'Downton Abbey' Recap: Sister Act

Since the first episode of Downton Abbey, Ladies Mary and Edith have been on a never-ending see-saw. When one’s up, the other’s down. (When Sybil was alive, she was off doing her own thing on the jungle gym.)

Last week, Mary put the brakes on her romance with Henry Talbot, while Edith got a marriage proposal from Bertie Pelham. But the see-saw has swung back to Mary’s favor, after she blows up Edith’s relationship with that secret festering in her icy heart. Then, to add insult to injury, Mary resolves things with Henry and they get hitched in a quickie wedding, while Edith gets dumped by Bertie.

Poor, poor Lady Edith. There’s one more episode left, the Christmas special (airing March 6) — will this Cinderella get her happy ending then? And will her wicked sister make up for what she did?

Here’s what went down this week at the Abbey:

Mary and Henry

Mary is moping about her breakup, and Tom pushes her to call Henry. “He’s the one for you, trust me, and give him a chance,” he says, but she shrugs him off. People “like us” (meaning herself and her titled family, not Tom and certainly not Henry) have to be careful about who they marry, especially if they’re inheriting a fortune.

Henry happens to drop by the Abbey after doing some “car things” in Durham (which, as Lord Grantham points out, probably are non-existent). His visit is highly annoying to Mary, and things just get worse when Henry asks her if money is the only reason she’s fighting their relationship. Now, she’s even angrier that he’s calling her a snob, and storms off.