This is a follow-up (as it turns out) to "An Old Scottish Tradition." A few reviewers kindly asked that I continue on in regards to how the staff reacts to the news of the aforementioned "tradition" (I recommend you read the other story first if you have the time and inclination), as well as how the wedding night continues, and thus was born "What Andy Heard."

I am continually amazed at the quality of writing and creativity among you Chelsie shippers. This is a fairly new hobby/obsession for me and you have been more than kind with your reception of what I have offered. Thank you so, so much…

The servant's hall was quiet in spite of the fact that the arbiters of the downstairs were still away. Only the staff members awaiting the return of the family from their dinner at Dower House remained, the rest having been sent up for an early night by Mrs. Patmore. A warm fire blazed as Andy and Thomas played a game of cards while Miss Baxter knitted as Daisy and Mrs. Patmore pored over a film magazine.

The door creaked loudly as Anna slipped in, her arrival quickly noted by two very anxious cooks.

"We thought you might be Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes." Mrs. Patmore couldn't hide her disappointment at finding it was only the lady's maid.

Anna smiled warmly as she removed her hat and coat, "Sorry to disappoint you, Mrs. Patmore. I waited until Mr. Bates fell back asleep. The family aren't back from the Dowager's are they?"

Mrs. Baxter suddenly appeared behind Daisy and Mrs. Patmore, "No sign of them yet."

Anna sighed in relief, "Good. And Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes are still away on their long day? I wonder what they might be up to..."

Daisy motioned for Anna to move closer as she gleefully whispered, "Something's up. Mr. Carson was acting very funny this morning and Mrs. Hughes asked us to save him a piece of his favorite pudding. We think they are sweethearts."

"Shhh, Daisy!" Mrs. Patmore scolded. "Not here. Let's step into the kitchen and I'll make a fresh pot of tea."

The foursome quickly shuffled into the kitchen, crowding around the end of the long table at the end of the room nearest the stove as Mrs. Patmore filled the kettle.

"What do you mean Mr. Carson was acting funny this morning?" Anna put her hand on Daisy's arm as she and Miss Baxter waited intently for an answer.

"Mrs. Patmore saw him. He stopped outside her sitting room door and was patting down his hair and pulling on his waistcoat like he does before he goes upstairs to serve."

"And he near jumped six feet when I called out and told him she wasn't in," the small woman smiled brightly as she stuck her head into the gathering.

"They have seemed…different since Christmas," the usually reticent Miss Baxter remarked as the other women nodded in agreement.

Anna looked at Mrs. Patmore, "And she hasn't said anything to you?"

"Not a word. As a matter of fact I feel like she might be avoiding me. What about you?" She returned the question to Anna.

"Now that you mention it she has seemed…less available."

"That's it…" Mrs. Patmore shook her head in agreement. "…less available. And when I have tried to talk to either of them, they are shut up in one of their offices talking about their rental property."

Miss Baxter spoke up again, "Anna, when you and Mr. Bates started courting, do you remember how you were around everyone else?"

Anna smiled; Miss Baxter's implication very clear. "We spent every moment we could away with our heads together. It was as if no one else around us existed." The kettle having now boiled, Mrs. Patmore and Daisy set about making fresh cups of tea for everyone as Anna continued, "It doesn't seem such a strange thing really- Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson. They have always seemed like a couple to me, bickering like married people and taking care of things like parents."

"I can't imagine one without the other." Miss Baxter added.

Mrs. Patmore passed the women their tea as Daisy opened a tin that held shortbread, the small red head chiming in with, "Mr. Carson without Mrs. Hughes? That would be like…"

"Like a bear without honey."

The four women whipped around to see Mr. Barrow leaning against the door frame, his arms folded and his head cocked at an angle.

"None of your nastiness now, Mr. Barrow." Mrs. Patmore gave the under butler a stern look.

Thomas opened his mouth to comment, but was momentarily distracted by the appearance of the tall new footman beside him before he answered, "I intend no nastiness, Mrs. Patmore. I mean what I say." His words surprised the women as he continued. "I think Mrs. Hughes has a calming effect on Mr. Carson. I would have far less skin on my hide if she hadn't intervened a time or two."

"Why are we talking about Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes?" The young footman's naiveté was as charming as his smile which was quickly returned by both Thomas and Daisy.

"We think they might be sweethearts." Daisy cheeks burned a bright red as she made the omission.

"They are."

The young man received a collected look of surprise from the other staff members.

"Why do you say that?" Mr. Barrow earnestly prodded as the young man's ears turned bright red.

"Well, remember how you said they were standing next to you and then disappeared right before Lady Mary sang on Christmas Eve and you joked that they were off to find some mistletoe?"

"Yes, but I was only joking..." Thomas ignored the disgruntled face of the ginger cook. "…and they weren't gone long."

Andy smiled and shook his head, "I think it must have been long enough because after they came back and we finished with the singing, I was picking up punch glasses and had stepped behind one of the big plants at the far end of the room and I heard them talking."

"What did they say, Andy?" Anna took a few steps towards the young man, her curiosity as piqued as everyone else's.

"I heard her ask him if he wanted to wait and tell his Lordship about their engagement after Mr. Branson left for America."

"Their engagement?!" Daisy, Mrs. Patmore, and Thomas all shouted together.

Thomas shook his head in amazement, "And you didn't think to mention this to anyone?"

"I thought it wasn't my place to mention it. It is their news to tell. I wish I hadn't said anything."

"You could take a page out of his book, Thomas." Mrs. Patmore and Thomas exchanged scowls as Anna and Miss Baxter fought to keep grins at bay.

Andy ran his hand nervously though his hair. "Please don't say I said anything. I don't want to upset Mr. Carson or Mrs. Hughes."

Anna placed a gentle hand on Andy's arm, "You kept this to yourself for two weeks, Andy. That is admirable given the talk that goes on down here."

Mr. Molesley suddenly called down the servant's stairwell, "The car is pulling up."

Thomas and Andy each ran for their coats before making their way to the foyer to receive the returning family.

Once again a foursome, the women couldn't help but erupt in quick, cheerful chatter knowing their time to discuss the news would be brief with the arrival of the family. Speculation as to how Mr. Carson had made his proposal and how Mrs. Hughes may have reacted rang through the kitchen.

Mrs. Baxter calmed them down with a motion of her hands as she turned her attention to Mrs. Patmore. "Do you think Lord and Lady Grantham will keep them on even if they are married?"

Mrs. Patmore took a moment to consider her answer. "There are homes in London that have married heads of staff and I think Lady Mary would put up quite a fight to keep Mr. Carson. Her Ladyship thinks so highly of Mrs. Hughes, as well. No," she shook her head, "I don't think they would let them go."

Anna's face fell as she countered, "But they might want to retire now. They've their property to manage and a place to live. Mr. Carson isn't a young man anymore. Would you blame them if they wanted to retire?"

Mrs. Patmore shook her head sadly as she admitted, "No. I wouldn't blame them."

Miss Baxter gave the small cook a gentle pat on the back as she looked at Anna, "We had better head up."

"Of course. If they get back before we come down, you can't let on that you know, Mrs. Patmore. You either, Daisy." Anna's words were kind, but serious.

"Of course not." Daisy took Mrs. Patmore's hand as she noticed a tear escape the corner of the woman's eye. "We won't say a thing, Anna."

The two cooks watched the ladies maids disappear into the stairwell before returning to the kitchen.

"I don't think they will retire, Mrs. Patmore. Not right away, anyway. Mr. Carson wouldn't leave us with Mr. Barrow would he?"

"Are you trying to make me cry harder, Daisy?" Mrs. Patmore smiled through her tears as she wiped her cheeks with her apron.

Daisy quickly made a sweep of the servant's hall to collect various cups, saucers and plates to wash, Mrs. Patmore having sent the scullery maids to bed for an early night. They continued their discussion over the clanging dishes and running water.

"I think it is lovely, Mrs. Patmore. Do you think they'll have a wedding?"

"Of course! I can't imagine Mr. Carson not doing everything as proper as possible."

Daisy smiled, "Do you think he has kissed her?"

Mrs. Patmore couldn't help but laugh at the sweet young woman and her romantic notions. "It took him more than twenty years to realize he wanted to marry her. I doubt he has even held her hand, much less kissed her."

"Oh." Daisy couldn't hide her disappointment. "Well, then… do you think they are just getting married because they bought a property together? Is it a marriage of convenience?'

"A what?"

"A marriage of convenience. You know, just to make things easier when one of them dies given that they own a property together. Like royalty…none of them married because they were in love. They married to protect their kingdoms or to increase their armies…"

"Is this what you have learned from your history books? I will have you know that Queen Victoria loved her Albert dearly. She was in mourning for him for most of her life."

"Well, she were lucky. Most of them married an ugly cousin or someone that they didn't know. Sometimes they didn't speak the same language as the person they married."

"Well, I know for a fact that they aren't cousins, nor are they ugly and Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes certainly speak the same language, Daisy. And, having known both of them as long as I have, I don't think either of them would marry out for convenience." Mrs. Patmore paused for a moment, a smile crossing her face. "He loves her, of that I have no doubt. I just think we should have had "You love her, you old goat" engraved on one of those silver platters so he could have seen it while he polished the silly thing and realized it sooner."

The business of doing dishes is a noisy one which is what led to neither Daisy, nor Mrs. Patmore hearing the arrival of the butler and housekeeper soon after they had commenced with their washing. The couple had stood still as statues as they listened to the two cooks discuss everything from whether or not they would have a wedding and whether it would be a marriage of convenience, to Queen Victoria and silver platters.

Mrs. Patmore had just turned off the water when a Scottish brogue sliced through the air, "I don't know how you know what you know, but to answer all your questions, we will have a wedding, although we are already married, we didn't marry to increase our army, and if anything were to happen to this old goat, I doubt I will be any more consolable than Queen Victoria, and if you want to have something engraved on a platter, you can bloody well polish it yourself!"

Mrs. Carson turned on her heel and stormed into her sitting room as Mr. Carson remained standing still. Letting a few seconds pass after the sitting room door slammed, he finally spoke in a calm, but hushed voice. "We didn't think anyone knew we were engaged and I believe she wanted to tell you herself."

Mrs. Patmore's voice quivered, "No one knew anything until tonight, Mr. Carson. Andy had overheard you on Christmas Eve when you talked about whether to tell his Lordship before or after Mr. Branson left for America, but he had kept it to himself until tonight and he thought we all knew. He wasn't spreading gossip. Please know that. He has too much respect for both of you. We all do. We were just happy for you. Are happy for you…" She couldn't continue as a sob escaped her throat.

Daisy placed a hand on Mrs. Patmore's arm and handed her a handkerchief as she whispered, "Congratulations, Mr. Carson. We saved you a piece of apple tart."

Mr. Carson couldn't help but smile at the worried face of the young woman. "Thank you, Daisy. Why don't both of you get to bed and we will talk about this in the morning." Having watched the two women make a tearful exit, he took a deep breath before turning to the closed door of his new wife's sitting room.