Jean is in the study area of her living room working at the computer. Lionel is sitting on the couch reading his newspaper. She tells Lionel that she won't be much longer. He didn't ask how long she'd be. She knows, but asks why then does he keep looking at his watch. He says that he is not looking at his watch. She looks at hers and asks what it is when you do what she just did. It's a tic he's developed. He tells her to take as long as she likes -- he's not doing anything except sitting there with his nervous tic. She repeats that she won't be long. He repeats that she can take as long as she likes. They appear to be on the verge of another row, but it is deflected when she asks him if he knows where there's a good Korean restaurant. "Korea?" he suggests. His list of useless facts does not include Korean restaurants. Jean explains that she has to take a Mr. Cho out to lunch next week. Lionel is surprised. When he was in Korea most people were poor as churchmice. Now they come over to England in droves, open up companies and get other people's wives to take them out to lunch. Jean tells him that things tend to change after 40 years. He tells her that he noticed. Jean's disappointed -- if Lionel were in one of his gallant moods he'd have told her that she hadn't changed. She hastens to add that he'd have been lying, but he'd have said it anyway. Lionel tells her that he doesn't remember ever being gallant. She tells him that he was and it reminds her of the time he took her to the officer's mess ball. She talks about the dress she wore and he remembers that it was blue. This pleases her and she lies down in his lap. They reminisce and share a warm moment.

Lionel wonders if Mr. Cho needs to be "sweetened up." She's surprised by the question. He tells her she knows what he means. Jean tells him he is a boy of 35. Nevertheless... He talks only about business, Jean says -- in fact, his idea of relaxation is probably thinking about business. Lionel says that the two of them should get on well then -- he thinks she brings way too much work home. This is the second time this week. She tells him she didn't bring home any work the week before. Yes, but she worked late twice. Business is picking up, she says, and she has to be on top of things. He reminds her that she has Judith and Sandy and he doesn't understand why she insists on acting like a one-man band. She's had enough. She gets up and says she's going to make some coffee -- if she can get to the kitchen "with these cymbals stuck to my knees." He sighs.

Judith and Sandy are at an outdoor cafe. Judith has a plateful of food and Sandy walks to the table carrying only something to drink. Judith wonders if she will have anything to eat and Sandy tells her no, unless she decides to chew the table. It is obvious she is having a bad morning and Judith suggests she looks as though she just might begin to chew the table. "She's your mother," Sandy says. She goes on to explain that Jean has been impossible all morning -- fussing and clicking and looking over her shoulder. Sandy had thought she'd become Jean's right arm over the years, but lately it seems as though she's treating her like a little finger. Judith agrees that Jean is becoming.... "Bloody impossible," Sandy suggests, but Judith settles on "paranoid." The work that Jean is taking home is not really important. The majority of what she's doing is just checking on things that have already been done. Sandy tells her that she didn't want to mention that, but Judith tells her that she's not blind. She can see what's going on. Judith was supposed to take Mr. Cho to lunch and then all of a sudden Jean said that she wanted to do it. The excuse? You never know with Koreans. "You never know what," Sandy asks. Judith doesn't know -- it's just one other thing that Jean felt she should do by herself. Sandy says she'll have another glass of wine. Judith tells her that it won't help. Sandy asks if she wants one. "Yes, please."

Alistair and Lionel walk into the kitchen. Alistair tells him that if he hadn't had lunch he would have taken him to lunch at a fancy restaurant. Why at a fancy restaurant? Because that's what people do from time to time. Lionel tells him that he doesn't. They threw away the mold when they made you, Alistair says. Lionel thinks they had to because it was broken. Alistair hands Lionel a list of eight Korean restaurants -- Jean phoned and asked him for recommendations. Lionel is surprised that there are only eight on the list, but those were "inner London." He offers Alistair some wine. Now for the real reason for his visit -- where is Lionel's second book? Lionel tells him for the umpteenth time that there isn't going to be a second book. They say that there is one good book in everyone -- but, according to Lionel, there was one mediocre book in him and that's it. Alistair reminds him that he also wrote a miniseries. Lionel notices that Alistair did not bother to argue with "mediocre." Alistair ignores that and continues on about the miniseries, which was "networked in the U.S. of A." Yes, and it set American television back about ten years, Lionel says. Alistair tells him he knows why Lionel won't write another book -- the book he gave him to adapt put him off. Lionel figures that a book about a Roumanian shepherd who turns into a sheep would put anyone off. Alistair knows it was a heavy, ponderous book and can't think why he even asked Lionel to do it. Lionel helps him out -- he was bored, Jean approached Alistair about it and he came up with Baa Baa Black Sheep. Alistair tells him that Jean did not put him up to it (cross my heart and hope to become unattractive to women.) Lionel doesn't want to spoil Alistair's illusions, but assures him that he is a very happy man. He loves his wife, he has Sandy and Judith to feast his eyes on every day and little by little he is learning the art of being quite content with doing very little slowly. This all sounds very boring to someone as wired as Alistair. He can't conceive of doing anything slowly. Alistair leaves to have his lunch and tells Lionel to tell Judy he'll pick her up at 7. He asks Lionel what his plans are for that evening. He's going to wash up slowly and then have a quick nap. "Quick?" Alistair points out. "Yes, but slowly."

Jean gets out of a cab. She walks into a building, hesitating at first. We see her in what looks like a waiting room, reading a magazine. There is a man in the room who stares at her. "He's very good isn't he?" the man asks. "Mr. Percival." Jean explains that this is her first appointment. The man tells her that she can take his word that Mr. Percival is very good. "Good," she says. "Watt," he says. She repeats that she's said good. He explains that that's his name -- Gordon Watt. Mr. Percival has done wonders for him. He observes that Jean must be the 3:30. Jean says that's correct and observes that if he's still waiting Mr. Percival must be behind. No, actually Mr. Watt is the 4:30. Jean looks at her watch and asks if he isn't a bit early. Yes, he says, but that's a huge improvement in itself -- a year ago he'd have been there at one o'clock. Jean puts down the magazine, gathers her things and starts to leave. A woman intercepts her, apologizes and tells her that Mr. Percival is a bit behind, but won't be too much longer. She goes back into the office. Mr. Watt suggests she not be put off by Miss Wessel -- she seems a bit brusque at first, but you get to know her as the months go by. Jean looks extremely uncomfortable, tiptoes a couple of steps towards the door, opens it and rushes out.

Jean walks into the house and she's in a really bad mood. She fixes herself a drink. Judith walks in and tells her that she has a note from Lionel and Jean asks her what it says. When Judith tells her that it's addressed to her she snaps at her and questions whether or not it is in a sealed envelope. Since it isn't, she asks Judith to read it. It says that he went to the library and that Miss Wessel phoned regarding the missed appointment. Judith asks who Miss Wessel is and Jean tells her that it is someone with whom she presumably missed an appointment. When Judith asks if this is related to the business, Jean tells her that of course it is. Judith remarks that it isn't like Jean to miss a business appointment and when Sandy walks into the room she tells her that it's all her fault that Jean missed the appointment with Miss Wessel. Sandy says that she's not psychic and she didn't know about the appointment because it wasn't in the book. Jean is really short-tempered now and she informs them that she made the appointment all by herself and she missed it all by herself. The girls both mention that that's not like Jean and Jean just walks out, saying she's got to change. As soon as she leaves Judith motions for Sandy to go through Jean's briefcase. Sandy opens it and is annoyed to see that Jean is at it again -- she brought home work that's already been done and Sandy says she's fed up. "Either I'm trusted or I'm not." Judith looks at her and says, "well, you are the one going through the boss' briefcase." Sandy protests that it was Judith's idea, but Judith says that she was only joking. Seems everyone's getting a little short-tempered. They hear someone in the other room and Judith tells her to put it all away. Sandy slams the briefcase shut and they both stand stiff in frontof the desk when Lionel enters the room. He's surprised at how flustered they look and asks if everything is okay. They say that it is the excitement of seeing him that makes them appear that way -- he has this power over women. He wonders if it is the power to make women give evasive answers to simple questions.

They come clean and say that the problem is Jean -- she's bringing home work that doesn't have to be done and getting very compulsive about it. He tells them that Jean says he's compulsive about the way he stacks the dishwasher. They wonder about who's being evasive now. And who, they ask, is Miss Wessel? He says it's someone's secretary -- he doesn't remember the name, but it begins with a "G". Ah yes, he remembers -- Mr. Percival. Jean walks in and cuts their conversation short. They lie to her about what they were talking about and she finds the conversation they're having to be less than riveting. She thinks she'll go make dinner and asks who's staying and who's going. Lionel and Sandy are staying home and this reminds Lionel to tell Judith that Alistair said he'll pick her up at seven. She seems surprised and smiles strangely. Sandy asks if she can help, but Jean looks at her nastily and says she can manage.

Jean is in the kitchen peeling carrots when Lionel walks into the room. She starts right in on him by telling him she's already said she didn't need any help. He tells her he didn't come to help her, he came to open a bottle of wine. His car needs to be serviced. "Does it?" she asks. Perhaps she can do it after dinner. He tells her that she can throw something at him if she likes. She thinks he really shouldn't be saying that to someone with a knife in their hands. He was thinking more of a carrot. She flips one at him, almost reflexively. He tells her that was a silly thing to do. She does it again and says that he told her to do it. He withdraws the offer. She tells him to stop making cracks about one-man bands. He reminds her that he only said that once. "What about servicing the car?" He suggests that was a variation on a theme. She says it wasn't funny. He starts to be serious with her and she seems to sense it and changes the subject by asking if he would shell some peas. He tells her, sarcastically, that he'd love to. The doorbell rings.

Sandy opens the door and Alistair walks in, commenting on how great she looks --there's something about girls in business suits. He wonders what that something is. Sandy suggests that, with him, its something about girls in anything. She calls upstairs that Alistair is there and Judy shouts down that she'll be just a minute. She says that she's in the living room and the others are in the kitchen. She asks where he wants to wait. He thinks he'll wait in the kitchen, out of temptation's way. Alistair walks into the kitchen with his cheery self, sees Lionel at the kitchen table shelling peas and Jean peeling potatoes over the sink and says exactly the wrong thing -- that this was the perfect picture of domestic bliss. To his credit he realizes that this probably was not a good time for that statement. He laughs when he notices the floor, saying that Jean dropped a carrot. She tells him that she didn't drop it, she threw it at Lionel. "Are you a great kidder or what?" he asks. She tells him "not". Lionel offers him a glass of wine. He says no. He offers him a pea. Alistair looks uncomfortable and figures he'd better go wait in the living room. She apologizes and insists that he sit down and stay there. Lionel says that Jean is a bit prickly. She says that she was apologizing for both of them. Lionel reminds her that it was she who threw the carrots. Alistair is getting flustered. He says he doesn't expect to see them like this -- he wants to see them relishing the time they have together. Jean is even more upset -- "we're not a Death's door." He tries to recover. He means with Jean still working and Lionel settling for the slow lane in life. This upsets Jean even further, especially when Alistair explains that he was trying to get another book out of Lionel that afternoon and was told that Lionel wanted to just relax and spend more time with Jean. "But of course I'm still working," she says. Now Jean suspects that they had a boy's get-together and talked about her retiring. Lionel tells her they didn't have any get-together and they didn't discuss any retirement dates. She sounds as though she doesn't believe them. Lionel and Jean begin to bicker again and Judith walks into the room causing Alistair to breathe a sigh of relief. He wants to say something, but holds his tongue and just leaves.

Alistair walks into the hall and compliments Judith on how good she looks -- like an early Christmas present. He asks where they should go. She tells him that she doesn't know about him, but she's going to a party. He tells her he called for her. She says she knows -- Lionel gave her the message that he would call for her at 7. He looks at his watch and says he has. She tells him he forgot one detail -- he never asked her. He tries to laugh it off. He tells her that they don't have that kind of relationship. She tells him she knows they don't -- that's just the trouble. She tells him to have a nice evening, blows him a kiss and leaves. Alistair walks into the living room where Sandy is working on the computer. He accuses her of knowing that Judith was going out and when she confirms this he says that guys are capable of being hurt very deeply too. She knows this, but tells him that he's not one of those guys so he should stop overacting. She says he got just what he deserves. He tells her she's probably right and asks what she's doing that evening. She observes that he heals quickly. He wants to be just mates. Okay, she's doing nothing. She asks if he wants to take her out to dinner. Now he's distrustful. He's in the middle of a "hey hey," when he suspects that this could all be part of a double-whammy. He'll take her out and they'll wind up at the same party where Judith is. Sandy tells him that she wasn't invited to that party, but she does want to go out with him because considering the present climate she just doesn't want to be left alone with Jean and Lionel. A bit chilly, Alistair concedes. She says she wants to just shut down the computer. Alistair wonders if she is working overtime. No, she's just being nosy -- she tells Alistair that Jean missed an appointment with a Mr. Percival today and she can't find him on their client list. She'll be right back, she's just going into the kitchen and tell Jean she won't be in for dinner after all. Alistair remarks that the only Percival he knows is a psychotherapist and it's not likely to be him, is it? Sandy wonders. Hardly, she says.

Jean and Lionel are still not having an easy go of it. She tells him that he's shelled enough peas for ten people. He says that she never told him to stop. She wonders if he has to be told to turn off the taps when he's running a bath. He tells her that it is easier to judge tap water than peas. Into this Sandy walks and says that she doesn't mean to be a bother but she wants to go out to dinner with Alistair. Jean says it's fine -- they don't have enough peas anyway. She looks at Lionel's big bowl of peas. Lionel thought that Judith was going out with Alistair, but Sandy tells him that Judith never intended to go. While Jean's back is turned Sandy motions to Lionel to indicate she wants to talk to him away from the kitchen. He follows her out. She tells him that Mr. Percival might be a psychotherapist.

Jean gets into bed where Lionel is reading Winnie the Pooh. She asks why he's reading that. He tells her that he went to the library and got that plus some other books that he always thought he had read, but actually hasn't. He's got time to catch up on his reading now. She asks if he doesn't think he's a bit old for Winnie the Pooh. He doesn't like to think so. She leans over and begins to read. He kisses her forehead as she reads and when she's finished, she laughs -- they both laugh and feel closer to one another. She says he's right -- nobody is too old to read that. She asks if she can read it when he's finished. If she has time, she adds. She reminds Lionel that he used to call her Pooh once. He assures her it is because she liked honey -- not because she looked like him. She becomes very pensive and tells him it seems like that was a million years ago. He asks if she wants to talk. "What about?" He says that she doesn't seem to be the happiest little Pooh in the world lately. She says, "no thanks" and lays down to go to sleep. She sits up quickly and tells him that she went to see a psychotherapist that day. He asks what was said. Jean tells him that nothing was said because she got cold feet and bolted out of the waiting room. She tells him that was the message he took from Miss Wessel. He wonders why she ran. She says that she didn't feel as though she should have been there in the first place. And then she started talking to this chap in the waiting room who was miserable as sin who was telling her how depressed he was when he first started going there a long time ago and she panicked. He says he guesses that everyone can't be cured right away. She takes offense at the word "cure," because she doesn't feel she needs curing. He apologizes. He wonders what she does need. "Someone to talk to." He doesn't want to point out the obvious. She says "not you, you have an interest." He's prejudiced. He wants to know what he's prejudiced about. About what she has to talk about. She knows she's not making much sense and says she's going to sleep. He tells her she is not going to sleep. She asks if he intends to bounce up and down on the bed to keep her awake. No, he tells her she is going to pick up the phone and make another appointment to see Mr. Peacock. She tells him it's Percival. He corrects himself. "But..." He tells her there are no buts -- she needs to talk, but she refuses to talk to him or Sandy or Judith so she should talk to the psychotherapist. She wants to know what if he's down on her for running out the first time. Lionel tells her that if he is that childish he has no business being a psychotherapist. He hands Jean the telephone. She says she doesn't mind his being masterful, but it is nearly midnight. "In the morning, then," he says. She agrees. Before she falls asleep she tells him that she wants him to know that this worry of hers has nothing to do with him -- nothing he does ever upsets her. He tells her that's nice to know. She turns over. Shortly thereafter she turns back to him and in a rather shrieky voices complains "you're not going to read all night, are you?" He rolls his eyes.

Mrs. Wessel shows Jean into the waiting room, where Mr. Watt is sitting. He smiles at her and says "you ran away last time." She tells him that she did not run away -- she just made two appointments at the same time. He listens to her explanation, assesses it and says "no, you ran away." She tries to ignore him. "3:30 again, then?" Yes, she says. She presumes he's the 4:30. No, today he's the 5:30. He's two hours early. She tells him that she thought he said he'd improved. He has -- he's just had a bad week, that's all. Jean puts her magazine down and gets up nervously. "You're not going to run away again?" he asks. Jean tells him no and she's a little flustered by him. Miss Wessel comes out of the office and says that Mr. Percival will see her now and that she thought she'd cut off her line of retreat -- just in case. She puts her arms out to prevent Jean from going out the other door.

Lionel, Sandy and Judith are all in the living room. He points out that they all have a "how-did-you-get-on-with-the-psychotherapist" look on their faces. That's what it is, Judith says. He knows, but they don't want to look like it. Sandy wonders how they should look. Jean walks in and they all look rather stiff. She says "I brought you all together to name the murderer." She knows what they're waiting for and she tells them that she did see Mr. Percival that day. He's a tall man, with grey hair. He might have had a limp, but she can't be sure. For their information, she says, he was a complete waste of time. She leaves the room. Lionel tells them that it obviously went terribly well. They don't know what to do -- whether to stay or go to her or what. Lionel says that they can't all follow her around like a pack of bloodhounds. Judith says that someone should. Lionel tells them that he will and he gets up and walks out into the hall. Jean enters by the other door, says "Where's Lionel?" and he follows her back in and she walks out and back in. She tells them all to sit down -- she wants to talk with them.