...Thomas did truly grieve that man's death. I should have remembered that detail as it was tied up with his knowing Sybil so well during the war.

Do you think maybe Sir JF is squandering a chance to make a point about the social consequences of WWI? People in the downstairs class risked their lives for the upstairs folks & that made it harder to go back to the old norms. I don't think the Branson marriage qualifies as an example because their relationship was budding before the war. I suspect Matthew's quest to make DA more profitable could go down this road if William's father's farm sits on Downton property. I could easily see Daisy pointing out that William saved M's life & the least he could do in return is to let W's father feel useful on his own farm.