Chapter 9:

Carson's view:

Dinner was hardly touched at all, again. I did not blame them, I was not hungry myself. Nobody was. Her Ladyship came down with her head bent trying to hide her swollen red eyes. She had been crying-again. They all ate a bit, so they would not starve but the girls were looking thinner than ever.

Two weeks had passed since the fatal letter arrived. I could see the hope in her Ladyship's eyes everytime I approached her with plate with letters. Of course she dreaded the day another letter from the Army would arrive as much as she hoped for it. It would mean truth and assurance even if his Lordship was dead she would finally know. However no letter arrived and I could see in her eyes that there was pain and hope inside her though she tried to keep the strong elegant fascade but she could not fool me. I had known her for more than 20 years now.

It was the same with the young ladies. They tried to keep the fascade to support their mother but everyone could see that they were nervous wracks inside. Today they decided to have a picnic at a small pond about a quarter of a mile away from the house. They decided to surprise their mother and do it the „American style", sitting on the ground on a blankett and serving themselves. Quite unusual and I was sure the Dowagar Countess would not approve of this but the girls tried hard to make their mother feel better and so I helped them prepare everyithing.

Downton Abbey:

Cora was lying in bed, she was spending most of her time in bed or in her quarters these days. Though the staff was shocked about the news they started going on now. She did ot blame them, she could not. She herself felt she should try to live as normal as possible when one's husband was reported missing in action but she could not force herself to live like last week. She simply could not forget the lines and the letter one minutes. When she went down for meals or shortly to get the mail every step was torture. She had to look normal, strong and elegant but she found it so hard to manage. So she had decided not to go down at all today. Cora knew it was unfair tot he girls and the staff but she felt so emtotional today that she was afraid she would start crying when someone only mentioned Robert's name or title.

Then it knocked at her door and Sybill stuck her head in. „Mother would you please come down. We have a surprise for you." Cora did not really want to do anything but stay in bed but she could not let her daughters down. They were in the same situation, someone they loved was missing. „Yes dear, in a minute."

„Please meet us behind the house.", Sybill smiled. It was Robert's smile, though their daughters looked like her otherwise , Edith and Sybill had Robert's smile. „Surprise, mhm, anything special I should wear?", Cora forced herself to smile.

„Just something comfortable", her youngster answered. Then she left and as the door closed Cora realized Sybill had not been in her uniform but was wearing a lovely blue dress, a rare sight, Cora thought. Sybill was throwing herself into work since the letter had arrived. Maybe it helped her going on.

She sighed at the face in the mirror. She looked older, her eyes were read, her face was haggard. She had lost weight the last week, her apetite had not returned since the letter had arrived. However this had to change. There was a chance that Robert wasl alive and she did not want to greet him looking like this, when he returned. „C'mon Cora, no more crying and mourning till the day the letter arrives, if it ever arrives.", she told herself. Then she called for O'Brien to help her dress. Before she went out the door she glanced into the mirror again. The Make up helped a bit and the dress made her look normal again.

She went down and decided to take the staff entrance behind at the backside oft he house. She got surprised looks but everyone seemed happy the Coutesss of Grantham finally tried to move on again. When she arrived ath the backside Branson was already waiting at the car. Her daughters were there too and motioned for her to get into the car.

Then they drove off and Cora had to smile, not forced but a real smile, the first in days. Mary and Edith were wearing a green and a red dress. Sybill's blue one and her yellow dress made the car very colorful. Then Branson stopped and Cora knew where they were going to. The pond, now she wanted to be everywhere but the pond. The water oft he pond kept so many secrets of her and Robert. They had spent many happy hours there just the two of them. There she also told him she was pregnant with Sybill. Anyway the girls did of course not know anything about this. So she got out of the car moving as if nothing bothered her, or at least she tried to. Anyway Edith was alereted right away: „Mother are you allright?". Cora inhaled the fresh air. „Yes dear. So what's the surprise?", she tried to change the topic.

„you will see", Mary grinned. After some meters they got to the pond and what she saw made her smile and cry at once. Everything was preparred for a picnic. No servants were there so it was just the 4 of them. The bright sun was shining onto the blankets and made them look golden. From the spot she could see Downton Abbey and a part of the main road which led tot he castle.

Sybill told Branson he could go back to the house because they would walk back. Branson nodded and left. Then the 4 of them sat and started eating and chatting. They had a lovely time though Cora was remembered of Robert's letter:

I dreamed of you and our girls tonight. You were having a picnic and everybody was laughing. Imagine even Mary and Edith were joking with each other and having fun".

Cora imagined him standing at the part oft he road where you could see the pond, watching them. For a moment she thought somebody really stood there. He was as tall as Robert but he was leaning on on a woodenstick as if one leg was injured. Cora blinked and when she opened her eyes again the person was gone and she paid attention to her daughters again, telling herself that she was imagining things.