Earlier this week, Caleb secretly visited Ruby’s mother Helen in hospital after receiving numerous calls from her.

Helen revealed that she was terminally ill and wanted to reconcile with her daughter, but Caleb would only agree to bring Ruby if his estranged mother-in-law paid him £100,000.

Wednesday’s (September 18) episode continued this storyline as a guilt-ridden Caleb tried to hide from Ruby that he’d seen her mother.

In the village, Caleb was surprised as Will Taylor begged him for a loan against his share of the haulage business. Viewers know Will has become the victim of a blackmailer in recent weeks.

“I need 40 grand by tomorrow,” Will begged. “If you lend me that and I don’t pay it back in, say, three months, then I’ll sign my shares of the haulage firm over to you.”

Caleb agreed to the terms but was then thrust into another crisis when Ruby was called to the hospital by her mum’s nurse. By the time she arrived, Helen had already died.

As Ruby went to her mother’s bedside, Caleb was filled with guilt as he secretly watched his wife. Ruby questioned whether Helen had played one final mind game by reaching out to her when it was too late.

“Did you ever love me, mum?” Ruby wrenchingly asked.

Back at the Mill Cottage, Caleb pretended he had no idea about Helen when Ruby revealed that her mother had died.

“I didn’t know she was dying. If I did, I would have got there 20 minutes earlier,” Ruby said. “As it is, I have no idea what she wanted to say to me and I never will.”

Though he contemplated coming clean over what he’d done, Caleb kept quiet. The episode concluded with Caleb seeing the £100K land in his bank account.

Will Ruby find out the truth?