Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery has revealed that – just like the rest of the nation – she’s hoping her character, Lady Mary, will finally get together with the love of her life, Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) this Christmas.

Their love has been a simmering maelstrom from the get go, but of course, Mary is engaged to the possessive and manipulative Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen) which is a relationship she committed to when Matthew became engaged to Lavinia Swire in the last series.

But of course, poor Lavinia (Zoe Boyle) coughed and spluttered her way to the stately home in the sky at the end of series two, not long after Matthew discovered he could walk again…

In an interview with the Sun’s TV Biz, Michelle said of her character’s romance with Matthew, “They were meant to be together. But maybe they can’t be, maybe it is too late.”

And of Mary’s engagement to Sir Richard, who’s determined she will marry him, irrespective of whether she loves him or not, Michelle said, “She is with this person who she is going to spend the rest of her life with but she doesn’t love him.”

However, in the behind-the-scenes documentary about the show, which airs tonight, its writer Julian Fellowes has hinted that Matthew may not allow his feelings for Mary to outweigh the social protocol of the time.

He said, “Matthew is a man in hell and the only thing to do is punish himself. Sin must not be rewarded in his mind.”

Well, that sentiment certainly isn’t shared by Lady Mary’s sister Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) who’s crossed the line and fallen for the Grantham family’s chauffeur, Branson (Allen Leech).

Also speaking to the Sun, of the storyline, Jessica said of Sybil, “I think she and Branson are truly in love.

“They would have to be to make that leap.”

And talking of leaps – or, pushes in this case – we’ve yet to discover if Mr Bates (Brendan Coyle) is to hang for the charge of murdering his wife Vera (Maria Doyle Kennedy).

I so hope he doesn’t! He and Anna (Joanne Froggatt) are such a lovely couple that I’m hoping they get to live happily ever after at Downton!

We’ll find out of course on Christmas Day at 9pm on ITV1. I cannot wait!