Henry is on the telephone, seeming to wait for someone on the other end. Carlisle gets on from his office in London and greets him, "Talbot! Good to hear from you! I hope married life is treating you well."
"Indeed, it is! Although it is still like being on holiday somewhat."
Carlisle laughs lightly in acknowledgement, "Speaking of holidays-did you see the article on Brighton last week?"
Henry smiles and shakes his head at Carlisle's indirect reference to the photograph, so answers ambiguously, "How could we not?"
With no follow-up comment about the picture from Henry, Carlisle decides to fish a little. He is curious about Mary's reaction more than anything. "You no doubt concluded that Turner requested we do the piece-that was one of the reasons I was in Brighton. It has generated marvelous response. He called me just yesterday to say his bookings have gone up even in the short time since it ran-he is quite pleased. I told him he should thank you and Mary: when I saw that photo, I knew it was the right one."
So, Henry thinks, it was Carlisle who selected the photo, as he and Mary suspected. Mary may call it cavalier, but for his part Henry doesn't see the point in protesting after the deed was done. "Well, it is good to hear it had the result Turner was hoping for. I'll tell you it has received mixed reviews here. Actually, I am calling to follow up on our conversation at the theatre. How would you like to go about it?"
Carlisle reads Henry's comments as intended-Mary and probably some others at Downton did not like that the photograph was printed, but they are all moving on. That is probably more of Henry's influence, he thinks. Mary, and her father, no doubt, would carry a grudge.
To Henry, he explains about the automobile column. "I'll be frank: this is similar to the beach article situation. Our friends in the car industry are thrilled you'll be involved. They are looking for ways to drum up excitement not only about racing, but about cars in general. They want to highlight, shall we say, appealing aspects of car ownership. Competition is fierce for new car sales, and anything that can set one apart from rivals is fair game. There may be times when a topic comes up we'll want you to cover, such as to drive a car and write your opinion of it, for example, and others when you'll have free reign."
"That sounds reasonable," Henry says.
Carlisle continues, "It doesn't have to be every week-we'll come up with a regular schedule when we get a gauge of the response. Same for your stipend, if you don't mind: initially it will be £X per submission. We'll put the column in Saturday editions, so your deadline will be Thursday evenings. Like everything else, we'll have our editorial team review it, and if needed make adjustments, of course. They have a keen sense of how readers will react, and also what will please the advertisers."
Henry is surprised at this last piece of information. "Hmm, no changes were made to Charlie's eulogy…"
Carlisle returns, "Of course not-there was no need! I reviewed it personally, and I know a winner when I see one."
Henry is beginning to understand, "I see. Well, when would you like me to start, and is there anything in particular for an opening topic?"
Carlisle is gracious in his response, "I understand you have other things going on in your life right now, so there is no great rush. In the next month or so would be fine. I don't have anything in mind, and you know the industry better than me, so I'll leave the topic up to whatever inspires you."
"Alright."
Carlisle is pleased. This should be precisely what Clarke and Turner intended. To Henry, he says, "Excellent! I will put my secretary back on to handle the details. Good Bye!"
Tom and Mary are in the agent office working, when Henry comes in. He gives Mary a kiss in greeting.
Mary is pleasantly surprised to see her husband, and smiles, "Hello, darling."
Henry explains, "I thought I'd come to walk you back for lunch."
Not that is unusual for Henry to join them here, but his voice has an uncertain tone to it. Mary asks, "Is something wrong?"
Tom also notes Henry's odd mood, and says "If you need Mary for something, I can finish up here."
Henry shakes his head to deflect any hint of a real problem, "Oh, no. I just thought I would fill you in on my call with Carlisle. Tom, actually, I'd love your input as well."
Mary looks at the ledger she is writing in, and then back up at Henry, "Alright, just a few minutes, then."
As the trio walks back up to the main house, Henry relates the conversation with Carlisle. He tries to explain the odd feeling he had during the call. "So, you see, I had a moment of, well, discomfort at the purely business focus of the conversation. I don't know why it didn't strike me before. I wrote Charlie's eulogy in heartfelt memorium, not to sell newspapers or advertising."
Mary remains silent, since she knows this is typical of Carlisle but also knows that Henry is his friend.
Tom knows the history, and the feelings of animosity toward Carlisle in the house, so is impressed with Mary's reticence to say anything negative. But Henry's friendship with Carlisle has nothing to do with the Crawleys, and any business interaction should not be affected by it. Being both a writer and loving cars, Tom tries to ask an objective question, "Ignore Carlisle's demeanor on the call for the moment; we all know the man's personality. You seemed enthused about the column idea when you talked about it the other day. Has that changed?"
"Hmm, well, no, not really," Henry replies.
Tom has watched Henry the past few days, wandering around trying to feel at home at the Abbey. He has been wondering how Henry will occupy his time here at Downton. Tom recognizes a kindred restlessness that he himself has been feeling ever since his return from America. He decides to encourage Henry. "If you will enjoy it, then perhaps just think of it as mutually beneficial for now. You don't have a long term obligation."
Something in Tom's tone makes Mary catch on that this will be good for Henry. "I agree with Tom. Do you have any thoughts toward what you might write about for your first column?"
Henry glances between the two of them, and he is astute enough to realize they are encouraging him for his own sake, putting aside their own feelings from their past with Carlisle. He is grateful for this touching evidence of Mary's love for him. It also gives him an idea. He says, "What about a parallel of love affairs with cars, and other relationships?"
Mary is amused, "Well, please do not get too personal!"
Henry responds, "The topic is timely, but do not worry-remember, no sordid details from me!"
Tom sees that he is missing something, but is glad the walk has ended on a happy note as they enter the house for lunch.
Henry's first column begins:
There is a moment when you look at her, and somehow, just know that she is right for you. Something about her curves, the way she moves, and you are smitten. True, she has imperfections; but her style, beauty, and sharpness make you blind to them. You feel you may never look at another, and indeed, you do not. She is on your mind from waking until sleep overcomes you. Each time you are with her, you are entranced by her smooth, cool exterior. You come up with excuses to see her, and all your energy is focused on determining how she can be yours.
You may have a brief moment during which you wonder if she is the one after all. She comes at a high price: giving up so much of what you have worked for. Is it the wise, long-term answer? You may seek counsel from others, but you know the choice is solely yours to make. How do you decide? But your hesitation is fleeting, because you know she will satisfy your every need.
If those seem like the ruminations of a fellow in love with a woman, they may be. But they are also the thoughts of those of us who love cars. For us, driving is not just about going from point A to point B, but rather the whole experience in the vehicle. We look at all aspects of a car, inside and out, from the engine to the finish. And just like with human relationships, we may covet, we may scheme, and we may make sacrifices so that we can have the one we want, the one that feels just right….
