Downton Abbey

by Julian Fellowes

  Carson is with Robert.

  CARSON: We’ve a bit of a conundrum, m’lord. As you may know, we’re short of a housemaid…

  ROBERT: I suspect this is something for her ladyship.

  CARSON: Her ladyship is very busy and I wanted your opinion. We’ve had an application from a local woman, Jane Moorsum. But she is married and she has a child, a son.

  ROBERT: So she wants to work part-time?

  CARSON: Not exactly. She wants to leave him with her mother in the village. And visit him when she has time off.

  ROBERT: But surely her husband should —

  CARSON: She is a widow, m’lord. The late Mr Moorsum died on the Somme. There’s no other earner, so she has to look for work. I said I would ask you.

  ROBERT: Well, if Mrs Hughes agrees, I think we must do what we can for the widows of our defenders.

  CARSON: Very good, your lordship.

  As he leaves, Cora comes in to look for a paper on the desk.

  CORA: What was that?

  ROBERT: We’re taking on a new maid.

  CORA: He should have talked to me, not you.

  ROBERT: They thought you were too busy to be bothered with it.

  CORA: Well, I am busy and that reminds me: I can’t come with you to the Townsends. You’ll have to make some excuse.*

  ROBERT: But we gave them the date.

  CORA: I’m sorry. I can’t help it. We’ve got a big intake next week and I have to be clear where we’re putting them all. You’ll think of something. Ah.

  She’s found what she was looking for. Robert is alone again.

  * I spelt Townsend without an H, so there could be no mistake in the pronunciation, but in real life the name is spelt with an H, i.e. Townshend, or it is with this family, who are neighbours of ours in Dorset. They were very kind to us when we first arrived there, and they are friends to this day.

  41 INT. KITCHEN. DOWNTON. DAY.

  Mrs Patmore is with Daisy, speaking softly in the corner while the other kitchen workers move around them.

  DAISY: You always said I wouldn’t have to marry him when it came to it.

  MRS PATMORE: Daisy, he’s dying. What difference does it make?

  DAISY: All the more reason. I can’t lie to him at the end. Don’t make me be false to a dying man.

  MRS PATMORE: What matters now is the poor lad knows some peace and some happiness before he goes.

  DAISY: I can’t.*

  * This is another classic Downton-ism, because we understand both why Daisy is uncomfortable letting him die in a lie, but at the same time we understand Mrs Patmore’s thinking. She is only trying to give William some comfort before his death.

  42 INT. HOSPITAL. DOWNTON VILLAGE. DAY.

  Matthew is with Lavinia.

  LAVINIA: What? Why would I have second thoughts? Don’t be ridiculous.

  MATTHEW: But there’s another part to this.

  LAVINIA: What part? I don’t care if you can’t walk. You must think me very feeble if you believe that would make a difference.

  MATTHEW: I know it wouldn’t, and I love you so much for saying it. But there is something else, which may not have occurred to you. Something which I only learned today.

  She waits, nervous but determined.

  MATTHEW (CONT’D): The thing is, we could never be… This is very difficult… We can never be properly married.

  LAVINIA: What? Of course we can be married.

  MATTHEW: Not properly. There would be no chance of children…

  This is a shock to her, which she had not expected.

  LAVINIA: Oh. I see.

  MATTHEW: That’s why I have to let you go.

  LAVINIA: But that… side of things. It’s not important to me. I promise.

  MATTHEW: My darling, it’s not important now. But it will be and it should be. I couldn’t possibly be responsible for stealing away the life you ought to have.

  LAVINIA: I won’t leave you. I know you think I’m weak and I don’t know what I’m taking on.

  MATTHEW: How could you? For God’s sake, I’ll be wearing nappies ’til I die.

  LAVINIA: I’m not saying it’ll be easy for either of us. But just because a life isn’t easy doesn’t mean it isn’t right.

  MATTHEW: Your father would hate me and I wouldn’t blame him.

  LAVINIA: You leave my father to me.

  MATTHEW: I won’t fight with you. But I won’t steal away your life. Go home. Think of me as dead; remember me as I was.*

  * This is an emblematic scene, hopefully reminding the audience that a hell of a lot of young men, and women, too, had to go through this kind of thing. We like them both, because they are striving to be unselfish. Lavinia says it doesn’t matter that Matthew can never be a proper husband, while he says it does matter, and he can’t marry her. He is right, of course, and I hope I would have the strength to do the same, but the point is, they are both behaving honourably.

  I had an aunt – well, a cousin of my grandfather’s – whom I knew very well as an old lady. I was extremely fond of her, but I was always haunted by her story. She had been engaged to a man before the war, but he was severely shell shocked and had a complete mental collapse. He went mad, really. What was terrible to me was that both his and her family told her that she would be letting the side down if she didn’t go through with the marriage, and that it was unpatriotic, and unfair to the poor boys at the front, even to think of getting out of it. So she married him, under extreme pressure – all of which I heard from her sister, not from her – and then he was killed about two years later, so it was over fairly quickly. But the months of her marriage were of such horror that she never looked at another man, never had a child, never had anything. I always thought it was incredibly insensitive and irresponsible of both families not to understand. I think that still, even though there was a rather poignant postscript. When she died, I was presented with the handbag she’d taken into hospital, and in it were her purse, her keys, one or two other things, and a photograph of her husband. So I suppose that, once he was dead, she was able to remember the man he’d been before the war, the man she’d loved, and to forget the changeling. But how tragic.

  43 INT. GARAGE. DOWNTON. DAY.

  Branson is reading a newspaper when Sybil appears.

  SYBIL: Mary’s telephoned. She’ll be on a late train. It gets in at eleven.

  BRANSON: All right. How’s William?

  SYBIL: It’s so sad. Edith’s taking care of him, but there’s nothing to be done. We’re waiting, really. What with that, and Matthew… What is it?

  BRANSON: They shot the Tsar. And all of his family.

  SYBIL: The children, too? How terrible.

  BRANSON: I’m sorry. I’ll not deny it. I never thought they’d do it. But sometimes the future needs terrible sacrifices. You thought that, once.

  SYBIL: If you mean my politics, you know we’ve agreed to put that to one side until the war is won.

  BRANSON: Your lot did, but Sylvia Pankhurst was all for fighting on.*

  SYBIL: Oh, don’t badger me, please.

  BRANSON: Sometimes a hard sacrifice must be made for a future that’s worth having. That’s all I’m saying.

  She knows only too well what he means.

  SYBIL: If only it could be simpler.

  BRANSON: Well, it can’t be simple, but it can be real. That’s up to you.

  For a moment it is almost as if she might kiss him. But then she turns and walks away.

  * Here we refer to the split in the suffragette movement, with Mrs Pankhurst saying one thing, and her daughter Sylvia saying another. I am always glad that most of the movement agreed to get behind the war effort, even if the others did not.

  44 INT. SIR RICHARD CARLISLE’S OFFICE. LONDON. DAY.

  Vera Bates is with Carlisle. She is determined not to be taken for a fool, so she is very strong in her manner.

  CARLISLE: You understand it would have to be exclusive? I couldn’t have you peddling different versions of the story to my c
ompetitors?

  VERA: Of course I understand. But I can’t help it if they pick it up once you’ve published it.

  CARLISLE: Indeed you can’t. No more can I. But I would control the timing… You’d have to sign a binding contract to that effect. Today.

  VERA: I expected that.

  CARLISLE: And I warn you, I am unforgiving when anyone breaks a contract with me. One word out of place and you’d find yourself in court.

  VERA: I expected that, too. But I’m curious: how did you hear about me?

  CARLISLE: I know everything that goes on in this city.

  VERA: And what’s the hurry?

  CARLISLE: I’m a newspaper man. When I hear of something good, I have to make sure of it straight away. I’m sorry if I rushed you.

  VERA: That’s all right.

  CARLISLE: You must dislike the Crawleys very much to want to subject them to trial by scandal.

  VERA: My husband works for them. We’re not on good terms.

  He stands, holding out his hand.

  CARLISLE: We have a deal, then.*

  * Where we were very lucky with this story is that, by casting Iain Glen and Maria Doyle Kennedy, we were in no danger of having any drop in energy. They have the same energy, the same watchability, in their performances as if you were watching two of the running characters you’ve followed in the series from the beginning. That is entirely down to their both being very talented actors. There’s no mystery to it.

  END OF ACT THREE

  ACT FOUR

  45 INT. KITCHEN/PASSAGE. DOWNTON. NIGHT.

  Mrs Hughes arrives with a tray, which she gives to Daisy.

  MRS PATMORE: How is he?

  MRS HUGHES: His father’s with him now and he seems to understand the situation.

  MRS PATMORE: Poor man.

  MRS HUGHES: Daisy, William’s asking to see you.

  DAISY: I can’t go. Don’t make me go.

  MRS PATMORE: Do you care so little for him?

  DAISY: It’s not that. I’m very fond of William and I’m very sad. But I’ve led him on and led him on and made him think things that aren’t true.

  MRS PATMORE: But he wanted them to be true. He was happy to think they were true.

  DAISY: That doesn’t make it all right.

  MRS HUGHES: Shall I tell him you won’t come?

  Faced with this, Daisy knows she must go. We follow Mrs Hughes out into the passage. She passes Anna and Bates.

  BATES: He ought to know. It’s bad enough that I’ve kept it a secret so long.

  ANNA: Wait until Lady Mary gets back.

  BATES: It’s not right to keep him in ignorance about his own daughter.

  ANNA: And is it right to break his heart?

  46 INT. WILLIAM’S ROOM. DOWNTON. NIGHT.

  Daisy comes in. William is with his father. He sees her.

  WILLIAM: Will you leave us a moment, Dad?

  The older man nods and retreats.

  DAISY: There’s no need to make him leave.

  WILLIAM: There is a need. Come here.

  Reluctantly, she takes a chair. He reaches for her hand.

  WILLIAM (CONT’D): You know I’m dying?

  DAISY: You don’t —

  WILLIAM: I’m dying, Daisy. I’m not going to make it and I don’t have long… That’s why you’ve got to marry me.

  DAISY: What?

  WILLIAM: No, listen. You’ll be my widow. A war widow with a pension and rights. You’ll be looked after. It won’t be much, but I’ll know you’ve got something to fall back on. Let me do that for you. Please.

  DAISY: I can’t. It would be dishonest. Almost like cheating.

  WILLIAM: But it’s not cheating. We love each other, don’t we? We’d have married if I’d got through it, and spent our whole lives together. Where’s the dishonesty in that?

  Daisy catches Edith’s eye in the corner. What can she say?*

  * A very important element, I believe, in the success of Downton is that we give equal weight to the running characters. But part of that is giving emotional stories to both groups, family and servants, that are equally complicated. We don’t, I hope, ever suggest that the emotional stories of the servants are any less involving or easier to resolve than the upstairs ones. This episode is an example of that. The two big emotional stories of the week concern Mary dealing with the idea that Matthew will be permanently disabled, and Daisy having to deal with William’s proposal. The audience must watch these two played out in parallel, giving them both the same attention. Now Mr Mason has arrived, and his job is to get Daisy to do what his son wants.

  47 INT. BEDROOM PASSAGE. DOWNTON. NIGHT.

  Daisy comes out of the door. Mr Mason is waiting there.

  MASON: He’s asked you, hasn’t he? I knew he would. You’ll do it, won’t you?

  DAISY: I don’t think he should be bothering about it now.

  MASON: What else should he be bothered with? You’re the most important thing on earth to him, Daisy. You wouldn’t disappoint him, would you?

  DAISY: Suppose the vicar won’t do it? He may want to wait ’til William’s well enough to go to church.

  MASON: But that time’s not coming, is it?

  It breaks his heart to say it. Daisy does not reply.

  MASON (CONT’D): And don’t worry about the vicar. I walked over to old Lady Grantham’s on my way here. She’ll sort it out.

  48 INT. HALL/STAIRCASE. DOWNTON. NIGHT.

  Carson lets Mary in as Robert comes into the hall.

  ROBERT: There you are. What a marathon. Did you get it said? Whatever it was you went up for?

  MARY: Oh, yes.

  ROBERT: Why was it so urgent?

  MARY: It wasn’t. Well, it was in a way… D’you know, I think I’ll go straight to my room. I’m absolutely dead.

  CARSON: I’ll send Anna up, m’lady. She can bring a tray in case you’re hungry.

  MARY: I’m fine. I ate on the train.

  CARSON: No, you ought to have something. Just in case.

  He leaves them alone. She starts to walk to the staircase.

  ROBERT: I wish he coddled me half as much as he coddles you… Did you hear about the Tsar?

  MARY: Every newsboy was shouting it all over London. Sometimes it feels as if the whole world is closing down.

  ROBERT: Maybe our world is.

  MARY: How’s Matthew?

  ROBERT: No change to report. Lavinia was with him for most of the day.

  MARY: And William?

  ROBERT: Bad. Clarkson says it won’t be much longer.

  MARY: So he’s talking to you again.

  ROBERT: Just about… Apparently William wants to marry the little kitchen maid. Before…

  MARY: Why?

  ROBERT: Well, it seems they were going to get married after the war. He says he wants her to be looked after.

  MARY: I hope the Government does look after the war widows, but I rather doubt it… Poor William.

  ROBERT: I’m not at all sure Mr Travis will allow it. You know what a fusspot he is. Granny says she’ll talk to him tomorrow.

  MARY: Well, I know who my money’s on. Goodnight.

  She walks up the last bit of the staircase and along the passage, when she hears weeping. She stops outside a door.

  49 INT. LAVINIA’S BEDROOM. DOWNTON. NIGHT.

  Lavinia is sitting up in bed, in tears. She looks up when Mary comes in. She tries to cover for herself.

  MARY: Lavinia?

  LAVINIA: You’re back. How did you get on?

  MARY: All right, I think. How about you?

  LAVINIA: Matthew’s told me to go home. He says he won’t see me again. He feels he has to ‘set me free’, as he put it. I’ve tried to tell him I don’t care, but he won’t listen.

  MARY: Then you must keep telling him.

  LAVINIA: Yes, but you see, it isn’t just not walking… Today he told me we could never be lovers, because all that’s gone as well. I didn’t realise. It’s probably obvious to anyone with a brain, but I didn
’t realise.

  MARY: No. No. Nor did I.

  LAVINIA: And he feels it would be a crime to tie me down — to tie down any woman — to the life of a childless nun. He thinks I’d hate him in the end.

  She breaks off. Mary is quite still and silent.

  LAVINIA (CONT’D): I’m sorry if I’ve shocked you. But there’s no one else I could talk to about it, and when you came in —

  MARY: I’m not shocked. I’m just stunned, and desperately sad. Are you sure it wouldn’t make a difference?

  LAVINIA: Not to me. I’ll die if I can’t be with him.

  MARY: No, I see that. I do see.*

  * Mary is obliged to comfort Lavinia, which is quite deliberate. As I have said elsewhere, it was important to me that Mary should not have any excuse to dislike Lavinia, and nor should the public. Maybe she isn’t as interesting a woman as Mary. We never feel that Matthew is wrong to be more in love with Mary (which he always is), but Lavinia is a kind and generous woman who really loves him, and that makes it all more complicated.

  50 INT. DINING ROOM. DOWNTON. DAY.

  Robert is at breakfast, reading a paper, with Edith and Mary.

  ROBERT: Good God almighty!

  EDITH: What is it?

  ROBERT: ‘The engagement is announced between Lady Mary Josephine Crawley, eldest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and Sir Richard Carlisle, son of Mr and the late Mrs Mark Carlisle of Bryanston Square, London.’ Is this why you went to see him? Why didn’t you say it’d be in today’s paper?*

  MARY: I didn’t know.

  ROBERT: Well, surely he asked your permission?

  MARY: I don’t think asking permission is his strongest suit.

  ROBERT: That’s very high-handed. You can’t let him get away with it.

  EDITH: Well, it’s done now.

  Carson is hovering.

  ROBERT: What is it?

  CARSON: William’s wedding, m’lord — If it can be arranged for this afternoon, the indoor staff would like to attend.

  ROBERT: We don’t yet know if Mr Travis will agree to do it.

  CARSON: I’m afraid he has very little time to make up his mind.

  ROBERT: Of course.

  CARSON: Will there be anyone from the family?

  MARY: Sybil’s on duty, and I’m going down to the hospital after lunch, I’m afraid. I’ve promised now.

  EDITH: I’ll be there. I’m going up now.