Constance Carlyle, battered and paralyzed after being pushed from a balcony by her husband, Field, fights for her life, while he experiences a flood of emotions — including guilt, anger, and, finally, resignation to a marriage he doesn't want. As her family rushes to the hospital, Constance begins to undergo long hours of sensitive surgery. When Lute-Mae seeks out Claude for comfort, Eudora overhears a revealing conversation that answers a key question in her life. Meanwhile, a reporter for a national scandal sheet attempts to dig up unsavory facts about Constance's fall, leaving Sheriff Semple to inform Field that he must become reconciled with his wife in order to maintain his political advantage. (Season Premiere)