Emmerdale star Zoe Henry reveals that Pierce takes it very badly when he misreads things and proposes to Rhona – and she turns him down
Rhona Kirk is horrified when Pierce Harris asks her to marry him and he doesn’t take kindly to being turned down, Emmerdale star Zoe Henry tells Soaplife…
Why do you think Pierce proposes to Rhona? “They have this lovely evening and Paddy is going out for a date with Chas. Rhona says that if all goes well, it might be Leo’s first pageboy moment, and Pierce wonders if Rhona is saying that because she wants to get married, but she absolutely isn’t. However, he runs with it. It’s a big deal to him.”
Tell us about the proposal? “Rhona is booked into a spa and Pierce turns it into a full day of pampering. When she comes home, he has decorated the room with roses, put on her favourite music and there is champagne on ice. Then he gets down on one knee and proposes.”
She’s not happy about it then? “It is an utter shock and a bit awkward to say the least. She hasn’t even dealt with the fact that her second marriage is over. It is too soon. Rhona loves him, but there is still so much unresolved. She isn’t even technically divorced and feels she doesn’t know Pierce that well.”
How does Pierce cope with the rejection? “He takes it quite badly and gets angry, so she has to try and placate him. Rhona feels sorry for him as he has misread things. It is not an outright ‘no’, it is a ‘no’ right now.”
Will she regret saying ‘no’? “It is something that Pierce might use against her – she is always treading on eggshells with him as he is so volatile. She does love him and there is no reason for her to think she won’t spend the rest of her life with him, it’s just that marriage is a scary step right now.”
How does Paddy react? “He charges over and congratulates them on being engaged when they are not, so that adds to the tension. Pierce feels humiliated and that has the potential of making him even more controlling.”
Should Rhona be worried about Pierce’s mood swings? “She genuinely thinks she can manage him, but they have only been together for a short while and there is a side to him she doesn’t know yet.”
