The next morning, we get an aerial view of the castle and it really is something to behold. Somewhat less marvelous are the bagpipes, though, and Lord Grantham turns over and sighs "Bloody hell," so you know he's hearing them as loudly as they're coming across on the soundtrack. Cora's a bit more serene about it, but Lord Grantham covers his head with a pillow, which makes him look like me when my neighbor's dog is left alone in the morning.

Some time later, Matthew is getting some shooting lessons from an old dude who's straight out of Highlands Central Casting and talks about how deer are noble creatures and deserve a respectful death and whatever, and they're then joined by Rose, Shrimpie and Lord Grantham. Upon being asked, Rose tells Lord Grantham that Susan is showing the Dowager Countess the gardens and when she then wanders off, Shrimpie explains that Rose is "not anxious for her mother's company." I'm impressed with his diplomacy, not least because he didn't cast his lot in with his daughter there. Shrimpie then tells Lord Grantham that he's getting a foreign assignment, which he plans to accept...

...which, as it happens, is just the subject about which Susan is currently grousing, as she says even though they don't yet know where the assignment will be, she's sure that "it will be filthy and dirty and the food will be awful and there will be no one to talk to for a hundred square miles." The Dowager Countess replies that that sounds like a week with her mother-in-law, but before I get too into mentally casting that prequel, the Dowager Countess asks if Rose will go with them. When Susan asks what Rose has been saying, the Dowager Countess gently says that although "no one can accuse me of being modern" (hee) even she can see that it isn't a crime to be young. Susan admits that she knows, but "you don't see how they gang up on me," so the Dowager Countess says she'll strive to keep the peace. The extra hiss with which she pronounces those words suggests even she knows that's not a role she was born to play and Susan tells her that as her aunt, "you can jolly well be on my side." Well, she'll have a lot of legroom, at least.

Downstairs, O'Brien and Wilkins are doing some sewing as O'Brien says that she'd like to travel more -- they see a bit of London, but that's pretty much it. Wilkins asks about the House of Lords, but O'Brien tells her that Lord Grantham just takes Bates and stays in his club. Wilkins sighs that they're headed for "an outpost of Empire," and both she and Susan are dreading it; O'Brien thinks she'd enjoy something different, but Wilkins is like, no. You know what this means: Time for Freaky Friday: Lady's Maid Version!