Many years have passed since Irene (Gina McKee) left him and Soames (Damian Lewis) has now decided that he wants a divorce. He's met an attractive young woman, Annette Lamotte (Beatriz Batarde), who with her mother (Kika Markham) runs a restaurant in Soho. He calls on Young Jolyon Rupert Graves), who is trustee of the legacy his father (Corin Redgrave) left her, to ask if she could provide him with grounds for divorce. She assures Jolyon that there has been no one in her life, a message he relays to Soames, who refuses to believe it. He even visits Irene, but unable to find grounds for divorce, he decides that he wants her back. All he manages to do is frighten her into fleeing to Paris. Val Dartie (Julian Overden) is disgusted by his drunken father, Montague Dartie (Ben Miles), who he sees cavorting with courtesans in a casino. Montague decides to abandon his family and leave for Buenos Aires. Soames insists that his sister, Winnifred (Amanda Root), institute divorce proceedings. Val and Jolyon's daughter, Holly (Amanda Ryan), strike up a close friendship. When they agree to marry, Holly's brother, Jolly (Christian Coulson), intervenes by challenging him to join the army and go to South Africa.
—garykmcd