Mr. Carson was equal parts amused and unsettled by the debate about retirement that continued in their letters. Mrs. Hughes was tenacious in her argument that he would enjoy retirement. He stubbornly held his position, but the more he read the more he began to think she might be right. He was not ready to admit it to her, but with every letter he dreaded retirement less and less. As for the rest of their correspondence, he nearly stopped reading her letters during the day, because after reading her sweet and teasing words he had difficulty maintaining his stern and sober mien. Mr. Carson feared losing the respect of the staff and made up his mind to save each letter for the end of the day, but it was a vow that was broken the very first time his resolve was tested. If there was a letter from Mrs. Hughes unopened in his pocket or his hand, and there was time to read it, then read it he would. He needn't have worried. Aside of Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Bute, no one noticed him behaving any differently than usual.
#####
Dear Mr. Carson,
I thank you very much for this Season's correspondence, for your letters have made me smile, even laugh, during a time when I am prone to bouts of private melancholy. I can well believe that Isis would rather be at Downton than in London, and I know a member of the family who would prefer that she be returned to the country. Mr. Branson has grown quite fond of the dear creature after caring for her in his lordship's absence several times over the last few years, and I am sure he would welcome her back happily.
And what if I was encouraging your retirement to make my own more enjoyable? I should be selfish indeed if I tried to secure my own comfort at the expense of yours, but I am quite convinced that you will be much happier in retirement than you seem to expect. I shouldn't think you will have to sacrifice any comfort at all - quite the reverse! You will be gaining a great deal of comfort. No doubt it will take some getting used to, but I wish you would try not to think of it as a dreary eventuality to be dreaded and feared.
I am sorry that London is wearying you. I hope you will come back soon to us. We miss you all and wish the upstairs and downstairs families back home again. If there is a spirit of Mr. Carson wandering about Downton Abbey, I have not seen him, nor have I heard his commanding voice ringing through the downstairs corridors. No, he is certainly not here and, though some of my younger maids are a bit afraid of you, I do know that everything will be right again when you, not a shade of you, return from Grantham House with the rest of the staff.
I return my best wishes to you, for health and happiness.
Sincerely,
E. Hughes
#####
Dear Mrs. Hughes,
Retirement certainly will take some getting used to. I can't imagine living alone. My quarters at Downton are very comfortable and though I might have a few more comforts in my own home, I would not have the comfort of knowing that help was just down the corridor. I would perhaps have a larger bed and my own parlor where I wouldn't be expected to do any work or constantly be interrupted, but I'm not sure those things are compensation for what I would lose. I like the quiet of my pantry late at night when everyone has gone to bed, but I don't know if I would like that kind of quiet all the time, day and night.
His lordship seems to think that Isis might prefer to return to the country. He doesn't like to be parted from her, but he has considered sending her back to Downton. The problem is that he is not certain how to do so. He doesn't wish to take her there himself, nor does he want to take Mr. Branson away from his work for a whole day just to fetch Isis from London. It is possible that I may send James home to Yorkshire with her soon, or that I may ask Mr. Molesley to make a trip here, but I will write or telephone first to let you know what is planned. It may not happen in the end; his lordship hasn't truly made up his mind. If he does decide to have Isis brought back to Downton, I will try to have a letter ready to be carried to you. I make no promises, however, as I may not have enough notice from his lordship to have time to compose a letter. Perhaps a brief note, if nothing else.
I was speaking to Anna earlier today and she asked me especially to send you her good wishes the next time I wrote. She and Mr. Bates have had an opportunity to enjoy London a little since the family party at Grantham House diminished and she isn't quite so constantly busy, but she tells me they will be happy to return to Downton soon. She doesn't regret becoming a lady's maid but she does remember fondly her years as head housemaid and spending the whole year in Yorkshire. Didn't you first hire her as a housemaid during the Season, while the rest of us were away? Anna told me once that she was afraid of you for the first month she worked at Downton, but then she realized that as long as she worked hard you would never be unkind to her.
My best wishes to you and everyone at Downton.
Sincerely,
C. Carson
#####
Dear Mr. Carson,
I still maintain that you will get used to retirement and even come to enjoy it. You won't be dragged from that larger, more comfortable bed in the middle of the night at every crisis, nor will you be expected to go without sleep, like you did on the night of Lady Rose's ball. That is one of the aspects of retirement I most look forward to myself. My time will be my own, for the first time in my life.
Thank you for your warning about Isis. If his lordship does send her to us, we will be happy to receive her. I don't always like an animal in the house, but Isis is so well-behaved that she makes no mess or trouble, and so gentle that all of my maids love her. Of course, as long as his lordship is away, Isis only has eyes for Mr. Branson. It's quite sweet, really. She follows him around the house, and he takes her for walks around the estate and the village.
You may return my good wishes to Anna. You are right; I did hire her while you were away in London. I am glad she was not afraid of me for long, but when you returned I think she was afraid of you for a little while. I think most younger staff are at first. Even I thought you rather intimidating when I first arrived at Downton, though it was easy enough to see what kind of man you really were once I had been here a few days. I've known you for a long time now, so I'm not sure if my assessment is accurate, but I think now it is mostly your imposing height and commanding tone of voice that does most of the frightening. Some might think you strict, but not much more than you should be, in my belief. We take different approaches, but we both know how important discipline is to effectively running a large house.
Please send my greetings to all, and be well.
Sincerely,
E. Hughes
To be continued...
Please leave a review if you can spare a few moments. Thank you for all your support and kind words thus far. They mean a lot to me.