Downton Abbey Script Book Season 1 Read Free

right.
    O’BRIEN: You’re early.
    BATES: Came on the milk train. Thought I could use the day to get to know the place. And start tonight.
    ANNA: I’m Anna, the head housemaid.
    O’BRIEN: And I’m Miss O’Brien, her ladyship’s maid.
    BATES: How do you do?
    He holds out his hand. Anna shakes it. O’Brien does not.
    O’BRIEN: You’d better come along with us.
    He shares a look with Anna as he goes.
27 INT. KITCHEN. DAY.
    Mrs Hughes is questioning Bates, watched by O’Brien, Mrs Patmore and the rest. They’re amazed.
    MRS HUGHES: But how can you manage?
    His answer is direct and even challenging.
    BATES: Don’t worry about that. I can manage.
    MRS PATMORE: Because we’ve all got our own work to do.
    BATES: I can manage.
    CARSON: All right, Mrs Hughes. I’ll take over, thank you. Good morning, Mr Bates, and welcome.
    But he has not seen the stick until the others break back, giving him a full view. He’s taken aback, but recovers.
    CARSON (CONT’D): I hope your journey was satisfactory?
    BATES: It was fine. Thank you.
    CARSON: I am the butler at Downton. My name is Carson.
    BATES: How do you do, Mr Carson.
    CARSON: And this is Thomas, first footman. He’s been looking after his lordship since Mr Watson left. It’ll be a relief to get back to normal. Won’t it, Thomas?
    But Thomas is not sure he wants to go back to normal and even Carson is not sure this change will be ‘normal.’
    CARSON (CONT’D): I assume everything’s ready for Mr Bates’s arrival?
    MRS HUGHES: I’ve put him in Mr Watson’s old room, though he left it in quite a state, I can tell you.
    MRS PATMORE: But what about all them stairs?
    BATES: I keep telling you, I can manage.
    The awkward moment registers. Anna comes to the rescue.
    ANNA: Of course you can.
    CARSON: Thomas, take Mr Bates to his room and show him where he’ll be working.
    Thomas and Bates go off together.
    CARSON (CONT’D): Thank you, everyone.
    The company disperses back to their tasks.
    O’BRIEN: Well. I can’t see that lasting long.
    CARSON: Thank you, Miss O’Brien.
    He goes, leaving her flattened.
28 INT. SERVANTS’ STAIRCASE. DAY.
    Bates briefly pauses at the foot of the ninety-seven stone steps as Thomas moves on ahead … Bates follows.
29 INT. SERVANTS’ ATTICS. DAY.
    Thomas watches from the door as Bates puts his case on the bed. The room is modest but adequate. Bates looks round.
----
    BATES: Oh yes. I shall be comfortable here. Why did the last chap leave?
    THOMAS: Nobody knows. Just took off. Came down one morning, said cheerio, and that was it. Some of his lordship’s cufflinks went missing at the same time, but nothing was done about it.
    BATES: Why not?
    THOMAS: They don’t like scandal and he was clever not to take too much. Come on. *
----
30 INT. LIBRARY. DAY.
    Mary is completely stunned. She is alone with her father.
----
    MARY: But I thought he wasn’t going until next month.
    ROBERT: And he didn’t write to say they were leaving earlier?
    MARY: We weren’t in each other’s pockets.
    ROBERT: No.
    A horrid thought strikes her.
----
    MARY: Does this mean I’ll have to go into full mourning?
    ROBERT: My first cousin and his son are almost certainly dead. We will all be in mourning.
    Robert is very moved by what has happened. Mary is not.
    MARY: No, I mean with the other thing. After all, it wasn’t official …
    ROBERT: If you’re saying you do not wish to mourn Patrick as a fiancé, that is up to you.
    MARY: No one knew about it, outside the family.
    ROBERT: I repeat, it is up to you.
    MARY: Well, that’s a relief.
    Which shocks her father. The truth is, Robert loves his children but he doesn’t really know them. *
31 INT. ROBERT’S DRESSING ROOM. DAY.
    The dressing room is neat, lined with mahogany doors, with dressing brushes and bibelots laid out on a chest of drawers. The large bed is