I think Maggie conjectured about how he may have taken it off while getting ready for their trip. As far as the comments about how many times he was gone, (especially lately – all the mentions of him working out of town and showing his picture) I just think that was away to keep his name in the SL, and now the writer’s have closed that chapter.
I’m sure Maggie will move on eventually – but then Alice never did after Tom’s passing- so maybe they will make Maggie the matriarch of the family now.
As far as moving on, after a year or so of Sean being dead – I would have thought since Victor has mellowed in his "old" age, that perhaps he and Caroline could have gotten together, but I’m afraid that Caroline is complety out of the picture now. Plus, Vivian is clinging to Victor like a cobra. I hope they don’t go upstairs in the pub and find Caroline the way that they did Micky.
And they better not do something like that to Mrs. H., she will have to go someday (as we all do), but the show had better do at least a week’s tribute and send off for her!