Is Lady Mary/Branson Romance Heading to DOWNTON ABBEY's Season 4?

Fans of the historic drama Downton Abbey were devastated during the third season when two of the show's most popular characters, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Tom Branson (Allen Leach) struggled to deal with the deaths of their spouses. But are viewers ready to see the two grieving survivors become romantically involved?

TVGuide reports that the mere mention of the idea sends shivers down Dockery's spine. "Oooh, I can't do that," she says of her character. "He's my brother-in-law!"

Leech appears to be equally horrified by the prospect. "While it would be great for drama, I don't think it would be right for those two," he says. "As much as they respect each other, they come from very different worlds."

However the article hints that the two will become even closer next season as they display mutual sympathy for their situation as single parents. "We will be spending so much more time together, from what we've already seen in the early episodes," Dockery says. "We're delighted by that. It's going to take them both some time before they find someone new."

Recent reports reveal that other romantic possibilbities are heading their way on the show's fourth season. British actor Tom Cullen has been cast as Lord Gillingham, who will be a love interest for Mary. Leech also teases that there may be some "canoodling in the nursery" between Tom and Downton's new nanny.

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