A/N: Hope you enjoy this update and thank you so much for all of the reviews- they make my day and are very much appreciated. One more chapter to complete the main story next week and then an epilogue as a 'Christmas special' x

Chapter 7

Mrs Patmore looked to the head of the Servant's table, thinking that she would be hard pushed to see a more miserable man anywhere on earth. Come to think of it, make that two miserable men, she thought. Mr Douglass looked none too pleased either.

Mr Carson had not slept a wink all night. The thought of Mrs Hughes marrying Mr Douglass was torturing him. The thought of not seeing the Housekeeper every single day was simply too dreadful to bear. Yet what could he do about it? Mrs Hughes was a woman of great integrity, a woman who knew her own mind. If she loved Mr Douglass then Mr Carson knew that he had no choice but to support her. He had spoken to Mrs Hughes briefly before breakfast, to apologise for his rude manner the previous evening. However, she had not mentioned Mr Douglass and therefore he hadn't either. She had seemed quiet, not her usual self. Perhaps she has too much on her mind? If she plans to marry him, she'll have to leave Downton. Mr Carson let out a heavy sigh at that thought. The staff still left at the table turned to stare at him, as did Mrs Patmore.

"I do beg your pardon … I ... umm ... have a headache," he offered, in an attempt to explain the strange noise he had just made.

The Cook gazed at him curiously. Something is amiss here, she thought, and she had a feeling that it was something to do with Mrs Hughes.

######

Mr Carson sat in his pantry after breakfast feeling dreadful; a feeling of impending doom had been seeping through him since the previous evening. It had begun when he had seen Mrs Hughes dance with Mr Douglass at the Fair. Mr Carson wanted to be the man who danced with Mrs Hughes. In fact he wanted to be the man that stood with the Housekeeper in every way possible, both within the House and outside its walls.

Mrs Patmore's decision to buy a cottage, somewhere she could retire to eventually, had made him think about the possibility of another life; a life he now knew with certainty that he wanted with Mrs Hughes. Why could you not have had that thought a week ago? Before that blasted man arrived at Downton. Why has it taken another man, a man from Mrs Hughes's past, to make you realise what has been staring you in the face for years, decades even? And now you are too late Charles Carson.

'Too late' he whispered, as he rested his head in his hands.

######

Mrs Hughes sat at her desk, pen in hand and a pile of invoices in front of her. If anyone walked in there would be nothing out of the ordinary. Yet the Housekeeper had not done a minute's work since she had woken that morning. Mr Carson thinks Mr Douglass and I are romantically involved. She scoffed at that thought, shaking her head and biting the her lip anxiously. Why on earth he thinks that I will never know? However, the part that had her truly rattled, the part that had quite devastated her if she was honest, was the fact that Mr Carson seemed delighted that she was together with Mr Douglass. And there you were believing that things were slowly changing between you and Mr Carson. You've been overthinking everything since that day at Brighton. And whilst you kept your hopes and dreams under wraps, they were there nonetheless. You wouldn't be feeling as you are now if you hadn't allowed your mind to race away with you Elsie Hughes, even if you daren't admit it. Nothing like an old fool, she reasoned.

Mrs Hughes was exhausted with it all and too tired to deny any longer that she'd felt such hope. Without speaking a word of such notions to anyone, she had secretly wished that Mr Carson might be moving, albeit at a glacial pace, towards proposing a change in their relationship, to proposing a life together. You've never been more wrong. He doesn't want that. He's never wanted that.

Mrs Hughes laughed wryly at the situation she now found herself in; her dry wit managing even to see the irony of this absurd situation. Despite her inherent modesty, she knew that should she agree, Mr Douglass would offer her a life with him, he would propose marriage even after all of these years. Yet she would never accept him. She hadn't reached the ripe old age of sixty only to now settle for a marriage without love. Then there was Mr Carson, a man she now knew she would gladly accept, and yet the chance of him proposing marriage to her was as likely as Mrs Patmore joining the circus! He does not want you Elsie Hughes. The man who had been her other half in almost every way for decades, did not want her. He wants you to be happy with Mr Douglass.

######

Mr Douglass had all but admitted defeat to himself the previous evening. Since he'd arrived at Downton just under a week ago, to find out that his former sweetheart resided there, he had tried to gently show his interest, his care for Mrs Hughes. Yet at every turn, the only man she seemed to care about was Mr Carson. That ruddy, miserable old Butler, he thought in annoyance. You had your chance with her all of those years ago and you blew it. However, at breakfast there had been a definite tension between Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes, they had hardly spoken to each other. Maybe I should give it one last try? I leave tomorrow, what have I to lose? She loved me once, surely she can love me again?

######

Mrs Hughes was roused from her thoughts by a knock on her sitting-room door. She turned in her seat to see Mrs Patmore, tray in hand.

"What's this?" Mrs Hughes asked with a weary smile.

"It's a sandwich and a piece of cake for you. Don't think I didn't notice that you ate nothing at breakfast. Pushing your eggs around your plate for five minutes doesn't fool me. And you know that you get faint if you don't eat. So get this down you," the Cook said bossily.

Mrs Hughes smiled at her friend, she knew that beneath her brusqueness there was kindness and care. Mrs Patmore sat on a chair across from the Housekeeper.

"You don't have to tell me what's worrying you, however I would like to help if I can. I don't like seeing you like this," Mrs Patmore said softly.

Mrs Hughes looked at her friend with a heavy heart; the Cook was the only person she would even consider confiding in regarding this mess.

"I can guess that it is something to do with two flaming Butler's whose heads I'd like to bang together!" Mrs Patmore added with a twinkle in her eyes.

Mrs Hughes laughed at that; the Cook did have a way with words. What's to lose? she thought, as she took a deep breath and began to tell her friend every single detail. It felt such a relief to share her woes with a person she trusted.

"So that's that. Mr Carson is happy for us … even though there is no us … and even though there never will be!" Mrs Hughes exclaimed.

Mrs Patmore looked at her friend with a knowing, warm smile.

"What?" Mrs Hughes asked, seeing the smile on the Cook's lips and feeling genuinely puzzled.

"If anyone else had told you, what you have just told me, you'd tell them that Mr Carson didn't really mean it. Think about it Mrs Hughes … he was only saying that he was happy because he thinks you love Mr Douglass and he wants to support you," she explained.

Mrs Hughes was about to disagree but then she paused to further consider Mrs Patmore's point. After a few seconds she responded.

"But … it doesn't make any sense … if that's true … why does he think I love Mr Douglass?"

"This is Mr Carson we are talking about … you know how flustered he gets about household matters, never mind personal things … he knows you cared for the man once … he saw you dancing … that's enough to have convinced Mr Carson that you are about to run away and get married! If you ask me, when he says he's happy for you and Mr Douglass, he's overcompensating to cover the truth … he cares for you Mrs Hughes, very much," the Cook reasoned.

"But … you … you think that Mr Carson is simply being supportive … you think he said that because … because … oh goodness, I'm embarrassed to even say it … you think he …" she stumbled, not being able to finish the sentiment.

"… loves you, yes I do."

Mrs Hughes gasped at Mrs Patmore's words; a stunned, loud shuddering gasp. She hadn't been expecting the Cook to say 'love'.

"Mrs Patmore, what in heavens makes you say that he loves me?" she asked, flabbergasted yet hopeful.

"Oh I don't know, just about every single second of the last two decades. Of course he loves you! Honestly, you two," she rumbled.

"But you've never said that before … never," Mrs Hughes said breathlessly, not really sure what point she was making. She was still reeling from Mrs Patmore's claim.

"I thought you knew! Anyway, Mr Carson may not even realise it yet, it does take him about twenty years longer than most people to get there. Although the way he's been acting, I'd say he's realised now ... thanks to your old flame showing up. The poor man looked tormented when I took him a sandwich a little while ago. He didn't eat anything at breakfast either," she finished with a knowing wink.

"Well that's conclusive then. Oh Mrs Patmore I really don't know … Mr Carson has never given me any indication that he might feel … that he might …"

"Love you!" she replied gleefully.

"Mrs Patmore will you stop saying that, someone might hear," she whispered exaggeratedly.

The Cook spluttered with laughter.

"I think that on some level you know that he loves you. You've had an unsettling few days and the two of you have lost your way a little. However, you said yourself that since the day at the beach, things have felt quite different. He asked you to join him for a walk for heavens sake … that's the equivalent of another man ravishing a woman behind the bike sheds!"

Even Mrs Hughes laughed out loud at that notion. She then turned solemn again as a thought crossed her mind; a thought that she'd had a few days earlier, before even more doubt had set in.

"Even if he does love me … and that's a big if … perhaps he's convinced himself not to act on his feelings, perhaps he plans never to act on them?" Mrs Hughes offered sadly.

"Perhaps … but I think the old duffer might just surprise you," the Cook smiled kindly, sending a prayer to heaven that she was right.

######

Mrs Patmore's words were playing on a loop on her mind. However, Mrs Hughes was determined to remain cautious. If she built up her hopes, only to have them dashed, it would be unbearable. As she sat at her desk, she pinched the bridge of her nose, she really did feel faint. She regretted having the kitchen maid take that sandwich away now; she should have eaten it as instructed by Mrs Patmore but she'd had so much to think about and eating was the last thing on her mind. She'd go and collect a few biscuits from the kitchen.

######

Mr Carson walked out of his pantry, only to come face to face with Mr Douglass. The other man had a large bunch of roses in his hand and he was headed in the direction of Mrs Hughes's sitting-room. Mr Carson gulped hard; this was further confirmation of the man's intentions, as if he needed it. Why does Mrs Hughes like him? He's not good enough for her. No one would be good enough for her, he added to himself. However, I would only ever treat her well, I wouldn't hurt her like this man has done. Mr Carson knew that his words to Mrs Hughes at times had been harsh but when it came to the big important things, the things that really mattered, he would never hurt Mrs Hughes. The Butler felt overwhelmed with regret as he stared at the other man. I am losing everything. Mrs Hughes is everything to me and she is going to marry him.

The two men stood only a foot apart. Determination in the eyes of Mr Douglass, bitterness and sadness in the eyes of Mr Carson.

They both turned towards the Housekeeper's sitting-room, as Mrs Hughes stepped out into the corridor. Mr Carson knew immediately that something was wrong. She looked pale and unsteady.

"Mrs Hughes are you alright?" he gasped, fear coursing through his body.

She looked at the two men along the corridor, feeling quite unbalanced.

"I'll be fine. I'm just feeling a little light-headed ..." she said, as she felt her legs suddenly become weaker.

"... oh dear, I think I'm going to faint," she whispered.

Both men strode towards her in panic, desperate to catch her before she fell.

As they both caught one of her arms, Mr Carson suddenly realised that he should perhaps step back; despite his deepest wish to care for Mrs Hughes, it was Mr Douglass who had that privilege, not him. However, as he had this thought, Mrs Hughes turned away from Mr Douglass and towards him, falling against his chest.

"Oh Mr Carson, thank goodness," she breathed, relieved to feel his reassuring presence, as he instinctively cradled her to him.

Despite the Butler's amazement that Mrs Hughes was in his arms, he gathered her to him, cosseting her tightly to his chest to keep her safe; her head tucked snugly under his chin as she sagged against him and he held her up.

Mr Carson caught Mr Douglass's gaze over the top of the Housekeeper's head and an understanding look passed between them. Mrs Hughes had chosen Mr Carson; it couldn't have been clearer. Mr Douglass had the good grace to step backwards.

"You'll be alright Mrs Hughes, I'll take care of you," he soothed, holding her closely, feeling both utter elation and total shock.

"I know you will Mr Carson, I know," she breathed contentedly.

He felt overwhelmed, tears brimming in his eyes as he held her tenderly. They had never been this close. Without a conscious thought, he lowered his head and placed a loving kiss to her hair. His heart leapt as she sighed sweetly against his chest.