Richard (Patrick Kennedy) puts further strain on his relationship with Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) by announcing his intention to quit the law and join the army.
Jarndyce warns him that this must be his final choice of career, and that he needs to take his employment seriously, since no good will ever come of his Chancery hopes.
Charley Neckett (Katie Angelou) turns up as a not wholly welcome gift for Esther. Jarndyce has employed her as Esther's (Anna Maxwell Martin) maid without consulting her first.
Elsewhere, Caddy (Natalie Press) and Prince (Bryan Dick) announce their engagement to Old Mr Turveydrop (Matthew Kelly). He is most displeased, until they pledge to work together to make his life more agreeable.
Gridley's (Tony Haygarth) on the run from the law, following Tulkinghorn's arrest warrant. He asks his old friend, Miss Flite (Pauline Collins), if she can take him in.
But she points him in the direction of Sergeant George (Hugo Speer), a noble ex-soldier who now owns a gym. Among his fencing pupils is Richard, who's learning the arts of war in preparation for joining his regiment.
Unfortunately for George, he has become embroiled in Tulkinghorn's (Charles Dance) investigation. Clamb (Tom Georgeson) has managed to identify Nemo (John Lynch) as a Captain Hawdon, in debt to the moneylender Smallweed (Phil Davis).
George was a close friend of Hawdon's during their army days, and he now also owes Smallweed money.
Tulkinghorn desperately wants to get hold of a sample of Hawdon's hand-writing for comparison. He sends Smallweed to blackmail George into providing a letter from Hawdon. But George isn't interested in helping.
Meanwhile, Inspector Bucket (Alun Armstrong) follows Miss Flite to the gym where a dying Gridley is discovered. Before an arrest can be made, Gridley passes away.
George (Hugo Speer) meets Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance) to discuss his demands, but is suspicious of the lawyer's motives. Smallweed (Phil Davis) is desperate to squeeze George for all he can, but Tulkinghorn instructs him to bide his time.
Back at the gym, George worries what the future may hold for himself and his assistant, Phil Squod (Michael Smiley).
Guppy's (Burn Gorman) still pursuing his interest in Esther (Anna Maxwell Martin). He pays another visit to an extremely drunken Krook (Johnny Vegas). At the mention of the name Hawdon, Krook allows him a tantalising glimpse of his love letters, but he won't let Guppy get his hands on them.
The Dedlocks receive a visitor to Chesney Wold – Mr Rouncewell, the housekeeper’s wealthy son. His son has fallen in love with Lady Dedlock's (Gillian Anderson) maid, Rosa (Emma Williams), and Rouncewell wants to take her away to be educated.
While Sir Leicester (Timothy West) takes the offer as an affront to the nobility of his household, Lady Dedlock is acutely concerned at the thought of losing the girl who has become like a daughter to her.
Later, Lady Dedlock receives another visit, this time from Guppy. He outlines his recent discoveries – including the fact that Esther's real name is Hawdon. She agrees to his offer to retrieve the letters that Krook stole from Nemo (John Lynch).
Bleak House also receives a visitor - Allan Woodcourt's mother (Di Botcher), who makes it clear that she doesn't see Esther as a worthy partner for her son.
Esther and Charley (Katie Angelou) discover that Jo (Harry Eden) is seriously ill. They find him with Jenny (Charlie Brooks) and take him home to Bleak House so that they can care for him, ignoring Skimpole's (Nathaniel Parker) advice to turf him out.
However, in the middle of the night, Jo mysteriously disappears...
Episode 4
The residents of Bleak House search for Jo (Harry Eden), who's disappeared during the night.
But he's been spirited away by Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance) and Bucket (Alun Armstrong) to stop him revealing anything about his meeting with them, and his earlier encounter with Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson).
The next morning, further disaster strikes, when Esther (Anna Maxwell Martin) falls ill with smallpox. Her very life hangs in the balance. But she eventually regains consciousness and looks set to recover.
In pursuit of the letters for Lady Dedlock, Guppy (Burn Gorman) heads over to Krook's (Johnny Vegas) house. There, he finds Miss Flite (Pauline Collins) and Snagsby (Sean McGinley) worrying about the peculiar smell in the air. Venturing inside, Guppy is shocked to discover that Krook is dead.
The Coroner's (Peter Guinness) verdict is spontaneous combustion. Guppy is thwarted again, as Smallweed (Phil Davis) claims ownership of all of Krook's property.
Disappointed, Guppy tells Lady Dedlock of his failure to find the letters. As he is about to leave, they are surprised by Tulkinghorn, who senses that Guppy is up to something.
Tulkinghorn and Smallweed decide that the time has come to call in Sgt George's (Hugo Speer) debt.
Esther (Anna Maxwell Martin) admits to Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) that she's given up hope of a relationship with Woodcourt (Richard Harrington).
She feels her disfigurement makes it impossible for any man to love her. Jarndyce agonises over whether to keep his own feelings for her concealed.
Guppy makes a big mistake by letting slip to Smallweed (Phil Davis) about Nemo's letters.
Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance) is close to piecing together Lady Dedlock's (Gillian Anderson) secret. Sergeant George (Hugo Speer) reluctantly provides a handwriting sample, which matches the legal documents penned by Nemo (John Lynch). It proves without doubt that Nemo was Captain Hawdon.
Meanwhile, Esther, Ada (Carey Mulligan), Charley (Katie Angelou) and Jarndyce pay Boythorn (Warren Clarke) another visit. The girls take a walk through Chesney Wold where they encounter Lady Dedlock, who asks to speak to Esther alone.
Lady Dedlock reveals that she is Esther's mother. The shocked Esther learns that Lady Dedlock had been told her baby had died and only recently learned of her existence.
Despite the revelation, Lady Dedlock insists no-one should know their secret, and they should never meet again.
EPISODE 5
Esther's (Anna Maxwell Martin) in shock following Lady Dedlock's (Gillian Anderson) confession that she's her mother. But she keeps her word and refuses to tell Ada (Carey Mulligan) her secret.
Meanwhile, with Boythorn (Warren Clarke) and Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) away on business, Esther and Ada go to the local pub, where Esther is surprised to see Richard (Patrick Kennedy).
Richard's interest in Chancery has become an obsession, and Esther is worried when she discovers that, on Skimpole's (Nathaniel Parker) advice, he has now employed his own lawyer, the vampiric Mr Vholes (Dermot Crowley).
Esther can see that Vholes intends to bleed Richard dry, but there is little she can do to prevent it.
Smallweed's (Phil Davis) many hours of searching through Krook's (Johnny Vegas) old legal papers finally pays off when he discovers Captain Hawdon's (John Lynch) bundle of love letters.
Guppy (Burn Gorman) offers Smallweed money for the letters. But, Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance) steps out of the shadows and warns him off. Much to Smallweed's astonishment – and great delight – Tulkinghorn offers him a much bigger sum for the letters.
Having gathered all his evidence, Tulkinghorn visits Chesney Wold. There, he shows his hand, relating Lady Dedlock's scandalous history to herself and Sir Leicester (Timothy West) as if it were that of 'a townsman's of Mr Rouncewell'. Sir Leicester finds it too shocking to be believed.
When they are alone, Lady Dedlock tells Tulkinghorn that she will flee Chesney Wold that night, before the scandal breaks. But he turns the tables on her, claiming that, in order to protect the family honour, he will keep her secret, as long as she does nothing. Now, she is totally in his power.
Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance) believes Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson) is in his power. But she continues to defy him by sending Rosa (Emma Williams) away to save her from any impending scandal.
Back in London, Hortense (Lilo Baur) angers Tulkinghorn by accusing him of breaking his promise to find her a position as a lady's maid.
Bucket (Alun Armstrong) later drags her down to the station to give her a warning. He makes Hortense write down her address, promising to keep an eye on her.
Esther (Anna Maxwell Martin) plans a visit to London, where she and Ada (Carey Mulligan) see the newly pregnant Caddy (Natalie Press).
However, she has an ulterior motive for the trip: seeing Guppy (Burn Gorman) to tell him to stop investigating her past. When Esther lifts her veil and shows him her scarred face, Guppy's only too happy to agree to her wishes as long as he can retract his proposal.
Ada and Esther go to see Richard and they find him at court. He is soon leaving to join his regiment in Deal, but Vholes (Dermot Crowley) and Skimpole (Nathaniel Parker) are worried by his enormous debts.
Back at Bleak House, Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) tells the girls that Sir Leicester (Timothy West) has invited them to Chesney Wold. Sir Leicester's worried that they may have been offended by his lack of courtesy when they visited Boythorn (Warren Clarke).
Esther's horrified by the idea, and reveals to Jarndyce that Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson) is her mother. As he comforts her, Jarndyce comes clean about his feelings and asks Esther to marry him.
Meanwhile, Sergeant George's (Hugo Speer) furious when Tulkinghorn breaks his promise not to call in his debt, leaving him in financial ruin.
