'Emmerdale' preview: Who buys the Woolpack as Rhona meets Pierce's son?

It’s been another eventful week for Emmerdale’s villagers, with the Dingles speculating over who will purchase their beloved pub.

Meanwhile, after receiving a letter out of the blue, Rhona Goskirk (Zoë Henry) has agreed to track down the son of her dying ex-husband Pierce Harris — despite her horrific ordeal at the prisoner's hands.

Firstly, it's the end of an era as the Woolpack has been put up for auction thanks to slippery Al Chapman’s (Michael Wildman) actions. Although she has accepted the situation, Chas (Lucy Pargeter) is bereft at the loss of her livelihood.

Read more: Next week on Emmerdale 

Charity (Emma Atkins) overheard Kim Tate (Claire King) discussing her plans to bid on the pub, and Chas was left furious.

Thursday’s double-bill of Emmerdale sees Chas, Marlon (Mark Charnock) and the rest of the clan attend the auction, and it’s a tense wait to find out who will stake their claim on the local watering hole.

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Who will the new owner be? Surely not Al, who has been making life as difficult as possible for the Dingles — even burning the place to the ground at Christmas. Could Kim be the front-runner, or will someone else surprise us? And, if they do, will it be good news for Chas and co?

We can’t remember the last time we saw her crack a smile, and frankly it’s about time she ran out of things to sulk about; so let’s hope for some kind of reprieve.

The future of the Woolie isn’t the only thing dominating the latest outing of the Dales, as Rhona’s big decision leads to an encounter which catches her off-guard.

Earlier in the week, Ryan Stocks (James Moore) gave Rhona a contact number for Pierce’s son Marcus Dean (Darcy Grey). The vet decided to keep partner Marlon in the dark, but friend Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) is in the know.

She intercepted a voicemail from Marcus, wanting to put him off. But of course in soapland, sticking one’s nose in never ends well.

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Her attempts to keep Marcus away from Rhona fail spectacularly when the pair inevitably come face-to-face. But what kind of person is Marcus? And how will Rhona feel when she meets the offspring of her attacker?

Tune in to Emmerdale at 7pm and 8pm to catch your first glimpse of Marcus, and find out who takes on the Woolpack.

Watch the latest Emmerdale spoilers