Downton Abbey Script Book Season 1 (18 page)

CORA: Shall I ring for tea?

Her son checks the clock on the chimneypiece and stands.

ROBERT: Not for me. I'm meeting Cripps at five. Bramley wants to move one of the feeding pens and he needs a decision. I'll see you at dinner.

With a brisk nod at the two women, he goes.

CORA: You don't seem very pleased.

VIOLET: I'm pleased. It isn't brilliant but I'm pleased.

CORA: So?

VIOLET: I don't want Robert to use a marriage as an excuse to stop fighting for Mary's inheritance.

CORA: It won't make any difference.

VIOLET: You can't be sure. She'll be well set up, with a reasonable position. She won't be hungry.

CORA: It won't make a difference. I don't think he has the slightest intention of fighting as it is. The price of saving Downton is to accept Matthew Crawley as his heir. And, as far as he's concerned, that's that.

VIOLET: What about you?

CORA: I don't dislike Matthew. In fact, I rather admire him.

VIOLET: And is that sufficient reason to give him your money?

CORA: Of course not, but—

VIOLET: Then there's no more to be said. Are we having tea? Or not?

Cora goes to pull the bell rope. There will never be more than an armed truce between them.

Edith is walking in the village towards the Crawleys' house when she's overtaken by Matthew on a bicycle. He stops.

MATTHEW: I'd offer you a lift, if I could.

EDITH: It was you I was coming to see.

MATTHEW: Then your timing is matchless. I'm just off the train.

She smiles, falling into step as he wheels the bicycle.

EDITH: The other day at dinner, Cousin Isobel was saying you wanted to see some of the local churches.

MATTHEW: She's right. I do. I want to know more about the county generally, if I'm to live here.

Now comes the rehearsed moment. She takes a breath.

EDITH: Well, I thought I might show you a few of the nearer ones. We could take a picnic and make an outing of it.

MATTHEW: That's very kind.

EDITH: Nonsense. I'll enjoy it. It's too long since I played the tourist.

MATTHEW: It would have to be a Saturday. The churches work on Sunday, and
I
work all the weekdays.

EDITH: Then Saturday it is. I'll get Lynch to sort out the governess cart and I'll pick you up at about eleven.

Matthew has a date with his cousin. He's trapped.
*

Thomas, William and Daisy are staring at the typewriter.

DAISY: How does it work?

WILLIAM: Easy. You just press the letters and they print on the paper.

He does this. The others look.

THOMAS: Not that easy. You've smudged it.

WILLIAM: I have not.

CARSON (V.O.): Get back. Please.

He is with Mrs Hughes and O'Brien. They stare at the offending object.

O'BRIEN: They were trying to hide it, so I knew it was wrong.

CARSON: Where's Gwen now?

THOMAS: Doing the dining room with Anna. They'll be finished soon.

CARSON: Then I'll wait.

MRS HUGHES: With all due respect, Mr Carson, Gwen is under my jurisdiction.

CARSON: Indeed she is, Mrs Hughes, and I have no intention of usurping your authority. I merely want to get to the bottom of it.

WILLIAM: Why shouldn't Gwen have a typewriter, if she wants one?

THOMAS: Mind your own business.

GWEN (V.O.): What's that doing here?

She is standing in the doorway with Anna.

MRS HUGHES: Ah, Gwen, come in.

GWEN: Why's that down here? Who's been in my room? They had no right.

Mrs Hughes steps forward to quash this revolution at once.

MRS HUGHES: Now, see here. In the first place none of the rooms in this house belong to you. And in the second, I am in charge of your welfare and that gives me every right.
*

ANNA: This is you, isn't it?

She is addressing O'Brien who says nothing.

CARSON: All we want to know is why Gwen wants a typewriter and why she feels the need to keep it secret.

ANNA: She wants to keep it private, not secret. There's a difference.

BATES: Amen.

He has joined the group and stands in the door.

GWEN: I've done nothing to be ashamed of. I've bought a typewriter and I've taken a postal course in shorthand. I'm not aware that either of these actions is illegal.

MRS HUGHES: Will you tell us why? Preferably without any more cheek.

GWEN: Because I want to leave service. I want to be a secretary.

The bomb has dropped.

MRS HUGHES: You want to leave service?

O'BRIEN: What's wrong with being in service?

GWEN: Nothing's wrong with it. And there's nothing wrong with mending roads, neither, but it's not what I want to do.

CARSON: I should remind you there are plenty of young girls who'd be glad of a position in this house.

GWEN: And when I hand in my notice, I shall be happy to think one of them will be taking my place.

O'BRIEN: What makes you think we'll wait until then?

ANNA: Are you hiring and sacking now, Miss O'Brien? I thought that lay with Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes.

CARSON: Enough of this. I'm going to ring the dressing gong, and we'll have no more talk of it tonight.

GWEN: Can I have my machine back now?

CARSON: Very well. But I wish I was sure you know what you're doing.

She does not answer him but takes the machine and leaves.
*

MRS PATMORE: Daisy? What's happened to you? I said you could go for a drink of water, not a trip up the Nile.

She is in the doorway and the girl files out past her. The others drift out, until Anna is alone with Bates.

BATES: You spoke up well in there.

ANNA: She is taking a risk, though. Mr Carson's right.

BATES: Maybe. But it's her risk to take.

ANNA: I suppose you're right.

They start to walk to the service staircase.

ANNA (CONT'D): Anything planned? For your half day tomorrow?

BATES: I might take a train into Leeds.

ANNA: What for?

BATES: No reason in particular. Come on, we'd better get moving or they'll be dressing themselves and we can't have that. They might find out they can manage without us.

With a laugh he starts up the stairs.

Edith is dressed. Anna is finishing off Mary.

ANNA: Which churches will you show him?

EDITH: I can't decide. Kirby, possibly. Or perhaps Easingwold.

MARY: You don't think you're being a bit obvious?

EDITH: Coming from you, that's rich.

There is a rustle in the doorway and their mother enters.

CORA: There was a letter from Mr Napier in the evening post.

MARY: Did he accept?

CORA: Not yet.

EDITH: Maybe he thought it too obvious.

This annoys Cora as much as Mary.

CORA: Apparently he'll have a friend with him. They're travelling straight to the meet from London, and they're planning to stay at the Worsley Arms that night.

MARY: Who is this friend?

CORA: An attache' at the Turkish Embassy.

She squints slightly at the page she holds in her hand.

CORA (CONT'D): A Mr Kemal Pamuk. He's the son of one of the Sultan's ministers and he's here for the Albanian talks.

MARY: What's that?

EDITH: To create an independent Albania. Don't you read the papers?

MARY: I'm too busy living a life.

CORA: Since Turkey's signature is vital Mr Napier's been given the job of keeping him happy until the conference begins. And Mr Pamuk is eager to try an English hunt.

EDITH: So that's that, then.

CORA: Not at all. I shall invite this Mr Pamuk to stay here as well. Who knows? A little hospitality in an English house may make all the difference to the outcome.

EDITH: You hope.

CORA: And Mary, you will ride out with them.

MARY: Oh, Mama, must I? My boots are at the menders and I haven't ridden for weeks.

CORA: Anna, please see that Lady Mary is fully equipped to go hunting.

ANNA: Yes, your ladyship.

Cora walks out of the room, on her way to the staircase.

Bates is holding the magazine he collected earlier. He checks the address and walks into a shop.

This is an odd place with artificial limbs and crutches on display. A man is working at a bench in the corner.
*

MAN: Yes?

BATES: I saw this advertisement. For a limp correcter.

MAN: Yes.

BATES: What does it do exactly?

MAN: It corrects limps.

He is waiting for Bates to get to the point.

BATES: Does it work?

MAN: Well, as I make it and I advertise it, is it likely I'd say no?

BATES: Could I see one?

Without a word, the man goes into a back room as Bates stares rather uneasily at the instruments on display.

MAN: Here we are.

He is back with a box and now he takes out a kind of caliper, with iron struts and straps and an adjustable foot platform at the bottom. It looks extremely uncomfortable.

MAN (CONT'D): You adjust this to the right height to minimise your limp. You tighten these gradually, as tight as you can stand, and, as the leg straightens, the foot lowers to the floor. You'll need special shoes. What size are you? And which leg is affected?

BATES: Ten. And it's the right.

The man goes to fetch a box, while Bates stares at the machine. He struggles not to wince as he looks at it.

BATES (CONT'D): How long does it take?

MAN: How long is a piece of string?

BATES: But it really works?

MAN: I'm not saying it's easy. And you can't slack. Every day, all day, if you mean business.

He has arrived with a box containing the shoes. Bates stares at the vicious implement, biting his lip.

BATES: All right. How much?

The windows of Crawley house are lit.

Isobel is reading a letter.

ISOBEL: She asks if we can both dine on Saturday. There are two young men staying, so you won't be so outnumbered for once.

MATTHEW: What men?

ISOBEL: A Turkish diplomat called … something I can't read and ‘Lord Branksome's charming son.' Who's to be flung at Mary, presumably.

MATTHEW: When it comes to Cousin Mary, she is quite capable of doing her own flinging, I assure you. Must we go? I've got the whole day with Edith. I could use a night off.

ISOBEL: I think we should.

She opens another letter, scanning it. When she speaks she does so without lifting her eyes from the paper.

ISOBEL (CONT'D): And you're all set to go church visiting?