Oh, ha, Bates has involved the Earl in the intrigue. I love how everyone is like 'it's not like we didn't all know about Thomas'.
and I'm starting to see why people refer nostalgically to season 1 as their favourite - everyone seems to be mostly miserable now and I'm finding the downstairs shennagins between the maids and footmen (and O'Brien and Thomas) tedious and unpleasant. I am still very invested in the other characters though. especially Bates and Anna, and Tom and Matthew finding their place in the family.