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The Duchess of Duke Street Season 2 Episodes
Season 2 Episode Guide
16 Episodes 1977 - 1977
Episode 1
Family Matters
51 mins
Louisa finds herself quite busy when her parents and her brother Arthur arrive for a visit. Her overbearing mother makes it clear that they would like to spend some time as guests at the hotel and Louisa reluctantly agrees. She also agrees to hire her brother Arthur, whom she has not seen for ten years. Problems are immediately apparent. The staff finds her mother's constant requests for service off-putting and eventually decides just to ignore her. It is her brother however who causes the most trouble when he attempts to displace Merriman. The last straw is her mother's suggestion that she dismiss all of the staff and let the family takes over their jobs.
Episode 2
Poor Catullus
54 mins
When two high spirited Oxford students play a prank on Louisa, she goes along with the fun and finds a Professor of Classics pitching the woo to her. Meanwhile, Lord and Lady Haslemere come down from Yorkshire to shop for their London home.
Episode 3
A Lesson in Manners
51 mins
When Mrs. Covenden dies after undergoing a minor operation, she shocks her family by leaving the bulk of her estate to her chauffeur, young Tom Prince. The news is especially shocking to her nephew, Eddie Sturgess, who had been borrowing money in the hopes of inheriting a small fortune. Now that Tom is £30,000 richer, Louisa, Major Smith-Barton and Eddie decide to make a gentleman out of him. He passes his test - lunch with a Duchess and her daughter - with flying colors but in the end, wonders if he's really the right kind of person to have such a large sum of money.
Episode 4
Winter Lament
52 mins
Louisa visits Lord and Lady Haslemere but all is not well. Margaret Haslemere is obviously unhappy, at least in part because she believes Charlie doesn't love her. She has stopped eating and grows weaker by the day. Charlie has become disinterested but at least in part because he doesn't know how to make his wife happy. Amid the gloom, Louisa gives him some good advice and suspects the servants of spreading rumors and gossip. Louisa also gets to see Lottie.
Episode 5
The Passing Show
51 mins
Charlie Haslemere, now a widower, is in residence at the Bentinck but is feeling somewhat blue. Louisa suggests that he re-engage with life and get on with it. A pompous actor, Sir Martin Mallory is also in residence and takes a fancy to one of the hotel staff, Violet, who has had stars in her eyes since his first visit. He seduces her and Louisa fires her when she catches them in bed. With no money and without a reference, she takes to walking the streets but soon finds herself in police custody. Louisa reconsiders after a visit from Inspector Jason. Britain finds itself at war with Germany.
Episode 6
Your Country Needs You
51 mins
With the outbreak of the Great War, the staff are galvanized to help in the effort and keep the hotel running as usual. Louisa takes in a Belgian refugee, a master pastry chef. Charlie enlists and leaves a worried Louisa as he departs for France .
Episode 7
The Patriots
52 mins
It's 1915 and Louisa is upset that one of her guests, the apparently able-bodied Mr. Appleby, has not yet enlisted in the armed forces. She wants him to leave as soon as possible. On another issue, she is warned by a Lieutenant in Naval Intelligence that either a guest or a member of the staff may be spying for the Germans. It turns out that there is both a guest and a staff member spying resulting in the death of one and the arrest of the other.
Episode 8
The Reluctant Warrior
52 mins
The war comes home to roost so to speak when a bomb lands on the Bentinck hotel. No one is injured but Mr. Starr's dog was in the mews when the bomb hit and Fred is nowhere to be found. A Sergeant soon arrives to assess the situation and his assistant, a conscientious objector, forms a close relationship with Ethel. A newly married young couple, a Canadian Lieutenant and a young woman who had stayed at the Bentinck some years previously with her parents, arrive on their honeymoon.
Episode 9
Tea and a Wad
54 mins
Louisa brings a bit of England to France when the Major enlists her to organize a tea and sandwich shop, military style. Charlie (Lord Haslemere) and Louisa enjoy an intimate evening, their first since their daughter, Lottie, was conceived. Charlie proposes to an ecstatic Louisa and they agree to marry once the 'guns are silent.'
Episode 10
Shadows
54 mins
Charlie returns to London and the Bentinck after he's sustained a serious head wound at the front. He puts on a cheerful and brave face, but his situation is far more grave, as Louisa and the Major suspect. The Major recommends a top Harley Street specialist, who examines Charlie and informs Louisa that, at best, Charlie will lose his eyesight gradually, but inevitably.
Episode 11
Where There's a Will
54 mins
With the war at an end, Louisa finds herself unable continue without her one true love. She has fallen behind in paying her bills and she decides the time has come to sell the Bentinck. The staff hear of it and are, needless to say, upset at the thought of losing not only their livelihood but their home. Ethel returns looking for work, but Louisa can only offer her a reference. It turns out she's not been cashing the checks given to her by officers, with the obvious results. A visit to her parents doesn't raise her spirits but a last letter from Charlie Haslemere finally lets her grieve.
Episode 12
The Legion of the Living
50 mins
Louisa and the Major attend a memorial service in Yorkshire and again meets her daughter Lottie. She's now blossomed into an attractive young woman and Louisa has to decide whether or not to take her under her wing. Lottie's stepfather has died and her stepmother Elsie has given to drink and leaves much to be desired. It was also Charlie's last wish that Louisa keep an eye on her. Problems arise however when the girl's parentage becomes common knowledge. Louisa returns to London with Lottie but by agreement, their relationship will not be generally made known. Meanwhile, the officer who took a liking to Mary while convalescing at the Bentinck returns to collect his violin but the war has changed him.
Episode 13
Lottie
53 mins
While a few of the staff know of Lottie's origins, others have set their tongues wagging about just why this young girls seems to be staying at the Bentinck. Louisa wont put up with it and sets out to end the gossip. Mary meanwhile takes an interest in her and invites her to tea with her friend Brian, the violin player. He immediately takes an interest in Lottie and grates at the constant stream of orders from Mary. When he decides to leave London, he gets Lottie to tell a heartbroken Mary of the reasons why. Louisa decides that the time has come to send Lottie to finishing school and make a lady of her.
Episode 14
Blossom Time
53 mins
Lottie returns to the Bentinck from finishing school in Switzerland for a bit of a holiday and has her art teacher, Miss Olive Bradford, in tow. Lottie has become quite the young lady, having learned the rules of high society and losing her Yorkshire accent. The Major takes quite an interest in Miss Bradford but Louisa warns him that she is an old maid who may be out to get her hooks into him. Lottie also finds a beau, hotel guest Howard Blenkiron who takes an interest in her from their first meeting. She may have made a mistake however when she tells Howard of her parentage.
Episode 15
Poor Little Rich Girl
53 mins
Louisa and Lottie continue to argue over her future. Louisa is more convinced than ever that Lottie becomes a lady, marry the right man and a become a member of society. Lottie on the other hand likes to sing and has decided she wants to go on the stage. While Louisa initially agrees to pay for singing lessons, she brings it all to a crashing halt when she hears the kind of music Lottie prefers. At this time, Lottie also meets her grandparents for the first time but Louisa's father is poorly and will not likely recover. He does take a shine to Lottie - and vice versa - and proves to be the means to Lottie's end.
Episode 16
Ain't We Got Fun
48 mins
Change is in the air at the hotel and in the lives of its many residents. An American writer, Sophie Applegate, would like to pen a book about Louisa's life, successes and failures. Louise isn't all that keen on the venture but eventually rises to the occasion and opens up about her past. It's not obvious that she'll ever let the book see the light of day however. Merriman wins £500 in a contest and decides the time has come to engage in other pursuits, for a short time, at any rate. Mr. Starr and Mary have a surprise announcement that sends Louisa reeling and forces her to reconsider some of her rules about staff conduct. Major Smith-Barton returns for a short visit when his wife visits the continent. He too has a revelation for Louisa.
