Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins) has told George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) that she intends to provide a home for her secret granddaughter Lucy on Coronation Street, leaving George devastated and raising questions about what it means for Mary Taylor (Patti Clare).
Christina's life was turned upside down weeks ago when she discovered that Rachel, the daughter she was forced to give away as a teenager, had grown up and had a family of her own, only to be murdered in a domestic dispute, seemingly by her husband Richie (Nathan Sussex). Richie is the cousin of local cabbie and Rovers regular Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine).
Lucy's return to the Metcalfes
Tim and Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor) took in Rachel's traumatised teenager Lucy (Anywa Dewin) when she had nowhere else to go. But Sally soon became the target of Lucy's grief-stricken rage, with Lucy accusing her of not truly caring and lashing out against her authority.
The situation came to a head on Halloween, when a terrified Sally defended herself against a masked intruder breaking into her home, who turned out to be Lucy. Eager to tarnish Sally's good name, Lucy lied that Sally attacked her on purpose because she hates having her under her roof. Despite Sally's pleas of innocence, Ruth the social worker took Lucy away to a respite home, leaving Sally looking like a monster.
Christina's decision
Christina, already carrying a heavy burden of guilt for giving away a daughter who would grow up to be murdered, is worried about her secret granddaughter's welfare. Having taken a call from social services, Tim informs Sally that she has been cleared of any wrongdoing and Lucy will be coming back to live with them next week. In the café, Sally confides in Christina that she is worried about Lucy's return.
Sally and Tim call at No.11 to discuss Lucy's future. Giving George a hard stare, Christina assures them there's nothing she'd like more than to care for her grandchild. At the prison, Richie paints Rachel as a sadistic abuser and asks Christina to pass on a message to Lucy for him. Christina bites her tongue.
Impact on Mary
At No.11, Christina spells out to George that whether he is on board or not, she intends to provide a home for Lucy. This would have a knock-on effect for Mary Taylor, who lives with them, as taking on Lucy would leave Mary with nowhere to go. George is devastated, and it remains to be seen whether he will agree and what it will mean for Mary.
