In tonight's first episode, For Love Or Money, Victor intends to sell the House of Caradus but Helena insists on trying to give the firm a new lease of life. Helena Caradus detects a collusion in the bidders at an auction on her return from Paris.
Second episode in this drama series about a family firm of auctioneers. There's a big day in store for the House of Caradus—a local aristocrat, hounded by inflation and taxation, has to raise some money . . .
More drama concerning a family firm of auctioneers. Lionel Caradus is not often lucky, but this time he has unearthed a treasure. A twelfth- century manuscript is up for auction. The question is, who is going to get it? Both Victor and Helena, his cosusins are interested, too.
Victor, Ruth, Helena and Lionel gathered together for Violet's (mother of Helena and Lionel) birthday. Victor gives Violet a brass coal scuttle, which Helena had hoped to give to her mother. There is thus some tension when Violet shows a great deal of liking for the object. In the meantime, Violet's maid, Ettie, is worried when she finds leftover coal in the scuttle for there's a belief that it is unlucky. It seems to mean that the previous owner died before they could finish the coal.
The "knockers" and a big-time auction firm threaten to put the House of Caradus off for good. It begins with the "knockers" (house-to-house callers who force owners to part with their treasures at low prices) picking on Mr Croft, an old friend of Helena's. Croft turns to Helena and she promises to keep a lookout for the items, among them a pretty Worcester figure of a girl in a blue dress. Things look bleak when Lionel gets news that Blofeld, a London auction firm, is moving into Chester to conduct an antiques surgery whereby people could bring their valuables for evaluation. Thus Helena, Lionel and Victor plan to discredit Blofeld before it can establish itself and take away some of the Caradus business.
A wealthy landowner tries to deceive Victor and Helena into auctioning a fake 16th Century painting.
The House of Caradus is attracting a takeover bid.Victor and Helena have mixed feelings about selling the family's auction business to go their individual ways. Luke Hussey is finally employed at the firm, and his first chore is to organise a picture sale. Just as things at the firm are looking up, however. Helena gets restless. Violet, who recognises the signs, gives Helena a piece of her mind about her need to move on once the challenge is over. Naturally, Helena is defensive about it and there's a heated argument. On the other side, Victor and Ruth have a business dinner with Geoffrey and Angela who are into property improvement. Victor is tempted to become their partner as his dealings in Caradus have given him ample knowledge of furniture. And this, Ruth supports wholeheartedly. Victor gets more and more drawn to it when a French firm offers to take over Caradus and Helena also seems agreeable to selling.