It was indeed a pleasant day for a walk, Mr. Carson noted as they started off on the path that led to the ruins. The temperature was nearly perfect, and the air was clear and crisp. The walk was a short one, just over half a mile and on fairly level ground. There was a stream that meandered across the path, and he had to admit that he was looking forward to helping Mrs. Hughes across it. Miss Edith and Miss Sybil were chattering excitedly and asking so many questions he could barely keep up, but thankfully Mrs. Hughes supplied the lack. He noticed that Miss Mary would occasionally ask a question but seemed to be trying hard to be dignified.
Turning his attention back to the girls, he heard them ask a question about picking berries.
Mrs. Hughes answered, "Well, it is a bit late, but there are some raspberries that bear around this time, and I must admit I hope we find some. Raspberries are my favorite."
Mr. Carson took care to check that fact against the list he'd formed over the years of Elsie Hughes' likes and dislikes. The girls started to move forward after that and soon they were about ten paces ahead.
Mrs. Hughes turned to him with a smile, "The girls are certainly excited, aren't they?"
"Yes; although Miss Mary is trying hard not to show it," he nodded a little sadly.
"She's trying so hard to act grown up," Mrs. Hughes agreed.
"She will be soon enough. It's hard to believe that you came to Downton not long after she was born."
"And now she is scheming to enhance my love life," Mrs. Hughes agreed wryly.
He noticed then that three sets of eyes were turning back frequently to watch Mrs. Hughes and himself.
Nodding toward them, he looked down at her with a small smile, "Do you suppose they think they'll catch us in a passionate embrace if they look back here enough?"
She laughed out loud, and three heads turned sharply around. Getting control of herself enough to look at them very sternly, she waited until they looked away.
"I think that catching us holding hands would probably satisfy them. They probably can't imagine anything more passionate than that."
There was a brief pause before he asked, "Do you think we should play to the crowd a little?"
"You want to hold my hand? Don't you think that would be flirting with disaster?"
"No; I think that would be flirting with you," he said with a grin, "I was thinking more along the lines of helping you across the streams and maybe a lingering glance or two. Nothing that couldn't be seen in several ways; we couldn't control their interpretation."
She stifled a laugh at his joke, and said, "Do you think that would be wise? What if they said something to their parents?"
"They would tell their parents that I held your hand to help you across a stream and looked at you. It sounds rather tame to me," he reasoned, "Besides, I have the benefit of a good reputation. I might as well take advantage of it now."
"You have the benefit of a good reputation because you are a good man, Mr. Carson," she said seriously, "But I see your point. It does seem that we should reward the master manipulators just a little."
Smiling at her compliment, he looked up to see that the girls had come upon the stream crossing. It would be easy for him to cross, but a little difficult to manage for someone wearing skirts. Handing Mrs. Hughes the basket, he crossed and then turned around to lift first Miss Mary and then Miss Edith across. He delighted Miss Sybil by lifting her across with a little twirl. Then, taking the basket from Mrs. Hughes, he set it at the girls' feet. Turning back to her, he was aware of three sets of hopeful eyes watching them carefully. Looking at Mrs. Hughes with a quirked eyebrow, he was pleased to see her small nod and mischievous smile. Putting his hands on her waist, he lifted her across the stream and held her for just a moment longer than necessary. She stumbled a little and caught herself with her hands on his upper arms.
When he'd released her and turned around, he noticed Miss Mary's triumphant smile at Miss Edith and heard Miss Sybil's giggles. He waited for a moment for the girls and Mrs. Hughes to start down the path. Picking up the basket, he thought that he might be flirting with disaster after all.
They'd only gone a few more paces when he saw the girls had stopped and were looking into the hedgerow. "Are those raspberries, Mrs. Hughes?" Miss Edith asked.
"Yes, they are, but I'm afraid there are too many brambles over there," she answered, "Your dresses might get ruined if I let you over there."
"Could you pick them, Mr. Carson?" Miss Sybil asked eagerly.
Miss Mary looked at him seriously, "They are Mrs. Hughes' favorite."
Head spinning again with the one-two punch he'd just received, he was soon making his way carefully through brambles to pick a couple of handfuls of raspberries. Once he had his handkerchief full, he made his way back to Mrs. Hughes who put a few in her own handkerchief and handed his nearly full handkerchief to the girls who quickly moved off to enjoy them.
Looking at her a little exasperated as he picked cockleburs off his trousers, he said, "You had to mention they were your favorites, didn't you?"
"Turn around, there are a few on the back," she instructed and said, "You didn't have to pick them. You just can't disappoint them, can you?"
"Well, I couldn't have them thinking that a few brambles were going to get in the way of making you happy, could I?" he said as he contorted himself to see the cockleburs on the back of his legs.
Mrs. Hughes bent down to pick off the last few, "I have to admit that they work together very effectively. When they're a bit older, they'll be positively dangerous."
He snorted and said, "Eat your berries."
Smiling up at him she ate one and closed her eyes in pleasure. When she opened them, he was staring at her curiously. She blushed and said, "These are probably the last we'll get this year, and I do love raspberries."
"Then a few scratches were worth it," he said seriously as he took a raspberry for himself.
They had finished the raspberries by the time they reached the next crossing of the stream. This one was just a little wider and had a log across it to be used as a footbridge. Mr. Carson again stepped across to the other side so that he could assist the girls. Holding each girls hand as they walked across, he again delighted Lady Sybil by lifting her off at the end with a little twirl. Mrs. Hughes handed him the basket and started to walk across before he could turn around to help.
"Be careful, Mrs. Hughes," he warned, "It's very slippery."
His voice rose just a little on the last word as he noticed that she indeed began to slip. Before he even thought, he had stepped into the stream with one foot and had his arm wrapped firmly around her waist to keep her from falling. Once she was steady, he took her hand to guide her across and placed his other hand at the small of her back. Turning back to the girls once he'd caught his breath, he noticed three very satisfied smiles.
The path opened at this point, and the ruins could be seen at the top of a small hill across a field. The girls quickly fanned across the field and headed to the ruins. Looking down at Mrs. Hughes, he smiled and said, "That was a bit more than I intended."
Looking at him a little abashed, she said, "Surely you don't think I did that on purpose."
"Of course not," he said smiling, "but it certainly made the imps happy."
"Is your foot very wet?"
"Not very," he replied dryly, "It probably won't kill me. I'll just lose my foot to frostbite."
"Well, that's alright then," she smiled, "it seems that I'm more likely to cause you permanent damage than the girls."
"Well, at least I'll die happy," he grinned, "and full," he indicated the basket, "I made sure that a very good lunch was packed. Let's go up and eat."
"Is there chocolate?" she asked.
"You'll just have to be patient," he said smugly.