

The episode starts with the title One year later. He swerves to miss a truck, crashes, and dies. After seeing the baby, Matthew drives back to Downton. Mary goes into labor and gives birth to a healthy baby boy. Beryl Patmore becomes involved in a romance with a villager, Tufton. A new housemaid, Edna, joins the staff and will stir things up, setting her sights on Tom. Charles Carson struggles to keep them concentrating on work. The staff back at Downton look forward to the approaching Thirsk Country Fair, in which Branson, Thomas, Alfred, and Jimmy get involved in a tug o' war.


Miss O'Brien discovers a kindred spirit below stairs in the form of her opposite number, Susan MacClare’s lady’s maid Wilkins. There will be deer stalking, fly fishing, shooting trips, and a "spectacular" Ghillies' Ball. Tensions soon rise between the Crawleys and their hosts. Lady Mary Crawley and Matthew Crawley disagree about Gregson's motives. Lady Edith Crawley is surprised to learn that Michael Gregson is in Scotland. Tom Branson remains at Downton after not being invited, which he doesn't mind. Personal servants John Bates, Anna Bates, Joseph Molesley, and Sarah O'Brien also make the trip. The Crawley family visits Lady Rose MacClare and her parents, Hugh MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire and Susan MacClare, Marchioness of Flintshire, for a summer break at Duneagle Castle in The Highlands of Scotland, leaving most of their servants back at home.
