- "At war, at peace, Downton still stands and the Crawleys are still in it!"
- —Martha when she steps out of the car after arriving at Downton Abbey[src]
Set in Spring 1920. Cora’s mother sweeps into Downton for Matthew and Mary’s wedding, causing friction with the Dowager Countess with her "revolutionary" way of seeing things. Lord Grantham is informed that his attempt to make money for Downton by pouring the bulk of Cora's fortune into a single railway company has failed, leaving the estate near bankruptcy. Salvation is possible thanks to Matthew inheriting a large amount of money from Lavinia's father, but his high values will not let him keep the money, feeling it a betrayal of Lavinia and her father.