 It s the fall of 1914 and every household is expected to contribute to the war effort in some way. Hazel agrees to take in some Belgian refugees and the servants prepare for the arrival of their guests, assuming they are displaced aristocrats. All are surprised and dismayed when a family of downtrodden, lice-ridden peasants arrive at the front door. Apart from the language barrier, they are suspicious, uncooperative, surly and ungrateful. There s quite a commotion downstairs, but when the staff complain, Hazel urges calm. Georgina speaks fluent French and when she meets the Belgian family, she clarifies minor misunderstandings to both sides. Hazel comes downstairs and the family relate their horrific experiences of the German invasion -- the old man s wife went missing and was never found, his daughter s husband, teen-aged son shot and an infant girl killed when their village was bombed. Piddling nonsense is set aside and the downstairs are profoundly sorry for these hapless victims and are utterly committed to do all they can to comfort their Belgian friends. Now the war has a  human face  to it, prompting Edward to enlist the very next day.