Downton November 20, 1925
Dear Miss Baxter,
I hope my letter finds you well and you're still enjoying your stay at Mr. Levinson's house. I hear the winter in New York is cruel though, so I hope you don't suffer under the cold.
Did you happen to meet our Ivy in the house? Is she still there working as a cook? And that nice, young valet, who had a crush on our Daisy, I'm not sure I remember his name... but he was a friendly lad and so terrified of our Mr. Carson!
Well, speaking of Mr. Carson, I think retirement treats him well. I see him and Mrs Carson at church every Sunday and they both seem very content with their new situation. Mr. Carson says he started gardening, something he has never done in his life, but he says he enjoys the fresh air and the exercise. I recommended to ask my father for advice, you know he is one of the best gardeners in the whole village, if you allow me to say so.
I could imagine, that things are done very differently in an American household, is that true? The work must be mostly the same, but maybe the rules and manners are different. Is is difficult to adjust to it?
Not to say, that things haven't changed a bit over here, too. I'm still surprised every single morning, when Lady Mary steps into the breakfast room. A married Lady coming down for breakfast? It's not how things have been done before! But she says, since she doesn't have a lady's maid any more, she doesn't want to bother the housemaids and also that she wants to talk to Mr. Branson about the tasks for the day.
Speaking of Mr. Branson though: There's "trouble in paradise" as Mr. Barrow puts it in his typical, disrespectful words. Lady Mary was in London a week ago, to finalize the selling of Crawley house and ever since she came back, the atmosphere between her and Mr. Branson can only be described as "frosty".
It is surprising really, since they seemed nearly inseparable for weeks since he came back and if my memory serves me right, also before his departure for Boston. But now they barely speak and surprisingly to me it looks as if Mr. Branson is the one sulking and not, as I would have expected, the other way round. We all know Lady Mary after all!
Mr. Barrow says it must be connected to the new Lady doctor in the village. Mr. Branson invited her over to dinner the night before Lady Mary left for London and Mr. Barrow said, he heard him and Lady Mary argue in the library later in the night. So maybe that's it? Maybe Lady Mary doesn't approve. Mr. Barrow says it's clear they don't want Mr. Branson courting a mere doctor. He says it's "bad enough" for them to call a former chauffeur family and now they want him to stay single, because they don't want to have yet another commoner in the family. He could of course marry an Aristocratic woman again, but who would take a man like him? That's surely not going to happen twice!
My theory is a different one though. I think Mr. Branson is angry, that Lady Mary has invited Henry Talbot for next week. She told Lady Edith at breakfast, that she wants to ask his advice on some of the things she and Mr. Branson selected for auctioning and Mr. Branson looked clearly miffed. Maybe Mr. Branson is offended, that Lady Mary doesn't trust his advice on this and wants to ask another opinion?
I think Henry Talbot could be Lady Mary's new husband, the way she was talking about him at breakfast, but Mr. Barrow says it's "ridiculous" and that Mr. Talbot will never marry her. I asked him where he has that information from, but you know him. He just plays the secretive Mr. "I know it all" and told me, that his "life experience" tells him, that there will never be a marriage between Mr. Talbot and Lady Mary.
But I think it is very telling that Lady Mary invites him to stay at Downton, especially at such a time as this. Of course, there hasn't been an announcement yet, but since the family is still officially in mourning, I don't see how there could be one. I'm sure they will announce their engagement in the new year and maybe there will even be a double wedding in the house, because, as you and I suspected before you left, Mr. Pelham and Lady Edith seem to head for the altar as well. But of course nothing has been made official in that corner either.
I must tell you, I hope Mr. Branson and Lady Mary will reconcile soon though. The atmosphere in the house is really uncomfortable with Mr. Branson barely speaking to anyone and Lady Mary and Lady Edith in their usual catty manner with each other. Lady Mary is so much nicer when in a good mood and so far we could always trust Mr. Branson to make her smile, so if they don't get along, it's not good for the whole household.
Well, I must close now, you know how it is, work is never completely done here! I hope to see your soon? The house is not the same without your presence. I heard the Dowager tell Lady Edith, that we can expect Lady Grantham back for Christmas, so I hope you'll enjoy the rest of your stay in America and that you'll have a safe journey home.
Until then
sincerely
Joseph Molesley