Disclaimer: I don't own Downton Abbey.
Rating: K
It was late Friday night and, as usual on an ordinary evening such as this one, Downton Abbey's oldest servants, Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes, were sitting in Mrs Hughes' sitting room. They were sitting in silence, Mr Carson reading the late paper and Mrs Hughes sewing. All the rest of the downstairs staff had retired to bed but, being of the older generation, Mrs Hughes and Me Carson felt like they should stay up. They were almost like a family, Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson being a second mother and father, especially to the younger members of the staff.
"There has been a break in down at the corner shop in the village." Mr Carson said, reading aloud from his paper.
"Oh no!" Mrs Hughes said. "Poor Mrs Deacon, she's getting on in years, it must have been quite a shock for her."
Mr Carson nodded.
"They have caught the robber but he managed to break a window and get away with the con-tense of the till before he was caught." he told her.
"Really, I don't know what the world is coming to!" Mrs Hughes tutted.
Silence fell again. It wasn't awkward, they had been sitting together night after night for to long for it to be awkward. They were good friends and they respected each other.
The clock struck 11.00 and suddenly there was a little rap on the door. Mr Carson looked up from his paper and Mrs Hughes from her sewing.
"Who can that be at this late hour?" Mrs Hughes asked.
"I don't know...come in!" Mr Carson called.
The door opened slowly both older servants looking round. A little head popped round the door, blinking tears.
"Oh my!" Mrs Hughes gasped.
Mr Carson stood up, not sure where to put himself.
"Lady Mary! Are you lost?" Mrs Hughes asked.
The eight year old girl sniffed, hopping between legs, not wanting to be down in the servants quarter where she wasn't supposed to be and also wanting to be in the warmth of the sitting-room.
"Mr Carson, please sit down." She said.
"Is there something you want miss? Food, drink?" He asked.
"No...I...I..." the girl stuttered.
Mrs Hughes put down her sewing and motioned for Mr Carson to sit down. Mary relaxed a little and shuffled into the room, closing the door behind her.
"Would you like to sit down miss?" Mrs Hughes said, pointing to the big armchair opposite Mr Carson.
The girl crept over to the chair and climbed onto it, pulling her long nightdress over her knees. Her dark plait was frayed from rolling around in her large bed, she had tear tracks down her face and her White skin red from tears.
"Mrs Hughes..." she finally said. "Where are my Mother and Father?"
"They are away on business in London. Your Grandmother is looking after you and your sisters." Mrs Hughes told her.
Mary nodded.
"Miss, if you don't mind me asking, are you alright?" Mr Carson said.
It was then when Mary burst into tears. Mr Carson looked to Mrs Hughes in shock. The little girl of the manor was here in the servants quarters in tears. Never in the years of quiet evenings had this ever happened before. The girl uncurled herself and rushed over to Mr Carson, she jumped onto his lap and lay her head on his chest. He sat shocked for a moment before wrapping his arms around her, trying to calm her down. Mrs Hughes pulled herself out of her chair and crouched down next to Mr Carson's legs in front of his chair. She rubbed the childs leg, shushing her quietly. When she had calmed down, she lifted her head, resting it instead on the front of Carson's shoulder.
"Hush now child, whatever is the matter darling?" Mrs Hughes asked in a soothing tone.
"I had a terrible dream, it was like nothing I'd ever dreamt before." the young girl sniffed.
"Oh darling child, was it a nightmare?" the maid said to her.
"W-what's a nightmare?" Mary asked.
"It is a very frightening dream." Mr Carson said. "Normally full of things that we don't like."
"What happens if I go to sleep again? Will the frightening things follow me?" Mary asked.
"I don't know, but if you think happy things, the frightening thoughts may go away." Mrs Hughes told her.
"I'll try." the girl said bravely.
Mrs Hughes smiled at the young lady.
"That's a good girl." she said. "Now darling child, I think that you deserve some lemonade!"
Mary sat up straighter on Mr Carson's lap.
"What is lemonade?" she asked.
Mrs Hughes stood up.
"It is a special fizzy drink that brave little girls get." she told the girl.
She went to the kitchen and brought back half a cup of cloudy lemonade for the child. Mary sipped it first but soon gulped it down when she tasted the fizzy sweetness.
"Do you want me to take you back upstairs?" Mr Carson asked, when she was done.
She yawned.
"Yes please Mr Carson, it was awfully dark and scary coming down here." she said.
Mr Carson smiled and lifted the girl off his lap and into his arms.
"Come on then miss, off to bed." he said.
Mary smiled at Mrs Hughes.
"Thank you Mrs Hughes." she said.
"Anytime." Mrs Hughes said. "Now you be a good girl and go to sleep straight away, your mother and father will be back tomorrow and you need to be well rested."
The girl nodded and bade her goodnight as Mr Carson carried her out of the room. When they were gone, Mrs Hughes sat back down and reached for her sewing. She smiled, the three Crawley daughters would always be like grandchildren to her and Mr Carson and they wouldn't have it any other way.