The Syndicate

- Season 3

(2015)

Pregnant Dawn Stevenson and her daughter Amy work as maids at run down Hazelwood Manor, along with cook Julie and her daughter, manageress Sarah, gardener Godfrey and handyman Sean. Lord Hazelwood is kindly but an invalid and his imperious wife and her spoilt son Spencer run the household, paying poor wages as the family have heavy debts. To bring in cash the Hazelwoods host a party of visiting Americans and during their stay the six members of staff, who are members of a lottery syndicate, find that they have won fourteen million pounds. Whilst they are celebrating ...

The syndicate members are interviewed by the police following Amy's disappearance with bipolar Godfrey, who found her phone, being a prime suspect. Her father Andy believes she ran off with boyfriend Nick until her blood-stained apron is found on he moors. Lord Hazelwood begs Julie and Sarah to prevent his wife and her son selling the house to the American party if he dies and brings in an art expert to value his paintings, though when some prove to be fakes, he accuses Spencer of selling the originals. The group agrees to a press photo call where they announce their ...

Whilst Spencer schemes behind his stepfather's back hoping to sell the house to the Americans Lord Hazelwood - unlike his wife - is happy to sign the contract giving the staff part ownership of his home. Dawn however is preoccupied with finding Amy and is approached by a journalist, Laura, who tells her that Sean is a former sex offender. When questioned Sean admits that he served a prison term having had sex with a girl he did not know to be under-age but denies any involvement in Amy's disappearance. Then Dawn gets a letter demanding a ransom for her daughter's ...

Keeping the ransom demand from the police the staff are divided as to whether to pay up or not and Sarah and Sean are angry when Godfrey decides to pay it without telling them. D.I. Baker is also displeased when she finds out, having had to release prime suspect Nick. Lord Hazelwood discovers that his wife wants to sell the house to the Americans for a larger sum than the syndicate offered and takes advice from their lawyer, who tells him he can rescind the power of attorney he gave her during his illness. Learning that she has been having an affair with family ...

As Dawn tends to Andy's bruised face they are interrupted by the police who tell them that Nick has been shot and who discover that the Stevensons seem to have paid the ransom. Andy admits to fighting Nick but denies shooting him whilst Dawn suspects her husband spent the money having an affair. However it transpires that he was purchasing a dream home for his family. Sarah and Sean, now lovers, discover that three years earlier whilst in shock following her husband's death Julie stole a valuable clock from the Hazelwoods. When Julie is about to own up to it Lord ...

It's the day of Hazelwood Manor's grand opening. Dawn's shocked to discover Spencer was the last person to see Amy alive and the truth about her disappearance begins to unfold. Meanwhile, Lord Hazelwood tries to convince Julie to confess all to Sarah, or they risk losing everything.