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For 鈥淒ownton Abbey鈥� fans, the wait until the arrival of the next season in America (traditionally after it first airs in the UK) can seem like forever. But those behind the 鈥淒ownton鈥� scenes have dropped a few hints about what viewers can expect to see during the next installments.听

The British show 鈥淒ownton鈥� stars Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, and Elizabeth McGovern, among others, and centers on a well-to-do family living in England and the servants who wait on them. The show began in 1912 and is now taking place in the 1920s. The fifth season of 鈥淒ownton鈥� concluded on March 1 in America.

Recent comments by star Smith, who portrays the grandmother Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, have some fans worried about how long she鈥檒l be on the show. Smith pointed out how much time has passed in the 鈥淒ownton鈥� universe. 鈥淭hey say this is the last one, and I can鈥檛 see how it could go on,鈥� she said of the sixth season in an interview with the . 鈥淚 mean, I certainly can鈥檛 keep going. To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now. We鈥檙e into the late 1920s.鈥�

So viewers will have to stay tuned to see how long the Dowager Countess will hang around. As for the characters on screen, the recent season finale included butler Carson proposing to housekeeper Mrs. Hughes. Does wedded bliss await them?聽

鈥溾�橠ownton鈥� is a bumpy path,鈥� 鈥淒ownton鈥� creator Julian Fellowes said of Carson and Mrs. Hughes' future in an interview with the .听

In other romantic developments, eldest Crawley daughter Mary seemed intrigued by Henry Talbot, a guest at a shooting parade she attended. 鈥淒ownton鈥� producer Gareth Neame wouldn鈥檛 say in an interview with whether the character would be sticking around, but it certainly seems like a lot of care went into creating the character and deciding who would play him.

鈥淲e like this idea that Mary has now been single for a while, and she鈥檚 had enough time to grieve her marriage and to honor her late husband, but to know that she will marry again one day,鈥� Neame said of creating the character of Henry. 鈥淪he just has no idea who. That鈥檚 why she鈥檚 had all of these different suitors that she鈥檚 considered, but she hasn鈥檛 done anything about it. I鈥檓 also interested in how her first marriage to Matthew was relatively straightforward, and when you get married a second time, whether because of divorce or bereavement, it鈥檚 much more complicated. A mature marriage in your thirties compared to a first relationship in your twenties, there鈥檚 a lot more at stake, and I think that鈥檚 interesting.鈥�

As for casting actor Matthew Goode in the part, Neame said, 鈥淲e really like Matthew, and we鈥檝e been interested in him being on the show for a while. We liked the idea of what it would be like if he met Michelle鈥檚 character. We thought it worked well.鈥�

Valet Bates and maid Anna, who are married, have been involved in a plot for some time now involving the murder of a valet named Green. Green had raped Anna and Bates was initially suspected of her murder, then Anna became the newest suspect. At the end of the most recent season finale, other Downton servants found evidence that seemed to prove that Bates was not in London, where Green was murdered, on the day the crime occurred and the witness who cast suspicion on Anna seemed to rethink what he or she had said. However, Neame said the plotline isn鈥檛 over.听

鈥淢r. Green was a very complicated, dark individual, and the ramifications of all of that are still haunting them,鈥� he told EW. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to continue giving us story fuel with more episodes to come.鈥�