archie tries to apologise for standing blanche up, but she is having none of it. archie turns up at the barlows' house to serenade blanche, attracting many the rovers return inn customers who are touched by his gesture. blanche forgives archie. archie arrives early at the barlows' house, making deirdre think that he stayed the night. blanche is pleased when she hears this. archie chats up audrey roberts (sue nicholls) at the bar, making blanche jealous but archie wants audrey to make dead people look their best but she refuses. after archie flatters audrey about her hairdressing skills, she caves in and agrees to see to archie's clients' hair. audrey does her first dead person's hair on edwina levy, archie's former hairdresser, and finds it very rewarding. archie compliments audrey on her hairdressing skills in the rovers, unaware that ken's son peter barlow (chris gascoyne) is watching. he winds blanche up about archie's "other woman" and when blanche sees audrey getting into archie's car, she accuses archie of two-timing her. archie says he was just giving audrey a lift. archie tells audrey he doesn't like lying but audrey is adamant she doesn't want her customers to know that she's now "beautician to the dead". when blanche sees them together, she accuses archie of being dishonest and throws a glass of water over him so he tells her that audrey is working for him. he asks blanche not to tell anyone as audrey is worried that it would be bad for business. blanche forgives him.