November 1917
Captain Charles Blake to Nurse Sybil Crawley
Dear Sybil,
Thank you for your letter containing some suggested exercises. I am only a little pained that you had to take the time to copy out so many pages. You are, as always, much too good to me.
You must know that your mother has kindly invited us to Downton for Christmas. Mother and I are quite looking forward to Christmas in the country. I feel I have overtaxed myself by going back to work a little at a time, and I am in need of some respite.
You ask for details of my progress, Nurse. Memories have come back to me, each day, there is something new, some remembrance of a skill, an idea, a friend. It is my work that I have the most command of, which probably indicates that I was a creature of work. Yet, I still struggle to feel that these memories are mine. As I have told you before, they seem like something of a past life. When I walk into a room and see Mother, I have to remind myself that she is my mother. The only life that seems real to me now are the months I spent at Downton.
I was sorry to see the frustrations you detailed in your last letter with regards to the violence of the October revolution. Certainly, since July, we have seen that there is a horrific violence at the heart of it all. I realise this is difficult for you, especially when you read, as I do, socialist philosophy that is so idealistic, that envisions a utopic , equitable society. But you must remind yourself that not all revolutions are bathed in blood, and what this is, is an outpouring. Think of a dog who is chained up all day and all night, who kicked and starved, what will he do when he gets the opportunity? This is not to excuse the violence, but to suggest that all parties must be viewed with compassion.
I am reminded of your sister Mary, who points out that it is important to be aware of, and address societal issues in order to maintain the status quo of class and privilege. There is something to this, but I would rather we focus ourselves more deeply, to find the cause of the injustice and root it out. You told me that your friend speaks of education. I believe he is correct. That is one of the key elements in addressing the cause so that we do not just treat the symptom.
Now you know why Mary calls me Iscariot.
Your friend,
Charles Blake.
Xx
November flies by in a rush for Mary. She has taken the advice of her father, and more so, the advice of her mother-in-law, and stayed away from politics. With much harvesting in the autumn, and the estate being amongst those that are assisting with food supply for the nation, Mary has been kept quite busy. Letters from Matthew have been few and far between as he is amongst those troops that are engaged in significant battles, and to keep her from worry over him, she has taken up any extra duties that she can in the house or on the estate.
The re-training scheme has picked up under Isobel's supervision. Some of the young women volunteering for the estate, and also the land army felt that they would benefit from further skills in reading, writing and arithmetic, and so they have managed to lease a schoolroom one day a week from Mr. Dawes. Mr. Bates now trains young men to perform valet service while negotiating a handicap, Mr. Moseley teaches, and Edith and Mary are hard pressed to find another teacher. What they have now set up is the beginnings of a local vocational school. It is yet bare bones, run quite informally and with skeletal staff, but it is a thing of pride for Isobel, Edith and Mary. The two sisters are glad for the success of the scheme, for they can keep their conversation to this and this alone, rather than face, as Mary fears, sniping from Edith around Mary's jail time, or, as Edith worries, scathing remarks from Mary about Anthony being the cause of Mary's unfortunate arrest.
Mary and Anthony have been giving each other a wide berth.
Isobel has also returned to the hospital in a part-time capacity. She is brimming with ideas for other schemes based on what she has seen in her time in Europe, and has found a ready accomplice in the Dowager. I must tell you now that Cousin Violet missed Cousin Isobel, for she had grown to enjoy having someone a little closer to her age to converse with, bully a little, and generally accompany her. Violet is happy to have Isobel remain at Downton, and feels that her own involvement in 'that mad woman's schemes' will allow for a temperate hand to be at the helm.
Xx
Thomas Barrow watched the smoke from his cigarette rise into the air, and was thankful not to inhale the odor of antiseptic. He worked diligently in the hospital, and his own natural ability had allowed him to become something of an administrative assistant to Dr. Clarkson. This included the ability to boss around the orderlies and hospital maintenance staff, and Mr. Barrow found himself to be in his element. He felt a certain gratitude for Lady Mary, who , he felt, understood him very well. She had also arranged for him to be quartered at Crawley House, and Mr. Barrow was already a firm favourite with young Master George. The only person in that household who treated him with suspicion was Mrs. Crawley. More's the pity, thought Barrow, for he was becoming quite genuinely fond of ' Mr. Matthew and his little family.' Because of this fondness, Barrow told Miss O'Brien that he chose to be servant to the Crawleys, and that it was a thing of his own free will.
He crushed his cigarette under his foot and made to go back in. As he did so, he noticed a couple approaching the hospital from the side road. They were engaged in a carefree conversation, and once they came up the walk, Isobel excused herself from Dr. Clarkson and went directly into the outpatient clinic. The good doctor did not follow her immediately, but watched her walk away for some minutes, a peculiar expression his face.
Well, well, well, thought Barrow, now if that isn't a Doctor in Love, I'll eat my hat.