NEW beginnings are finally ahead for Mary Goskirk after she was left heartbroken by former girlfriend and con woman Faye Helders.
The Emmerdale character gets a new love interest next week as her friendship with a well-known resident blossoms.
ITV viewers have been hoping to see Mary Goskirk (portrayed by Louise Jameson) get a fresh storyline following her scamming ordeal.
In recent months, the mother of established Dales resident Rhona Goskirk has been helping her daughter cope with her unexpected attachment to baby Ivy.
Rhona was horrified when her former husband Gus Malcolms used her frozen embryos to conceive Ivy with his new wife Lucy but after her initial shock, she was unable to deny the pull she felt towards the baby.
Mary has also been a crucial support for Rhona's husband Marlon Dingle as the pair's marriage has been deeply affected by the conception and birth of Ivy.
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However, in scenes due to air next week, Mary finally gets a storyline of her own as she finds love again in the eponymous village.
Fans of the Yorkshire-based drama have speculated that Mary could be getting closer to either soap legend Kim Tate (Claire King) or Suzy Merton (Martelle Edinborough).
The latter appears to get all of her attention next week.
Coming up, Suzy is stressed as Belle Dingle and Tom King's sophisticated wedding - which soap watchers agree shouldn't even take place - descends into chaos.
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But when Mary offers to help, Suzy is grateful.
Will their friendship lead to something more serious later on?
Regular viewers of the long-running program will recall that Mary tiptoed out of the closet as a lesbian in 2022, during an emotional conversation with her pal Kim Tate.
After opening up about her sexuality to her daughter, which led to some difficult moments between both women, Mary decided it was time for her to find a partner.
In early, 2023, Mary met a woman named Faye Helders and the pair hit it off before embarking on a relationship.
Unfortunately, the romance turned sour as it was revealed that Faye was a con artist who only had eyes for Mary's money.
The revelation came just as Faye and Mary were getting ready to leave Emmerdale for a fresh start abroad and Suzy was becoming increasingly suspicious of the newcomer.
Mary's ordeal eventually ended in a blackmailing turmoil as Faye used a nude photo of her victim against her, although she was also thrown in prison for her actions.
Meanwhile, Suzy has had to face some heartache of her own during her time in the village.
After rocking up in the Dales a single woman, she bumped into Vanessa Woodfield and the pair became a couple.
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But when Vanessa had the chance to leave for a fresh start in Canada, Suzy knew their time together had come to an end.
Suzy has remained a free agent ever since, though viewers hoped she'd fall for Leyla Harding.
This was until they spotted clear chemistry between her and Mary.
How will Suzy and Mary get together?
Will their relationship go ahead without a hitch?
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Could soap bosses throw a spanner in the works as they test their romantic potential?
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.