She catches him reading a romance novel, which he explains is to improve his vocabulary, asking her not to invade his privacy again. Lord Darlington's godson, journalist Reginald Cardinal, arrives on the day of a secret meeting at Darlington Hall between British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and German ambassador Joachim von Ribbentrop. Appalled by his godfather's role in seeking appeasement for Nazi Germany, Cardinal tells Stevens that Darlington is being used by the Nazis, but Stevens feels it is not his place to judge his employer. Kenton forms a relationship with former co-worker Tom Benn, and accepts his proposal. She informs Stevens as an ultimatum, but he will not admit his feelings and only offers his congratulations. Finding her crying, his only response is to call her attention to a neglected domestic task, and she leaves Darlington Hall before the start of the Second World War. En route to meeting Kenton in 1958, Stevens is mistaken for gentry at a pub. Doctor Carlisle, a local GP, helps him refuel the Daimler and deduces that he is actually a manservant, asking his thoughts about Lord Darlington's actions. Denying having even met him, Stevens later admits to having served and respected him, but that Darlington confessed that his Nazi sympathies were misguided and naive. Stevens declares that although Lord Darlington was unable to correct his terrible error, he is attempting to correct his own. He meets Kenton, who has separated from her husband and runs a coastal boarding house. They reminisce that Lord Darlington died from a broken heart after suing a newspaper for libel, losing the suit and his reputation, and Stevens mentions that Cardinal was killed in the war. Kenton, now Mrs. Benn, declines to resume her position at Darlington Hall, wishing to remain near her pregnant grown daughter and, despite years of unhappiness, she may go back to her husband. Stevens suggests they may never meet again and they part fondly, but are both quietly upset, Miss Kenton visibly tearful as her bus pulls away. Stevens returns to Darlington Hall, where Lewis asks if he remembers the old days, and Stevens replies that he was too busy serving. They free a pigeon from the house and it flies away, leaving Stevens and Darlington Hall far behind. Cast Production A film adaptation of the novel was originally planned to be directed by Mike Nichols from a script by Harold Pinter.