April 1925. The larger York County Hospital wants to take over the Downton one, the hospital board is split. Violet objects and Isobel approves, citing new medical treatment and better equipment. Rita Bevan, a former chambermaid at the hotel where Mary and Lord Gillingham stayed, attempts to blackmail Mary for £1,000, or she will expose their tryst. Mary refuses to pay, but Rita confronts Robert, who pays her off with £50 and warns she will be reported to the police if she reveals anything. Serg
April 1925. Mary chides Robert for offering Carson the servants' hall for his and Mrs Hughes' wedding reception, and suggests the upstairs instead; Mrs Hughes insists on a separate venue which better represents who they are, which leads to friction between the couple. Edith argues vehemently with Mr Skinner, the magazine's publisher, who apparently resents working for a woman. Mary takes Anna to a Harley Street doctor who proposes minor surgery during her next pregnancy to prevent another miscar
May 1925. Mrs Patmore tells Cora that Mrs Hughes prefers a wedding breakfast venue other than Downton's grand hall. Violet wants Robert to support her position on the hospital merger; things get tense at a hospital board meeting and an annoyed Isobel is rude to Dr Clarkson. Edith dismisses her editor, Mr Skinner, and gets her magazine assembled with Bertie Pelham's help. Anna is pregnant. Daisy hopes that Mr Mason can take over the vacated Yew Tree Farm and mistakenly believes that Cora has alre
May 1925. Lady Shackleton visits with her nephew, Henry Talbot. Lady Rosamund and Mr and Mrs Harding, who are involved in advancing women's careers, also arrive. Anna recognizes and greets Mrs Harding as Gwen, the former Downton housemaid who left service for a new career. Sergeant Willis asks Baxter to testify against Coyle, the man who coerced her to steal jewellery from a previous employer. Cora persuades Robert and Mary to lease Yew Tree Farm to Mr Mason, which Daisy learns from Robert just
May 1925. Mrs Patmore, Daisy and Andy help Mr Mason move into the farm. Andy confesses to Thomas that he is illiterate, and accepts Thomas's offer to teach him in secret. Edith hires Laura Edmunds as her editor, and also becomes romantically involved with Bertie Pelham. Molesley accompanies Baxter to the trial, but she is not called upon to testify as Coyle accepts a plea deal. Violet persuades Minister of Health Neville Chamberlain to attend a dinner at Downton, and during it harangues everyone
Early June 1925. Carson continues to criticise his wife's housekeeping practices at the cottage as not being up to standard, to her increasing annoyance. He even complains about how she makes the bed, and suggests she get some cooking pointers from Mrs Patmore. The board of Downton Hospital learns that its merger with the Royal Yorkshire Hospital has been approved and Cora has been invited to be the new president, replacing Lady Violet. Mary takes Tom to London, where they meet Henry. Henry tell
July 1925. Isobel is puzzled to receive an invitation to the wedding of Lord Merton's son, Larry, and Amelia Cruikshank. Mary receives a telephone call from Henry, who implores her to give him an answer regarding his romantic intentions; she says he is not the right man for her. Daisy and Molesley sit for their exams; the latter does so well that the headmaster offers him a teaching job at the school. Henry invites the family to an automobile race at Brooklands. There is a deadly accident, and H
August 1925. When his cousin Peter dies, Bertie becomes the new Marquess of Hexham. Edith hesitates to tell him that Marigold is her illegitimate daughter. Upset over Henry, Mary spitefully reveals the truth about Marigold at breakfast, and Bertie leaves, hurt that Edith did not trust him. After having a heated row with Mary, Edith goes to London, where she and her editor discover that the magazine's agony aunt, believed to be a female, is in fact Mr Spratt, the Dowager Countess's butler. When i