The Bird

Since Cassie was up late grading papers, Sam brings Cassie breakfast in bed and gives her a kiss. Cassie feels the whole teaching experience went by too fast as she was just getting started.

Joy thanks Donna for helping with the remodeling of Martha’s house. Donna announces she already has their next remodel lined up, in Vermont!

Abigail, Donovan and Martha find the heart of Middleton ruby is almost cracked all the way through. Abigail says they broke up for nothing. Martha hopes despite the crack they are not giving up.

Martha reaches out to Cassie for help with her housewarming. However, Cassie is distracted by the appearance of a small purple velvet satchel full of dirt. Despite the distraction, Cassie feels Martha’s anxiety about the housewarming is undue and offers her some juniper and a house smudging.

At the hospital, Grant tells Sam he has a large amount of vacation days banked. Grant does not want him burning out as vacation is not suggested; it is mandatory. Effective immediately, Grant orders Sam to go on vacation.

At The Bistro, Stephanie is hesitant about a long-distance relationship after reading articles about them. Adam asks what Stephanie wants to do as far as their relationship goes since he is leaving next week.

Donovan and Abigail try to crack the key to breaking the curse by reviewing their evidence board. Sam arrives, as he is now on mandatory vacation, and is ready to help crack this case before the ruby cracks completely.

Cassie helps Martha smudge her home to create a calm and soothing energy. Martha is excited as she now feels her housewarming will go off without a hitch. However, Joy enters asking who ordered flowers. A delivery man has arrived with eight deeply unappealing bouquets. Martha confirms she ordered a houseful of stunning arrangements but the flowers the delivery man has brought are stunningly disappointing. She rejects the delivery. Cassie wonders why she did not use Abigail for the floral arrangements. Abigail was Martha’s first choice. However, Abigail did not want to help celebrate Roderick’s old house. Joy also has more bad news. The paint in the hallways may not dry in time for the party. Martha begins to wonder when the smudging powers will kick in.

Back at Grey House, Cassie finds Sam making the perfect BLT. He says it’s about time someone recognize his sandwich making genius. Sam was sent home from work to take vacation, so she is stuck with him for the next two weeks. Cassie also has news; her teaching job has been extended so Sam can help her grade papers while he is home.

Abigail and Donovan’s search for clues gets interrupted as Donovan has lunch with the Governor. Before he leaves, he says “I love you” for both himself and Abigail. She wishes should could say it but is still unable to because the curse.

Adam shows Sam the engagement ring he wants to give to Stephanie. Sam asks, what does Adam really want? Is it to marry Stephanie? Or is proposing a way to make sure she is there for him when he comes back from his mission. Adam thinks Sam’s last question is unfair. Luckily, he is not proposing to Sam.

After a florist in Blairsville falls through despite Tom’s best efforts to help secure flowers, Martha wonders how they will put the warm in housewarming without flowers. On top of that, Joy and Donna have news about the chandelier. Good news – it has arrived. Joy reveals the bad news by pulling out the chandelier. It is a Christmas ornament, no larger than the size of her hand. Tom comments, “It’s pretty.” A distraught Martha shouts, “Pretty itty bitty.”

Cassie uses the new mediation room to ease Sam into his vacation. Sam wonders when they will start with the “Oms.” Cassie says Om is a mantra and he should come up with his own. Sam does and starts chanting, “I’m bored.” They both laugh and Sam admits all this relaxing is stressing him out.

Martha begs Abigail to take care of the flowers for her housewarming. Abigail refuses but Martha hopes she will at least attend the party. Abigail does not feel comfortable celebrating in a house where the curse keeping her and Donovan apart first began.

Cassie has a muffin ready for Donna. She can tell Donna is a great friend to Joy. Donna has been there for Joy during tough times. Cassie wonders if the job in Vermont could also be a mistake. Suddenly, Joy enters and asks before considering Vermont if they could check out more jobs in Middleton first. Donna says she thinks she can get used to small town life.

Sam and Cassie switch roles as meditation did not help. Sam is practicing his short golf game and gives Cassie a putting lesson.

Donovan returns from his lunch with the Governor and finds Abigail on a mission to take their lives back. She is getting rid of their evidence board, returning the music box and going to Martha’s housewarming. They are going to dance, have fun and forget about the curse. Donovan has just one question: what time should he pick her up?

Martha fears the smudge sticks at Martha’s home expired. There are nothing but potholes on the road to her housewarming. Cassie finds Martha is staying positive as nothing has or could make her cancel the party. Maybe the smudge sticks were not duds after all.

At the hospital Stephanie surprises Adam with a visit. She is excited as her Mom cannot wait to meet him during the holidays. Unfortunately, Adam does not know if he’ll be back by then. Adam made plans for himself. Stephanie tells him she needs to also make plans for herself. They were starting to build a life here and she would like to know when he will be back.

Tom finds Martha staring at her itty-bitty Christmas ornament chandelier. She says Rudolph is not guiding her sleigh tonight as all her prep has gone off the rails. Tom tells her to look on the bright side -- it’s a funny story. Martha finds it hard to see the bright side without her monumental chandelier. Tom has a gift to take her mind off it. He presents her with a pearl necklace, perfect for the Lady of the Manor who will host many gatherings. Just then, Joy and Donna arrive with a chandelier. They’ll never let a client -- or friends -- down. Abigail also enters with flower arrangements, hoping it is not too late to RSVP. Martha looks at Tom and says, “Now this is a funny story.”

Feeling inspired, Cassie has busted out her pottery wheel. Sam is also intrigued and gives making pottery a try. Cassie helps him by gently guiding his hands around the clay. They enjoy this relaxing time together and share a kiss.

Later that night Donna thrilled to tell Joy that they have landed the remodel in Vermont. Joy wonders what happened to their plan to look for jobs in Middleton first. Donna feels the Vermont offer is too good to pass up as it will take their business from minor league to the majors. Joy needs time to think about it.

Martha’s housewarming begins as Cassie and Sam arrive. Martha welcomes everyone to Tinsdale Manor, a labor a love that would not have been possible without Tom and Joy. A live orchestra begins to play, and drinks are served. The whole affair gets Abigail thinking maybe she should allow Joy and Donna to remodel her flower shop. Donna jokingly says too late, they are already booked.

Meanwhile, at the Bistro, Adam holds the engagement ring as he waits for Stephanie. She enters and he hides the ring in his coat pocket. Stephanie looks stunning in a beautiful white dress. They agree not to argue about their future tonight. Adam reaches for the ring but stops. It is not fair for him to ask her to put her life on hold.

Dotty tells Martha the queen finally has her castle. She is surprised Martha did not ask to borrow one of her tiaras. Dotty admits she has taken a look around the manor. It is not what she would have done with the place but concedes, “It’s not half bad.”

Stephanie and Adam tell Sam and Cassie they have broken up. Sam speaks with Adam as Stephanie talks to Cassie. They both feel it was the right thing to do for both of them. Cassie comforts Stephanie saying sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.

Martha thanks Donna for helping Joy with the remodel of her new manor. Their work has caught attention in Middleton as Martha has a friend looking for someone to renovate her family home and wants to enlist their services. Donna is flattered but tells Martha they have already taken another offer in Vermont. Martha will miss both Joy and Donna, but she is thrilled for them.

Joy explains her hesitancy take the job in Vermont to Cassie. Her mom always told her there were more Merriwicks out there, but she never thought she would be able to find them, let alone get close to Cassie and Abigail. Cassie feels Joy should do what she feels is best for her. The problem is, Joy does not have a feeling for what to do.

Donovan and Abigail sneak off into the library for a kiss. Dotty catches them and admits the Davenports were not fond of her relationship with Donovan’s father at first. It wasn’t until they were engaged that the family accepted her.

Stephanie and Adam enjoy a dance together. They both agree they will miss moments like this. Sam and Cassie join them and also hit the dance floor. Martha finds the event lovely as she and Tom watch the various lovers of Middleton dance together. Suddenly, Sam notices Tom looking through a telescope: a clue hidden in plain sight.

Back at Grey house they review Nathaniel’s painting they re-enacted for the tableau. In the painting William Spry is looking thorough a telescope at a figurine of a bird just like the one Joy’s mom left her. She pulls out the figurine and Abigail look at it for clues. Cassie points out the figurine may help them determine when the curse started as it was handed down from mother to daughter starting with Laurel Merriwick. However, if it’s in the painting it must date further back. Sam states it’s a piece of Merriwick history that was never connected to Merriwick history. “Until now,” Cassie says. Suddenly, a light bulb goes out over the stone Cassie received from Olympia. Joy looks at the stone, recalling how it’s important to recognize the beauty inside. She smashes the bird figurine, revealing the missing diamond.

Martha rushes over to Grey House with the music box. Joy wonders what happens when a curse breaks. Sam says hopefully they are about to find out. Abigail places the diamond in the music box. The music box shuts hiding the gems. Donovan asks if Abigail can say “I love you.” She cannot. Suddenly the music box starts to play, and an engagement ring pops out. It’s the ring Roderick used to propose to Patience. Donovan grabs it and proposes to Abigail. He wants to spend the rest of his life with her and won’t let anything keep them apart. Abigail says, “yes” and finally, “I love you.” Joy says, “That’s what happens when a curse breaks.”

Donna finds Joy and asks if she has made a decision. Joy is still torn and says that if they had a job in Middleton it would be much easier. Donna does not share Martha’s job lead in Middleton with Joy and simply states the only job they have is in Vermont.

Sam and Cassie fall onto the bed after a full day of meditation, golf, pottery and dancing. They also broke a 200-year-old curse. However, Cassie is still up for a little more putting. Sam, however, falls fast asleep.

As Cassie makes some tea, she exams the purple velvet satchel she found. Abigail and Joy enter with similar satchels left for them. Abigail wonders what it means. Cassie has no idea.