...so let's check in with Bates, who's having a look at the exterior of his cottage when he hears a noise and realizes Thomas is standing nearby watching him. Understandably, Bates misinterprets his presence and steps forward for a confrontation, but Thomas tells him he envies him -- he and Anna are the happy couple and everyone's so pleased for them and he can't imagine what that's like. Bates suggests he try being nicer, but Thomas thinks it's being nice that got him into trouble and I don't really have time to dissect that thinking, but it's intriguing enough that Bates asks what he means. Thomas, however, declines to explain, merely saying he'll be gone soon and Bates will be glad of it. Bates agrees, but when Thomas walks off like someone who's been stripped of his soul, Bates looks a bit more concerned for his fellow man.

The next day, Carson is taking stock of who among the staff will be playing cricket, and when Molesley tells him he knows all there is to know about cricket, Carson replies, "You make me quite nervous." Hee. That wipes the smile off Molesley's face in the old familiar way and after Bates offers to keep score, Carson counts up the numbers and comes up with ten, including Branson, Matthew and Lord Grantham. Ivy asks Thomas if he won't be playing and Thomas fights to keep his voice under control as he supposes he'll be gone by then. Speaking of overplaying hands, Jimmy James pipes up that Thomas will, which NICE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO IT, and Bates takes note of O'Brien's smirk. Obviously, he missed the whole falling out between the two, not that it was completely public knowledge anyway, but the wheels are spinning now.