Chapter 7: Interlude

A/N: And we join Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes in Lytham St Annes... not a reaction per se, but necessary to prep for the next chapter. Thanks to olehistorian for checking it over.


Their journey to Lytham St Annes was been uneventful and the trains had made good time, so their walk from the station, arm in arm, was taken at a leisurely place. They spent the first half admiring the scenery and talking about landmarks that they passed, before Mr Carson steered the conversation in the direction of her sister.

"So, tell me about this… place where Becky lives," he suggested. They hadn't really spoken about Becky since the night he had requested time off for them both. He hadn't wanted to press her about it, preferring to wait for her to broach the subject, but she hadn't.

"It's a small… boarding house, I suppose, with a large garden and a small orchard. My mother didn't want her in some big, dark hospital. It's a nice place, Charles."

"I'm sure it is," he assured. He knew that she would have gotten Becky the best that she could afford.

"There are six or seven residents… women, similar to Becky. They are cared for by several attendants who help them care for themselves and teach them how to cook and sew and things. There's a nurse on site if needed and the doctor isn't far away. Honestly, it's more like a hotel than anything and Becky is very happy there."

Charles smiled down at her. "I can't wait to see it."

"I suppose I should tell you about Becky… what to expect. I should have told you earlier but…"

"It's difficult."

"It is. I was six when Ma told me there was to be another child and I was so excited. I prayed it would be a girl… I had this picture in my head of growing up together, being her best friend, being able to confide in her… like the relationship my Ma had with my Aunt Elizabeth. Ma had it tough when she was carrying Becky; found it harder than when she had carried me. The birth was difficult too." She paused as she noticed Mr Carson's discomfort at the prospect of discussing women's things. "Don't worry, I don't intend to go into any detail, because I don't really know. Ma didn't like to talk about it. All she would say was that there had been complications."

"Anyway, Becky was born and I loved her instantly, but it soon became apparent that things weren't right. She was late to walk and talk. She was slow to do everything… things that people take for granted. It soon became clear that she wouldn't be able to go to school. She helped around the house and on the farm, but it was far from ideal."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Da didn't cope with her very well. He didn't know how to talk to her or play with her. He found solace in the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Most nights he would drink himself to sleep but there were times when the drink would make him angry."

"About Becky?"

Mrs Hughes shrugged. "About anything really, though I think Becky was the heart of the problem. I don't know if he blamed himself or Ma or just couldn't cope with the shame of having a daughter like her. He would lash out…"

Mr Carson slowed their pace and wrapped his arm around his beloved's shoulders. "You don't have to tell me if it's too much."

"I want to. I want you to know… to understand why I didn't tell you about her sooner. The nights when he would be angry… Becky would climb into bed beside me for comfort, which I freely gave. We would huddle together under the blankets, trying to ignore the shouting and banging from downstairs. I'd sing and try and make her laugh, comfort her and tell her it wasn't her fault. But she knew… she knew she was the reason."

"I'm sure she didn't think…"

"She may not have been right in the head Charles, but she knew. When Ma died, I struggled with what to do, but in the end I made the decision to carry on working and pay for her to be cared for elsewhere because I didn't want to end up resenting her and have her blame herself for our situation."

"You wouldn't have resented her…" Charles said. "You don't have it in you."

"Perhaps I wouldn't, but I didn't know that then, and I didn't want to take the chance." They rounded a corner and a large stone building with a well-maintained front garden came into view. "This is it," Mrs Hughes said. "When I first brought Becky here, the week before I arrived at Downton, I felt guilty beyond words. I didn't want my new employers or colleagues to know the shameful secret; that I had abandoned my sister."

"I think what you did was very brave, Elsie."

"In hindsight, I know it was the right choice, but at the time it almost tore me apart. There were many times I wanted to tell you, but the longer I left it, the harder it was. I'm sorry Charles."

"You've no need to apologise. If Grigg hasn't showed up and tried to blackmail me all those years ago, I would probably have never told you about my time on the stage."

"No, not about Alice."

"No, although I now know telling you was a good thing."

"It was?"

"You were right when you said it was an open wound. You helped me to heal it and in doing so showed me that there was another chance for me to find love and happiness."

Mrs Hughes' eyes were brimming with tears as they approached the gate to the home. Mr Carson handed her a handkerchief from his pocket. "Dry your eyes now love… there's a familiar looking woman at the window, who I assume to be Becky, beaming at you, and you wouldn't want her to see you getting upset."

Mrs Hughes looked, and sure enough, there was Becky smiling and waving at her. She waved back and having been acknowledged, her sister disappeared from the window allowing Mrs Hughes a moment to compose herself.

It was only a moment though, as the next thing she knew Becky had appeared in the doorway and was on her way down the path to greet her. "Elsie!"

Mrs Hughes began walking towards her sister and they met half way down the path. Mr Carson stood back and watched as they greeted each other with a hug.

"I almost didn't believe it when Miss Jones said you were coming!" Becky exclaimed, taking her sister by the arm and leading her inside.

"Well you should have. Now, tell me all about what you've been doing."

As Becky filled her in about her life, Mrs Hughes glanced back at Mr Carson with an apologetic smile for being dragged off, and motioned for him to follow.


A/N: I know there is a lot of speculation about the timeline involving when Elsie came to Downton. But here is my headcanon. She was a housemaid (possibly head housemaid) in a different house until her mother passed away. It was then that Elsie had to make the decision she talks about in the CS… give up work and live on a pittance or carry on working and pay for Becky's care. My belief is that she applied for and got the position of head housemaid at Downton and it was at this time she moved her sister to Lytham St Annes… (who knows why there? The sea air, which was sometimes though to aid health and well being, perhaps it was the cheapest place and it's not that far from Downton). Anyway… before she leaves, Joe Burns proposes and the rest of the story is as canon, although whether Joe knew of Becky or not, I haven't quite decided. I have two trains of thought.

1. He did know and Elsie thought he was proposing so that she wouldn't have to live on a pittance… which is part of the reason she turned him down, or

2. He didn't know, and Elsie couldn't bring herself to tell him that they would have to care for her at the farm or pay for her to be cared for, so she took the job at Downton.

Thoughts?