Nicola Wheeler
“Nicola knows just how dangerous Graham is!”
An unlikely partnership is formed in the village this week, as Robert ropes Nicola into a dodgy plot to claw back his stake in the haulage firm.
Having lost his share of the business to conniving
Joe, Robert wants to turn the tables now the former lord of the manor is no more – and persuades reluctant Nicola to help him. But as they set about conning Graham into signing the important papers, is Nicola ready to see the plan through?
“Nicola likes Robert’s idea initially,” admits Nicola Wheeler, who plays her. “Jimmy has been sent off on a week-long haulage trip because Graham has made a mistake with an order. She’s stuck with a load of sick kids in the haulage office, but makes Robert look after them while she’s sorting stuff out. They end up chatting about the expense involved in bringing up children, and that’s what gets Robert thinking that he needs to get back in on the business…”
With no love lost between Nicola and the Home Farm contingent, she’s keen on the idea of Kim Tate incarcerated and her henchman Graham losing control of the haulage company – well, to begin with, anyway… “Nicola does appreciate the prospect of Kim and Graham no longer owning half of her husband Jimmy’s business,” explains Nicola. “And she and Robert do make rather a good pair, since they’re both quite
“Nicola likes Robert’s idea – they’re both ruthless!”
ruthless! Usually, if any plan serves them for the greater good, then they’ll be in there and doing it. And they won’t have any concerns about who they hurt in the process.”
Wasting no time, the cunning pair draw up the relevant contracts and deliver them to Home Farm personally – where they find inebriated Graham passed out on the sofa.
“They wake him up and tell him that his signature is needed for something to get through,” reveals Nicola. “They claim that Robert’s signature isn’t enough as he no longer has a stake in the firm. And Graham, in his drunkenness, is more than willing to put pen to paper.”
It seems the two may have done enough in order to get their wicked way – until Nicola starts to feel differently. Is she about to be struck by a very rare dose of guilty conscience, and leave her cohort Robert high and dry?
“Nicola knows what Graham’s capable of, and that he’s a dangerous man,” teases Nicola. “And the only reason she and Robert have this opportunity is because he’s so drunk. Robert’s very blasé about the whole thing, and neither of them are worried about Kim, because she’s in prison now.
“But there’s then a moral issue for Nicola – is she willing to take advantage of someone who’s in a position as weak as Graham’s? Or might she end up with cold feet?”