The third season of Downton Abbey came to end with pleasantries all round so I am not sure where to begin.

The former kitchen housemaid who became pregnant by a visiting officer recuperating and who walked away and who then gave up her child to the paternal grandparents after prostituting herself to survive agreed to look at the replies to the adverts placed without her knowing by the Dowager via one of her daughters who is supporting the decision for the young woman to write a regular column. The maid likes one of the replies which is too close to where the grand parents live. I forget who went to visit the grandparents but the grand mothers arrives to say she had her husband have no objection tot he move which will enable her to keep in contact with her son posing as his former nanny and where the decision to tell the truth will come later after he has settled and put her past life behind her.

His lordship is still hostile to the pace and nature of the change proposed by the official heir Matthew and the Catholic son in law now widower who has become the land steward or manager for Matthew. The man shows his basic common sense when he tells his Lordship that they need his skills and experience with the tenants and the tradition which they lack and this bring his Lordship round when the young man agrees to play in the cricket match after taking some lessons from Matthew. He also makes her ladyship happy when declaring that he would like to remain in the household so that his son can be brought up in the environment and he can participate in his growing up.

The family are asked to look after an eighteen year relative who manages to get back to London when the unmarried daughter goes to see the editor accompanied by Mathew on a visit in relation to the future of the estate. The girl is found out to be having an affair with a married man and Mathew agrees not to disclose the visit to her parents if she agrees to return quietly to the estate. She is subsequently sent off to Scotland although I anticipate we shall see more of her in a future series.

 

The would be journalist has written an article about the plight of the returning soldiers and I suspect the next series storyline will see her involved with the Suffragette movement. The editor pays compliments and asks her to dinner where fortunately she is already committed to a family meal at the London House, She arranges for a background check only to find that he is married and therefore she cannot write for him further. He explains that is wife has been committed to an asylum and according to current law he is unable to obtain a divorce which also raises possible future storyline.

Mathew and his wife are concerned about her failure to become pregnant He thinks it is him but she reveals she had has a small operation in secret which should solve the problem so all is well on that front.

The main story is however what to do about Thomas now that Bates has returned and he has been caught approaching the latest footman who unintentionally appeared encourage him to make advances. He wants to let the matter drop when Thomas is allowed to leave quietly with references but the dreadful lady’s maid to her ladyship and once in cahoots with him persuades the new man to insist that Thomas leaves without references or he will tell the police. It is Bates who persuades Thomas to reveal something on the woman which will enable him to force her to persuade the course of action to be dropped. He invites her to tea, makes the demand and whispers to her “her ladyship’s soap” something which Bates and his wife do not understand but the audience of the first series do. However when this works it is the other footman who calls in the police because it Thomas who has been dropping him in it from time to time. His Lordship has to persuade the young man to say he was mistaken when the police call at the cricket match to take Thomas off. Technically the new job places Thomas over Bates in the Understairs pecking order which Bates and his wife realises are something of a disaster and storing up trouble for the future series and also perhaps the Christmas special. What is interesting is the Housekeeper and his Lordship are sanguine about Thomas being a homosexual with his Lordship commenting about life at Eton Only the Butler is horrified by all that he is learning