Next week on Emmerdale, Belle realises she’s pregnant, Ruby offers to confess all as the guilt overwhelms her, and Vinny and Gabby take their friendship to the next level.
1) Belle’s pregnancy fears are confirmed
Belle King’s (Eden Taylor Draper) worst fears are realised next week, when she discovers that she’s pregnant to husband Tom (James Chase).
After being married to Belle four months ago, Tom has been eager to establish a family, but his harsh behavior has made Belle second-guess her decision.
After Tom coerced her into agreeing to try for a child, Belle continued taking her contraceptive pills in secret. This was an example of his use of coercive control over her. After finding the pills concealed in a kitchen drawer, Tom physically assaulted her, holding her hand under a boiling hot faucet.
After giving Belle a vicious punch to the stomach a short while later, Tom started manipulating her mental health medicine to give the impression that she was forgetting to take it.
As a result of Belle checking herself into a mental health clinic, his plan backfired. His loss of control over his wife led him to take a dark turn and poison their dog Piper (Minnie), prompting Belle to return home out of fear that she would soon be put to death.
Belle conceals her pregnancy from Tom and Mandy (Lisa Riley) by claiming to be ill after learning she is expecting next week. Later, Belle visits Wendy (Susan Cookson) during the surgery, where she learns that the woman is pregnant.
Wendy can see that Belle is apprehensive over the news, and offers her support.
Meanwhile, Cain (Jeff Hordley) has got word that Tom sold Belle’s car without consulting him and accosts him, with Tom secretly indignant about the confrontation.
Heading home he accuses Belle of badmouthing him to her family and goes to raise his hand to her.
Belle screams in terror for him to stop because she is expecting!
As soon as Tom draws Belle in for an embrace, his demeanor completely shifts. While Tom is overcome with emotion at finally becoming a father, Belle is experiencing the exact opposite. She had blurted it out in desperation, and the last thing she wanted was for Tom to find out about the pregnancy. She encourages Tom to hold off on sharing it just now.
2) Tom promises to change his ways
As they walk along the river, Tom promises that from now on he’ll be a better husband, but Belle is dubious of his claim. Seeing his sincerity, Belle dares to hope that there might be some chance of a normal marriage.
However it’s not long before Tom defiantly goes against Belle’s wishes and blurts out to Rhona (Zoe Henry) that Belle is expecting. Belle struggles to keep her anger hidden as the likes of Jimmy (Nick Miles) and Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) start congratulating her, but Tom somehow manages to talk her around and she agrees that they may as well tell everyone now.
The next day, Belle finds herself locked in at home, and after putting some food on the hob she manages to fall asleep on the sofa with Piper.
But little does Belle realise that a teatowel has caught alight in the kitchen… will Belle be okay?
3) Ruby offers to turn herself in
Elsewhere in the village, Charles (Kevin Mathurin) faces the worst day of his life as he buries his son Ethan (Emile John).
Ethan dropped dead in Charles’s living room two weeks ago, as he prepared for his court appearance over fleeing the scene of an accident that seriously injured Nicky (Lewis Cope). Nicky’s mum Ruby (Beth Cordingly) had subsequently sought vengeance and ran Ethan down with her car.
Whilst a bloodied Ethan seemed to be in a bad way after staggering back to the village, there didn’t appear to be any lasting damage. Ruby confronted him at home later that day with a chilling promise—if Nicky didn’t make it, then she’d finish the job.
Although Nicky eventually recovered well, everyone’s attention has been focused on the unidentified hit-and-run motorist that Charles has labeled as a murderer since Ethan is now dead and the cause of death is still unknown.
Ruby has been tormented by remorse ever since she subsequently confessed to Nicky and Caleb (Will Ash).
When Ruby asks Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker) how Charles is doing the following week, Manpreet is shocked to find herself confiding in her. Ruby is eager to assist in any way she can, and she even reaches out to console Charles when he finds her later that day in the church.
With Nicky having turned against her, Ruby explains to her son that she’ll turn herself into the police if it means he will forgive her. Ruby bursts into tears and Nicky can’t help but comfort his mum. Caleb is stunned when Ruby later tells him of her plan, and pleads with her to reconsider.
4) Charles wallows in grief
Meanwhile, over at the churchyard, Charles stands over the freshly dug grave that his son will soon occupy, still struggling to make sense of what happened.
When Ruby pays a visit to Woodbine, there’s a tense moment as Charles receives news from the coroner that a cause of death has now been established. Did Ruby really kill Ethan?
Charles later finds it difficult to lead the service for his only son after presideing over hundreds of funerals in different parishes over the years and providing comfort to complete strangers.
It’s clear that Charles is wallowing in grief in the Woolpack later on as he drinks heavily, and whilst Manpreet tries to support him, she’s saddened when he pushes her away.
5) Has Vinny ruined things with Gabby?
Also next week, Vinny (Bradley Johnson) and Gabby’s (Rosie Bentham) friendship is taken to the next level.
Following more bonding over a drink, Vinny makes Gabby a treat on the BBQ in the scrapyard. Even though the scene may not be the most romantic, the two kiss without warning.
However, after confessing to Vinny that she is aware of his virginity, Gail (Rachael Gill-Davies) promises to help him if he needs it. Feeling pressured, Vinnie snaps under the stress and calls off their date with Gabby.
Vinny is filled with guilt as Gabby leaves quickly, humiliated.
Has he destroyed his prospects of ever falling in love?
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