Larry Grey is the son of Lord Merton and he was described as being very keen on Lady Sybil when they were young, though Sybil says she does not think she was as keen on him and she really doesn't remember. He and his family are invited for a dinner at Downton Abbey, while Sybil and Tom are staying there until Mary's wedding. Mary tells Sybil to warn Tom about Larry. Larry is very jealous over her marriage to Tom Branson, and is rude when talking to him. He says that he is surprised to be meeting Tom, as he thought that Sybil having married Tom, would never come back there. He drugs Tom's drink just before dinner which makes Tom appear intoxicated, voicing his views on Irish repression and making everyone, including Sybil, upset. Larry Grey alone is amused; when Mary notices this, he tells her that he is enjoying a vivid display of "Irish character".
Fortunately, Sir Anthony Strallan saw what Larry had done. Larry at first denied knowing what Strallan meant when he accused him of causing Tom's behavior, but, after Strallan openly accused him of drugging Tom's drink and Edith said it was "a beastly thing to do", Grey as good as confessed by telling Edith that she "could always take a joke" (which probably means that he used to play nasty practical jokes on her when they were children). Mary called his words "a bully's defense" and revealed the truth to everyone at the table.
Larry felt no remorse for what he had done, and could not understand why everyone else was getting "hot under the collar" because Tom, in his opinion, was "only a grubbly little chauffeur chap" - not one of society's uppercrust like the rest of them. At this, his father, Matthew, and Lord Grantham stood in anger, his father shouting, "Be silent this instant sir!" Lord Merton then apologizes to Tom for Larry's actions and hopes that he will be recovered in time for the wedding. At this point Matthew in a show of support announces that he intends to make Tom his best man.
Tom is forgiven by the Crawleys, who know that it was not his fault. Cora announces to everyone that Tom, was not responsible for his words and she expects everyone to forget them. The Dowager says that to forgive them was one thing, but forgetting them was unlikely.
Behind the scenes
- The part of Larry Grey was played by Charlie Anson.