Downton Abbey

by Julian Fellowes

  CARSON: What’s going on?

  THOMAS: It’s Mr Lang.

  The shouts are turning into screams. We can hear a noise on the women’s side of the door and now it opens. Mrs Hughes is there, with Anna and Ethel and O’Brien hovering behind her.

  MRS HUGHES: What in heaven’s name is happening?

  Carson opens Lang’s door. He is writhing and screaming.

  CARSON: Mr Lang. Mr Lang! Wake up!

  LANG: I can’t do it! I can’t do it!

  CARSON: You’re having a bad dream, Mr Lang!

  LANG: It’s the soldiers, Mr Carson, it’s the soldiers, but I can’t. I can’t go back, no matter what they —

  CARSON: No one’s asking you to go back, Mr Lang.

  THOMAS: No. Just to put a sock in it.

  At last Lang is awake. Now O’Brien pushes past the others.

  O’BRIEN: Don’t worry, Mr Lang. You’ve had a bad dream, that’s all.

  LANG: Is it a dream…? Thank God. Oh, thank God. Thank God.

  O’BRIEN: You’re all right. Let’s get you back into bed.

  LANG: I’m sorry.

  O’BRIEN: It’s all right, Mr Lang. You’re all right.

  She shoos the others out and shuts the door, speaking softly.

  O’BRIEN (CONT’D): Is it any wonder? When he’s been to hell and back?*

  * With Lang we were trying to build up that only too familiar situation where you gradually realise that someone is incapable of the job they’re doing, but you don’t dislike them at all. It’s not a question of their not trying, or being lazy, or anything else. It’s just that they cannot fulfil the function that they have been employed for. For me, this is nice and complicated emotionally, because you wish them well, but you know it can’t go on. Which is what Carson feels here.

  49 EXT. DOWNTON. DAY.

  The General, with Matthew, has arrived. The house has turned out to greet him: nurses, family, servants (no kitchen staff).†

  MATTHEW: My cousin, Lord Grantham.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: This is very kind of you, Lord Grantham.

  ROBERT: Welcome.

  MATTHEW: Lady Grantham, and this is Major Clarkson who runs our hospital here.

  ISOBEL: And I am Captain Crawley’s mother, and will accompany you on your tour and explain the different levels of care we practise here.

  CLARKSON: Lady Grantham and Mrs Crawley will both accompany us as we go around, sir.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: Makes a nice change from the craggy-faced warriors I’m usually surrounded by.

  CORA: We’d like to think that were true. Please come this way.

  MATTHEW: Poor Mother. She longs to hold all the reins.

  He says this to Mary, who smiles. The General turns.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: Crawley!

  Both Matthew and Robert spin round at the command.

  MATTHEW: I should go, if only to keep our respective mothers apart.

  The General goes in, flirting with Cora. Isobel stumps along behind. Thomas has caught at Clarkson’s elbow.

  THOMAS: I’m afraid Mrs Crawley’s none too pleased to play second fiddle, sir.

  CLARKSON: Well, I hope she doesn’t spoil things.

  THOMAS: Well, that’s just what I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, sir. You see, I’m trying to run a tight ship here, but Mrs Crawley insists on…

  Thomas finds O’Brien and winks. He’s off to put the knife in. Lavinia is on the edge of the group, which starts to go in. Catching Mary’s eye, Rosamund nods sharply at Lavinia.

  LAVINIA: What’s the matter with your aunt?

  MARY: We should follow them in, or Mama will say we’re unsupportive.

  LAVINIA: Tell me what it is. Please.

  MARY: All right…

  † We were fortunate in getting Julian Wadham to play the General. In this kind of scene, one of the problems of casting a supporting role who is an officer is to find an actor who has sufficient authority for you to believe that they would be the senior officer present. In other words, you need very good actors. For this, it helps if the show in question is recognised as being respectable and good, because then people will be happy to accept a part in it. Coincidentally, Julian Wadham was at my school.

  One of the supporting officers is our technical advisor, Alastair Bruce, and he runs everything on the set. He tells the actors what fork to use, and the costume department what uniforms they should be in, and so on. I know him because he is a childhood friend of my wife’s, and we first worked together in the mid-1990s on a BBC version of The Prince and the Pauper. I needed an expert on heraldry and Alastair is an expert on everything. He was also wonderfully helpful on The Young Victoria, before he came to organise Downton. As part of all this, he has gradually played more and more roles, so he’s now been Violet’s butler, the General’s aide-de-camp, a gun out shooting, a stalker, I think, up in Scotland, he’s been a footman, he’s been every kind of character. So we feel now we could probably cut together The Alastair Bruce Show. Anyway, he was a career soldier and is now with the TAs, so he was absolutely invaluable during this series, for picking up mistakes.

  50 INT. KITCHEN. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  Daisy and Mrs Patmore are working.

  DAISY: I know he’s going to propose.

  MRS PATMORE: Well, then you’re going to accept. Did you get that picture taken?

  DAISY: I did, yes. But…

  MRS PATMORE: Fetch it. Because if you think I’m going to stand by and watch that boy’s dreams stamped in the dust, you’ve got another thing coming. You can take back your promise when the war’s over, and not before!

  DAISY: But it’s a lie!

  MRS PATMORE: Don’t make him give up when he’s off to face the guns. You’d never forgive yourself if owt happened.

  51 EXT. DOWNTON. DAY.

  Mary and Lavinia are walking into the house.

  MARY: Do you remember when Aunt Rosamund found you and Richard Carlisle together in the garden?

  LAVINIA: I knew I’d hear more about that.

  MARY: She thought he was threatening you… And now she’s decided that you were behind the Marconi Share Scandal. In 1912. The Chancellor and other ministers were involved, including your uncle.

  LAVINIA: I remember the Marconi Scandal.

  MARY: No. Let’s forget it. It’s absurd…

  LAVINIA: But Lady Rosamund is right. I did steal the evidence for Sir Richard to print. I did start the scandal.

  MARY: The trouble is Aunt Rosamund can’t understand why you would do such a thing unless you and Sir Richard were…

  LAVINIA: Were lovers.

  CORA (V.O.): Mary? You must come. I don’t want the General to think us rude.

  She’s in the doorway. Mary nods and walks to her in a daze.

  52 INT. DRAWING ROOM. DOWNTON. DAY.

  The General, Matthew and the family survey the room. Men lie on their beds or stand next to them. Edith is working away.

  MATTHEW: The ground-floor rooms are for those men who need the most care, sir.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: Yes, of course.

  CAPTAIN SMILEY: General Strutt, sir.

  Captain Smiley gives a sign to the General, who goes over.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: Oh, right, yes. Tell me about this officer.

  ISOBEL: Who is that man? I hope he’s not complaining.

  EDITH: Oh, no. That’s Captain Smiley. He hasn’t an unkind bone in his body.

  MARY: How do you know?

  The General has moved on to another bed. He calls to Matthew.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: Matthew! Listen to this!

  MATTHEW: Everything all right, sir?

  CORA: What on earth’s that about?

  EDITH: Oh, don’t worry. Major Holmes can be a little waspish, but he wouldn’t want to get us into trouble.

  CORA: How do you know so much about a pack of strangers?

  EDITH: They’re not strangers to me.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT ST
RUTT: This is all very impressive, Lady Grantham. The nurses and your own staff are to be congratulated.

  CORA: I believe they are.

  53 INT. SERVANTS’ HALL. DOWNTON. DAY.

  William is with the maids, Daisy, Mrs Patmore and Mrs Hughes.

  WILLIAM: I wouldn’t say I was scared. I’m nervous — of course I am — but not scared. I think I’m ready.

  He glances up to see tears running down Mrs Patmore’s cheeks.

  MRS PATMORE: Don’t mind me. Only I’m thinking of what your dear mother would say.

  WILLIAM: Well, I wish she was here to see me off.

  MRS PATMORE: Oh, she’d be so proud. Why, when we waved off our Archie, I remember —

  But she breaks off. They are all silenced by this. Then…

  MRS HUGHES: What do you remember, Mrs Patmore? I’ll tell you. You remember a fine young man who enlisted before he had to and who gave his life for his country. Because he’d be alive and well today if he hadn’t chosen to go to war.

  DAISY: She’s right.

  Mrs Patmore is very moved by their forgiveness. She nods.

  MRS PATMORE: Happen she is… Come on, Daisy. Back to the grindstone.

  William’s expression tells us he has a sentence unsaid.

  MRS PATMORE (CONT’D): What is it?

  WILLIAM: I just want a word with Daisy.

  DAISY: I’m needed in the kitchen.

  She hurries past Mrs Patmore, but the cook does not help.

  MRS PATMORE: There’s plenty of time later on.

  54 INT. SMALL LIBRARY/LIBRARY. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  The company is dressed for dinner. Matthew, Doctor Clarkson, the General and Robert are now in mess kit.

  ROBERT: You must be enjoying your respite from the front.

  MATTHEW: Actually, I’m struggling a bit. I’ve just lost my soldier servant and I haven’t managed to replace him yet.

  Mary is with Rosamund and Violet. They look over to Lavinia.

  ROSAMUND: So, when will you tell Matthew?

  CARSON (V.O.): Dinner is served, m’lady.

  ROSAMUND: Don’t waste the opportunity!

  She stalks off towards the door, with the others.

  MARY: Why must she be so savage? It’s my broken heart. And it was her advice that wrecked it in the first place.

  VIOLET: Classic Rosamund. She’s never more righteous than when she’s in the wrong. Come on.

  END OF ACT THREE

  ACT FOUR

  55 INT. KITCHEN PASSAGE. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  Branson carries a soup tureen. Mrs Hughes walks along.

  MRS HUGHES: Everything all right, Mr Branson?

  BRANSON: I think so, Mrs Hughes.

  56 INT. SYBIL’S BEDROOM. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  Anna carries in some clothes. She puts them away in a drawer. Then she sees that a folded note has blown off the dressing table. On it is written: ‘Lady Sybil’ and, on the back, ‘Forgive me’. She unfolds it, scans the writing and runs out.

  56A INT. CORRIDOR. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  Anna runs down the corridor.

  56B INT. CORRIDOR/DINING ROOM. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  Branson approaches the dining room.

  56C INT. STAIRCASE. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  Anna races down the stairs.

  57 INT. DINING ROOM. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  We start on the soup tureen, like a Hitchcock glass of milk. Branson is carrying it towards the sideboard.

  58 INT. MRS HUGHES’S SITTING ROOM. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  Mrs Hughes is sitting at her desk when Anna bursts in.

  ANNA: Where’s Mr Branson?

  MRS HUGHES: He’s just taken up the soup. Why?

  ANNA: Read that!

  MRS HUGHES: ‘They’ll have arrested me by now, but I’m not sorry. The bastard had it coming to him.’

  Mrs Hughes stares at her in horror. They hurtle away.

  59 INT. SERVERY. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  The women race in. Carson is there with two decanters of white wine. He is about to go into the dining room.

  CARSON: What in God’s name?

  MRS HUGHES: Read this! Where is he now?

  Carson has skimmed the letter. He starts.

  CARSON: Oh, my God! He’s going to kill the General! Anna, come with me!

  60 INT. DINING ROOM. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  Carson and Anna slide out of the door. Branson’s back is turned at the sideboard. They sneak up on him.

  ROBERT: I’m sorry to hear about your servant. He seemed a nice fellow.

  Branson picks up the tureen, but Carson is too quick for him. He takes one elbow as Anna snatches the tureen away.

  BRANSON: No!

  CARSON: Yes!

  They have only hissed these words as they march him down the room. Mary notices something is going on. The others do not.

  MATTHEW: Yes, it was pneumonia, not a bullet. He’ll be okay, but he won’t be back, and he’s a damn hard act to follow.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: I don’t envy you. A decent servant can change your war. I know.

  Mary catches Anna’s eye, but the latter just shakes her head.

  61 INT. SERVERY. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  They collapse through the door.

  CARSON: Get downstairs! Now!

  62 INT. KITCHEN STAIRS/PASSAGE/KITCHEN. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  They push him down, Anna carrying the tureen. Mrs Hughes waits at the bottom with the kitchen maids and Mrs Patmore.

  BRANSON: All right, all right! There’s no need to be so rough.

  CARSON: There’s every need! To stop a murder!

  The kitchen maids scream, but this brings him up short.

  BRANSON: Murder! What do you mean, ‘murder’?

  ANNA: You were going to assassinate the General!

  More screams from the maids. More indignation from Branson.

  BRANSON: Kill the General? I was not! I was going to throw that lot all over him!

  Anna lifts the lid. It’s full of a black, slimy mixture.

  ANNA: Ugh. What is it?

  BRANSON: Oil and ink and a bit of a cowpat, all mixed with sour milk. He’d have needed a bath right enough, but not a coffin.*

  Wrinkling her nose, Anna tips the black, foul-smelling mess into the sink. Daisy arrives with a saucepan.

  DAISY: I thought you’d taken the soup up, but you left it in the pantry.

  Mrs Hughes pulls a tureen from a shelf, hissing at Branson.

  MRS HUGHES: We’ll use this. It’s not been heated but the hell with that! And we’ll decide what happens to you later!

  CARSON: Never mind later! What about now? How do we keep this dinner going?

  WILLIAM: I’ll serve, Mr Carson. I don’t mind. And who knows when I’ll have the chance again?

  * The treatment of the soup tureen was actually copied from the glass of milk in Hitchcock’s Suspicion. That famous shot, when the milk sort of glows as Cary Grant carries it, supposedly containing poison, towards the bedroom of his innocent wife, Joan Fontaine, is lodged in my brain as a Great Movie Moment. Apparently, it was achieved by having a light bulb concealed in the milk, and we half-copied it in Gosford Park, when Ryan Phillippe carries a glass of milk to Kristin Scott Thomas’s bedroom. His purpose in that film, however, is definitely not murder… Anyway, that was the inspiration for Branson’s tureen in this episode.

  63 INT. DINING ROOM. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  William enters with the soup and goes to the sideboard. Anna brings in the plates and retires. Robert signals to Carson.

  ROBERT: What was going on with the soup? It came, it went…

  CARSON: Nothing to worry about, m’lord… Branson was taken ill, so William volunteered to be footman one last time. You don’t mind, do you?

  ROBERT: Not a bit. It’s very kind of him. Our footman, William, is leaving us tomorrow to join his regiment. That’s why he’s not in livery.

  He has raised his voice
so the General may hear.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: You are a credit to this house and this country, young man. There is no livery so becoming as a uniform.

  WILLIAM: Sir.

  Carson serves out the soup and William carries the double plate to each of the diners. He passes Matthew and Violet.

  MATTHEW: Lady Rosamund, Mary, all of you, have been so kind to Lavinia.

  VIOLET: Well, naturally, we’re all curious to know more of Miss Swire, if she is to reign over Downton as queen.

  MATTHEW: Dear me. I hope you haven’t unearthed anything too fearful.

  He smiles at his own joke. Violet’s response is unexpected.

  VIOLET: You must ask Mary.

  The General addresses Clarkson across the table.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: One thing I’m still not quite clear about. Who precisely is in charge of Downton when you’re not here?

  This immediately fascinates most of the women at the table.

  CLARKSON: I’ve given it some thought, sir, and it seems to be only fair that Mrs Crawley and Lady Grantham should share that responsibility.

  He smiles at the two women named. Isobel is almost choking in fury and defeat, but for Cora it is a real victory. In the pantry, Thomas and O’Brien are listening. They enjoy the success of their plotting with suppressed glee.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: Capital. Well said. The fact is I have been more than gratified by my visit here today, and I thank Captain Crawley for arranging it.

  ROBERT: Hear, hear!

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT: You are all to be praised for your response to our national crisis. But I’ve been talking and I’ve been listening, and I feel there is one among you whose generosity is in danger of going unremarked.

  They all look as if they might be singled out for praise.

  GENERAL SIR HERBERT STRUTT (CONT’D): It seems the daily cares and needs of the patients are being dealt with, quietly and efficiently, by Lady Edith. Or that’s what the officers tell me. So, let us raise our glasses and drink her health.

  ROBERT: Edith?

  ALL: Edith!

  64 INT. SMALL LIBRARY. DOWNTON. SUMMER EVENING.

  The ladies are alone. Lavinia is with Mary.

  LAVINIA: We were never lovers. Not ever.

  MARY: You don’t have to explain anything. Not to me.

  LAVINIA: But I want to. You see, my father owed Sir Richard Carlisle a lot of money. Enough to bankrupt him.