Lily keeps nasty Kyle occupied while Matilda and Cassie quiver behind the door. Thankfully, it’s only a quick visit and he jumps back into his car without any drama. The girls beg Lily to come away with them, but she can’t – she’s scared. The girls promise to come back later and slip away just before Kyle returns, disgruntled, demanding to know who Lily’s been talking to. Matilda and Cassie are shaken. Mattie wants to call the police, but Cassie has a better idea. They could smuggle Lily into the Summer Bay house, pretending she’s just a random friend. No one else knows what Lily looks like. She nonchalantly asks Sal if “Ruby,” a “friend from the city” can stay for a few days. When Brad, Alf, Sally and Ric meet “Ruby,” she plays along, saying she’s an old school friend of Cassie’s. Ric thinks something fishy’s going on, and tries to catch Lily out. This puts her on edge, and she drops a plate, cutting herself. The lucky lass has the pleasure of Ric bandaging her up, but disaster strikes when the beautiful one spots her bruises. He’s pretty sure he knows what’s going on here. When he asks Cassie about it, Lily overhears and bolts. The girls chase her down, promise Ric will keep the secret, and plead with her to come back. But someone’s watching. It’s Kyle, and he’s got a face like thunder. Panned AlfAlf’s got some scores to settle today. He’s grateful to Tony for looking after the bar while he was away, but still edgy about Martha walking out. He’s not at all happy about that mongrel she’s shacked up with. There’s more than one mongrel in town, though; Alf overheard some young studs jeering about Martha, saying she’s a bit of all right on stage and how they wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more of her, wink wink. They’re talking about his granddaughter like she’s a piece of meat. Later on, while helping Martha to help fix a tap, he asks her if she knows, or cares, what’s being said behind her back, and suggests she demonstrate a bit of self respect. Martha flares up. Alf is ashamed of her! She crumples, and Alf scurries away to give the mongrels an earful. He feels awful for upsetting the Marth – he knows he’s gone too far. He heads back over and delivers a heartfelt speech.He’s not ashamed of her, he’s proud to have her as a granddaughter. But Martha rebuffs his apology. Of all the sleazy things she’s heard at the club, none of those men have ever made her feel as cheap as he did today. Alf wilts. Has he pushed Martha away forever? Bowled overOn a lighter note, Colleen’s hit the cooking sherry. Her cheese addiction has landed her in a spot of bother. She stole a hunk of vintage cheese from Betty Alsop’s cheese wheel, and as a result has been booted off the bowls team.

Leah and Irene round up the two raging wrinklies to sort out their issues and find a way to bowl in harmony. They’re clearly not getting anywhere, so Leah offers to replace the cheese on Colleen’s behalf.

Betty welcomes her back on the team. Delighted, Colleen says she’ll see Betty at the open tournament next week. Betty smirks, and sets her straight. Colleen’s bowling has been sloppy of late – she can come back on the squad, but not the tournament team. Outraged, Colleen quits the squad completely, crowing, “I’m captaining my own team, Betty Alsop!” Betty scoffs – Colleen and whose army? Colleen gloats that Leah and Irene are on her team. She’s all fired up. Leah and Irene swap panicked looks.

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