Lady Ashford's two sons – James and Oliver – are played by Tom Felton, best known as Draco Malfoy in the HARRY POTTER series, and James Norton, who will also be seen in this year’s RUSH from director Ron Howard. The brothers are equally bewildered by the arrival of Dido on their social scene, though both are undoubtedly attracted to her. While Oliver begins to develop feelings for her, James is hostile, offended by her very existence in the Mansfield household.

“James, I think, represents the status quo of the time,” says Felton. “I’m sure many viewers will be shocked by his opinions, but that really was quite the norm, so it was interesting to explore. By modern standards, James would be considered vile, but back then he would have considered himself keen to keep his tradition the way it had been for the last 100 years. My job was to explore why he feels so threatened by Dido. And I think half of it is because she’s so attractive. That is something that clearly infuriates him; that someone ‘of color,’ as he would say, can be so beautiful.”