Mrs Hughes rubbed the back of her neck; she'd been sitting with the ledgers since early morning and had had enough. Putting the lid on her pen she lay it down on her desk in the hopes of not having to touch it for the remaining few hours left of the day. Outside her sitting room she could hear Mrs Patmore approaching her door followed by it being opened and a tuft of red hear popping through.

"Come in Mrs Patmore what can I do for you?"

"You can take a break from all those numbers and join me for a cup of tea" smiled the cook.

"Right you are" and Mrs Hughes gladly followed her friend.

The kitchen was empty, Andy had gone to Mr Masons farm to see Daisy and to catch up on his farm learning from Mr Mason. Marie had been given the day off and the other maids where upstairs cleaning. Mr Cromwell was polishing boots with Mr Bates while Anna had taken baby William for a walk.

Mrs Hughes sipped at her tea relishing each swallow, sighed gently and leaned back on her chair comfortably.

"Has Charles called today?" Mrs Patmore asked, she allowed herself to use Carson's Christian name when she knew no one was about.

"No he hasn't. I suspect he has Thomas scurrying around after him and will call tonight with an update. You know I am pleased they're getting along well" Elsie smiled.

"I know, well I do believe Thomas must be making a real effort if he spent yesterday at the museum with Charles"

"I believe so. Charles was so tired that he told me last night that after the phone call he'd be going straight to bed "

"Ah well at least this time he got to go to the museum!" both Mrs Patmore and Mrs Hughes had a good giggle.

As their laughter died down they heard the back door open.

"Ah that'd be Anna and baby William" Mrs Patmore looked to the clock "he's due for a feed."

Mrs Hughes nodded while drank a little more of her tea looking towards the kitchen entrance ready to greet Anna and William. She almost dropped her cup when Thomas entered "Thomas??" was all she could manage.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Mrs Patmore asked more directly while exchanging surprised looks with Mrs Hughes.

Thomas did not put his travel bag down and only stopped momentarily to face the two gob smacked ladies "Mrs Hughes, Mrs Patmore" was all he offered and then he continued walking, turned the corner and started up the stairs.

Mrs Hughes turned to look at her friend who nodded her head in the direction Thomas had disappeared to, Mrs Hughes put her cup down upon the table and followed Thomas.

"Thomas" she called out to him.

"Thomas" she called out again and he stopped but did not turn to face her.

"Mrs Hughes have the carpets been aired?" he asked quietly

"Thomas what happened?"

"Have the carpets been aired Mrs Hughes" Thomas asked again.

"Where is Mr Carson? Is he alright?"

Thomas could hear the worry that had already crept into her voice and so turned to face her "He's fine Mrs Hughes, he's at the cottage"

For the first time in her life Mrs Hughes didn't know what to do, if Thomas was distressed then there was no doubt that her husband more so. She wanted to leave and be with him but she couldn't, she was now a mother, written in law and written in her heart.

From where Thomas stood he could see the turmoil in Mrs Hughes face, in Elsie's face. He wanted her to follow him to his room, to ask him what had happened, to be able to explain things the way they had happened and not the way they had been seen. He took a deep breath feeling defeated "Mr Carson is waiting for you Mrs Hughes" and with that he turned and continued up the stairs with the weight of the world on his shoulders all over again.

Watching Thomas ascend the stairs Mrs Hughes bit her bottom lip in frustration. She leaned on the railing gripping it in worry. She knew Thomas needed her, she had promised him that she would always be there for him, that she wouldn't be a distant person, a distant mother, that no matter what she accepted him and now she felt like a Christmas cracker, her heart being pulled in two different directions.

Mrs Patmore appeared at the bottom of the stairs "What happened?"

"I don't know" feeling she was about to explode from indecision

"But didn't you just ask to Thomas?"

"I did but he told me Mr Carson was at the cottage?"

"What? Oh dear this is getting complicated" mumbled Mrs Patmore "Well what are you doing to do? You won't get answers standing there"

Mrs Hughes glanced once more up the stairs hoping by some miracle Thomas would appear again but he didn't, with a heavy heart she turned and descended to her sitting room.

"Don't worry I'll keep an eye on Thomas" Mrs Patmore reassured her as she put on her coat and hat.

B&B&B&B

Mrs Carson found her husband lying on his bed and it terrified her as he was not a man to get sick easily. On his forehead lay a damp cloth and on top of the cloth lay his left arm, she thought for a moment that his hand was shaking. She was distracted as she noted that he hadn't changed from his travel clothes and his shoes lay haphazardly at the foot of their bed, Charles Carson would never leave his shoes like that.

She walked quietly around to his side of the bed, sitting down as gently as she could next to him. She reached her hand out and placed it on top of his other hand that lay on his stomach, "Charles" she called to him softly.

Carson opened his eyes and look directly into hers "Elsie, never let me leave your side again" a tear fell from the corner of one eye, it streaked the side of his head and fell quietly on his pillow.

They stayed there both of them in that quiet room while outside the trees moved in the evening breeze, their leaves swaying this way and that. Soon the birds began to chirp loudly as the sun began its evening descent, the animals that usually moved across the fields by day began to head to their burrows and dens, soon all would be still as the sun sent its last rays of the light to guide the moon into night sky.

Carson had fallen asleep though it was far from peaceful, his right hand shook even when he slept. Elsie had gotten the fire started in their bedroom. She went downstairs and made dinner and brought some to her husband who just waved it away.

After dinner she bathed, changed into her night clothes and lay down by her husbands side, Carson let out a sigh.

"Charles what happened?" she asked as she stroked his chest.

Carson sighed again "Elsie I don't think I can do this"

"Do what?"

"This.. with Thomas" he waved a hand loosely in the air.

"Charles what happened? Did you argue? Did he say something to you in anger or you to him?"

"No, there were no angry words, no arguing" he responded

Elsie sat up on the bed feeling exasperated from worry "Then what happened?"

Charles Carson was a man who always felt he had control of his words, he could give an opinion directly, he was honest and prided himself on being knowledgeable, he was not one to be overwhelmed when speaking with Lords and Dukes and the like. However like most men of his time there where certain conversations that where to be avoided whenever possible such as childbirth, intimacy and lastly things that he called the twisted laws of nature.

Carson got up from the bed slowly, grabbed his pajama's and headed to the bathroom. He returned shortly after looking more tired and worn out than when he had left. He placed his clothes on the chair and went and stood at the bedroom window staring out into the night. He turned to look at his wife who had waited patiently for him and began talking.

"Last night when I was in my room I heard shouting. At first I thought it came from below in the street so I went to the window to see who was making all that racket, but you see it wasn't coming from the street, it was in fact coming from next door, from Thomas' room. I thought something bad was happening so I rushed to his room" Carson stopped for a moment as if lost.

"Go on" Elsie's voice encouraged him.

Carson faced the window unable to look at his wife's face as he continued "When I opened the door I saw Thomas lying in his bed " Carson took a deep breath "and on top of him lay a man and the man was.." Carson's body shook violently as he choked on the last word "..naked!"

Elsie had no idea what to say, so many thoughts crossed her mind, had she heard right? Perhaps Charles thought he saw it all? Perhaps he had dreamed it? But he hadn't because the tone of his voice told her the truth.

"Charles come here next to me" she patted his side of the bed.

Carson hesitated as if afraid of contaminating her with his words, of staining all that was good and pure about her, but he needed to be close to her, he needed to be held by her, to hear her say everything would be alright even though it never would be, not for him.

He moved and lay by her side, she drew his head to her chest and he wrapped his arms around. She kissed the top of his head and stroked his back.

"Did you talk to him? Did he say anything?" she asked though quite certain the two men hadn't spoken.

"No. I don't know how long I stood before I could move, but somehow I made it back to my room. I got changed and packed my bag and just sat on the bed waiting for the sun to come up so I could catch a train" Carson explained.

"I assume Thomas did the same since you came back at the same time" Elsie asked.

"I didn't see him until I was at the station and saw him waiting for the train. We sat in different carriages"

"Charles you need to talk to him, to make sure you haven't made a mistake"

"Elsie I've made no mistake. I'll not talk to him about it, I'll not embarrass myself again"

"But -"

"No Elsie, I never want to talk about it again."

Elsie knew better that argue, she didn't want her husband to get distressed again, not after he seemed to be just a little calmer.

"Elsie"

"Yes?"

"I don't want Thomas sleeping here in the cottage anymore"

Again Elsie didn't want to argue "Yes Charles"

"I mean it"

"I am your wife, I love you" she assured him of her understanding.

B&B&B&B&B

"I don't care why you left it there but you did"

"I'm sorry Mr Carson. It won't happen again" Andy reassured.

"Make sure it doesn't you idiot, Mrs Patmore could've had a serious injury. Get moving" Thomas snarled as he walked off.

"It's alright Andy, don't worry about it. He's got things on his mind is all" Mrs Patmore assured the lad.

Andy shook his head and got on his way. Daisy waited for him to disappear and then turned to the cook.

"What's happened to Thomas?"

"Mr Carson you mean" Mrs Patmore reminded her.

"Fine, what's happened to Mr Carson then? He's to touchy these day, nasty like he used to be"

"I don't know. He's not being nasty either, he's just tired, a lot on his plate at the moment"

"I saw him talking to his Lordship yesterday" came Mr Cromwell's voice as he entered the kitchen with a tea tray.

"Oh?" Daisy looked at the cook.

"Well don't look at me! I've not got a gift to read minds! Now get those apples and get started on desert."

Cromwell watched Mrs Patmore go into the storeroom and then spoke with a low tone to Daisy "He's leaving that's what he's doing"