Sam is hopeful that his latest venture on the docks will not only help his old friends but also give Joe some much-needed purpose. Saunders laments Sam's impulsive purchase, especially upon discovering the poor state of the business and that it is encumbered by a controlling Board. Nevertheless Sam steams ahead, and makes Joe a manager, along with old pal Fred. Joe struggles to get to grips with his new responsibilities, and is jealous of Fred, feeling very much in his shadow. Joe's temper eventually gets the better of him, leading to a poor decision that will plague his conscience.
Mary and Sam mask their nerves as Harry sets off to a prestigious boarding school, but Mary quickly finds distraction in a surprising proposition from Lady Emma and Adella. Mary is swept up into a whirl of preparations for her first real society party, with Liza reluctantly roped into providing the musical entertainment, alongside Adella. It's hard to say who is more unimpressed out of the two of them, but an unlikely friendship begins to form, in spite of their poor first impressions of each other. Ma, meanwhile, has a party of her own to host, and sparks begin to fly between her and the handsome groundskeeper, Victor.
In spite of Mary's careful preparations under Emma's watchful eye, and the moral support of old friends Lena and Betsy from the docks, the tea party doesn't go to plan. Liza resents being paraded in front of the society ladies. Tensions below stairs lead to a disaster in the kitchen, forcing Mary to think quickly and save the day with a uniquely Hardacre plan…
