April 1924

Robert and Cora

"I can't wait for Matthew to be back."

"You miss your son."

"Yes. And my daughter too. But most of all I miss my valet."

"Why? Don't you like Moseley?"

"I think the only reason Matthew has kept him on for the past 12 years is because he doesn't really need him for anything besides cleaning and mending clothes. He does everything else himself. And if Moseley was my valet I'd do that too. He is driving me up the wall. He is so insecure about everything. And at the same time so overconfident. I don't even know how that is possible, but it is. Still, he's better than Thomas I suppose."

"It was very nice of you to allow Bates to go to America instead of Moseley."

"What was I supposed to do? Mary wouldn't stop begging."

"She wanted to do Anna a favor."

"If Anna couldn't be away from Bates that long, shouldn't Mary have taken someone else then? Instead of taking my valet too?"

"Robert, Anna and Mary have known each for half their lives. Anna wanted to see America, so Mary took her."

"I know. I'm sorry, I'm just a little grumpy."

"They'll be back in two weeks. And you won't have to go to America, Matthew got Harold out of trouble although I have no idea how he did it."

"He played the Earl of Grantham card."

"How do you know that?"

"Because he wrote it to me. He thought it would make me laugh and it did. I almost fell out of my chair. Tom thought I was having a seizure."

"What did he do?"

"Tom? Stare at me."

"No. Matthew."

"He was asked who he was and he said the he was the future Earl of Grantham. Someone asked him what the title of the eldest son of the Earl of Grantham was and he said 'Viscount Downton', which is true. The authorities have called him 'Lord Downton' the whole time. He didn't find it necessary to tell them that he wasn't my son."

"I am sure Mary loves this."

"Yes. I am surprised she hasn't written it to you."

"She probably didn't because she knew that Matthew would tell you. That is usually enough to tell both of us."

"Kiss me."