Downstairs Mrs Hughes makes a strange request of Mrs Patmore regarding her forthcoming nuptials whilst Anna, hoping for a child with John, realizes a problem of her own though she does get potentially-good news from the police. However, talk of necessary economic measures at the abbey has the staff fearing for their jobs, especially when a neighbouring estate has to be sold. Upstairs a blackmailer threatens to expose Mary's fling with Gillingham whilst Edith has a more pleasant dilemma in whether or not to move to London to run the publishing house. Elsewhere Violet and Isobel lock horns over the future of the local hospital.