Downton Abbey Script Book Season 1 Read Online Free Page A

field is company law.
    ROBERT: Really?
    MURRAY: His mother is alive and he lives with her. His father, obviously, is not. He was a doctor.
    ROBERT: I know. It does seem odd that my third cousin should be a doctor.
    His prejudice is unconscious. Murray is slightly offended.
    MURRAY: There are worse professions.
    ROBERT: Indeed.
39 INT. BASE OF THE SERVICE STAIR. DAY.
    Daisy waits, until she spies William coming down.
    DAISY: Do me a favour. This should have been sprinkled on the chicken.
    WILLIAM: But isn’t there more to go up?
    DAISY: Please. It won’t take a moment.
    WILLIAM: Give it here.
    Daisy hands over the bowl and he turns to go back up.
40 EXT. GARDENS. DOWNTON. DAY.
    Robert and Murray approach the entrance to the great house.
    MURRAY: We ought to talk about the business of the entail.
    ROBERT: Shall we do it after luncheon?
    MURRAY: Can we tackle it now? There’s not much to be said on the subject.
    Robert can see these words are not a good sign.
    MURRAY (CONT’D): As you know, on your death the heir to the title inherits everything, except for the sums set aside for your daughters and your widow.
    ROBERT: Yes.
    MURRAY: Owing to the terms of her settlement, this will include the bulk of your wife’s fortune.
    ROBERT: It has been our sole topic of conversation since the day the ship went down.
    MURRAY: Of course it must seem horribly unjust to Lady Grantham, but that is how the law stands.
    ROBERT: Is there really no way to detach her money from the estate? Even to me, it seems absurd.
    MURRAY: Your father tied the knot pretty tight. I’d say it’s unbreakable.
    ROBERT: I see.
    MURRAY: The consolation must be that if you did extract the Levinson money, Downton would collapse.
    ROBERT: You mean it could only be achieved by massive selling.
    MURRAY: It would be impossible for your heirs to remain here.
    A bitter thought strikes Robert. He turns with a wry smile.
    ROBERT: I can hardly question that. Since I could not have stayed here if I hadn’t got hold of the Levinson money in the first place!
    His emotions have unwittingly broken out. They’ve reached the house and Robert strides inside, leaving the lawyer to make his own way in. Mary, Edith and Sybil are walking behind them. Edith makes a point of wiping her eyes.
    MARY: Really. Do you have to put on such an exhibition?
    SYBIL: She’s not.
    MARY: I was supposed to be engaged to him for heaven’s sake not you, and I can control myself.
    EDITH: Then you should be ashamed.
    Without waiting for a reply, she walks inside.
41 INT. KITCHEN. DAY.
    Daisy comes back in, still holding a bowl.
    MRS PATMORE: Come on, girl, get a move on!
    She passes Daisy, carrying a hot serving dish.
    MRS PATMORE (CONT’D): Oh, and don’t tell me you’ve not sent up the egg!
    Daisy looks down at the bowl she’s carrying and stops dead. Without a word, she spins and races out the way she came.
42 INT. BASE OF THE SERVICE STAIR. DAY.
    Daisy is trembling with terror when Gwen appears.
    DAISY: Oh, God, help me! Please, God, help me.
    GWEN: What on earth’s the matter?
    DAISY: Just run upstairs to the dining room and find William, I beg you.
    GWEN: I can’t do that now
    DAISY: You’ve got to. I’ll be hanged if you don’t.
    GWEN: What?
    Daisy is moaning with fear, when they hear a voice.
    WILLIAM (V.O.): Daisy? Is that you?
    He comes round the bend in the stair, holding the bowl.
    WILLIAM: Is it the chicken in a sauce? Or the plain chicken with sliced oranges?
    Daisy almost faints with relief and joy.
    DAISY: Oh, thank you, blessed and merciful Lord. Thank you.
    She runs up to him, and swaps the bowls.
    DAISY (CONT’D): The chicken in the sauce.
    A rather bemused William nods and goes back up.
    DAISY (CONT’D): I’ll never do anything sinful again I swear it! Not ‘til I die!
    She hurries back to the kitchen, leaving a puzzled Gwen.
43 INT. HALL. DAY.
    Robert is in the hall with Murray. The other guests