"What?! You mean she married the chauffeur?" Mrs Dillon asked wide-eyed, stunned-faced, and slightly open-mouthed at the end of her sentence.
Amen! Finally, finally someone with some sense of proprieties!
That's paradoxically the first thought that crossed Charles Carson's mind whilst Mrs Dillon – Alice, a first name he'd rather not have had to use – was nevertheless choking a bit on the gulp of water she had just swallowed the wrong way. But it's because he remembered what had caused this sudden choking that Mr Carson thought that, amongst all the candidates for this position, Mrs Hughes probably made a very suitable choice for a House such as theirs.
The new housemaid had been there for several weeks already, but some things still escaped her. Seeing she obviously had some difficulties to grasp the ins and outs of the conversation going on at the servants' table, Anna had taken upon herself to clarify some things for her by way of explaining part of the situation and recent chronicle of the family they both served.
She only made the mistake of dropping the little bombshell about the late Lady Sybil's marriage when Alice was drinking some water. Hearing this, the latter had swallowed her gulp the wrong way, which caused her a small bout of coughing.
'You mean she married the chauffeur!'…well, finally someone with a sense of what can be done, and what can't…
Charles Carson was delighted to note that even amongst the young generation were still people with enough sense of decorum to feel appalled by such a thing. Nevertheless, he would have to make sure that nothing in Mrs Dillon's words or behaviour infringed on the dignity of the members of the family they served and whom Mr Branson was henceforth part of.
And that was the second thought to come to his mind then. Well, no, the third, because the second one crossed his mind a few seconds before, whilst the young woman was coughing and failing to catch her breath; it was a thought that, in the more colloquial language of his dissipated youth, Charlie Carson could have expressed as follows: let's hope she doesn't snuff it on us, really! If she choked for real, someone would have to tap her on the back to end the fit of cough, and he would hate to have to engage in a gesture seemingly so full of familiarity one anyone.
But fortunately Mrs Dillon managed to get a grip on herself and regain a composure tinged with the dignity required around this table. Incidentally, this composure and this dignified bearing, combined with her impeccable manner of talking, were other assets to this young woman, making Mr Carson approve of Mrs Hughes' choice of her for this position. It was a welcomed change from housemaids slumped on their chair or from those who confused the employers for their roommates, from those dreaming of being part of the upstairs world or from those trying to establish some inappropriate familiarity with the masters.
As for the rest, maybe her work wasn't perfect – but that was Mrs Hughes' concern, wasn't it? – and some of her opinions and past professional experience seemed rather peculiar, to say the least, to a man of Mr Carson's generation, but the perfect servant was a myth, wasn't he? And after all, during such a period when young men were taken from their employers to be sent to the front, someone had to fulfil their job duties all this time... and honestly, Their Lordships and Ladyships weren't to drive their motors themselves like Lady Edith had then briefly taken to do... But really! Aa woman, occupying a chauffeur's position! But well, her former employers might not have found any other solution back then, and after all, who was he to judge Them? And never mind, the war was far ago now, and it was well and truly over. Thank God. Just imagine a woman chauffeuring His Lordship, or worse! A reception without any footman but only mere housemaids to serve dinner... All this was part of the horrors of war that Charles Carson had very happily left behind.
He'd just have to make sure that Mrs Dillon evinced towards Mr Branson the due respect that the staff was henceforth to show him. He hoped that what she had just found out about His Lordship's son-in-law's former position wouldn't detract from the deference she owed him. But, might she ever display the slightest sign of that, would she ever think she was allowed the smallest hint of contempt towards him, and she would quickly be disabused by a very strict and firm clarification by Charles Carson, upon butler's word!
But all in all, Alice Dillon did look neat and personable, made a good impression of seriousness, was respectful and discreet, and accomplished pretty much correctly her job without complaining. In these times of House staff shortage, he could consider themselves lucky that this young woman was chosen for the position. Even though a married housemaid – even widowed – was hardly conventional.
At the opposite end of the table, Mr Carson saw Alfred glare at James who, as for him, was sending a wide smile towards a blushing Ivy, who had come to take the empty tureen back to the kitchen. Wrinkling his nose out of disapproval, the butler's mind went back to his musings and thoughts about his staff's new addition.
At least this one, with her thirty-two years of age, her utterly appropriate austerity and her war-marked face would not turn young men's head!
