Episode 3 Season 1 – Downton Abbey Episode Summary 1.3

Synopsis: Lady Cora learns that Lord Branksome’s son, Evelyn Napier, will be dropping by at Downton and decides to invite him to stay at their house.  Mr. Napier brings with him Mr. Pamuk, the son of one of the Turkish Sultan’s ministers who is vital in the peace talks in Albania.  Lady Mary seeing the gorgeous, young man becomes quite taken with him, and the young man could not resist her as well.  Their attraction leads to an incident that will change their lives forever.

Episode Summary: Mr. Bates drops by the post office, and finds Gwen there seemingly anxious to mail a package.  She becomes even more alarmed at the sight of Anna fussing about the top of their room’s cupboard where her luggage sits.  Anna becomes curious about the contents of Gwen’s heavy luggage, and asks her about it.  The young lady is hesitant about divulging its contents, but is left with no other choice for Anna demands that she tell her.  Gwen finally let’s Anna in her secret, and shows her the typewriter that she has been hiding inside her luggage.  Gwen used every penny she saved to buy the typewriter and to pay for the typing and shorthand correspondence course she has been taking.  She hasn’t told anyone about it, not even her parents, for they will surely disapprove unless of course she finds herself a job to prove that taking the course was not for naught. Continue reading...

Lady Cora finds Lady Mary reading a letter from Evelyn Napier who wrote to inform her that he has a hunting meet at Downton, and wanted to drop by for some tea.  Eager to find a match for her daughter, Lady Cora suggests that Lady Mary invites him stay at their house.  Excited at learning that a noble young man seems to be interested with her daughter, Cora wastes no time to inform her husband and mother-in-law.  Robert is not very thrilled with the idea, and neither is Violet for she worries that finding a husband for Mary would give Robert a reason not to fight for Mary’s inheritance.  Cora is resigned with the fact that Robert has already given up the fight for her husband has accepted Matthew Crawley as his heir seeing that it is the only way to save Downton Abbey.  Moreover, Cora has grown to like Matthew.  Regrettably, Mary has not.  It seems that Lady Cora is not the only one who has grown fond of Matthew for Lady Edith has offered to take him around town to show him the local churches.

Miss O’Brien, having barged into Anna and Gwen’s room while Gwen was showing Anna the typewriter, takes the typewriter down to the Servants’ Hall without the knowledge of its owner.  Gwen becomes upset at finding her typewriter unjustly taken from her room.  Mr. Carson would want to know why she has been secretly keeping a typewriter to which Anna corrects him that the young woman merely wants to keep it private.  Gwen informs them that she has bought a typewriter and has taken a postal course in shorthand for she has ambitions of becoming a secretary; not that she finds anything wrong with being a maid, but it is not what she wants to do.

Lady Cora excitedly informs Lady Mary that she has a letter from Mr. Napier informing her that he is bringing his friend Kemal Pamuk.  Mr. Pamuk is an attaché at the Turkish Embassy, and the son of one of the Sultan’s ministers.  He has come to England for the Albanian talks, and is eager to try an English hunt.  Lady Edith informs her less informed sister that the talks aim to create an independent Albania.  In fact, Mr. Napier’s role is to entertain Mr. Pamuk before the conference since Turkey’s approval is vital to the cause.  Seeing that Mr. Pamuk is an important person, Lady Cora decides to invite him to stay with them as well.  Moreover, much to Lady Mary’s annoyance, she must go hunting with them.

Mr. Bates sees an advertisement for a limp corrector, and pays a visit to the establishment.  The irascible shop owner greets him, and shows him the limp corrector.  He informs Mr. Bates that he is to adjust the contraption to the right height to minimize the limp and as the leg straightens the foot is lowered on the floor therefore correcting the limp.  He is to tighten the screws as tight as he could stand, and he cannot slack.  Moreover, Mr. Bates is to wear it everyday, all day.  Eager to fix his lame leg, Mr. Bates buys the contraption.

Early in the morning as Anna and Gwen are preparing Lady Mary’s riding outfit, Gwen bursts into tears.  The young woman has realized that she might have been in over her head about becoming a secretary.  She has lost hope after seeing the doubtful faces of her fellow servants.  Mr. Bates who happens to be there as well tells Gwen that she must not lose hope.  She has the power to change her life if she wants to, and it may be hard, but it can be done.  Later Mr. Bates winces in pain, but says nothing about it even to Mrs. Hughes who offers him help seeing that he has turned pale.

The hunt party with their hounds arrive at Downton.  Mr. Napier having rejected Lady Cora’s invitation to send the horses down early arrives late.  Mr. Pamuk is yet to arrive for according to Mr. Napier, the man is a bit dandy.  Lady Mary sure that Mr. Pamuk is a funny little foreigner with a wide, toothy grin and hair reeking with pomade is pleasantly surprised to find him a good looking young man.  Lady Mary who was to be escorted by Mr. Lynch dismisses her chaperone, and so the hunt begins.  Mr. Pamuk goes off track, and Lady Mary follows him off the beaten track.  Meanwhile, Lady Edith and Matthew are in the town visiting the local churches.  Hoping to learn more about Matthew, she is disappointed to find him more curious about Mary.

At last, the hunters arrive home with Mr. Pamuk and Lady Mary probably the most worn out of them all.  All are happy to see the gorgeous Mr. Pamuk including the servants and Thomas most of all who is to be his valet for he left his man in London.  Mr. Thomas while helping the man dress flirts with Mr. Pamuk.  Mr. Pamuk is appalled with his valet coming on to him, but is willing to forget about it if he helps him pay a visit to someone’s room.

Gwen’s plight for a better life as a secretary becomes the hot topic in the Downton house so hot that it is the subject at the Crawley’s dining table.  Lady Violet could not fathom why the girl would leave a life of service in a large and pleasant house for a cramped and gloomy office.  Lady Mary could not care less, but Lady Cora believes that they must see to it that the people who live and work at their house are content.  Meanwhile, Lady Sybil believes that they should help Gwen in her ambition, to this Mrs. Crawley agrees for she believes that they should encourage the less fortunate to improve their lives.  The foreigner Mr. Pamuk offers a different view, believing that the English care too much about other people’s lives.  He believes that if the law permits it then the choice lies with the maid.  Lady Violet now thinks that perhaps the law must not permit it for the common good for she yearns for a simpler world even if it means that some people may have to live a life of serfdom.

Matthew is disappointed to see that Lady Mary is enjoying Mr. Pamuk’s company, and the young man is too for he had invited her to Istanbul.  Lady Mary does not seem to have a lack of suitors seeing the three young men gathered around her, Lady Violet worries that she might not be a sensible judge, but Lord Grantham is not worried for he believes that it is his role to judge what is right for his young daughter.  Unfortunately, Lady Mary seems to have already made a choice.  She brushes off Matthew’s offer to go riding with him, and excuses herself while Mr. Napier was mid-story to follow Mr. Pamuk who has gestured to her to come with him.  Mr. Pamuk goes inside one of the rooms, and Lady Mary hesitantly follows him.  He then grabs her and passionately kisses her catching Lady Mary by surprise.  He then asks that she let him in her room that night.  Lady Mary though attracted to the young man rejects his proposal, but promises not to inform her father about it knowing that he will surely throw him out of the house.  This, however, seem to only make Mr. Pamuk want her more.

That night, with the help of Mr. Thomas, Mr. Pamuk enters Lady Mary’s room much to her surprise.  She threatens to scream, but Mr. Pamuk argues that no one will hear her.  She then threatens to ring the bell, but then Mr. Pamuk argues that it will be embarrassing for her if someone learns that there is a man in her bedroom.  Mr. Pamuk moves closer to Lady Mary and begins kissing her neck.  They fall on her bed with Lady Mary still unsure of what to do claiming that she is not the rebel everybody seems to think she is much more she is still a virgin.  Regrettably, the lure of Mr. Pamuk is too much to resist that Lady Mary gives in.

Soon after, Lady Mary sneaks inside Anna’s room, and wakes her.  She informs Anna that Mr. Pamuk is dead in her room.  Anna tells her that they must bring him back to his room, but because it is miles away and the young man is too heavy for the two of them to carry, they are to enlist the help of Lady Cora, the person who stands to lose as much as Mary if word of her scandalous tryst ever gets out.  True enough, the lifeless, naked body of Mr. Pamuk lays on Mary’s bed.  Lady Cora could not comprehend why he is on her daughter’s bed, and is disappointed to learn that he had Lady Mary’s consent.  Lady Cora at first would not want to be involved in a cover up, but thinking of the scandal they are to face that is to be the ruin of her daughter she agrees to be part of it.  At dawn, the three carry the corpse of Mr. Pamuk back to his bedroom without being seen by anyone but Daisy.  They successfully lay his body on his bed, but Lady Cora could not find forgiveness in her heart for her daughter.  She vows not to tell Lord Grantham but only because it would certainly ruin his life and probably kill him to know of his eldest daughter’s shame and the deed they have done to keep it secret.  She asks Anna to do the same.

Mr. Thomas brings tea to Mr. Pamuk’s bedroom, and finds his corpse.  News of his death spread around the house, and Mr. Napier feels awful to have brought death to their house.  He, nonetheless, asks Lady Mary for a tour of their gardens, but is surprised to see her so dejected about Mr. Pamuk’s death.  He, however, just attributes it to the young woman’s infatuation to the gorgeous, charming man.  Mr. Napier bids goodbye to Lady Grantham who could not wait to have him back.  Feeling that Lady Cora finds him a suitable suitor to Lady Mary, Mr. Napier makes it clear that although he very much so likes Mary he is afraid that the feeling is not mutual.  He believes that marriage should be based on love, and with that he ends any hope of him becoming Mary’s husband without damaging his relationship with the Crawleys.

So Mr. Pamuk’s death prevails over Gwen’s plight to become a secretary, and becomes the subject of conversation in the house.  Mr. Thomas seems to know more than what the other servants know about his death, but he is not keen to share.  Lucky for Gwen, Lady Sybil is still more interested with her ambition than the death of one of their guests.  She shows her an ad on the newspaper.  The new firm in Thirsk is looking for a secretary.  Gwen is surprised to learn that Lady Sybil heard of her plans to leave service thanks to Mr. Carson who informed Lord Grantham.  She is even more surprised to learn that Lady Sybil approves of her plan to better her life so much so that she offers to be her reference.

Hearing of the news, the Dowager Countess drops by for a visit shocked to hear of the young man’s death.  She is even more shocked with Mary’s melodramatic behavior, but is understanding of the cause, believing that the young woman is merely shaken with the news.  Matthew wonders if he and his mother should have dropped by the Downton house to show their concern, but Mrs. Crawley thinks that they might just be in the way.  Matthew is concerned about Mary knowing how infatuated the young woman has become of Mr. Pamuk.  Rightfully so, Mary is the most affected of them all.  Mr. Carson finds her in the room where Mr. Pamuk stayed, sitting in the dark.  He is surprised to hear the young woman open up to him telling him of her deepest feelings.  Lady Mary confesses that she finally understands what it is to be happy.  Regrettably, she is sure that she won’t be.  Mr. Carson mistakes her sadness as the result of her losing her inheritance, but is made aware that Mary was not even thinking about that.  He, nonetheless, lets her know that the whole staff are behind her, which seems to lift her spirits at least a bit.  Lady Mary finds that Mr. Carson has always been good to her to whom the butler confesses that even butlers have favorites, and fortunately she is his.

It is not only Mr. Carson who is concerned about Lady Mary.  Matthew worried about Mary drops by for a visit eager to see how she is doing.  Failing to see her at church the previous day made him even more worried, but he is glad to see her up and about.  Mary was simply not up to go to church for she has not gotten over the untimely death of Mr. Pamuk.

Lord Grantham could not believe that a fit young man would die of a heart attack.  Thinking back he remembers the young man being vital to the Albanian peace talks, and begins to wonder if there is something foul about his death.  He shares his theories to Mr. Bates who winces in pain.  Lord Grantham becomes worried with his valet.  However, Mr. Bates insists that he is in no need of any help, and assures his master that he is fine.  Lord Grantham knows very well that Mr. Bates is suffering, and speaks to Mrs. Hughes about it.  Mrs. Hughes having seen Mr. Bates wincing in pain more than once demands that he tell her the cause of his pain for she will not leave the room until he tells her the truth.  And so, Mr. Bates shows her his now badly scarred leg.  The contraption created fresh wounds on his leg.  Mrs. Hughes convinces Mr. Bates to get rid of the supposed limp corrector.  The two of them go to the pond to throw the device that did nothing but cause Mr. Bates pain.  Before throwing out the limp corrector, Mrs. Hughes makes Mr. Bates promise that he will never again try to cure himself even though his limp will be the butt of people’s jokes.  Mrs. Hughes reminds him that everybody has scars, inside or out, and that all are the same in that manner.

Thomas’ remark about Mr. Pamuk living each day as if it were his last piqued the curiosity of the other servants that Gwen asks him about it, but he keeps his mouth shut.  O’Brien is anxious to know what it is that Thomas knows about his death, and is sure that the young man will share it with her.  True enough, Thomas shares with her the events that happened in that fateful evening.  He tells her how he escorted Mr. Pamuk to Lady Mary’s bedroom in the middle of the night.  O’Brien now suspects whether Mr. Pamuk even made it back to his room by himself.

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