GETTING MARRIED

Chapter 14 The Last Minute Details

Gown and Dress

Anna felt as though she had been transported into a tale of intrigue, making an assignation of sorts with Mr. Carson on the servants' stairs at the junction where they divided to go up separately to the men's and women's quarters. It was broad daylight and late-afternoon, an awkward moment for intrigue, but perfectly suited to the business they had to conduct, which was Anna's delivery to him of the gift he had asked her to arrange for Mrs. Hughes.

"Thank you for taking this on for me, Anna," he said, with heartfelt gratitude. "I should never have gotten there on my own."

"I was glad to do it, Mr. Carson," she said, handing him a cloth bag with the package inside. "I've wrapped it, but you can easily undo the ribbon and take a peek. It'll be easy enough for you to tie up again."

He tried to maintain his composure. He'd gone ahead and involved Anna in this intimate matter, and been relieved that their conversation about it had been less awkward than he'd expected, but this was still a discreet matter. He was curious and he did want to see it, but he rather wished she had not anticipated his interest. It suggested an element of vulgarity on his part and he recoiled from it.

"I should only make a mess of your work," he said, waving away her words.

She smiled warmly at him. "It's quite pretty, Mr. Carson. Mrs. Hughes will love it."

He took it away with him to place with the things he had already laid out for the week away. It was his plan to pack his case after returning from the dinner with His Lordship, thinking perhaps he might be awake well into the night and this would give him something to do.

Anna watched him walk away and then descended the stairs to the door leading onto the gallery, meaning to sort out Lady Mary's clothes for the evening. She was glad to catch Miss Baxter at the door to Her Ladyship's room. At her salutation, Miss Baxter paused in the half-open door.

Anna's face was alight with excitement and just a little apprehension. "I haven't had the opportunity to speak with you in days," Anna declared, and then added, in a hushed tone, "Have you finished the dress?"

It did not often happen that Miss Baxter looked confident about anything, but this was an exceptional moment. "I have!" she said excitedly, and did not drop her voice as Anna had. "And it's beautiful! It was a pleasure to work with such lovely material!"

They both giggled.

"She knows nought about it," Anna said, although Miss Baxter knew this well enough. "And she's fretting a bit, so I'm glad that we're giving it to her tonight. I know she'll sleep better for it."

"Then we must give it to her first thing," Miss Baxter said firmly. "There's no reason to prolong her worries."

Anna agreed and, with the flash of a conspiratorial smirk, she moved off down the gallery. She was excited for Mrs. Hughes. The wedding was, of course, a thrilling event, as it was for any woman. But Anna knew that the small moments would stay with Mrs. Hughes, too. She would love the dress, but would cherish the thoughtfulness of the friends who had given it to her. And in the end, Anna herself had been satisfied with the arrangements. Lady Mary might have made it possible, but the four of them - Anna, Mrs. Patmore, Miss Baxter, and Daisy, too - had given all they could, in the manner of the poor widow, and were she ever to know about the nature of their respective contributions - and she would not - Mrs. Hughes would treasure the dress all the more.*

And then there was Mr. Carson's gift. The nightgown was very pretty and Anna, who knew better than Mr. Carson the sombre nature of Mrs. Hughes's nightclothes, was delighted that she should have something so nice. But no enthusiasm for a material item would match the profound pleasure Mrs. Hughes would feel at the simple fact of her husband's thoughtfulness. Anna, who already held the butler in high esteem, was all the more impressed with him for it.

Her Ladyship's Contribution

Still smiling to herself, Miss Baxter entered the bedroom.

"My lady! I didn't know you were up already." Miss Baxter hastened forward. The women of the family were dining at Travers Hill that evening and were making an early departure. But Her Ladyship had anticipated even that.

Cora waved away Baxter's concerns. "I've come up prematurely. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you."

"Oh, no, my lady. Everything is in order."

As the lady's maid turned to her work, Cora gazed at her fondly. They had not known each other long enough to have developed a close relationship, but Cora liked Baxter very much. Baxter was quiet and self-effacing and almost too willing to accept responsibility for things beyond her control - a female version of Molesley, almost - but she was kind, polite, and thoughtful, as well as skilled in all aspects of her work. Cora was not at all surprised that Baxter had her evening clothes set out and the various accoutrements already to hand.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Anna," Cora said after a while. "Am I correct in concluding that you are making a wedding dress for Mrs. Hughes."

Miss Baxter nodded.

"That's kind of you." Her Ladyship spoke with feeling.

"Well," Miss Baxter shrugged, "it is Mrs. Hughes."

This succinct statement, which echoed what Mrs. Patmore had said, told Cora much about the regard for the housekeeper below stairs. The warm expression on Baxter's face and the enthusiasm in her voice in the exchange with Anna made clear that for Baxter the connection was almost as personal as it had been for the cook.

"What's it like?" Cora asked, not bothering to disguise her interest. She loved weddings, in all their glorious detail, and here, finally, was someone who might give her an insider's glimpse.

Miss Baxter seldom had the opportunity to extol her own virtues and was even less inclined to it when chance actually offered to do so. But Her Ladyship's question allowed her to focus on the dress, rather than on her own prominent role in its creation, and she was able to draw a full picture, to Cora's delighted satisfaction.

"It's a lovely colour, my lady. The pale mauve will set off Mrs. Hughes's eyes to perfection."

"It's a generous gift from the downstairs women," Cora observed. Every Christmas she presented the women members of staff with a piece of fabric sufficient to make a dress and a little extra besides, so she knew something of what a nice piece of cloth might cost.

"We all chipped in, my lady." Miss Baxter also knew what material cost, but it was her nature to accept things as they were presented to her, and she had not asked any questions.

"I wonder."

"My lady?"

Cora turned in her chair, disrupting Baxter's efforts to do her hair. "His Lordship and Lady Mary have been bending over backwards to make this a special occasion for Carson. As they should and as he deserves. But...I'd like to make some kind of gesture to Mrs. Hughes."

That Her Ladyship felt such an impulse, which Miss Baxter readily recognized as genuine, puzzled the lady's maid. She knew from Mrs. Patmore that the sumptuous wedding breakfast was to be charged to the house and that the flowers for the church and the reception hall were coming from the Abbey's gardens and greenhouses. To her mind, this seemed already manifest generosity on the family's part.

"Something from me," Cora added, as if discerning Baxter's thoughts. "Do you think a dress coat would be appropriate? I mean, I wouldn't want to take away from your fine work or detract from your own gift to Mrs. Hughes."

But Miss Baxter's face had lit up at the suggestion. "I know the one you mean, my lady."

At Cora's nod, Baxter went to the wardrobe and drew out an embroidered dress coat of a dark shade of mauve and held it up for Her Ladyship's consideration.

"That's it!" Cora said excitedly. "What do you think?"

Miss Baxter cradled the finely crafted coat gently in her arms. "The dress is pretty, my lady, but it's...understated. We didn't want to overwhelm Mrs. Hughes. This coat would enhance it nicely."

A gleeful look swept Cora's face. "Then Mrs. Hughes shall have it."

"Only, my lady, you're taller than Mrs. Hughes. I'll have to take it up a little, which I'm happy to do tonight, but..."

Cora understood. "It shall be a gift to her, Baxter. Make whatever adjustments you need to make permanent."

Miss Baxter lay the coat out carefully on the bed, looked at it for a long moment, and then returned her attentions to Her Ladyship.

"You're very kind, my lady."

Cora sighed. "Not at all," she said emphatically. "I just want...you know, to let Mrs. Hughes know that she is as valued a member of this household as Carson is."

"I'm sure she knows it, my lady."

As Miss Baxter was putting the finishing touches on her evening dress, Cora returned to the subject. "You're having a party for Mrs. Hughes this evening," she said.

"Yes, my lady. Anna, Mrs. Patmore, Daisy, and I. We wanted to give her a proper send-off." Miss Baxter said this proudly. It her many years in service, she had never worked with such a pleasant group. And though she was a new-comer in their ranks, they had made her welcome. She was pleased to be accorded a place in such an intimate gathering.

"That's lovely," Cora said, with a smile. "I hope you'll all enjoy your evening. "

"Thank you, my lady. I'm sure we will."

An Upstairs Acknowledgment

The car was drawn up by the door and Cora and Mary stood ready to depart. Robert came out of the library to see them off.

"Give my regards to Lady Travers," he said, kissing his wife.

"I'm going to enjoy explaining to her that you couldn't come because you're dining out with your butler," Cora said with a grin.

"I'll put it to her in blunt terms if she objects," Mary said grimly, looking like she hoped the opportunity might arise.

Robert laughed. "There'll be no need for that. Old Lord Travers was devoted to his man. They say he was never the same after his life-long butler died."

"Where is Edith, anyway?" Mary demanded, looking around. "Ever since this London life started with her, she's been late for everything."

Edith flew down the stairs as if prompted by Mary's words. "I'll be with you in a few minutes," she called, darting across the Great Hall away from them. "Wait for me."

Mary growled impatiently. "I'm waiting in the car," she said crossly and went out.

Cora and Robert looked in one direction and then the other after their errant daughters and then laughed.

"Where is Carson, by the way?" Cora asked.

Robert smiled indulgently. "He's in the library. We'll leave as soon as you're off. Do you know, I think he's more agitated by the prospect of dinner with me than he is about the wedding tomorrow."

Cora shrugged. "And you expected any differently? Just make sure he doesn't see Mrs. Hughes."

This invocation of superstition had Robert rolling her eyes, but Cora slapped his arm lightly. "We're only one for three when it comes to successful weddings in this house, Robert. Let's even the score with this one."

Edith darted downstairs as quickly as her evening dress would allow. Modern clothing permitted women to move more fluidly, but they still did not enjoy the freedom men had. At the bottom of the stairs, she drew herself up more sedately, prompted by the habit of behaving more decorously in front of the servants and also because, suddenly, she was a little hesitant.

It was her intention to speak with Mrs. Hughes and she knew it was the right thing to do. But she was uncertain here. As she had pointed out a few nights ago, unlike Mary, who had presided here at Carson's side, even if long ago, and established thereby a degree of comfort within these walls, Edith had almost never ventured below stairs in the whole course of her life. It was unfamiliar territory.

Nor did she have the human connection here that Mary had forged with Carson and that Sybil had made, to a large degree, with just about everyone. Edith had no friends below stairs. It seemed a bit awkward to pretend to one now, although that wasn't quite what she was after. She wanted only to pay her respects to the woman downstairs who contributed so much to the ease of everyone upstairs. With this in mind, she stepped up to Mrs. Hughes's sitting room door and knocked.

Mrs. Hughes was at her desk - still - and turned as Edith came into the room. Edith saw that she had been expecting someone else. In that fraction of a section she had a glimpse of the woman behind the role of housekeeper, and then it was gone as Mrs. Hughes assumed her familiar professional demeanour.

"Mrs. Hughes." Edith spoke almost breathlessly. She had taken herself by surprise with this initiative and was still working out what she would say.

"My lady." Mrs. Hughes stood up. "How may I help you?" This was the form their exchanges had always taken.

"Not at all," Edith said immediately. "That is. I didn't come with a request of any sort."

A few seconds of silence passed and then Edith gingerly moved more deeply into the room. She wanted to be here, but she did not really know how to be here. "We're all going out in a minute and I understand the downstairs women are having a sort of party in your honour. I wanted to slip in...between things and...offer my very best wishes to you, Mrs. Hughes, on the eve of your wedding."

Mrs. Hughes was adept at concealing her thoughts and feelings, especially where the family were concerned, but she had less reason and less ability to do this effectively on this day. She relaxed at Lady Edith's words, smiled, and folded her hands demurely before her. "I thank you, my lady."

"Lady Mary's been making quite a fuss about Carson, and I think he's deserving of every bit of attention he gets from her..." Edith stumbled a bit over that. Even to her own ears that sounded more of a condemnation of Carson than the compliment she meant it to be,"...but to my mind, we ought to acknowledge you as well. You're as important to this house and to our family as he is." Listening to herself, Edith recoiled inwardly at her awkward speech. She was so much more eloquent on paper. Giving up on words, she gave way to a smile.

Looking at Lady Edith, Mrs. Hughes allowed herself to be touched. Lady Edith was awkward in some ways, but there was a sincerity in her stilted voice, and when she smiled self-consciously and sweetly as she did now, she could be quite appealing.

Edith decided to make one more stab at it. "Enjoy your evening. And your day tomorrow. I hope that it is everything you have hoped for. I'm sure it will be simply lovely."

There was a level of emotion in Lady Edith's voice that was not perfectly congruent with the circumstances, but Mrs. Hughes thought she understood why that was. All weddings, upstairs or down, must recall for this young woman the heartbreak of that disastrous occasion when Sir Anthony Strallan had abandoned her at the altar. Perhaps her determination to overcome that disappointment had played at part in her appearance here this evening. Mrs. Hughes appreciated the effort.

"Thank you, my lady."

And that was all that Edith had to say. So she withdrew from the sitting room and made her way back to the stairs, feeling that if she had only ever made one foray to the servants' level in her life, she was glad it had been on such an occasion.

*A/N1. The allusion to the poor widow is drawn from Luke 21:1-4.