But when she spotted some priceless porcelain and tried to do a runner to France with it, Rodney caught her and she was forced to abandon her dreams. Despite double-crossing him, Steph and Rodney got close again and even got engaged. But Steph wasn't after Rodney's love and companionship; her one true love was money.
When she discovered Rodney was not as flush as she thought, Steph jilted him and moved in with her father Alan (Richard Thorp) at the B&B. A few weeks later, Steph was delighted when her best friend "Fat" Shelley Williams (Carolyn Pickles) arrived. The two women immediately started making plans to open a salon in the village and got Alan to finance their business.