Upstairs Downstairs

Home from their honeymoon, the Kirbridges settle into their home in Greenwich. Their staff will consist of Rose as maid, on loan from Eaton Place, a crabby Mrs. Fellows as cook, and a Welshman named Thomas Watkins as manservant/everything else. Thomas has an unsettling gaze and seems a bit suspicious, but Rose fancies him anyway. The newlyweds don't seem very happy and their personalities are changing, getting their marriage off to a rocky start. Lawrence displays bouts of immaturity with a nasty, even cruel, demeanor. He prefers to socialize without Elizabeth, sometimes sneaking out after she's in bed, and comes home very late. His behavior is upsetting, giving Lizzie second thoughts about their marriage.

James and Sarah are going strong, but his debts from gambling have him very worried. The news that Sarah is pregnant, causes him to seek counsel from his parents who handle the news surprisingly well. After the Bellamys meet with their attorney, both James and Sarah are summoned to Eaton Place. The Bellamys are going to help them out of their messes, but that help comes at a price.

Things have not improved in the Kirbridge household. It turns out they have yet to consummate their marriage. Lizzie, unaware she's married to a gay man, is miserable and angry, making Lawrence miserable, too. Realizing he cannot fulfill that "need" for her, Lawrence decides to enlist the help of a friend to fulfill those duties for him.

Elizabeth comes home for Christmas without Lawrence. The Bellamys face another family crisis when it is discovered that Elizabeth is expecting a baby.

There is great excitement among the servants when King Edward VII attends a supper party at Eaton Place. During the evening the arrival of an unexpected visitor creates an emergency below stairs.

Thomas is approached by a blackmailer who claims to have love letters from Lady Marjorie to Captain Hammond.

The brothers of both Richard and Hudson are visiting, causing both men to do things they otherwise would not. For Hudson, it means putting on airs, and for Richard, the visit causes him to snoop, an action he considers beneath him.

Elizabeth arrives home with her new daughter whose care is entrusted to the Southwold family nanny, an elderly woman who won't admit she's not up for the task.

After her father dies, Lady Marjorie has her mother, Lady Southwold come to Eaton Place. When a valuable broach goes missing, finger pointing causes a disruption throughout the household. Meanwhile, Thomas' hopes for a career change are dashed when his potential employer tries to impose himself on Sarah.

While her parents are away, Elizabeth gets involved in the suffragette movement. Rose attempts to keep her out of trouble but the situation ends badly, requiring Elizabeth to seek help from Julius Karekin, an influential man she just met.

The Bellamys are in shock when they learn that Eaton Place, which is part of the Southwold estate, must be sold in order to satisfy the terms of the deceased Lord Southwold's will. Adding to their worries is news of Elizabeth's involvement with Julius Karekin, a man they strongly disapprove of, but in the end, the relationship proves very beneficial.

With Sarah expecting his baby, she and Thomas are planning to wed, but concerns that the news might not be well received causes Sarah to claim a stranger is the father. Unaware of the truth, Lady Marjorie thinks Thomas is making a huge mistake and threatens to sack him unless he changes his mind, which he refuses to do. Later, when Thomas informs her they'll be working for a neighbor, Lady Marjorie fears they'll divulge the family secrets and demands Richard do something to ensure that doesn't happen.

Elizabeth, depressed about her own relationship, is less than cordial when James returns home with his fiancee in tow, a woman named Phyllis whom his parents feel is beneath his station. The family is gathered to celebrate Lady Marjorie's birthday, as well as James' homecoming and engagement, when a surprise visitor shows up, changing the mood of the festivities, and the night ends on a somber note when a phone call reveals devastating news.