really? No.Really? No.Really?
I think I'll just go and see if Isabel wants some help.Right.
That paperwork you asked for.
A colleague is bringing it to the drinks.
You're doing the right thing, son. I'm proud of you.
Archie!
There he is. The man of the moment.
I'm so glad you could make it.
I wasn't going to miss the wedding of the year.
Hello, Mr Sullivan.Archibald.
Edgar told me you were on duty this weekend.
I've got someone to cover for me. Ah.
Now Edgar, there's a rumour going round
you're coming back to the Smoke.
Well, the rumour is true.
Fantastic! Well, I can't wait to hear all about it.
GLASS CLINKS
Ladies and gentlemen, if you'd all like to charge your glasses.
Eugh!
I think I'll stick to water.
If he thinks that's bad, he should try the house white.
Well, my wife and I are delighted to be welcoming Isabel
into the Sullivan family on Saturday,
and we are thrilled that she and Edgar
have chosen to join us in London.
To the happy couple.
ALL: To the happy couple.
APPLAUSE
When I saw the engagement announcement in the Times
I almost fell off my chair.
I had Edgar down as a lifelong bachelor.
You must have some stories from wild days in London.
I couldn't possibly comment.
What a shame.
Perhaps another drink will loosen your tongue. Why not!
I sometimes think Walter takes pleasure
in scaring me with his driving.
Mrs Devine likes driving really fast.
I drove ambulances in the war.
Good for you, Isabel.
You know, before I married Walter...
..I so wanted to be a doctor.
I was top of the class.
But it wasn't to be.
Oh, well.
Here you go, Archie.
She seems lively.
And also happily married, Archie.
Shame.
So, what's this new job, then?
Detective Superintendent.
Oh.
Yes.
To be honest, my father had a helping hand in it.
So, yes, I'm very fortunate.
Ah, excuse me.
Back in a minute.
I am sorry about this, Goodfellow.
Not my choice, I should hasten to add.
I didn't leave your father any option, sir.Mr Goodfellow.
Mr Sullivan.
No hard feelings, I hope?
None at all, sir.Thank you.
Come in for a drink.
I won't, sir. But thank you, though.
You will still come to the wedding, though, won't you?
Wouldn't miss it for the world, sir.
Mr Sullivan.Mr Goodfellow.
Right.
Ah, thank you, Constable.
Double scotch, no ice.
Did duty call?
Yeah, something like that.
Another.
Somebody stopped being fun.
She looks pretty rum too.
Irene?
I think I'll get an early night, Lady Felicia.
Did somebody die?
What's bothering him?
I'm not sure. He didn't seem overjoyed about my new job.
Oh, jealousy. It's a terrible thing.
Well, look, I think I'll turn in, so I'll say goodnight all.
Come on, Grace.
I'd better just go and make sure he's all right. Stay, Mother.
Oh, dear.
Don't worry, Mrs D. They'll all be on better form tomorrow.
What the...!
Father? Father?
The bullet is embedded in his shoulder.
They're going to surgically remove it later.
It's... It's just the shoulder?
The nurse said he had a lucky escape.
He should make a full recovery.
That's a relief.
Has he been able to speak yet?
Enough to tell me he didn't see who shot him, Father.
He also said, that whatever happens, Mother,
he wants the wedding to go ahead.
Good.
Well, your father doesn't want me fussing around,
so I'll see you later at the church for the rehearsal.
Oh, OK.
Right.
He won the King's Police Medal, you know.
Then on his last day of service, May 12th, 1941...
..he arrested Reggie Robinson...
..the Met's most-wanted gangster.
Forced him off the road in W5.
Your father and your role model.
This was in his jacket pocket.
He's insisting I get the wedding party checked for criminal records.
Old habits die hard.
"Irene Frost. Larceny."
Miss Frost retired to bed early last night.
She was upset.
If my father spoke with her, he wouldn't have held back.
For that reason alone, I suspect she is worth talking to.
Father...
..I need your assistance one last time.
Help me find out who shot my father.
I'll do my best, Chief Inspector.
Oh, hello, Father.Sergeant.
I spoke to Mrs Sullivan.
It sounds like Mr Sullivan had a narrow escape.
He did indeed.
And the Chief Inspector has asked me to help find the perpetrator.
And to that end, I would very much like to speak with Miss Frost.
The florist? I just walked past her.
She's stood at the bus stop.
Oh, yes, the bus for Gloucester leaves in ten minutes.
Thank you, Sergeant. Very helpful.
Oh, if there's anything else I can help you with, Father?
Yes, there is.
Leaving us, Miss Frost?
Father Brown.
Before you go, I wanted to talk to you about Walter Sullivan.
Yes, that's such terrible news.
I heard the gunshot from my bedroom.
I wonder, did you talk to him last night...
..about this?
He sacked me.
Because of your previous conviction?
He said any convicted criminal could never be trusted.
Which clearly upset you.
Yes.
Because this job was so important to me.
Making a living from flowers has always been a struggle,
but with Lady Felicia's high society connections,
I thought my troubles were finally over.
Given the circumstances,
angry feelings towards Mr Sullivan would have been understandable.
I didn't shoot him, Father.
Yet here you are, slipping away without a goodbye.
How can I look Lady Felicia in the eye when she now knows I'm a thief?
I think you should talk to Lady Felicia and Mrs Devine.
Why?
I think you will find them surprisingly forgiving.
Shoplifting?
It's not an excuse, but I was having a difficult time.
I had just lost my fiance.
Oh, no.
Had he been ill?
He died in the Blitz.
Oh. Irene, I'm so sorry.
Does this transgression bother you, Mrs D?
Not at all.
Right, we're all agreed - you are officially re-instated.
Let's get you checked back into the Red Lion.
Really?
Thank you.
Sergeant. Father. Mrs Devine.
I found the gun. Abandoned in the hedge along Marrow Lane.
Oh, well done, Sergeant.
Ah. That puts you in a difficult position.
I presume you handed it in at the police station?
I did, Father. Turns out it's a police issue.
Signed out by Detective Superintendent Archibald Kelly.
Detective Superintendent Kelly.
They found your gun.
It's at Kembleford Police Station.
I'm intrigued as to why you failed to report it missing.
What sort of a priest are you?
I'm a friend of Chief Inspector Sullivan's.
I gather his promotion in London to detective superintendent
was a surprise for you.
It's your job he's taking, isn't it?
It gets worse.
I'm being shown the door. Early retirement.
Do you sense Mr Sullivan Snr's hand in this too?
Of course.
Walter Sullivan retired as assistant commissioner 14 years ago...
..but top brass still listen to that old fool's every word.
Given that gun belongs to you...
Spare your breath.
If I'd shot Walter, I wouldn't have missed.
A warning shot across his bows, perhaps?
Wrong again, Father.
No, it doesn't look like the act of a high-ranking policeman.
Perhaps that's the point.
Edgar!
How is your father?
He's still insisting we go ahead tomorrow,
still adamant he'll be here.
But his doctors aren't very keen and neither am I.
If he leaves hospital, he'll be a far easier target.
Maybe we should delay it a week.
No, Isabel.
No. You mustn't let what happened to Walter change your plans.
I'm sorry, but I just want you to have the...
..the day you've dreamed of.
Archie.
Father Brown updated me.
I'm heading back to London.
I honestly had no idea my father did this to you.
Now you do.
Do stay.
Your priest friend accused me of shooting your father.
He wouldn't have missed.
That's what I told him.
If I do stay, it's for you, not for him.
Goodbye. Goodbye.
Well done. Thank you, Father. Well done.
Thank you, Father.
Thank you for stepping into the best man role, Mrs Sullivan.
Well, let's just hope my husband is well enough tomorrow.
Indeed.
Father Brown, Eddie's found something next to Mr Sullivan's car.
It was in amongst the broken glass.
Intriguing.
Well done, Eddie.
Ah. Good morning, Father. Any progress?
Yes. The local jeweller has confirmed
that the cut stone Master Devine found was a diamond.
Ah, right.
So, the impact of the golf club against the glass
must have dislodged it from its setting.
Right, yes.
Oh, what?!
Father, what are you doing?
I discharged myself.
What's he up to?
We're just... Look, I told you, it was too dangerous.
I'm your best man and I need to get that window repaired.
Mr Sullivan, you have a rash on your hand. So?May I have a look?
No, you may not! Your one and only job today is to marry my son.
Now, Edgar, get me to a garage. Come on.
Well, don't just stand there, open the door!
Hellooo!
Raymond will be here any minute, Mrs D.
I can't wait to see what he's got planned. Lovely.
Your bouquet, Isabel.
My Something Blue!
It should of course be entirely white, but Irene twisted my arm.
Thank you.
Oh, don't forget your Something Borrowed from Grace.
Oh, yes.
Her engagement ring!
Oh, I say.
How much is that worth?
There's a diamond missing.
Oh, so there is.
Oh, that's bad form. You can't wear that, Isabel.
Lady Felicia, where is Mrs Sullivan?
At the Red Lion, finishing the seating plan.Thank you.
Father.
How's Isabel?
Delighted with her ring.
Oh, good.
Despite the missing stone.
This displaced jewel...
..was found at the scene of your husband's shooting.
Curious choice of a gift, I thought.
Your own engagement ring.
And I have been struck by how much cooler you've been
towards your husband since his injury.
Yes, I smashed his precious car.
And I can tell you, it felt bloody good.
May I ask why?
At the drinks, Archibald shared a secret with me.
He told me it was Walter who stopped me becoming a doctor.
When I was 18,
Walter offered to post my application to medical school.
It turns out...
..he dropped it in a dustbin.
Thus destroying your hopes of a career.
I'd always assumed the university didn't reply because I was a woman.
Why would your husband do such a thing?
Because, Father, a woman with her own career...
..did not fit with Walter's idea of a wife.
Dependent and controllable.
It seems he divulged this when Archibald asked him for...
..tips on a happy marriage.
And as a housewife...
..I've had to swallow my pride...
..and bite my tongue in that man's company for 50 years!
And all because...
..he sabotaged my future.
Mrs Sullivan, I can fully understand
your feelings of anger towards your husband.
Did you...
..take matters into your own hands?
No, Father.
But by God I was tempted.
When I asked you to help, Father,
I didn't mean accuse my mother of attempting to murder my father.
I'm not persuaded it was your mother who shot your father.
However, I suspect she would appreciate a conversation with you.
Oh, Edgar. Thank God I've got you.
Thank you, Raymond. Marvellous. See you soon.
That man is in such demand.
Right. Mrs D, ready?
I think so.
Ah, just in time, Father.
Doesn't she look wonderful? Just like Doris Day.
It's very striking.
What do you think, Mrs Devine?
This is awful.
But it's all the rage in SW1.
I mean the wedding...
..the suitcases.
I haven't been honest with you.
Mrs Devine?
Mr Sullivan won't give his blessing for the marriage
unless we move to London.
That's the real reason we're leaving Kembleford.
He's manipulating you?
But why?
He says I'll ruin Edgar's career if we stay here.
Because of my connection to you, Father.
I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to feel bad.
Thank you for telling me, Mrs Devine.
I knew from his first visit that Mr Sullivan had concerns.
Mrs Devine...
..in your heart of hearts, what do you want?
I want what's best for Edgar.
Yes, I am ready to leave Kembleford for him.
But...
..for my last day here...
..I really just want to be me.
Calamity.
What have I done? Isabel, I am so, so sorry.
I could try and find some colourful flowers for the church if you like?
Oh, do you have time?
I'll hand these out at the Red Lion and then see what I can find.
Oh, thank you, Irene.
Irene made London sound nice.
She was telling me about Ealing.
Is that where she's from?
And where her fiance, Alfie, died in 1941.
Two days before their wedding, can you imagine?
Did she mention the date of the wedding?
I think they got married on Whitsun. Why?
May, 1941...
..London W5.
Button holes.
Father?
I can help you put it on.
No. Thank you, no.
Let me give you a hand, Mrs Sullivan. Oh, thank you.
Well, this is nice.
Right.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in raising a glass...
..to my son, Edgar.
ALL: To Edgar.
What the...
Perhaps your father would be better off with a pint.
Miss Frost, a word please? In private.
What is it, Father?
Methanol.
It kills the bubbles.
The same poison you used two days ago on Mr Sullivan.
To avenge the death of your beloved fiance, Alfie.
Pardon?
Alfie wasn't killed by a Nazi bomb.
He was killed by Walter Sullivan.
In pursuit of a celebrated gangster.
What the devil's going on?
Can I ask you both to leave?
No! No, I want them to hear this.
The day before our wedding, Alfie and I went for a walk in Ealing.
We were so excited.
SIREN WAILS
BRAKES SCREECH
Alfie?
Help me!
Help!
By the time the ambulance arrived, Alfie was dead.
I didn't recognise your name.
You told your people that Alfie was standing in the middle of the road.
You said that it was... You said it was his fault.
And they believed you!
That's how I remember it... Liar!
Have you any idea how long we'd been after Reggie Robinson?
I promised Alfie that I would avenge his death.
But Walter Sullivan wasn't in the phone book.
I couldn't find him anywhere.
Until you saw his name on an engagement notice in the Times
14 years later.
Yeah. I persuaded Lady Felicia to hire me as a florist.
Everything was going perfectly.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you'd like to charge your glasses.
Until Mr Sullivan refused his wine and gave himself a nasty rash.
Luckily, I heard that policeman mention that he was armed.
Then I just waited until morning.
I was about to shoot a second time, but then I heard the car.
You know...
..I really needed it to be third time lucky today.
You are a very troubled woman.
Miss Frost.
It's not too late for you to atone for your actions.
To repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness...
I regret nothing, Father.
Except not finishing the job.
This man has had a terrible power over you for 14 years.
Perhaps now it is time...
..finally...
..for you to let go of your anger.
It is not what Alfie would have wanted.
I told you she was trouble. Why the hell didn't you listen to me?
I don't want you as my best man.
What?
The ring, please.
Now, hold on a moment, Edgar...
No. I'm not listening to another word from you.
The ring.
During the service, you will sit at the back and say nothing.
Understand?
Mother.
Walter Sullivan covered up his fatal recklessness
to protect his King's Medal and his reputation.
Poor Edgar.
To learn that about your father, today of all days.
It's two o'clock, Mrs D.
Well, where are Brenda and Eddie?
Argh!
What are you two up to?
Just sorting out a present for Mum.
Ta-ra!
Oh, erm...
Goodfellow.
Oh, hello, sir.
Erm...
In the absence of my father...
..I would...
..very, very much like to reinstate you as my best man.
You would of course have every right not to accept...
Sir...
..I do accept.
Really? Yeah.
Well, that's... That's...
Thank you, Daniel. Thank you, thank you so much.
Here.
Oh!
And, erm...
..don't worry about the speech.
Actually, sir...
..I'd already written the speech when you suspended me.
Oh.
Oh, very good!
You look marvellous, Mrs D. You really do, Mum.
Me and Eddie got them from the Presbytery garden.
Thank you.
ORGAN MUSIC PLAYS
You look beautiful.
Thank you.
Take Isabel's right hand in yours.
I, Edgar Percival Sullivan, take thee, Isabel Jane Devine...
..to my wedded wife.
To have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health,
until death...
..do us part.
And thereto I plight thee my troth.
Isabel, take Egar's hand.
I, Isabel Jane Devine, take thee, Edgar Percival Sullivan,
to my wedded husband.
To have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer
in sickness and in health...
..until death do us part.
And thereto I plight thee my troth.
Ego vos conjungo in matrimonium.
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.
Amen.
ALL: Amen.
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
In the name of the Father...
..the Son...
..and the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
I also promise...
..that we will stay in Kembleford...
..if you'd like to.
GASPS
Yes, I would, very much!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
BELLS RING
Mrs Devine!
Congratulations!
It's brilliant news.
I can't believe it.
Although I wonder what Mr Sullivan's going to say.
It won't make any difference now.
Congratulations, Edgar.
Thank you, Archie. And for staying.
I'll telephone the office first thing on Monday
and insist that they give you your job back.
You're a gent.
Although you'd have done well back in London.
I'll do even better here.
I'm sure you will, old chap.
You're making a big mistake, son.
I'd have bitten hands off for that opportunity.
Yes, Father.
And you're also someone who killed an innocent man...
..lied to protect his own reputation...
..and destroyed his wife's dreams of becoming a doctor.
I wouldn't have done any of those things.
But I did make one big mistake -
spending so long believing I had to listen to a man like you.
I do love it here, but part of me wishes I could come to London...
..with you.
I'd like that.
Really?
Yeah. Whenever you're ready.
As you know, it's customary to give one's best man a gift.
But you've re-instated me as your best man, sir.
Yes. Well, I'm also going to get you re-instated as a police officer.
But how?
I'll take the rap.
You'll pay a very heavy price for doing that, sir.
It'll be worth it.
Thank you, sir. Thank you.
We... We should talk.
Yes, we should. But in a couple of days.
Why not later, at the reception?
Because your name isn't on the seating plan.
Perhaps it got lost in the post.
Group photograph!
What do you think of the flowers then, Lady Felicia?
Audrey Hepburn wouldn't have approved,
but I thought they were lovely.
Oh, Father, I'd like to withdraw my resignation.
Withdrawal accepted, Mrs Sullivan.
We've got some unpacking to do.
I can't wait.
Everyone say, "Cheese"!
ALL: Cheese!