Sun, Apr 14, 1974
Bill Riley tells Ted and Mary the reason for his sudden interest in leaving the company. Brian and David lay their cards on the table in the fight for Jennifer's Hammond shares. Jennifer receives bad news at the bank, while Brian uses his position to subtly blackmail the bank manager. Ted realizes the gravity of the situation with Jennifer, and Jill is appalled at the immorality of it. An enraged Ted angrily confronts about her schemes. Jill refuses to give David the answer he wants to hear. Ted confronts his conspirators.
Sun, Feb 25, 1973
Edward admonishes Mary as she interferes in David's and Brian's personal life. Jill chastises David for his rudeness to Julie, but later, he secretly meets with Julie again. Edward confronts Jennifer about the distance between them, and urges her to remain friends. He tells all to Nancy Lincoln, though her reaction is not at all what he expected. Tensions mount at Hammond Transport after two of the best drivers quit, and an angry Edward vents his frustration on one of Carter's men. Ann's bitchiness toward Pamela Graham, prompts Brian to erupt with uncharacteristic anger. Barbara and Jennifer agree about Barbara giving up her shared flat, but they have a heated row over the still-married Nicholas Fox.
Sun, May 5, 1974
Brian awaits word on a comatose Ann's condition. Pamela helps Brian and Ted keep Mary at bay, and Brian refuses to accept what might have happened. Julie dangles a tantalizing bit of scandal in front of David which she uses to lure him to a champagne supper. Pamela takes Ann's call from Nicholas and lies to him. Bill informs Ted that he and his wife have found the house they want. Brian's attitude disgusts Pamela. Jennifer and Ted leave on holiday together. Julie makes an unexpected confession to David. Ted and Jennifer return to tell Mary their news, but she has suffered a heart attack and lies unseen in the garden.
Sun, Mar 18, 1973
Edward attempts to truncate the strike and claim the debt of Parker, who is mysteriously incommunicado. Brian discovers that Ann has made an appalling move on their property. Later, Ann confronts Pamela Graham, and Pamela has an unhappy suggestion for Brian. Jill receives devastating news. Julie takes advantage of Jill's situation to tempt David again. Edward explodes with jealousy after Carter leads him to the wrong conclusion about Jennifer. Carter admits to Jennifer that he's secretly playing his own game, and when he faces the striking workers, his endgame becomes obvious.
Sun, Mar 31, 1974
David chastises Jill for sharing their marriage problems with Mary. Torn between a boring husband and an animal attraction to Nicholas, Ann seeks medical help for insomnia. Brian releases Jill's guarantee. Barbara vows Mary to secrecy about their private arrangement, but Jennifer discovers the truth and confronts Mary. Nicholas secretly returns from Brussels for an afternoon with Ann. Jill angrily implies that David can be free of her now that the brothers no longer require her financial backing. Jennifer accuses Mary and Barbara of ruining any chance she had at happiness and makes a drastic move to pay an impossible debt.
Sun, Sep 29, 1974
David apologizes for his reaction to Jill's gift and changes his mind. David's concession prompts Jill to reach a decision about her modeling career. Gwen settles in as Mary's companion. Brian begins to unravel under the strain of his crumbling marriage. Ann visits Mary and delivers disturbingly personal information. Ted and Brian accompany Martin to met with hotshot merchant banker Paul Merroney about Hammond going public. Only one of the brothers looks his part at lunch with Merroney. Ted realizes that Mary has been upset by something related to Brian, and decides his brother must not let his personal life continue to interfere with their business. Ann goads Brian into another quarrel, and this one turns physical.
Sun, Dec 1, 1974
After a threat of exposing the children to public scandal, Ann gives her statement. Mary reaches a conclusion about Brian's bitterness. Ted probes Jennifer for information regarding her relationship with Martin. With the market unsteady, the brothers caution Mary, Gwen, and Jill against buying up too many shares in Hammond Transport. Merroney fears that he has a very expensive baby on his hands, and he wants Martin to deal with it. David tells Jill that the firm is vulnerable to a takeover now. Ted bristles at Martin's suggestion of a way to save Hammond. Later, Ted spots Martin attempting to persuade Brian to his side. David invites Bill and Gwen over to discuss the situation with Martin and Ted. Jennifer informs Martin exactly where she stands. Martin makes a motion at the board meeting, leading to a 24 hour adjournment to decide Ted's fate.
Sun, Jan 28, 1973
Carter snoops into the private lives of the brothers. Pamela Graham convinces Brian that he and Ann must settle the question of sending Carol away. The meeting to discuss Hammond's takeover of Carter's firm doesn't go as planned. Barbara wants to know if her mother is still contemplating marriage. Jennifer infuriates Edward by exposing Mary's machinations to keep them apart. Mary meddles in Brian and Ann's marriage. Carter entices David to his penthouse where he finally makes his intentions known. Edward angrily confronts Mary and issues a threat that cuts her to the bone.
Fri, Mar 10, 1972
The Hammond family attends the funeral of its patriarch Robert. Jennifer Kingsley, Robert's assistant, is summoned to the family home for the reading of the will. Robert's legacy proves to be a Pandora's box as the family's road haulage business is divided equally between his three adult sons and Jennifer, who is revealed to be his mistress and the mother of his illegitimate daughter Barbara. Eldest son Edward refuses to share the firm to which he has devoted his life, while brothers Brian (an accountant) and David (a layabout playboy) have no interest in the company. Jennifer stuns Barbara with the revelation that she's illegitimate. After learning that they haven't been left any capital, Brian's restless wife Ann encourages him to sell his shares in the firm. David informs his girlfriend Jill of his father's death and his ambivalence toward a conventional lifestyle. Robert's widow Mary avoids dealing with her late husband's betrayal. The brothers and Jennifer convene for their first director's meeting.
Sun, Mar 25, 1973
Fearing bankruptcy, Ted is dispatched abroad to locate Parker, while behind his back, Carter urges the other board members to select a new chairman. Pamela refuses to be a pawn in Brian and Ann's marital games. Brian advises David that a housekeeper is cheaper than a wife. Jill asks David a direct question about Julie, and later confides in Mary that David has lied to her for the first time. Barbara arrives home early from Paris. David and Bill Riley deliver devastating news, then David receives very different news. Carter forces an emergency board meeting to oust Ted, but there's a surprise attendee.