Poldark 3.05

Note: the recaps this season are written from the British airings, which often have 6-10 minutes that the US airings do not. If you’re reading this and going “Hey, I don’t remember that!” that’s probably why.

Previously: Enys was rescued from being a POW in France. Morwenna and Drake went through levels in their relationship story. George assured Whitworth that he will receive a “favorable answer” within a month.

George wakes up, and morning is morning.

Drake is walking with D and Ross. Drake is planning on leaving as soon as his wound is healed. He needs to “find a new purpose.” He asks Ross if the rescue of Doctor Enys is to be Ross’ last act of derring do, and Ross is like yeah, unless visiting Aunt Agatha counts. I mean, bro. BRO. We’re somewhere in book five or six of 12. There’s gonna be more derrings do. Ross kisses D, hops on Seamus, and heads for Trenwith. D is as unconvinced as I am.

Ross pounds on the door, and George and Elizabeth, eating their breakfast in bed, hear it. Elizabeth sniffs that George should speak to Constable Goon, “he’s so heavy handed.” George says that if there’s anymore of the pounding, “I’ll make him enlist.” Elizabeth muses of if the war will last much longer. George hopes it’ll last another 30 years, since it’s tripled their income. There’s a word for turds like you, George. George also says not to worry about such things, since they day’s begun and he’s invited Whitworth over. “We promised Morwenna more time.” “WHICH SHE HAS HAD.” But there’s more urgency, since Ross has an entry into the aristocracy and George doesn’t. So they need to cultivate Whitworth and the Godolphins, and use Morwenna to do it. Gross.

Ross goes to Aggie’s room, where she’s delighted to see him, and talk about his derrings do. “Prison break! Roasting the Frenchies!” Ross’ next exploit will be to clear land at Nampara so the miners can grow food. Aggie thinks that’s super boring, but Ross says that starving miners won’t think so. Aggie snots that George will have other opinions, and Ross can inform George of his plans on his way out. “He’s here?” Ross says, turning white. “And you didn’t think to tell me?” “Why would I? You’re a Poldark, and this is a Poldark house.” Ross starts planning his escape, where there’s knock on the door. Ross stands, getting ready to face the music, but it’s just Morwenna. Ross asks her to keep an eye on Aggie, and Morwenna hesitantly asks “…is Drake…recovering?” Ross tells her yes, and asks if she has a message. She says yes, then no.

Ross heads for the door, where he sees Baby Val. George pauses in his breakfast over a sound that makes him super angry. Ross is riding out the gate, but that’s not what George heard. It’s toads in the pond. “I ordered them CLEARED.”

At Killawarren, Enys is having flashbacks, when Caro brings him a platter of almond biscuits, and offers him a bunch of options: marzipan, or a ride in the carriage, or this or that. Enys wants nothing, just… none of that. D enters, smiling and happy to see her brother-in-law of honor. Caro tells her that her timing is great: she saved Enys from a nightmare of playing cards! D asks after “the patient” and Caro’s impatient, and also he keeps babbling about rejoining the navy. “It is my profession” Enys says, a little shortly. Caro’s like, but he should be here with his wife and all, once we can make it public? Enys lets that go, and asks after Drake, and D admits she’s worried he might try to enlist. He does need something to do, but Caro thinks it would be a huge mistake- look what Enys’ enlistment lead to! Also a marriage between two classes is hardly impossible, so…

At Wheal Grace, Zacky has been promoted to Mine Captain, in the place of poor Henshawe. D looks at Drake, and tells him that he’ll miss it, and he’s like yeah, but you know, my heart is lost so I have to go. D thinks that maybe it’s not actually lost. “Not till we say so.” Both Drake and Sam look after her like, “what did she just say?” Drake: she can’t mean for me to try again? Sam: she’d give anything for you to stay. (In truth, so would I?) He ruffles Drake’s hair.

George has G-C on the carpet in his study, where he has found out that Ross has been visiting Aggie. “That woman has been conspiring against me! She has clearly been abetted.” Elizabeth asks by whom, and George’s eyes cut to G-C. “You surely don’t suggest Geoffrey-Charles is to blame! But clearly someone must be held responsible.”

That person is one Morwenna Chynoweth. She admits that she knew about the visits, but didn’t feel it was her place to question them (true). George asks if she ever met him, and she says beside this morning? George didn’t know about that. “AM I MASTER HERE OR NOT?” George loses his shit, and informs Morwenna that she is to ready herself to meet Whitworth that afternoon. Morwenna stammers about more time, and George is like HE IS DISTRAUGHT and “Hardly knows what to do with himself.”

What Whitworth is doing with himself is chewing on the toes of a prostitute. It’s really revolting. He tells his…. Companion… that the delay is “deuced awkward” and that a man has needs, so without a wife, he must seek to “satiate them elsewhere.” He resumes the toe-sucking, while she looks pretty bored. “Your intended, does she have a sturdy or gentle nature?” “What’s that to you? Or to me, for that matter.”

Whitworth leaves the brothel, which is in a brothel-y area of town, and runs into Ross and D who are just walking. Whitworth, who is, you may recall, a reverend, stammers that he’s just been about God’s work. “I’m sure it’s much needed hereabouts” Ross agrees, while D gives Whitworth her politest “I’m thinking about eating your liver” smile. “Yes, it is my mission to bring fallen women to God.” D: Sure it is.

At Trenwith, Morwenna is reading, when Aggie comes in on G-C’s arm. Morwenna asks if Aggie should be venturing below stairs, and Aggie is appalled that Morwenna would suggest she miss the entertainment. Elsewhere in the house, you can heard George’s voice raised at Constable Goon, demanding to know if he was or was not ordered to clear the pond of toads. Constable Goon says he did, so he doesn’t know how they came back.

Aggie tells G-C that Ross and Francis as small boys loved toads very much. Ross especially. “He would never have had them killed. But then, Ross was never minded towards mindless destruction. Much prefers a rescue mission.” Elizabeth enters at this declamation, as G-C excitedly tells Aggie that Ross beat 20 men single handedly in France! Elizabeth’s like, um, those were probably exaggerated. George snits that how do we know if Ross didn’t wait outside and send his men in to do the work. “You’re not a soldier, George. You wouldn’t understand.” George doesn’t like this reminder of his draft-dodging.

In town, Ross and D are greeted and cheered by basically everyone, and D’s like, it’s quite an honor, to be walking out with such a man. Two seasons ago, when you broke Jim Carter out of prison, you were a felon, and now you’re a hero.

TO BE FAIR, he’d still be a felon in the country whose prison he broke open. “The irony has not escaped me.” He asks D how Caro and Enys are. D isn’t sure. Enys is far away, and Caro just talks. Ross was afraid of that. “In some ways bringing Dwight home was the easy part.”

Constable Goon and some other dude are in the pond, trying to catch toads, while G-C giggles. “Drake’s toads from last summer must have bred!” Morwenna hopes not, but G-C’s like no, he did it to make you smile! He told me! He thinks you look sad sometimes, and would do anything to make you smile. Morwenna: did he really say that? Drake comes up behind them, all puppy dog eyes, asking if she doubts it. “We see a chance to give or take pleasure in this world, ought we not to seize it?” Morwenna thinks she’s to do her duty, and Drake’s like, happiness is a duty. Geoffey-Chuck gets called away. Morwenna slowly follows, and Drake walks with her.

She tells him he shouldn’t have done it, but he’s unrepentant. She finally cuts to the chase: why is he here? “I sent you away.” “And I went. Meaning to put you behind me. But all I could think of was you. Sleeping, waking, working, dreaming. My life is naught without you.” She tells him again to go, but he won’t until he knows the words come from her heart. “Why do you think this has anything to do with the heart!” she yells.

That’s not how it works. That’s not how any of this works. “We are in the world, and we must keep to its rules.” He asks her to look him in the eyes and tell him she doesn’t love him. She can’t look into his eyes, and then she does, and attacks his face. They kiss, intensely, but she needs to go. “I’ll see you soon.” “I’ll bring more toads!” She worries about if he were caught, but he’s more concerned about more kissing.

Drake catches more toads. As love tokens go, it’s creative. I’ll give him that.

Enys sits on his bed, numbly, Caro comes in, in a gorgeous dressing gown, hair down, and she asks if he’d like to go to bed. He says that he’s so used to being up at all hours that he doesn’t really know how to sleep anymore, and she’s like, I said nothing about SLEEPING. She kisses him, but he pulls away. “I think I’ll go upstairs and read awhile. There’s much work to catch up on.” He leaves, and she’s hurt and confused.

At Nampara, D asks Ross if Enys and Caro are “ill-suited.” Ross thinks that Caro is in love with “the idea of Dwight.” But he doesn’t think she’ll ever know him, especially now. “War takes a man places no one can follow.” D wonders who could possibly help him if his wife can’t. Ross has no answer.

Morning at Trenwith. Toads croak and wake up George. G-C runs out with Morwenna, crowing that “He did it again, ‘Wenna!” The ‘Wenna in question smiles.

At Nampara, D is dressed for work, and Ross is sealing a letter. He thinks he knows who might be able to help Enys.

While his family eats breakfast, George has called Constable Goon onto the carpet for his incompetence. (Aggie is leaning forward so she doesn’t miss a word, and it’s the best acting choice ever.) Constable Goon says that they aren’t the same toads, since these are ordinary toads, so maybe they walked or were brought (because the toads of Trenwith were a mystical, rare breed?). George fumes about who would do such a thing, and Aggie crows that it’s a TOTAL MYSTERY, since the name Warleggan is so popular. George: Of course. Ross did it! “Who else knows of my aversion? Who else would take the trouble to antagonize me this way.” Elizabeth thinks that’s super childish, and George is like YEAH PROOF THAT IT WAS ROSS.

This motherfucker.

George orders that all other duties are cancelled, and five men are to be on guard that night. Morwenna was not at breakfast: she’s sitting with Drake by the beach, and admitting that she did laugh, even though she tried not to. He asks if George was angry, but she left before George got up. He’ll be furious, though. “Cousin Elizabeth tells me that he’s had an aversion ever since school.” There was an incident. Possibly involving captain Ross. Drake thinks he can’t stop now, and Morwenna’s like, the risk. “Didn’t we agree, some things are worth it.”

Aggie stands in the front door of Trenwith, whistling EVER SO CASUALLY, and G-C snags a note from her hand and books it out of the yard.

Zacky a bunch of the village folk mill around a field, until Ross and D arrive with farming implements to make the field arable land. “Shall we begin? The sooner we clear, the sooner we plant.” Zacky asks if Ross shouldn’t keep the land for his children? Ross thinks there’s a limit to the amount of land one man needs, and besides, people need to eat.

D asks Sam where Drake is, and Sam’s like he’s off sinning. D suspects love is more like it, and Sam scowls. “CARNAL LOVE BE DAMNED IN THE EYES OF THE LORD.” Then maybe the Lord should open his eyes wider and see the beauty of the thing (word). Sam piouses that Drake will damn his soul for the life that is to come. “And the life that’s now?” D asks, reasonably. “There’s much that’s pure and good and beautiful. I’d much rather worship that then worry about the next life. And so would Drake.”

Ross works on chopping down a tree, and an urchin hands him a letter. He reads it and grins.

Morwenna dashes into the… parlor, I think? To grab a book she left behind, and George and Elizabeth are waiting there. George says she looks a bit flushed, and she’s like… yeah, the air is super bracing today. Elizabeth reminds her that Whitworth is visiting, and that she needs to seriously consider the benefits of the match, “Not only to yourself, but also to your mother and sisters.” “A life of penury from which you, yourself, has been saved.” George clarifies. Morwenna nods. “Yes, should I chose to marry Mr. Whitworth.” Morwenna leaves.

Enys sits, flashing back to Armitage’s arrival and thinking that while not dead, they’re all in hell, when Caroline sneaks up behind him and covers his eyes. She meant it as a slight surprise, but he flies off the chair and cowers next to a table. Caro asks him what’s the matter, but he can only cry and shudder. “Come my love, you never used to be so girlish!” (we’ll unpack that in a bit). She asks if she needs to prescribe heart thorn, but he says that opium is more effective for inducing oblivion. He leaves, quickly, just as Ross arrives with Armitage in tow. Caro looks at them tearfully. “What’s happened to my husband?” Ross says that he brought someone who might be able to help find him.

Okay, I imagine that “girlish” is a line from the book, but… REALLY, Caro. REALLY.

At Nampara, Prudie has been left in charge of the children, when G-C runs in to ask if Drake is about. Drake might be in danger, and G-C has to warm him.

Enys stands on a dock, looking into the pond at Killewarren, when he sees Caro, Ross, and Armitage coming towards him. Caro asks Armitage what he expects he can do, seeing as he isn’t a surgeon. Enys greets Armitage warmly, and Caro is still hurt and confused. Why isn’t being home with his wife enough? Ross pats her on the shoulder and tells her to be patient, but like… she doesn’t know why? Maybe if you explained it to her? I know you don’t have the words PTSD, but you can at least tell her that he’s had a horrible, traumatic experience, and it’s not like he can just…. Walk away from that? She literally has no concept of what she’s dealing with, and no one will give her any help expect “be patient” and that’s no good for either one of them.

This plot thread is frustrating to me. It’s frustrating to Caro, too.

George looks at tiny baby Val, when Aggie calls him a “crooked little mite. Rickets is a cruel disease.” She says that it’ll be worse later, when he goes to school and can’t run fast enough to escape the bullies. “Boys can be cruel, especially to one who gives himself airs.” George says no, especially to one whose grandfather was a blacksmith. “As your nephews never ceased to remind me.” “Georgie, it was not your grandfather they mocked. It was your pitiful attempts to deny him.”

Back in the field, everyone is taking break to swig some ale. Zacky grins that this time next year, they’ll be harvesting oats and barley. Ross is about to take a drink, when D swoops in, snags his cup and slams it, much to his dismay.

She’s going home to put the kiddos to bed, but leaves Ross her share of supper. “In exchange for my share of ale?” he asks. Seems a reasonable trade.

At Nampara, Prudie tells D that there’s a note for Drake. G-C looked for Drake at his cottage, and then brought it to Nampara. D, having an older sister’s disregard for her brother’s privacy, wonders why G-C would write to him, and opens it to find that George has set a trap to find whoever has been filling the pond with toads. “Do he think it’s Drake?” Prudie looks guilty. “Is it Drake?” Prudie confirms, and D runs off to save her brother’s damn bacon. “NOT A WORD TO ROSS.”

In the dark, Drake is sneaking the toads to the pond, and trying to avoid Constable Goon and the other guards. D also is lurking in the trees, and tosses a rock into the water to distract them. Drake, being not QUITE as stupid as he could be, takes off, and Constable Goon is also not QUITE as stupid as he could be, and heard Drake making for the road. He throws something large and heavy that hits Drake in the back. Drake falls (while D keeps booking it without looking back). Constable Goon reaches Drake, but Ross appears from nowhere and clonks Goon over the head and they haul Drake back to Nampara.

Once there, Ross calls him a young fool, which… accurate. D is treating Drake’s back, and Drake admits he wasn’t thinking. “You cannot imagine how delighted George would be to have you or me in his power.” Ross asks exactly what the fuck Drake was DOING, anyway. “Toads.” Ross pauses for a second. “Toads.” “I was filling his pond with toads.” Ross rolls his eyes. “Continuing a family tradition.” Apparently at school, Ross used to fill George’s britches with toads.

George, in the morning, is still angry. Because Constable Goon neither stopped nor identified who it was. But of course it was Ross, “…there’s no one else who would vex me in this manner!” G-C snickers, and George turns his eye on him. OH BY THE WAY, G-C is starting at Harrow next term. Both Elizabeth and G-C exchange looks. “A fine thought, is it not? A new home, and new friends?” Even Aggie is concerned.

G-C runs to Nampara, where he finds Drake and D and Garrick. He hugs Drake, who grunts, and says that it’s his wound from rescuing Enys. “Not from carrying toads, then?” Drake and D exchange a grin, and G-C delightedly says that George’s guards kept watch all night, but still couldn’t catch him. He will also miss Drake very much when he goes away to school. Drake EVER SO CASUALLY asks about what will happen to Morwenna, and G-C shrugs that she’ll have no time once she’s wed. “Wed? To who?” “Oh, a clergyman, I think? Uncle George arranged it.” D asks what Morwenna thinks, and G-C blithely says that he doesn’t think she’s thrilled, but “Mama says it’s a great match!” G-C wants to give Drake a gift for being so awesome with the toads and all, and hands him a wrapped parcel. Drake will accept it, but only if G-C takes a message to Morwenna for him. G-C would be delighted.

At Trenwith, Aggie is messing with her cards, when Elizabeth comes in with some embroidery. “So the boy will go away to Harrow.” Elizabeth is like yeah, and? Well, Aggie points out that it’ll take a fortnight to go there and back, so basically Elizabeth is never going to see her kid. “Two weeks travelling will be two weeks less at home, which is the intention.” George says that the intention was to prepare G-C for life. No, Aggie says, it’s to get the kid out of the house so “The crooked mite can take his place.” Elizabeth flings down her embroidery and leaves. George gazes out the window, and sees G-C handing Morwenna a note. He summons Constable Goon.

The note was to go meet Drake, and he stands up as she approaches. They embrace, and she goes in for a kiss, but he winces and pulls away. She asks to see the wound, and he pulls off his shirt! She’s never seen a shirtless dude before! There’s also a huge bruise on his back, and she gently, carefully touches it, before touching her forehead to his back. He turns, and they kiss.

“So you know, I’m to be wed.” she confesses. She tried to keep it from herself. “You must know I’ve no love for any man except…” They can’t be together. Why not, though? Because he’s lowborn with no money? “Supposed I did ask ye to wait?” Until he can make his fortune? He asks her not to answer, but to go home and think about it. “Soon then. I will give it soon.” She kisses him, just as Constable Goon happens over the rise: he’s followed her, and he sees her with a shirtless Drake Carne, who is sporting a huge bruise on his back where the Toad Avenger got whacked the night before.

In the field, Drake saunters in, grins for all. D guesses that it’s because Morwenna’s going to refuse Whitworth and marry Drake. Sam’s like, bro, you have nothing in the WORLD. D and Ross will help! Ross is dubious- does Morwenna have the strength to stand up to George? “She do say so!” D is running ahead with all the plans, while Zacky grins. He knows this Demelza.

Morwenna is standing up to George, and begs forgiveness, but cannot accept Whitworth’s hand. She leaves, while Elizabeth is like, look, if she doesn’t marry that odious creep, then we don’t have to send G-C away so soon! BUT ELIZABETH, IT IS SUPER IMPORTANT WE ALLY OURSELVES WITH THE GODOLPHINS NO ONE LIKES ME. (Elizabeth rolls her eyes.) At this point, Constable Goon comes in with his report.

Morwenna walks along the garden, grinning at her bravery, when George bellows for her. Inside, he demands to know how long she’s been meeting with Drake? And how dare she involved G-C in her scheme? Morwenna’s like, um, see, it was G-C who first liked hanging with him, and I thought that since he was related to Captain Poldark that…what harm could there be? “What harm could there be in fraternizing with a relative of my SWORN ENEMY.” Morwenna is like, look, G-C was happy, I also was happy, so…. George interrupts her to say that she gave herself to an illiterate miner instead of take up the illustrious match they arranged. “I have not GIVEN myself to him!” “Nevertheless,” Elizabeth says coldly, our family is now tainted by its association with you.” And George adds that Whitworth must be released from his obligation. So Morwenna is to be sent home to her mother. Morwenna raises her chin. “I understand.”

Elizabeth notes that she isn’t at all dismayed. No, Morwenna is crying happy tears.

Enys and Armitage are sitting in front of the fire, and Enys muses that he thought Caro was different, but she seems to lack the imagination to understand what it’s like to come back to a life that is “utterly vacuous.” Armitage’s mother is the same, filling him in on the latest fashions and intrigues. Caro was about to enter, but pauses at the door, hearing all of this, and she leaves. Armitage goes on to say that he’s had to remember that his mother hasn’t lived the hell the did, so she cannot understand.

At dinner, Aggie is issuing her birthday wish list: she wants a new dress, so the mantua maker should come and take measurements (“Preferably for your coffin” mutters George.) and she wants the date written in the family bible so there’s a RECORD of all the Poldark’s she outlived. So like, ALL OF THEM. Elizabeth mentions to G-C that she noticed his bible wasn’t by his bed. G-C looks guilty.

At the Cottage of Carnes, D is helping her brothers, when Constable Goon comes by and marches in. D and Sam argue that he’s trespassing, and that this is a “God fearing’ law abiding’ house!” and Constable Goon marches out with the package from G-C. It’s a bible, with silver hinges and buckles. He has orders to take Drake to Truro jail, or changes of stealing a rare and valuable bible. D gasps that she had no idea it was such a fine thing, and Constable Goon is like yeah, it’s worth upwards of 40 shillings. D: this was a GIFT. Drake is hauled off, and Constable Goon merely bows and leaves.

Ross asks for a description, and D tells him that Constable Goon said it was worth more than 40 shillings. Ross sighs, because more than 40 shillings makes the theft a capital offense. Drake could hang. D says that she’ll go plead before the magistrate herself, and Ross agrees that could be a good plan, except the magistrate in question is George. “Why else do you think he arranged it this way?” D: WHY DID YOU TURN DOWN THE CHANCE TO BE MAGISTRATE WHEN IT WAS OFFERED. Ross: I’m regretting that now. D: SO NOW WHAT.

Ross rides, and Drake sits in prison. Ross has ridden to Trenwith and is shown into George’s office. George doesn’t look up when Ross entries and gestures from him to sit down. Ross waits a second, and starts flipping through a book. George finally looks up, takes a beat. “Ah. The hero of Compere. How dull it must seem to be home.” Ross takes his own beat. “On the contrary, since your decision to prosecute my brother in law.” George’s version of events is that Drake insinuated himself into G-C’s affections so he could steal something valuable to turn into “ready money.” Ross: he’s a METHODIST. George: BESIDES WHICH he messed with the affections of a young girl and her polluted my grounds this summer. Ross: With what? George: “A type of amphibian.” Ross: “that was wrong of him.”

George is just appalled, APPALLED that someone of Drake’s class would try to pollute the minds of impressionable young gentlefolk. Ross: what because of the differences in their stations? You did the same thing when you married Elizabeth. George has had enough: “Get out of my house.” Ross: hold up. He would like a settlement out of court, if only to make things easier for their wives. “Your wife is no concern of mine, and Elizabeth has no interest in the matter.” Ross: Her cousin is involved, and it will come out in court, at considerable harm to her reputation. George: She’s being sent home in disgrace, so you can’t blackmail me with that.

Ross, darkly. Let him GO, George. George will not. Ross: Very well. But… there’s unrest in the district. With the fencing of common land, taking back a meeting house… all this shit you pulled, and it’s my influence that’s kept people from storming your gate like they did last season. If Drake Carne hangs, the people will rise up. George calls these idle threats. Ross: Are you sure? He leaves.

Armitage is leaving, and Enys tells him that he’s a bit ashamed. “You are the navigator, and I the physician, but you found the cure.” Not so much a cure as a direction, Armitage says. And hey, if it doesn’t work, there’s always poetry! They hug manly hugs, while Caro watches.

Ross comes back to Nampara to report: he shakes his head. “So Drake will hang?” Not if Ross can help it: he’s going to get an attorney, throw himself on the mercy of everyone else on the bench, and ask Enys to be a character witness. He rides off, and Sam asks for God’s forgiveness. He’s been trying to save souls and now he can’t save his own brother from the noose.

Of course Enys will testify. He’s dubious it’ll do any good, but of course he’ll do his best. Ross doesn’t know if it’ll work, but he’s got to try everything. Enys says that Ross is a good friend, and he’ll never forget everything Ross did for him. “I only wish there was some way to repay you.” Ross tells him to “Tell Caroline. How it stands with you now.” Enys shakes his head. “She’ll never understand.” “TRY HER.” Enys drinks a port, but doesn’t say no.

Elizabeth tries to plead the case with George. Ross seemed very sure about the consequences. George: “you’re not scared of him.” Elizabeth: I’m only saying that if there was a way for you to compromise without seeming to yield… (Elizabeth should be a diplomat, honestly.) At this point, there’s a commotion: Whitworth has taken some time from his busy schedule of toe-sucking to visit (The barely there bow Elizabeth gives him is SO TELLING- Heida Reed has gotten some good stuff in this season) announce that he’s got all these other girls who want to marry him, so…”I must beg to be released from your obligation.” Elizabeth is like, hey, you do you. George pauses, and sends Whitworth out for a second. Elizabeth: this is good, now we don’t need to tell him about Morwenna’s disgrace. George: no, this is great, but for other reasons.

Morwenna comes around a corner to find Whitworth stinking the joint up. She curtseys, and walks past him. Aggie, who has been spying, slams a door closed.

Morwenna has been summoned to the study, where she tells George that she would stake her life on Drake’s innocence. George: “What, I wonder, would you stake on his acquittal?” Morwenna looks at Elizabeth in alarm, and even Elizabeth doesn’t look like she’s thrilled for this.

Enys is ready to go, and he’s hoping that he’s as useful to Drake as he was to Ross that one time. D says that he’s an escaped prisoner of war and fucking hero, so they BETTER listen to him. Ross looks up: they might not have to. Drake is home!

Inside, Drake is being cosseted, but he doesn’t know what happened. “The lord, he works in mysterious ways!” says Sam, and Ross is like, well, maybe. Prudie asks how Drake will celebrate, and Ross says that he will be accepting a gift of share of a profitable venture, so that he can ask for the hand of a certain young lady. Prudie: “Is she free?” “Sent home to her mother in disgrace. The engagement’s off.” Happy grins all around. Drake shakes Ross’ hand.

Caro sits in the garden, worried, when Enys finds her. He sits, and begins: Ross told me I must tell you… “You’re leaving me.” No, he doesn’t want to return to the Navy because he doesn’t love her, but because he can’t figure out how to live in quiet and comfort. He’s suffering from guilt that “I am here, and they are not.” He worries that she thinks he’s ungrateful for declining invitations and food, but he just.. Can’t. Caro asks if that’s why Ross sent for Hugh Armitage. It’s because he and Armitage shared the experience, and they can talk about it. Enys doesn’t want to fill Caroline’s head with such things. “We can talk about things… until we are rid of them.” “And are you now… rid of them?” Enys smiles a bit. “It’s a beginning. Can you bear with me?” Caro can bear anything. “Now that I know I’ve not lost your love.”

At Trenwith, George and Elizabeth sweep into the hall, dressed up. Aggie is writing a note, but hides it, while George gloats. “I think congratulations are in order. One stone. Many birds.” Elizabeth twitches her lips in what George would think is a smile… but isn’t. Aggie glowers.

Whitworth is also dressed up, in his gold waistcoat.

D and Drake are pondering options for what he’ll do with himself. A smithy, or a boatyard? Drake says that a cottage will be fine, seeing as Miss Morwenna has no airs or graces. Sam is smiling, even. “I believe she’d be content with a stye as long as she had you along with her.” Prudie comes in and hands Ross a note from Trenwith. It’s Aggie’s hand, telling them to go to the church.

Ross, Drake, and D burst in to see Morwenna and Whitworth just leaving the altar. Morwenna is gutted, Elizabeth glares at Ross, and George is smug. Drake is completely shattered.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Are you still watching?