Original subtitles

[music]

[music]

>> Gabriel Whitestone, 4th Viscount of

Claremont, [music]

was waiting.

And it had already been 20 minutes.

20 long minutes of silence,

broken only by the soft flutter of fans,

discreet clearing of [music] throats,

and whispers growing ever less

restrained.

Long enough for myself and all of

[music] London's finest in attendance

to begin to understand,

howbeit rather late,

that Lady Caroline Bellamy

>> [music]

>> may never have had any intention of

arriving at all.

>> Whitestone,

a message has arrived for you.

Whitestone?

Lady Caroline sent this

It was delivered moments ago.

>> Lord Whitestone, I deeply regret the

circumstances under which this [music]

letter reaches you,

but I shall not be present at the

ceremony.

It has become [music] impossible for me

to proceed with this marriage without

betraying what has long governed my

heart.

To remain silent [music] in the face of

it would be not only dishonest,

but cruel.

I cannot bind myself [music] to you

while my affections belong to another.

I am fully aware [music] that society

will offer me no forgiveness for such a

choice.

And yet, I would rather face scandal

than live a life [music] built upon a

lie.

You deserve more than the quiet

resignation I could [music] ever offer

you.

I sincerely hope that in time you will

find someone who loves you with the

depth [music] and truth you are owed.

Lady Caroline Bellamy.

>> And in that [music] moment, Gabriel felt

it, the crushing weight of 300 pairs

[music] of eyes beyond the door.

Though he could not see them, they were

there,

waiting,

judging,

ready to witness his ruin.

Alone, all that remained [music] to him

was the humiliation,

the kind he knew was already beginning

to spread through [music] London like

fire over dry straw.

How could he return to that hall?

How could he uphold his name before

them?

How could he remain the Viscount of

Claremont

after this? [music]

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> Where is it, you drunkard? Hand it over.

>> [sighs]

>> You're awake.

Good.

I thought you might die during the

night.

>> [sighs]

[gasps]

>> Where?

Where am I?

>> You're safe.

Which is more than you deserved

wandering drunk through Southwark.

>> Who

are you?

>> Nora Hale. Stay still.

I need to clean that wound before it

festers.

I am going to remove this bandage

and see to your wound.

>> Forgive me, miss, [music] but I do not

care for being handled by strangers.

>> Forgive me, sir, but I was obliged to do

so earlier

when you were insensible in that very

bed.

But I shall offer you two choices. The

first, you remain still and allow me to

clean that wound. Or the second, you may

leave now and see how long you survive

in the streets before someone decides to

finish what was started.

The choice is yours.

>> Very well, miss.

My wound

is at your disposal.

>> What happened to you?

>> I was attacked.

Robbed.

>> That much I could see. [music]

But men like you do not appear in

Southwark without reason.

You were running from something.

>> Ah.

Does that matter?

>> For me?

No.

But if someone comes looking for you

here,

it does.

So, I will ask again,

who were you running from?

>> From no one.

I

only

I only lost control.

>> You were fortunate.

It was not deep.

You will remain here for a day or two

until you are strong enough to leave.

But there are rules.

You do not leave this room without my

permission.

You do not speak to anyone.

You do not cause trouble.

Do you understand?

>> Yes.

>> Oh, just one more thing. I do not know

who you are

and I have no wish to.

But if you bring danger to this house,

>> [music]

>> to the people who live in it, I will see

you thrown back out into the street

myself. Is that understood?

>> Yes.

I understand.

>> Good.

Then we understand one another.

>> [crying]

>> What place is this?

>> [crying]

>> My lady is there, in that miserable room

he lay, dependent on the charity of a

stranger who held no reverence for him.

Gabriel understood what some nobles I

have known spent a lifetime failing to

grasp.

And others, I must confess,

carried to their graves without ever

grasping it at all, that a title carries

great currency in the right drawing

rooms

and absolutely none in rooms like that

one.

That distinction, I learned early.

They, unfortunately, required a fool to

learn it.

Arrogant idiot.

>> You really were a fool bringing him

here.

Are you going to stand there all

morning?

I was just thinking

about the man upstairs.

About how foolish I was to bring him

here.

You did the right thing. He would have

died out there.

And that would have been his problem,

not mine.

Since when do you leave someone to die

in the street?

He's a nobleman, Mary.

I saw the clothes, the hands,

the way he spoke to me, even half dead,

as if he were granting me a favor just

by listening.

So what? Title or not, he's hurt. He's

vulnerable.

And for now, he's under our roof.

When he's strong enough, he leaves.

It really is that simple.

Nora,

he is not James.

I've known you long enough, you know.

I can tell when you're thinking about

him.

He doesn't matter.

He stays until he's recovered,

then he leaves,

and I never hear his name again.

Did he say

what happened to him?

No.

He chose to lie.

Men like him don't end up beaten in

places like this by accident, but I'll

find out. Of that, I'm quite certain.

Anyway, changing the the

baby Christopher has taken to the bottle

at last.

>> Thank God, I was worried.

Is Iris looking after him now?

>> She is, yes.

She's glad to be able to help after

everything that's happened.

>> It's so sad that so many of us have to

go through such dreadful times.

But she's safe now.

>> And that's what matters.

Well then, once I finish my coffee, I'll

go and check on the children.

>> Good morning, Mary.

I should get to work.

>> On that day, Nora opened the tavern at

noon as if single-handedly raising the

weight of a small kingdom built of wood

and smoke.

She manned the counter,

poured ale,

wiped tables,

changed barrels.

Each movement precise as the routine

were the armor she had chosen to wear

instead of lace.

>> Nora held her back straight. Her voice

always steady.

Her eyes alert to every movement in that

tavern.

In that small kingdom of wood and smoke,

no one dared to challenge her fan.

And I saw it all with these eyes.

No one dared disrespect her.

Not so after she'd broken the nose of a

drunk who'd tried to lay a hand on one

of the women under her protection.

The news had spread quickly.

Nora Hale was not a woman to be trifled

with.

And that was precisely how she wanted

it.

In the late afternoon, once the tavern

had emptied, Nora went upstairs to check

on the stranger.

He was awake, sitting on the edge of the

bed with some difficulty.

>> How are you feeling?

>> Better.

Thank you for

for helping me.

>> What is your name?

>> Gabriel.

>> Gabriel what?

>> Just Gabriel.

>> You're lying.

>> And you're being intrusive.

>> Listen to me, Gabriel. I pulled you out

of the street, gave you shelter, cleaned

your blood, but that does not mean you

may disrespect me under my own roof.

If you want to stay here, you will treat

me with respect.

If you cannot do that, the door is right

there.

>> You're right.

I'm sorry.

I

I'm not used to this.

>> Used to what, exactly?

Respect?

>> Used to not being treated any

differently.

>> Here, you're not special.

You're just another soul who needs help.

And while you're under this roof, you'll

abide by my rules.

Is that understood?

>> I understand.

Nora,

may I ask you something?

Who are the other people here?

I heard babies crying

and women talking.

>> Women society has thrown away.

Single mothers,

illegitimate children,

former maids turned out for no good

reason.

All of them forgotten by people like

you.

>> People like me?

>> Yes.

The nobility.

>> My ladies, Nora left, leaving Gabriel

[music] there alone once more in that

room.

As much as he refused to say out loud

[music] who he was, Nora knew. And what

always cuts men like him the deepest

[music] is not being found out, but

realizing just how much [music] a woman

can despise them precisely for what the

whole world taught them to be proud of.

Gabriel spent [music] the following day

shut away in his room, turning that

conversation with Nora over and over in

his mind. [music] He was not used to any

of this, least of all to being treated

as someone ordinary. The physical wound

was already beginning to heal. The

humiliation, however, remained constant.

A weight in his chest that did not

lessen with time. Left at the altar,

beaten in [music] an alley, dependent on

the charity of a woman who despised him,

women society [music]

had thrown away.

Nora's words still echoed in his mind.

Gabriel had always known such women

existed. Of course he had.

But to him, they were abstractions,

examples wheeled out for edifying

speeches over dinner.

They had never been real to him

until that moment.

Brought you some food.

You are better.

I am better, thank you.

I can't even remember the last day I had

a proper meal.

Nora says you're a nobleman. She said

that? She didn't have to.

Your hands give you away. Your clothes,

before they were torn.

You are not the first nobleman who has

passed through here.

But you are the first Nora has brought

inside.

Why?

Why did she bring me here?

>> Because she cannot let anyone die.

Even when she should.

It's her curse.

When you're finished, leave the tray on

the table. If you need anything, call

out. Someone will hear.

>> Mary, who is that man inside?

>> Oh, Thomas, whatever are you doing here?

He is merely a gentleman your aunt has

taken under her care. Come now. Let us

go downstairs.

>> Oh, Mary, what is to become of me?

>> He shall recover, Anne. You must place

your faith in providence.

>> Faith pays no accounts, Mary.

>> Faith provides no bread for my child,

nor for the women and children gathered

here.

>> I know,

but Nora will find a way. She always

does.

But times,

I cannot help but wonder whether it

might have been better

if I had simply gone away with my son.

>> And go where? Back to the streets? You

have a roof here. You are safe.

That alone is more than many women have.

>> I never thought Lord Ashworth could do

such a thing to me.

He swore he would protect us.

>> We never do, Anne.

Men like them always seem kinder until

the moment they are not.

Gabriel returned to the room in silence,

moving slowly as though his very body

could scarcely bear the weight of what

he had just heard. Ashcombe. [music]

Ah, Gabriel knew that name all too well.

And so did I. Lord Ashcombe [music]

frequented the very same drawing rooms

we once did, drank the very same wine,

left amongst the same [music]

aristocrats who spoke of honor as though

they were its rightful masters. And yet,

he had left behind [music] a frightened

young woman with a child in her arms.

That afternoon, finally,

the Gabriel Whitestone [music] I knew

began to change. Not all at once.

Men like him [music] didn't crumble so

easily, but a small crack had appeared.

For the very first time, he began to see

what women like Anne had always [music]

known, that the society nobleman swore

to protect rarely extended its mercy to

women such as her. How many Annes

[music] were there in London?

How many children grew up without a

name, without protection?

And seated [music] within that poor

little room,

lit only by the trembling glow of

candlelight,

Gabriel [music] at last began to feel

the dreadful weight of his own

ignorance.

I need to change the bandage.

The wound is healing well.

Another 2 days

and you shall be able to depart.

>> May I ask you a question?

>> Yes.

What is it you wish to know?

>> The woman with the child.

What became of her?

>> Why do you wish to know?

>> Because

because I'm trying to understand.

>> And what is it you're trying to

understand.

>> This place.

The children.

You.

>> Anne was a housemaid in a noble

household near Belgrave Square. When the

master's son got her with child, they

cast her out without references, without

money.

They claimed she had seduced him.

The babe was born 3 months later.

She tried to find work,

but no one hires an unmarried mother

with an infant in her arms.

She ended up in the streets.

I found her 2 months ago,

nearly frozen in an alley.

>> And the man?

What happened to him?

>> Nothing. He married an heiress 3 weeks

later.

He has a perfect life. He probably

doesn't even remember her name.

>> How many?

How many women like her are here?

>> Five women.

Five women.

Four children.

All destroyed by men who never paid the

consequences.

>> And you?

What happened to you?

>> The same thing that happens to all of

us.

Nobleman promised me the world

and left me with nothing.

>> [music]

>> James [music] Hartwell, Viscount

Hartwell.

Nora had been but 19 [music] when she

first made his acquaintance. She was

employed as a seamstress in [music] a

modest little shop in Covent Garden.

Viscount Hartwell entered one afternoon

in search of a gift for his sister.

He was handsome, charming, and

attentive. And when [music] he smiled at

her, Nora felt something she had never

known before.

Hope.

He returned days later, then weeks

[music] later, always with some excuse.

Another gift was required, a button

wished repairing, [music] or he had

heard further praise of the excellence

of her work.

But Nora knew the truth of it. And when

Lord Hartwell at last invited her to

take a turn about the park, she

accepted. [music]

It was the happiest era of her life.

They met in secret. They walked [music]

beside the Thames. They spoke of dreams,

of the future, of how love might triumph

over [music] every barrier set by the

world. James declared that rank

signified [music] nothing to him, that

he loved her for what she was, and not

for what society demanded she ought to

be.

And Nora believed him. She believed him

when he kissed [music] her beneath the

stars. She believed him when he vowed he

would find some means for them to remain

together.

>> [music]

>> She believed him when he drew her into

his bed and whispered that she belonged

to him forever.

>> [music]

>> Three months later, Nora discovered

herself to be with child.

And James vanished without a trace.

>> [music]

>> After days [music] spent attempting to

speak with James, Nora went at last to

the Harwell residence. The butler, an

elderly man who regarded [music] her

with cold disdain, kept her waiting

outside for hours before the viscount's

father finally appeared. The earl did

not invite her inside.

>> [music]

>> He remained upon the threshold, tall and

imposing, looking down at Nora as though

she were little more than filth carried

in from the street.

>> My son has nothing to do with you.

If you come here again,

I will call the authorities.

>> I am pregnant.

>> He is engaged

to the daughter of a duke.

And you will not ruin his future with

your lies.

>> Nora attempted to protest, but the door

was shut in her face. And James, she

never laid eyes upon him again.

Her aunt, the last relation she had left

since her father's death, called her a

disgrace [music] to the family and shut

the door in her face without even

allowing Nora to gather her own

belongings. [music]

She lost the child a fortnight later.

Bleeding, [music] pain, utter solitude.

The woman who took her in, an elderly

midwife named Iris, told her it had been

God's mercy. But Nora felt no mercy,

only emptiness and anger. Such terrible

anger that it nearly consumed her

entirely. [music] It was Iris who saved

her. Iris who gave her shelter,

employment, and purpose. Iris who had

turned her own home into a refuge for

women like Nora, cast [music] aside,

caring children with nowhere left to go.

When Iris [music] passed away 3 years

later, she left the house to Nora, and

Nora carried on her work.

The house remained a refuge for women

the world had cast [music] aside. A

place where the forgotten might still

find safety.

Nora would see to it, [music] whatever

the cost.

>> Nora.

Are you all right?

He asked about you.

Didn't he?

Nora.

He is not James.

They are all James. They all promise.

They all lie. They all walk away

unscathed while we pay the price, Mary.

Perhaps.

But you know nothing of this man. You do

not know what brought him here. You do

not know why he was in the street. I do

not need to know.

He stays until he heals.

Then he leaves, and I never think of him

again.

Good morning, Julian.

Where is your mother?

>> She's upstairs. She's still sleeping.

Mary has already set the breakfast table

downstairs. Best not keep the tea

waiting.

>> Okay.

>> Good morning, girls.

Mary is already laying the breakfast

table downstairs.

Best not let the tea grow cold.

>> Thank you, Nora.

We'll be down immediately.

Well then,

I ought to see whether the gentleman

from the alley is feeling any better

this morning.

>> [sighs]

>> What are you doing?

I cannot remain confined to that bed

forever.

You shouldn't be standing.

You barely have the strength for that.

But I must try.

Besides, it is hardly the first time I

have stood on my feet.

Curious men are often the worst

patients.

I imagine you have already been

wandering these corridors trying to

unravel this place.

>> Touché.

>> [sighs and gasps]

>> I believe you had better sit down for a

moment.

You ought not remain standing over long.

>> It was nothing.

Only the wound protesting a little.

>> Even so, you ought to be more careful.

>> Do not trouble yourself, Tiny Breath.

I have survived worse.

>> By the by, Mary washed your clothes

yesterday.

And Jane repaired the tear where the

knife caught the fabric.

I shall ask someone to bring them up to

you presently.

>> Thank you, Nora.

You have all shown me far more kindness

than I deserve.

May I ask you a question?

>> You may.

But I don't promise I will.

>> You said a gentleman of high standing

left you with nothing.

Did you love him?

>> Yes.

And I learned that a nobleman's love is

a lie.

Always has been.

Always will be.

>> Not all of them are.

>> They all are.

They ruin lives

and then carry on as though nothing ever

happened.

And when someone dares to demand

responsibility,

they close their doors

and send for the authorities.

For now, you should rest.

Tomorrow, if you are feeling stronger,

you may leave this room.

Someone will bring your breakfast to

you.

>> Uh-huh.

>> Gabriel did not sleep that night.

He wanted to deny it.

Wanted to say that Nora exaggerated.

That she generalized.

That not every nobleman was the same.

But here, on a thin mattress with the

smell of soup and wood smoke lingering

in the walls, those excuses sounded

hollow.

Almost ridiculous.

I have known many men like Gabriel.

Men raised to believe that the kindness

of a few

somehow erased the injustices of many.

Life is patient with such illusions

until the day it decides to tear them

away.

>> Gabriel thought of the servant girls

who quietly disappeared.

Of the illegitimate children mentioned

with little more than a shrug.

He heard what lay beneath her anger.

Not fire, but emptiness.

The emptiness of a heart that once knew

fire.

The hollow resignation of someone who

had long since stopped expecting better

from men like him.

And Gabriel had no argument to offer

because she was right.

But there was one difference.

Gabriel no longer felt untouched by it

all.

Not since the altar.

Not since the alley.

Not since he had overheard the women in

that house.

And listened to what they said about the

lives they had endured.

Gabriel closed his eyes.

Caroline came to him.

Not as the woman at the center of a

scandal, but as she had been before.

Polite.

Resigned.

Trapped.

She had done

what he had never found the courage to

do.

And Gabriel?

He had always chosen the easier path.

The safer path.

He stared at the candle for a long

moment. Then he blew it out.

Like a realization long delayed.

>> [snorts]

>> Tomorrow, he would have to decide what

kind of man he intended to be.

>> Plaster is soaked by the window and the

roof is leaking in three places on The

water damage along the north wall it's

getting worse.

We can't be thinking about repairs.

Nora is already doing all she can.

>> Good morning, ladies.

>> What are you doing here?

You should be resting.

>> I heard voices upstairs.

I thought I might

join you.

If I wouldn't be a bother.

>> Of course.

Sit with us.

The broth is still hot.

>> I need to see Thomas. Excuse me.

>> Excuse me.

>> Oh, pardon. If you'll excuse me.

>> Please forgive them.

They aren't accustomed to having men in

the house.

>> To be fair, I'm I'm not entirely

accustomed to it, either.

Being welcomed by strangers, I mean.

>> I imagine so.

I'll put a bit of broth out for you.

Here is some broth, Gabriel.

>> Thank you, Mary.

>> Eat up.

>> Thank you for the clothes.

>> No need to thank me.

>> It does, actually.

You've all been remarkably kind to me.

>> It's only our duty to help those who

need it.

>> Even so,

I am grateful.

I haven't seen Nora today. Is she about?

>> She had to leave early this morning with

Mr. Gilbert. They've some business in

town.

As a matter of fact,

he was the one who helped Nora bring you

here that night.

>> Ah.

>> You didn't think Nora carried you here

all by herself, did you?

>> I suspected as much.

Do thank Mr. Gilbert for me when you see

him.

I owe him more than I realized.

>> Good morning.

I see you're up and about. That's an

improvement.

>> I woke feeling much improved this

morning.

Which is why I was hoping to speak with

you.

>> I think I'd better go and check on the

children.

Excuse me.

>> Nora, as you can see,

I'm feeling much better today.

And I think

I ought to return home.

>> I know.

It's probably for the best.

>> It's been several days since my

accident.

And I imagine there are people looking

for me.

>> Yes.

And when do you intend to leave?

>> Today.

If I'm able.

>> Very well.

Is there anything you'll need?

>> No.

You've done more than enough already.

You saved my life.

I don't believe I'll ever be able to

repay what you've done.

But I shall remember it.

>> Very well.

The rest of your belongings are waiting

in your room.

And I ought to prepare the tavern before

the midday crowd arrives.

>> Gabriel left that very afternoon.

He knew that if he truly wished to help

those women, he could not remain there.

Not beneath a roof that leaked whenever

the rain came. Not within walls that

needed far more than good intentions to

keep standing.

He had to leave. He had to act. All his

life, his name had opened doors. His

title had [music] granted him influence.

His position had given him a voice few

people dared to ignore. And for the

first time, Gabriel [music] understood

that those advantages could serve a

purpose beyond himself.

Because while [music] Nora and the

others fought every day to keep the

house standing, he possessed something

they had never been given.

The ability to be heard. And this time,

[music] he intended to use it on their

behalf.

>> Good heavens, my lord. Where have you

been?

The entire household has been searching

for you. The family, Mr. Bennett?

My mother, who is likely still hiding

from the scandal of the wedding,

or my uncle,

who can scarcely wait to get his hands

on my title?

Forgive me, my lord,

but you do not quite sound like

yourself.

Perhaps I'm not.

A few days away from Mayfair can be

remarkably educational.

Send for my solicitor, Mr. Bennett. I

need to speak with him today.

As quickly as possible. Yes, my lord, I

shall send for him at once.

Excuse me, my lord.

Mr. Willoughby is here to see you.

Excellent.

Send him in.

Viscount.

So, the rumors of your return were true

after all.

I suppose this city would not survive

very long without my scandals.

Please,

sit down.

I am relieved to see you alive, my lord.

London has spent the last 10 days

inventing explanations for your

disappearance.

I imagine they did.

When a gentleman vanishes immediately

after such a public scandal,

people tend to imagine the worst.

Perhaps they were not entirely wrong.

And yet,

here I am.

Now, tell me, Mr. Willoughby,

what do you know of Southwark?

Very little, I'm afraid.

Most of my clients prefer not to venture

that far south.

I spent several days there.

Long enough to stop looking away.

I need you to arrange an anonymous

donation

as quickly as possible.

An anonymous donation, my lord.

But to which institution?

It is not for an institution.

It is for a boarding house in Southwark.

Use an intermediary.

And maintain absolute discretion.

And have you decided upon the amount, my

lord?

Enough for a proper renovation.

>> Mhm.

>> And provisions for a year.

>> That is an exceedingly generous sum, my

lord.

>> For a boarding house in Southwark.

Mr. Willoughby,

simply do as I ask.

>> My apologies, my lord.

I shall see to it personally.

>> We shall say it comes from a benevolent

benefactor.

>> Very well.

>> But I have another request.

Lord Ashcombe.

>> And what is it that you want from Lord

Ashcombe, my lord?

>> I want to know everything about him.

His financial situation, his debts, his

properties, everything.

I want a report on the whole of his

life.

As soon as possible.

>> Yes, my lord.

But I have heard that he is not

presently in the city.

>> Then inform me the moment he returns.

I shall wait.

That will be all for today.

>> Very good, my lord.

If you'll excuse me.

>> You have been spending an awful lot of

time hidden away in here, Gabriel.

>> I am not hiding, mother.

>> It certainly appears that way to me.

We all know the matter with Lady

Caroline was regrettable.

>> Perhaps not.

Perhaps it served to open my eyes.

>> Then stop behaving as though the world

has ended.

Show London that you were not destroyed

by it.

>> But I was not destroyed.

>> Then return to the drawing rooms.

Face your peers. The scandal was far

harsher on Lady Caroline than it was on

you.

>> My peers, Mother?

I am no longer certain who they are.

[clears throat]

>> You do not know what you are saying, my

son.

>> For the first time in my life,

I think I know exactly what I am saying.

>> Gabriel was in his study when [music]

the envelopes arrived.

When he finished reading, he leaned back

in his chair for a moment.

It was a strange [music] feeling, as

though he had done something that truly

mattered.

Then he opened the second envelope, the

report on Lord Ashcombe.

Gabriel expected [music] to find that

scandals, perhaps a few hidden

mistresses.

What he found [music] was worse.

Anne was not the only one.

And despite it all, Lord Ashcombe

continued [music] to be welcomed into

the same drawing rooms, invited to the

same dinners, treated as a gentleman, as

though nothing had ever happened.

Gabriel closed the final page.

Suddenly, the library felt smaller. The

portraits, the books, the silence, all

of it began to suffocate him.

And against [music] all reason, his

thoughts drifted back to Southwark,

to the cramped kitchen, [music]

to Julian's laughter,

to Nora,

and to the strange sense of [music]

honesty he had found beneath that roof.

Lord Ashcombe was [music] still far from

London,

but for the first time in days,

Gabriel knew exactly where he did not

wish to be.

>> [laughter]

>> Sir, I haven't seen you in ages.

>> Julian, how have you been?

>> I'm great. They're going to fix our

house. They're going to repair the roof

and replace the doors. Can you believe

it?

>> That's wonderful, Julian.

I'm very glad to hear it.

>> Julian,

we have already told you not to come

downstairs. Not while the tavern is

open.

>> I know, Mother.

It's just

I saw that the man Nora helped had come

back.

>> Oh, goodness. I'm terribly sorry, sir.

Julian has always been rather

enthusiastic.

Come along, Julian,

before Nora finds you down here again.

>> [laughter]

>> I thought I would never see you again.

>> To be honest,

I wasn't entirely certain I would come

back, either.

>> And yet,

here you are.

>> Yes.

Here I am.

>> What brought you back?

>> My thoughts, I suppose.

I went out intending only to walk.

And somehow

I found myself back here.

>> Very well.

You are welcome to stay.

I shall bring you something to drink.

>> Gabriel returned the next day,

>> [music]

>> and the day after that, and the day

after that one.

At first, he told himself it was merely

habit.

Then, curiosity.

But as the days [music] passed, that

explanation grew less and less

convincing.

For with each visit, the tavern felt a

little less like a place he happened to

be.

And a little more like a place where he

belonged.

Because for the first time in a very

long while, that place felt more like

home than anywhere else.

>> You work surprisingly well for a man

without calluses.

>> Thank you.

I suspect the blisters deserve most of

the credit.

>> Tomorrow, they finish repairing the

roof.

>> All right.

>> The girls are quite pleased.

The leaks have become rather tiresome.

I only wish I knew who the anonymous

donor was.

It would be nice to thank him properly.

>> Perhaps he is simply someone who saw a

problem

and finally decided to do something

about it.

>> Then he must be a doctor.

Or perhaps a lawyer.

I am quite certain he is not a nobleman.

>> Yes.

I dare say he is probably not a

nobleman.

Well,

is there anything else I can help with

this evening?

>> No.

I believe that's everything.

At least until tomorrow.

>> Good morning, my lady.

You wish to speak with me?

>> Yes, Mr. Bennet.

I have not seen very much of my son

lately.

Do you happen to know where he has been

spending his time?

>> I know that he has been arriving home

rather late on occasion, my lady.

He has also continued meeting regularly

with the solicitor

and the estate administrators as well,

my lady.

>> Well,

at least he is not neglecting his

duties.

The estates will not manage themselves.

>> Would you care for me to convey a

message to him, my lady?

>> No.

I only hope this

is not the prelude to another scandal.

I do not believe I could endure seeing

our name in the newspapers again.

That will be all, Mr. Bennett.

>> Very good, my lady.

Excuse me, my lady.

>> I took in a new girl 2 days ago.

She is still finding her feet.

>> And how is she faring?

>> Well,

as well as can be expected.

She is still rather frightened, but we

managed to repair the rooms,

so the house is finally able to

accommodate her.

At least until she finds somewhere else

to go.

>> Whitestone.

My god.

It really is you. I had heard you had

become somewhat reclusive since

the incident at the altar.

Sterling.

What an unpleasant surprise.

You are in a rather

peculiar establishment, Viscount.

I have heard a few rumors.

They say you returned a different man

after your disappearance. My life is

none of your concern.

Go away, Sterling.

Oh, do not look so irritated.

Oh, and by the by,

Ashcombe sends his regards.

He said he misses you. Misses having you

at the club for drinks.

>> You are a friend of his.

>> Nora,

please,

just hear me out.

>> A friend of Ashcombe.

The monster who ruined Anne. The man who

threw his own child into the mud.

>> Well, well.

What is this, Whitestone? Who is this

tavern woman?

>> You lied to me. You lied to Mary. You

told us you were simply Gabriel, but you

are a viscount.

The coward who was abandoned at the

altar. I read about it. I read about it

in the newspapers.

But I never imagined that it was you.

>> Nora,

I'm sorry. I didn't know about Anne. I

only learned the truth after I overheard

her speaking with Mary in the kitchen. I

had no idea.

>> And what did you do afterwards?

>> [snorts]

>> You remained [music] his friend.

All the while pretending beneath my

roof. You pretended to be someone you

were not.

You made me believe you were different.

>> Nora, please listen to me.

I am trying to make it right. I'm trying

to fix what was done.

>> Go away, Gabriel. Leave my tavern.

You're just like all of them.

>> Nora, please.

Please let me explain.

No.

>> Just go.

Please leave.

>> Begging your pardon, my lord.

This correspondence has just arrived for

you.

>> Thank you, Mr. Bennett.

That will be all.

So,

Lord Ashcombe is finally back in London.

I believe the time has come for me to

pay him a visit.

Whitestone.

What a pleasant surprise.

I see you've recovered completely since

your unfortunate encounter with Lady

Caroline.

Though I confess, I did not expect to

see you back at White's quite so soon.

Ann Wetherby.

A former maid in your father's

household. Do you remember her?

Whitestone.

Do you truly imagine I keep a catalog of

my father's servants? You got her with

child.

You promised to provide for her.

And when it became inconvenient,

you cast her out.

Are you insulting me, Whitestone?

Are you suggesting I take servants to my

bed?

I investigated you, Vincent.

And Ann Wetherby wasn't the only one.

And that is not all.

Gambling debts,

mistresses.

Does your wife know about any of it,

Vincent?

By what right have you been

investigating my life?

My debts,

mistresses.

I thought we were friends, Gabriel.

But that does not make us friends,

Vincent.

Perhaps acquaintances.

Nothing more.

Well, then.

If we are merely acquaintances,

Whitestone, I see no reason to answer

any of your questions.

I did not come here to question you,

Vincent. I came to discover whether you

possessed enough decency to tell the

truth.

I believe I have my answer.

Good God, Whitestone. You've built this

entire moral crusade upon the word of a

servant? And you believed her?

No, Vincent. I believed the documents.

The same documents I shall make public

in 3 days.

You would not dare.

Then test me. In 3 days, every gentleman

in London will know your name.

>> [clears throat]

>> Club doors will close.

Invitations will disappear.

And your wife will learn the truth

at the same moment as everyone else.

Very well.

What is it you want?

Responsibility. You will acknowledge

Anne Weatherby's son. You will recognize

the boy

in a private legal document.

200 pounds a year until he reaches 21.

After that,

1,000 pounds

or for his marriage.

200 pounds a year?

That is a fortune.

That is a fortune.

It is the bare minimum of dignity they

deserve.

Dignity?

You speak as though they were owed

something.

Well, Vincent.

I believe we understand one another.

If you attempt to contact her

Or place any obstacle in her path.

I know your father despises scandal.

And I suspect he would find these

documents fascinating.

You've changed, Whitestone.

I scarcely recognize you.

Then perhaps I ought to thank you.

Thank me?

For what, exactly?

For what, exactly?

For opening my eyes.

And for giving me the chance to never

become like you. My solicitor will

contact you within the next few days.

I suggest you receive him.

>> I never imagined he was a viscount.

I looked at him every day and never once

suspected.

Because he never behaved like one.

How many viscounts do you know who carry

barrels for a living?

That doesn't change the fact that he

lied.

He concealed who he was.

That is not quite the same thing.

He scrubbed tables.

He carried barrels. He repaired that

stubborn window.

Never complained once.

That does not erase the rest.

Nora!

There's a man outside.

A man?

What man?

He was asking for Anne.

Said he needed to speak with her.

Mary, finish preparing the midday meal.

I'll go see what sort of man is asking

for her.

>> Mrs. Wetherby?

>> I am Nora,

the one responsible for this house.

>> I am looking for Anne Wetherby. I am a

solicitor acting on behalf of Lord

Ashcombe.

>> He found out?

Does he want to take my son?

>> No, Mrs. Wetherby.

Quite the opposite. Lord Ashcombe wishes

to strike a deal.

Lord Ashcombe uh

wishes to establish a settlement.

>> A settlement?

>> £200 a year

until the boy reaches 21. After that,

£1,000 for education or marriage.

It is a voluntary agreement signed 3

days ago.

>> [gasps]

>> I don't understand.

Why would he do this?

>> Someone intervened

in your name, miss, and persuaded his

Lordship

to do the right thing.

>> What did the gentleman want, Nora?

>> Ashcombe sent a solicitor

to see Anne.

Ashcombe.

>> What did he want?

>> He offered her money

for Thomas.

£200 a year

until the boy reaches 21.

>> Good lord.

Ah.

That is not charity.

That is responsibility.

>> That's exactly what frightens me.

No.

Men like Ashcombe do not wake up one

morning with a conscience. Someone must

have spoken to him.

But, who could possibly

I don't know.

Someone who cared about her case,

perhaps.

>> The woman with the child.

What became of her?

>> Oh, Mary.

I need to go out.

There's something I need to know.

>> Where are you going?

>> Mayfair.

I need to speak with a Viscount

Whitestone.

>> Nora left the house less than 5 minutes

later, [music]

exactly the time it took to throw a

shawl over her shoulders and walk out

the door.

Reaching Mayfair was not [music] the

difficult part. The difficult part was

discovering which of the countless

aristocratic mansions belonged to

Viscount Whitestone. [music]

But a Viscount was not a man who could

easily hide his address.

A few questions were all it took. An

innkeeper, [music] a coachman, a

shopkeeper who recognized the Whitestone

name. Little by little, the path

revealed itself.

Now, [music] for the first time in her

life, Nora found herself walking through

a very different London.

Broad streets, iron gates, stone

mansions that looked more like palaces

than [music] homes. Elegant carriages

lined before grand entrances.

She stood out [music] among such wealth,

and she knew it. Still, she kept her

head high.

Ignoring the curious glances, ignoring

the looks of disdain, until at last, she

stopped before the imposing facade of

[music] Whitestone House.

>> May I help you?

>> There is a lady here to see you, my

lord.

>> A lady?

>> Mhm.

>> Ah.

What lady?

>> She said her name is Nora Harley, my

lord.

>> Nora?

What on earth is she doing here?

Show her in, Mr. Bennett.

>> It was you, wasn't it?

You forced Ashcombe to acknowledge the

boy.

The anonymous donation.

Anne's pension.

It was all you.

I was unfair to you.

I was blinded by my anger.

I never saw the man you truly are.

>> Nora.

You had every right to be angry.

I deserved to be turned away

for lying to you.

I was a coward, Nora.

I lived in a world of silk.

Women like Anne.

I was raised to believe their lives had

nothing to do with mine.

Those days in your house,

they did not change me.

They woke me up.

>> [sighs and gasps]

>> You saved Thomas.

>> You gave me something

that no title could ever buy.

The chance

to be better.

>> Well,

I haven't seen that dress in years. It

was at the back of the wardrobe. It

seemed a shame to leave it there.

>> Of course.

>> No.

>> And I suppose that's why you chose the

one dress you haven't worn in years.

Someone has to be. Especially when a

certain lady suddenly remembers she owns

a pink dress.

I believe your carriage has arrived.

Best not keep the viscount waiting.

>> At first, Nora refused the invitation.

Then she refused the second

and the third.

But Gabriel Whitestone refused to give

up. The notes kept arriving, always

polite, always persistent.

In every one of them, the viscount

repeated the same thing. He needed her

opinion on an important [music] project.

Nora had no idea what he was planning.

Yet, after [music] so much persistence,

her curiosity finally overcame her

stubbornness.

And now she found herself [music]

crossing the city in a modest carriage

sent by Gabriel himself on her way to

the place [music] where they had agreed

to meet.

With no idea what awaited her.

And no [music] notion that she was about

to witness the most extraordinary

consequence of everything they had lived

through together.

>> As you can see,

it's not quite [music] finished yet.

I still need help finishing it.

Making it what it's meant to be.

Come.

There's something I'd like you to see.

>> What is this place meant to be?

>> A refuge.

For women like Anne.

>> Oh, no.

>> For women who have nowhere else to go.

For women like you once were.

>> [snorts]

>> But why bring me here?

Why show me any of this?

>> I can build walls.

I can provide the money.

>> [clears throat]

>> But I don't know how to give it a heart.

>> Mhm.

>> I don't know how to make a refuge truly

work.

Not without you, Nora.

>> You want me to?

>> Help me finish it, Nora.

Help me manage it.

Help me make this place work.

Because I don't know anyone who

understands these people better than

you.

Nora,

I'm not asking for your advice.

I'm asking for your help.

In making this place what it ought to

be.

>> If I accept this,

I'll need real authority.

I decide who stays.

And I decide how the money is spent.

>> You shall.

Every bit of it.

>> A viscount surrendering authority?

Are you quite certain about that?

>> You deserve it.

And because you understand places like

this

far better than I ever could.

I'd be a fool

not to listen.

>> And if I say no,

>> then it stays like this.

Half-finished. And I keep trying

until you say yes.

>> You are remarkably self-assured.

>> [sighs and gasps]

>> Has anyone ever told you that?

>> No.

I'm desperate.

There is a difference.

>> Well,

we'll need private rooms on the second

floor.

The women will need dignity

and a large kitchen on the ground floor,

not just for meals,

for teaching, sewing rooms, and work

rooms, and books.

Lots of books for the children.

How much are you prepared to spend?

>> Whatever is necessary.

If we're going to do this,

we'll do it properly.

>> But people will talk.

They always do.

>> You're worried about my reputation?

That's rather kind of you.

I was abandoned at the altar, remember?

I'm quite accustomed to gossip by now.

>> I want to make one thing perfectly

clear.

This is about the refuge.

It will be a professional partnership. I

am not agreeing to anything more.

Do we understand one another?

>> I understand.

And I shall respect that.

So,

do you accept?

>> Yes.

I accept.

>> And so, my dear ladies, Iris Refuge came

to life. [music]

Not because of its walls, not because of

Gabriel's money,

>> [music]

>> but because it became exactly what Nora

insisted it should be.

A place of dignity, a place [music] of

safety, a place where forgotten people

were no longer forgotten.

Women found work, children found [music]

books, and for the first time in many

years, hope found a home of its own.

Now,

I suspect many of you are wondering what

became of Nora Heath and Gabriel

Whitestone.

Well,

after a great deal of persistence on

Gabriel's part,

and a truly heroic [music] amount of

stubbornness on Nora's,

she eventually accepted [music] a

different proposal, much to the horror

of Gabriel's mother,

and much [music] to the delight of

London's newspapers,

which spent weeks celebrating what many

called the scandal [music] of the

season.

For years, Nora had believed that titles

only [music] served those who possessed

them.

Gabriel proved otherwise.

>> [music]

>> He took the very thing she had always

distrusted most, his name, his

influence, his position, and used it to

open doors for people who had never been

allowed near them.

In the end, the [music] Viscount did not

save the refuge. He simply helped build

it. The people inside [music] saved one

another, and I think that would have

made Iris proud.