Becoming Henry's legal father increases the power he has over Helen emotionally and in terms of property
Ruth had a long period of stress when she spent half her time in the north east, the other on the farm. I suspect many of us have been there, wherever we happen to be we feel we need to be somewhere else. Prolonged stress, feelings of guilt about her mum and mil, then bereavement. I'm sure many of us will identify with the sense of loss that comes when your mum dies. She's not coping very well, that's often what happens when emotions get the better of us