When it comes to the opposite sex, Lady Mary is a little ahead of her time. A foreign diplomat died in her bed during the first series, and following the death of her husband, she's been involved in a love triangle. Now she's getting up to mischief with Lord Gillingham. It's supposed to be a secret, but her cover story is almost blown - until Violet saves the day. It seems that the battleaxe may have more reason than most to sympathise with her granddaughter's position when a face from her past reappears, hinting at a hidden past of her own. Meanwhile, Carson is dismissive of Mrs Patmore's latest problem, Branson receives a proposition about the estate's future and the circumstances of nasty valet Green's demise are scrutinised - again.