Downton Abbey‘s third series concludes this weekend and Thomas’s future is in Carson’s hands, but Bates may be an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, what secrets are Mary and Matthew holding back from each other?

> Order Series 3 on DVD on Amazon.

Series 3 Episode 8 airs at 9pm on Sunday 4 November on ITV1. To whet your appetite, here are ten teasing lines of dialogue from the episode…

» ‘See how my grip is firm but tender?’

» ‘You have been twisted by nature into something foul, and even I can see that you did not ask for it.’

» ‘I like the idea of a woman taking a position on a man’s subject.’

» ‘This is like the Outer Circle of Dante’s Inferno.’

» ‘If I shouted blue murder every time someone tried to kiss me at Eton, I’d have gone hoarse in a month.’

» ‘The thing is to keep smiling and never look as though you disapprove.’

» ‘I’ve never been called a liberal in my life and I don’t intend to start now.’

» ‘Poor Robert. The post-war world has not been kind to him.’

» ‘We need to build something that will last, Papa, not stand by and watch it crumble into dust.’

» ‘With Edith as my chaperone, what harm can I come to?’

Are you looking forward to the episode? Let us know below…