Xavier Fisher pays an unexpected visit to the library to check on the fundraising activities, while Pearl moves back in with Frances.

Head Librarian Frances O'Brien is having a hellish time of it. Not only must the library turn a profit in order to stay open, but Frances's detestable mother Pearl comes to live with her.

Frances meets Indigo the 'New Age' real estate agent who is going to sell Pearl's house and the mystery contents of the shipping container parked in Pearl's front yard are revealed.

The library is a hub of activity for Senior Citizens Day. Frances is busy trying to find a replacement to take a tour group on a historical walk of Middleton when Terry arrives with Pearl.

The fundraising thermometer has hit rock bottom and government bureaucrat Xavier Fisher orders immediate cutbacks. Frances is determined to make a stand and save her staff.