Mischief Night is approaching, when the residents of Lark Rise and Candleford play tricks on their neighbours under cover of darkness. Laura, however, is in no mood for silly pranks – Fisher Bloom has returned and it has thrown her feelings for Daniel into confusion. Pearl, too, is unsettled by Fisher’s return. She is fond of Daniel and doesn’t want to see him hurt. So she is horrified when she hears that Daniel has befriended Fisher – unaware of his history with Laura – and convinced him to stay in Candleford to fix his newspaper printing press.

When Laura confesses to Daniel her past relationship with Fisher, he takes it well, but it quickly becomes clear that, for all her protestations, Laura still has feelings for Fisher and Daniel has a rival for her affections.

Dorcas, meanwhile, is excitedly planning a Mischief Night trick on Pearl, but Fisher has news which threatens to cast a shadow over her fun. While working on the new station clock at neighbouring Inglestone, he has heard of possible changes to the postal service in the area – which could spell trouble for the Candleford Post Office. Dorcas is determined not to let it ruin her evening, but the news worries her, nonetheless.

Over in Lark Rise, Alf and Edmund have heard about Fisher’s return. Protective of Laura’s feelings, and suspicious of Fisher’s motives, they hatch a Mischief Night plan to try to make him leave town. Pearl also has a trick up her sleeve, designed to convince Fisher that all hopes of romance with Laura are futile. But their efforts have the opposite effect on Fisher. They all try a bit too hard to convince him of Laura’s love for Daniel, and it makes him believe he must still have a chance with her.

As the locals dart about playing Mischief Night pranks on each other, Fisher notices the Candleford clock has stopped and can’t resist going to the clock tower to investigate. Laura, too, is drawn to the clock tower and, when she and Fisher meet, the atmosphere of Mischief Night works its magic. They talk about old times and dance. Laura is swept up in Fisher’s romantic words, but reality and guilt soon hit her – she remembers how Fisher hurt her in the past and how she now feels about Daniel. She runs off, but the damage is done. Daniel has seen her go into the clock tower and knows she has gone there to see Fisher. He stopped the clock to see what she would do and she has failed the test. Has he lost Laura for ever?