Upstairs Downstairs

I guess this ain't good for either one of us

to be seen together.

Right or wrong, you know, people like to talk.

It'd better be goodbye. What's the matter, afraid? Of you? No.

Well, after all, we're on the same ship.

We still have eight days, you know?

Well, you can take nice long walks out in the sunshine.

Pass my cigarettes, will you?

I appear to have only one shoe.

How inconvenient. You shall have to hop back to Whitehall.

Do you know what I should like now?

I could hazard a guess.

Tea.

Tea?

With cream cakes and tiny sandwiches. When I was a girl,

I used to dream of taking afternoon tea at a smart London hotel.

Room service might be more advisable.

Honestly, Hallam, you're such a stick in the mud.

Am I indeed?

The larger cases are for the luggage compartment, Spargo. My lady.

If you could take him out to the car.

Come here.

Agnes? What on earth?

I'm taking the children to Buckinghamshire.

Does Hallam know about this?

You can't just go.

Then what should I do, Persie?

You know how things are. These last few weeks have been intolerable.

We barely speak. Do you think that will change if I stay?

I suppose you could leave him a note.

'I know we discussed you going at some point'

if the situation worsened.

Marina telephoned, and with Nanny Lyons visiting her sister,

I couldn't see any reason to wait. But surely...

It means the children will be safe, whatever happens.

Very well. If it's what you want.

But I don't see why you need to take the train. Spargo could easily...

Is it what YOU want, Hallam?

Agnes, please...

Are you happy? With me?

How long will you be gone?

I have no idea.

'The pride of empire

'is translated into willingness to serve,

'as Britain builds a mighty civil defence force.

'Meanwhile, the Polish ambassador, returns to London from Warsaw.'

A bit of warning would have been nice.

What with Dr Mottershead in Norfolk visiting the transport kiddies,

I've a saddle of lamb going to waste.

There was a note, you said? It's on the mantelpiece.

Sir Hallam can't be happy. First the business with Mr Landry,

and then she goes running off to the country.

How are we progressing with plans for the refuge room?

They start bombing and gassing us, a bit of carpet won't do much.

You want to be as far away from London as you can get.

Is that my Tatler? I left that out for Beryl.

There's an article about Rene Dupont, hairdresser to the stars.

Ha! He's very famous in America, actually.

Ginger Rogers was a brunette until she met him.

You don't say.

Any instructions from Her Ladyship?

Only one.

It appears I am to join Lady Malcolm's ball committee

as a servants' representative. Well, now!

What, on top of your ARP duties?

Well, they could have asked you first. What a cheek.

On the contrary, Beryl, it's an honour.

So did Agnes say when she'll be back?

Persie! It's a perfectly innocuous question.

We can't discuss this here.

Thank you, Pritchard.

Do you know, it might even be for the best.

How can it possibly be for the best?

Agnes is my wife. Things should never have got to this point.

I should never have let them.

I see.

I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me, Hallam.

I really have the most dreadful headache.

I don't see what all the fuss is about.

If it's just a servants' dance... It's not a dance, it's a ball.

A proper ball, every year, every summer at the Albert Hall.

Apparently, this year it's to be themed...

characters from history and literature.

Well, that hardly narrows the field.

Lady Agnes has suggested Robin Hood and Maid Marian.

She very much hopes we will participate.

I thought perhaps Eunice and Johnny.

Robin Hood? Wouldn't I have to wear stockings?

Didn't do Errol Flynn any harm.

Indeed, it did not.

I do hope Sir Hallam takes the same table this year.

It was so nice to have somewhere to sit with a decent view.

And Queen Mary herself took the table next to us.

You've met the Queen? No, the table was for her staff.

But several from the upper echelons do attend for the first dance.

And I hope you won't be using Belgravia Catering again.

The ham was fatty, I won't even comment on the fruit cake.

I hope Lady Malcolm's speech doesn't go on like last year.

Isn't the evening to raise funds for the hospital?

Well, it doesn't mean we have to dwell on illness. On our night out?

Especially as it'll be our last, if Hitler has his way.

Thank you, Mr Wetenshall.

We are all grateful for that highly detailed and informative summary.

However, as regards the refreshments,

I see no point inviting tenders from other companies.

The food was perfectly acceptable

and reasonably priced.

After all, we must remember for whom we are catering.

And now onto other business.

I'm afraid our cook will be disappointed.

She felt last year's cold meats left a little to be desired.

Oh, I would have to agree.

Perhaps you'd like to take it up with Lady Malcolm.

They shall answer directly to me.

I think not.

I don't think Mr Pritchard would approve

of you working with your shirt off.

Not with impressionable young women around.

Best avert your gaze, then.

Now, where's the fun in that?

That for me? Mm-hmm.

It's going to be so dark in here when all the windows are boarded up.

Yeah. You know, if things kick off,

I'm not sticking around here to choke to death in some basement.

Well, I can't see we can do much about that.

We could always get out of here. And go where?

How about America?

America?! Yeah, that'd be nice.

We could get ourselves a penthouse in a skyscraper

and go dancing with Fred Astaire!

Or we could get ourselves visas and passage on a boat

and get as far away from this as possible.

We couldn't do that.

Why not?

Sir.

Right, thanks.

I thought it had been agreed that any negotiations

with the Soviets needed careful handling.

Drax has been fully briefed.

With the greatest respect, Foreign Secretary,

sending Admiral Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax

is as good as telling the Russians

we're not taking them seriously. Nonsense.

There are rumours Hitler's been making overtures to the Russians.

Well, good luck to him.

If there's anyone Stalin hates more than us, it's the Germans.

That's why they were weakened last time,

because they were fighting on two fronts, the Eastern and the Western.

It's not a mistake the Germans will want to make again.

Cos in the paper it says we might join up with the Russians.

But do you think that might put Hitler off?

Stop him marching into Poland?

It's possible.

So the other representative's a lady's maid?

Full of airs and graces, no doubt.

They always think they're better than the rest of us.

What's Lady Malcolm like?

She strikes me as a woman of indomitable spirit.

Battle-axe.

Oh, she didn't inherit her mother's looks, that's for sure.

Lillie Langtry was such a beauty.

You'll be pleased to hear that they've secured the services

of Percy Chandler and his dance orchestra. Oh!

Does everyone have to dance?

Don't worry, I'll teach you some steps.

And I'll be needing to look at your tunic later, Johnny.

Whoever wore it at the Dramatic Society

was a bit more Friar Tuck than Robin Hood.

You've heard they're sending Drax to Moscow?

Mmm. He of the unfeasibly long name?

They might as well send the teaboy.

I must admit,

after what the Bolsheviks did to our Romanov relations,

I do struggle somewhat to see them as appealing allies.

Appealing or not, they could well be our last chance.

Marina says La Famille Holland has settled in nicely at Coppins.

Yes. Yes, thank you for that.

Agnes wanted the children out of harm's way.

I thought we could have waited, but...

Hallam, at the risk of sounding insensitive...

My wife is living at your house.

I think the time for delicacy has passed.

I just wish to say that the most idyllic marriage

will experience this rough weather from time to time.

You will come through this.

Whatever else might happen in my life...

Agnes has always been its heart.

Everything I did, ultimately, I did it for her.

And she for you. You're a perfectly matched pair.

You always have been.

Has that really changed?

I feel as though I'm no longer...

necessary to her.

Hallam, dear boy...

It's the truth.

And if Agnes doesn't need me, then...

then I fear I may be quite lost.

I'll need to go along by the park, sir.

There's a sandbagging lorry broken down on Piccadilly.

It's for real this time, isn't it, sir?