EDITH: Granny, I’ve done what you asked.
ISOBEL: What was that?
VIOLET: I’ll tell you about it, later.
MARY: So, who’s coming to the christening?
CORA: All of us, I expect.
MARY: Granny?
VIOLET: Well, yes, If Brans— Tom wants me to.
BRANSON: I would be honoured.
MATTHEW: Robert, are you coming?
ROBERT: Tom doesn’t want me there, and I wouldn’t know what to do. All that crossing and bobbing up and down. I went to a Mass once in Rome and it was more like a gymnastic display.
He laughs, but the others don’t really – except for Kieran Branson.
BRANSON: I would like you to be there very much.
ROBERT: Why? What difference would it make?
BRANSON: All I know is Sybil would want you there. She loved you with all her heart and she would want you there.
CORA: Will you argue with that?
ROBERT: Not if you think it’s so important.
MATTHEW: How did you get on in London?
EDITH: Well, as a matter of fact, I’ve got an announcement to make and now’s as good a time as any. Listen, everyone. You have a journalist in the family.
VIOLET: Since we have a country solicitor and a car mechanic, it was only a matter of time.
MARY: How was the editor in the end?
EDITH: Oh, nice. Very nice.
Which makes Mary look at her again.
41 INT. KITCHEN PASSAGE/SERVANTS’ HALL. DOWNTON. NIGHT.
O’Brien is with Alfred.
O’BRIEN: So you’re ready to speak out?
ALFRED: I think you’re right, and I must.
O’BRIEN: Good. He has broken all the fundamental laws of God and man. Report him, as you should, and then stand back and enjoy his fall.
BATES: Enjoy whose fall?
He is standing near them. They did not see him arrive.
O’BRIEN: What?
BATES: You said: ‘Stand back and enjoy his fall.’ Whose fall?
O’BRIEN: I don’t know. I can’t remember.
Bates nods and moves on to the servants’ hall, where he finds Anna, among the others, reading. He speaks softly.
BATES: Miss O’Brien’s up to something.
ANNA: You do surprise me.
BATES: She’s plotting misery. I suppose Thomas will be in on it.
ANNA: I doubt it.
BATES: Why not? Don’t they hunt in a pack?
ANNA: Not these days. Things’ve changed.
Which gives Bates something to think about.
42 INT. DRAWING ROOM. DOWNTON. NIGHT.
The company is all in there. Isobel is with Edith and Violet.
ISOBEL: I don’t understand. You’ve placed an advertisement in a magazine to find a job for my housekeeper?
VIOLET: I knew you’d be against it.
ISOBEL: Well, how would you feel if I found other work for your cook or butler?
EDITH: Granny feels that for Ethel’s sake she should move elsewhere —
ISOBEL: Oh, nonsense. She couldn’t give tuppence about Ethel or anyone like her!
VIOLET: You’ve been reading those communist newspapers again.30
Kieran is with Branson, Matthew and Mary.
KIERAN BRANSON: I don’t suppose there’s any beer?
BRANSON: Haven’t you had enough?
MARY: Of course we have beer. We must have some somewhere. Carson?
CARSON: I believe so, m’lady. I’ll fetch it.
Robert is stroking Isis. He murmurs to Cora.
ROBERT: What’s the betting we’ll have a chorus of ‘Molly Malone’ before we finish?
CORA: You’re the one pushing Tom into his brother’s arms. This is not what Sybil wanted for him. She told me.
On his way to the door, Carson passes Violet.
VIOLET: Ah, Carson. Would you ask Mrs Hughes to meet me in the hall, please?
CARSON: Very good, m’lady. I will bring the beer in a moment, sir.
KIERAN BRANSON: It isn’t so bad here, after all.
43 INT. MRS HUGHES’S SITTING ROOM/PASSAGE. DOWNTON. NIGHT.
Carson holds a tankard on a tray. He’s with Mrs Hughes.
CARSON: I don’t know. She just asked if you could go up.
MRS HUGHES: I suppose I’ll have to.
In the passage, Alfred and Jimmy are coming downstairs.
CARSON: What’s this?
JIMMY: They said we could go. They’ll ring when they need the car.
He walks into the servants’ hall. Alfred lingers.
ALFRED: Mr Carson, might I have a word?
CARSON: Well, I have to take this up.
But Alfred just looks. After a moment, Carson nods.
CARSON (CONT’D): Oh, very well. Come with me.
As they go, Molesley turns to the others.
MOLESLEY: Well, this is a house of mystery and no mistake.
But, as usual, no one wants to share his joke.
44 INT. HALL. DOWNTON. NIGHT.
Violet, Edith and Isobel are with Mrs Hughes.
VIOLET: Mrs Hughes, you’ve always taken an interest in Ethel. Do you think I’m wrong?
MRS HUGHES: No. While Ethel is in this village she is doomed to be lonely. But if, as her ladyship suggests, she could get a job far away from here —
EDITH: She’s not a bad cook now, and with a respectable reference, which of course you can give her…
MRS HUGHES: And I can write another.
ISOBEL: I can’t get over how you’ve planned all this without a word to me.
VIOLET: Well, I knew you wouldn’t agree. I know how you hate facing facts.
ISOBEL: I resent that. I’m sorry but I do.
VIOLET: Nevertheless. Ethel is unhappy, as you must know. Besides which, her presence in the village —
ISOBEL: Ah. Now we’re getting to it. Robert disapproves and Carson disapproves and everyone disapproves except me.
MRS HUGHES: Mrs Crawley, I hope you don’t see me as an intolerant person.
ISOBEL: No.
MRS HUGHES: Because I agree with her ladyship. In a new place, where she can start again, Ethel has far more chance of happiness than in re-enacting her own version of The Scarlet Letter in Downton.
VIOLET: What is The Scarlet Letter?
EDITH: A novel. By Nathaniel Hawthorne.
VIOLET: It sounds most unsuitable.
ISOBEL: I’ll talk to Ethel.
EDITH: The advertisement in The Lady will appear next month, so there’s plenty of time to consider it properly.31
45 INT. CARSON’S PANTRY. DOWNTON. NIGHT.
Carson stands aghast, facing Alfred. They are both in shock.
CARSON: I don’t understand what you’re saying. Thomas was doing what?
ALFRED: I’ve just told you. When I came in, it looked as if… No. He was… He was kissing Jimmy on the mouth.
CARSON: Kissing?
ALFRED: That’s what I saw, Mr Carson.
CARSON: And what was James doing?
ALFRED: I think he was asleep, ’cos he just woke and he got very angry.
CARSON: As he should have been, by God.
ALFRED: My auntie says he might have been faking his anger because I walked in, but it didn’t look fake to me.
CARSON: Well, we can always rely on your aunt to take the ungenerous view.
He thinks for a moment.
CARSON (CONT’D): You will not speak of this to anyone. Is that clear? I’ll decide how to proceed, if necessary with the advice of his lordship, but I don’t want to hear the subject even mentioned in the servants’ hall.
ALFRED: Very good, Mr Carson.
CARSON: The world can be a shocking place, Alfred, but you are a man now, and you must learn to take it on the chin.32
46 INT. KITCHEN. CRAWLEY HOUSE. NIGHT.
Isobel comes in. Ethel sits alone in a chair. A lamp sheds a feeble light but she does not read. She just sits and stares. Isobel watches her for
a moment. Then Ethel turns and stands.
ETHEL: Beg pardon, ma’am. I was miles away.
ISOBEL: That’s all right. I just wanted to let you know I was back.
ETHEL: Would you like some tea?
ISOBEL: No, thank you. I’m going straight to bed… Ethel, are you happy?
ETHEL: Well, I… suppose I’m happy compared to what I was before.
ISOBEL: You see, I… Never mind. Goodnight.
47 INT. DRAWING ROOM. DOWNTON. NIGHT.
Robert, Cora and Violet are alone.
VIOLET: How can I still be here when all the young have gone to bed?
ROBERT: The motor’s ready when you are.
VIOLET: When is Jarvis leaving?
ROBERT: I’m not sure… It seems a poor return for forty years of service.
VIOLET: Maybe. But he was your father’s man. To him, you were always the young master, never the chief.
ROBERT: Which does not alter the fact that now we must find someone else.
VIOLET: But you’ve already found him.
ROBERT: What do you mean?
VIOLET: Well, obviously the answer to a thousand different questions is to give the position to Branson.
CORA: Tom.
VIOLET: Well, if he’s the agent, we can call him Branson again, thank heaven.
ROBERT: That’s a mad plan.
CORA: It’s not. Tom and Matthew can work on the new ideas together. They’re the same age. Well done, Mama.
ROBERT: But what does he know of farming?
VIOLET: His grandfather was a farmer.
ROBERT: In a small way.
VIOLET: Which means he has more practical experience than Jarvis ever had. Think of the child. You cannot want your only granddaughter to grow up in a garage with that drunken gorilla?
CORA: Don’t we owe this to Sybil? She asked me not to let Tom slide backwards. And I promised.
ROBERT: I’ll do it on one condition. No, two. First, Matthew must agree.
CORA: He will.
ROBERT: Second, you will both admit it when you realise you were wrong.
VIOLET: Oh, well. That is an easy caveat to accept. Because I’m never wrong.33
48 INT. CARSON’S PANTRY. DOWNTON. NIGHT.
Thomas stands before Carson’s desk.
CARSON: I don’t need to tell you that this is a criminal offence.
THOMAS: We hadn’t done nothing.
CARSON: But you were hoping to do something if Alfred hadn’t come in.
THOMAS: It’s not against the law to hope, is it?
CARSON: Don’t get clever with me. When you should be horsewhipped!
But pronouncing the words has released some of the tension.
CARSON (CONT’D): Do you have a defence? Am I mistaken in any part of this?
THOMAS: Not really, Mr Carson. As for a defence, what can I say? I was… very drawn to him, and I’d got the impression that he felt the same way. I was wrong.
CARSON: It seems an odd mistake to make.
THOMAS: When you’re like me, Mr Carson, you have to read the signs as best you can, because no one dares speak out.
CARSON: I do not wish to take a tour of your revolting world.
THOMAS: No.
CARSON: So, are you saying that James is the innocent party in all this?
THOMAS: Yes, Mr Carson, he is. Now, when would you like my resignation?
CARSON: I will take time to consider. And we must first find out what James intends to do. He’d be within his rights to report you to the police.
THOMAS: Oh, my God.
CARSON: Although I’m quite sure it won’t come to that.
THOMAS: Are you going to tell his lordship?
CARSON: I haven’t decided. Will you give me your word that nothing had happened?
THOMAS: I will, yes.
CARSON: Right. Goodnight.34
Thomas nods and heads for the door. Mrs Hughes comes in.
MRS HUGHES: Mr Barrow looks very grim-faced.
CARSON: Never mind him… Human nature’s a funny business, isn’t it?
MRS HUGHES: Now, why didn’t the poets come to you, Mr Carson? They’d have saved themselves a lot of time and trouble.
49 INT. MENSERVANTS’ PASSAGE. DOWNTON. NIGHT.
Alfred is with Jimmy.
ALFRED: I wasn’t supposed to mention it to anyone, but I’m not comfortable keeping you in the dark.
JIMMY: No… So what did old Carson say?
ALFRED: Not much. I told him you were as shocked as I was… What are you thinking?
JIMMY: Only that if I can manage this sensibly, I think you can kiss goodbye to being first footman.
With that enigmatic observation, he goes into his room.
50 EXT. CATHOLIC CHURCH. RIPON. DAY.
The bells are pealing as the party emerges from the church. A photographer is waiting.
BRANSON: What’s this?
EDITH: I hope you don’t mind. After all, we had to have a record.
PHOTOGRAPHER: If you could all form a group around the father.
They do. Cora is with Mary and Edith.
EDITH: It seems so strange without Sybil here.
CORA: She’s watching. I know.
MARY: I envy you. I wish I did.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Ever so slightly. Thank you very much.
Robert finds himself next to Branson. Matthew is there.
BRANSON: You really mean it? You want me to take on the running of the whole estate? It’s a big job.
ROBERT: Think of it as a christening present from Sybil.
BRANSON: But if you’re only doing it because of her, if you’re not sure…
ROBERT: I’m sure we should give it a go. If it doesn’t work out or you get bored, then we can think again.
MATTHEW: It’s a wonderful idea, Tom, and I’m ashamed it wasn’t mine.
The camera goes off.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Perhaps one with the grandfather holding the baby? And maybe the great-grandmother with him?
Robert takes the child nervously. Violet joins him.
PHOTOGRAPHER (CONT’D): And what about Father Dominic, who christened her?
A Benedictine priest in a long, black cassock steps forward and makes a third adult in the group. Robert and Violet both look as if they are trapped in a cage with a crocodile.35
CORA: What’s the matter, Robert? Are you afraid you’ll be converted while you’re not looking?
The others laugh as the shutter clicks, capturing Robert’s startled face.
END OF EPISODE SEVEN
1 I was rather fascinated by the technicalities of shooting this scene, because when they did the reverse shot back towards Anna and the car there were dustbins, posters, modern signs, everything. In the old days you would have to get everyone’s permission to remove them, shoot the scene and then put it all back. Now none of that is necessary; they just take them out on the computer.
2 That moment when Bates first sees Downton was, I thought, rather a good one. In fact, bringing Bates back in gave us quite a useful dramatic dynamic. In a sense you reinvent him, because he’s been out of the group for so long, so you can have all the collisions with Thomas and everyone else all over again, and when he asks who Ivy is we are reminded how long he’s been away.
3 As Bates is now a married man, he and Anna need a cottage, because at the moment he’s living in the male quarters and she is in the female. On their marriage they had asked for a cottage, but Bates was arrested almost immediately and so the idea has been allowed to go to sleep.
Marriage among servants was a tricky business. The only servant who was always expected to be married was the coachman (and subsequently the chauffeur). He would normally not live in the house, but in a cottage as part of the stable yard. He had to be near the horses and then later the cars, but other servants who were married – and that in itself was uncommon – would not be expected to live in single quarters. One can’t ever talk as if there were hard and fast rules, but it was more unusual for a marri
ed couple to live in the house. We would think little flats might be arranged on the top floor, but there weren’t really married quarters within the houses; rather they would be in another part of the stable yard or a cottage on the estate. Houses differed: Blenheim has a lot of separate quarters where people could live and still be close to the house in order to work there, but it wasn’t usual. And Anna’s situation, being a married lady’s maid, was rare.
4 Violet thinks Isobel isn’t really helping Ethel by keeping her in a place where her past is known. But Isobel feels that, until Ethel has done a job and got good references, she’s not going to make the transition to a new life. And, of course, she is also proving her liberal point.
5 I think this is our first real film moment. The movies had been going from about 1905, and were seen as a working-class entertainment. They were not yet taken seriously, but the 1920s would change that, with D. W. Griffith and others raising the status of film-making. But at this point they were considered fairly lowly, to be shown in village halls because there weren’t built cinemas outside the major towns. This is a real film, Way Down East, directed by D. W. Griffith, and they did have showings for servants. None of this is out of the ordinary. I think it’s also quite right that Mrs Hughes would not let Ivy go unaccompanied. Maybe later in the 1920s, when things were beginning to loosen up, but not yet.
6 Jarvis’s problem, really, is that he can’t see the future – which of us can? – but then again, Matthew’s plans for the estate are pretty modern and there were plenty of estates that wouldn’t get to these ideas until after the Second World War. Most surviving estates would eventually take more and more land in hand so they could farm in larger economic units, but it left empty farmyards and they had to be used for something else, which in many cases was not properly addressed until the 1970s and 1980s. There was the odd case of forward thinking, and we’re saying that Downton was one of them, but we must be careful. The development of farmyards into cottage industries and farm shops was still far away, so we can’t do much of that, but what did happen was letting farmhouses as they became empty. That was quite standard. Robert’s difficulty is that he can’t see what was wrong with the way things have been done until now. Matthew points out, quite truthfully, that he was just bailing out the estate with Cora’s money and that couldn’t go on forever, but Robert will not face the truth: that you can’t run a business by bailing it out. In short, they are all cross.
Downton Abbey, Series 3 Scripts (Official) Page 40