3 Hope you're all keeping well. Thanks again for all your support with this!

Mrs Patmore climbed the stairs behind Anna, her mind contemplating the various scenarios that they were going to be faced with when they finally reached their destination. In her hand, she had a small white plate that had two pieces of buttered toast that would likely be lukewarm by the time they were potentially eaten. It didn't matter though, old toast was quite nice, especially if the butter had soaked its way through to the other side. In her other hand was a cup of tea, which was still steaming quite well. In the rush and nervousness of getting upstairs to see what had happened, she hadn't thought about grabbing a tray, and so she was trying to hold them as cautiously as she could, trying to keep her back straight as she ascended the last set of stairs.

"She's got to be in her room," Anna said quietly, her pace being far quicker than that of Mrs Patmore who lagged sluggishly behind. "How else would Thomas know?"

Mrs Patmore took in a deep breath, feeling herself getting more and more out of breath the further up into the house they went. Normally she liked to move up and down the stairs when she needed to, at her own plodding pace. The urgency in Anna's steps made her push herself harder than she normally would, and so she found it harder to get her breath. It never used to be as hard and was likely due to her age or laziness. "I bloody hope so. I don't want to be up and down these stairs all day."

"You know you would if you had to," Anna replied, turning to look at her directly. "It's not just for anyone, is it? She might need us."

Mrs Patmore lowered her head. "I know. I just want everything to be normal. I don't like it when things change."

Anna chuckled. "Oh, we all know that."

They both came out onto the corridor and moved towards Mrs Hughes' room, Mrs Patmore always keeping a step behind Anna as she concentrated on the things that she had in her hand. When they got to the door, they both stopped and stared at each other, their eyes both showing an ember of worry. "We should knock," Anna whispered.

"Well, we aren't going to just bloody barge in, are we? Regardless of what we do for a living, we aren't uncouth!" The sudden burst of volume made her hands wobble, and she had to steady herself to stop the tea from bursting over the edges of the cup.

"I know." Anna lifted her hand and hesitated for just a second before rapping on the door. It wasn't hard, and it wasn't soft. It was enough so that if Mrs Hughes was inside she could hear them, but not assume urgency or anger like she would if she rapped hard and fast. The subtleties made all the difference sometimes. It was something she had learnt over the years doing the job that she did, there was always a way to do things in a certain situation.

Silence filled the corridor temporarily, both of them holding their breath as they strained their ears, just in case they were to miss an acknowledgement or any sort of reply. It was likely only a few seconds, but they both felt like it was ten minutes. Mrs Patmore nervously tapped her foot whilst trying to ensure she was able to remain balanced enough so as not to drop her goods.

"Come in," they heard a sleepy voice reply.

Anna opened the door and walked in. Mrs Hughes was propped up on her elbow, her eyes puffy and full of sleep as she stared back at them looking completely lost and bewildered. The plait that was in her hair rested over her chest and she blinked ferociously as she tried to push the sleep away."Oh, Anna, Mrs Patmore," she croaked. Although her room was chilly, a draft entered the room and she pulled her covers up a little higher.

"Oh, Mrs Hughes. I'm sorry, I didn't realise that you would be asleep." Anna gave a nervous glance to Mrs Patmore, who had her mouth open as she stared over at Mrs Hughes with a confused expression.

One of the things Mrs Patmore sometimes wished she was able to do was hide how she was feeling. Ever since she was a child she had been hindered with the most obvious and open facial expressions that would always make it difficult for her to feign ignorance or shock. Not only that, but she had also found it difficult to bite her tongue and refrain from speaking the exact words that appeared in her mind. "No, we thought somethin' had bloody 'appened to you when you didn't appear last night or this morning. You 'ad us bloody worried!" Mrs Patmore walked forward and placed the tea and toast on the bedside table. "I waited up most of the night for you. I woke up this mornin' with my face planted on the table where I'd nodded off."

Mrs Hughes' face dropped when she realised that she had completely forgotten that Mrs Patmore was going to wait up for her. When they had got back, it had been insisted on that she come in via the front door rather than traipsing around the back. Mrs Hughes had said that it was fine, as the car was going to go that way anyway. In all the toing and froing she had forgotten and felt very guilty at the fact. "Oh, Mrs Patmore, I'm so so sorry," she said apologetically whilst tracking Mrs Patmore's annoyed eyes. "I didn't get back until late and went through the front door."

"The front? Well, that's takin' a liberty isn't it?" Mrs Patmore's eyes were wide as she threw her hands into the air. Never in her life would she think about going through the front door to gain access to the house. Their place was around the back, and that had always been the proper way.

"Oh, don't be silly!" Mrs Hughes exclaimed, lifting herself so she was completely vertical. "I said I'm sorry. Please don't stay cross with me," she pleaded. "My mind was elsewhere and her Ladyship told me to go through the front with her."

"Her Ladyship?" Anna queried, her face mirroring the shock of Mrs Patmore's.

Mrs Hughes sighed. "Yes. She went down to see Lady Mary in the early hours. I don't know why, as even I found it peculiar for her to be up so late. But anyway, I bumped into her when I was leaving the hospital. Kindly, as I know she didn't have to, she offered to let me ride back with her. When we pulled up, I was going to come around the back, and if I had I would not have left you asleep on that table I assure you of that. I apologise, sincerely." Mrs Hughes rubbed her eyes tiredly and hung her head.

Mrs Patmore sighed and moved one of the chairs to the edge of the bed so she could sit down. "Did it not go well then? Is that why you didn't come down this mornin'?" The tone of her voice had mellowed quite dramatically. "We were ever so worried. Thomas has been flouting his power as you'd expect. We didn't think it were right."

Anna sat herself on the end of the bed, making sure she didn't sit on Mrs Hughes' feet. "We were worried that it didn't go to plan and that's why you needed to be on your own. Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Mrs Hughes said softly, trying not to give too much away. "I'm just exhausted, truthfully just exhausted. Her Ladyship told me to take the morning off so I thought I'd try and get some rest." There wasn't any annoyance in her voice, even though she had been woken. She knew more than not that they had only come up because they were worried. That level of friendship was something that you couldn't buy.

"I'm sorry we woke you. We 'ad the best intentions and wanted to make sure you were ok." Mrs Patmore picked up the plate and passed it over to Mrs Hughes. "You must be famished, so we bought you up a bit o' breakfast."

Mrs Hughes politely took the plate and placed it onto her lap. Looking at the pair of them she could see their expectant eyes boring into her. They wanted to know what had happened. It was nice that they were concerned about her, especially considering she was usually the one that looked after both of them when they needed it. How could she put it into words? How could she get the information over to them without turning into a puddle of girlish smirks and giggles? And if not that, she might even cry from happiness rather than the contrasting reason she had been crying over previous days. There was some semblance of warmth coming from the plate that housed the toast, so she picked off a corner and put it into her mouth. "Oh, this toast is lovely."

Mrs Patmore glared at Mrs Hughes, her face showing the confusion and the need to know what happened. "Yes, and you 'ave it every morning. It's no different to the usual kind. Come now, Mrs Hughes, we want to know what happened and make sure you're ok!"

Mrs Hughes knew that they weren't going to go away until she told them, or until they had to get on with their work for the day. "Well," she began to say, feeling the excitement begin to build in her chest, pushing tears into her eyes as she tried to think of the words that she would use to put it out there concisely.

Anna saw the tears spring into Mrs Hughes' eyes and she reached forward and grabbed her hand. "He didn't, did he?"

Mrs Hughes smiled and wiped the stray tear that had fallen down her face away. There was no way that she was going to be able to put this out there calmly and clearly. The noise of her heart beating in her ears, the warmth in her cheeks as she began to blush, and the shaking of her hand as she raised another piece of toast to her mouth was enough of a giveaway she thought. Reaching behind her, and reluctantly so, she pressed her hand against the book she had nestled under her pillow. The surface was cool, even though she had been lying on it for a few hours, and she ran her fingers over the indentations in its surface. Taking it in a strong grip, she pulled it out and placed it next to the plate on her lap. Lifting another piece of toast into her mouth, she moved the plate back to the bedside table and opened the book. The rumbling in her stomach erupted in acknowledgement of her breakfast, and she looked sheepishly at Mrs Patmore.

"I'll need to get you some more toast, I reckon," Mrs Patmore laughed before moving her eyes to the book. "Well, would you look at that."

"That's lovely," Anna said, looking at the book with a confused eye.

Mrs Hughes nervously chewed on the piece of toast in her mouth, trying to distract herself from nausea creeping into her chest. The realisation that she was going to share this with them and the fact that she was going to tell them what had happened made everything seem a bit more real. Openly talking about it, putting it out there for others to digest gave her the realisation that it had happened and made it even more poignant. They knew Carson, they knew what he was about, and knew he had never been so open with his expression in all the years they had all known him. The fact that they knew him that well would just make it even harder to put into words. Putting it out there from the page was the easiest thing she could do. It also meant that the most vulnerable part of her, the true and pure feelings that she had written down would be in the open air. They wouldn't judge her though, she knew that, and after the week they had all been through it would likely be refreshing for them to see something positive.

Turning the front cover over, Mrs Hughes moved her fingers to the page she had saved with the thin bookmark attached to the spine, carefully making sure that she didn't leave any grease marks from the butter on the toast. "Here," she said, offering it to Anna.

Mrs Patmore's face was completely scrunched up in confusion, her mouth hanging open as she watched the book exchange hands. "I feel like I've missed somethin'" she grumbled, wondering what was going on as Mrs Hughes' behaviour was slightly peculiar.

Anna looked up in an exasperated manner. "Let her do it at her own pace," she said firmly, turning the book so that the writing was facing her.

Mrs Hughes felt her breath hitch in her throat, swallowing hard as she felt the tears sting at her eyes. The nervousness burnt within her, engulfing any words that she was going to say so she just smiled.

Anna stared at Mrs Hughes. It was so obvious as she sat there, looking into her eyes and seeing a spark of life that had been dimmed for so long. Like a fire, engulfing an arid land, it had taken her and it shone out in the darkness. It had gone well, Anna could tell, and the tears in her eyes were not of sorrow, but of happiness. It was unbridled, pure, and bit at her words so that the excitement and love made it impossible to speak it. Anna knew what that was like, and so she knew that Mrs Hughes could only explain with whatever it was in these pages. "Shall I read it out?"

Mrs Patmore felt her pockets. "I 'aven't got my glasses. So it would probably be better."

Anna smiled and lifted the book so she could read the words on the page. The letters weren't very dark, the lead of the pencil making it difficult to read in comparison to the darkness of ink. Clearing her throat, she began. "Charlie Carson told me he loved me-"

" Bloody 'ell. 'E never?!" Mrs Patmore exclaimed, turning to Mrs Hughes with a wide-eyed expression. "Straight off the bat? See, we told you, Mrs Hughes. Didn't we?"

Anna laughed in an exasperated manner. "Let me read it in one go. It'll take all day if you hop in after every sentence."

Mrs Patmore smirked. "Sorry. I just got a bit excited." Taking her hands she clasped them together and turned to stare at Anna with wide eyes. When she was a child she used to do the same when she was being read a story. The feeling in her chest was like when she was at the peak of a story, her heart beginning to race as she wondered what was going to come next.

Anna read the rest of the words out one by one. Every syllable was done delicately and with excitement. The further in she got, the higher the pitch in her voice as she gathered momentum and felt her stomach twist with happiness as she fully understood the words that she was speaking. At one point she looked up and could see the tears free-falling down Mrs Hughes' face as she recollected the moments in her mind. Mrs Patmore looked shell shocked, her mouth so wide open she was sure her fist would fit in it. It was so pure and lovely and left her whole body feeling happy for her friend. Like a tail out of a romance novel she felt she had been propelled into something that she knew and understood. The feelings that Anna knew Mrs Hughes was experiencing were like the ones she felt for her husband, and seeing them written down made her momentarily reminisce about the times she had shared with him. The love for Bates grew stronger and stronger as the days went by. What the love story between Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson had was years of build-up and familiarity that Anna and Bates were only beginning. As coworkers, they had worked together and learnt about each other, but now, their love being unleashed it had all come together in one swift moment. A beautiful moment.

"That were beautiful," Mrs Patmore sniffed, wiping at her eyes with a handkerchief she had pulled out of her pocket.

Anna closed the book delicately and handed it back over. "I'm so happy for you, Mrs Hughes. It's the start of your adventure, and I couldn't ask for it to happen to a more deserving pair."

Mrs Hughes could feel herself getting more and more emotional. It was driven by happiness and finally having it out in the open for her friends to understand. Now that it was out there, it felt even more real, like it had been validated and understood by someone other than Carson and herself. "Thank you," she strained, wiping at her cheeks as she felt tears continue to fall down her cheeks. "I'm so happy," she cried, the tears getting faster and harder as she felt herself sob. The years of pent up emotions, the days of anguish and torment and finally having it all come together needed to come out. Having been so caught up in accepting that it had happened, she hadn't allowed it to penetrate her mind and soul properly. She had been so caught up in the idea of it, and realising it, that it hadn't sunk in as deep as it had at that moment. As she sat there, her friends smiling at how happy she was, she just allowed herself to release it. The tiredness, the days gone by, the pure exhaustion and bewilderment now mixed in with the torrent of emotion that had allowed itself to lie there. "I'm just so happy."

Anna reached out and took her hand. "We are so happy for you, Mrs Hughes. We knew he loved you. I'm just glad that he's finally realised it for himself. You deserve this, and no matter what, you both have each other now. There is nothing finer than knowing that you have someone out there that would do anything for you, that would have your corner in the worst of storms and always be there to envelop you after a bad day. That man is yours, and you are his, and you can spend the rest of your years together now." Anna wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Oh, look at me, getting all emotional on your behalf," she laughed.

Mrs Patmore smiled. "I'm so glad for you, Mrs Hughes. I'm so glad that he managed to see over his place in this house to see you for what you are to him. What will you do about telling the family?"

Mrs Hughes shook her head. "Oh, I don't know. We never spoke about that. I'm just happy at the moment in knowing where I stand and what we mean to each other. Whatever happens, we have each other, so everything around that we can sort."

"I'm sure they'll be fine with it. I mean, you've both worked your socks off for 'em." Mrs Patmore nodded her head firmly.

Anna nodded in agreeance and adjusted herself on the bed. "I think it'll be fine. I mean, look at me and Bates."

Mrs Hughes ran her hands over the top of the book happily before returning it under her pillow behind her. That was there next obstacle she knew, but there wasn't any rush. They needed to get themselves right and talk through everything. "I remain hopeful. We shall see though."

Anna got to her feet and stood at the side of Mrs Patmore, clasping her hands together as she stared gleefully at her friend. "Oh, how wonderful. After all this doom and gloom we've got something happy in the ranks," she squeaked.

Mrs Patmore nodded in a happy agreeance before getting to her feet. The puffiness in Mrs Hughes' eyes hadn't left, and she could tell that she needed some more sleep. Inside she felt a little twang of jealousy. It wasn't malicious, and it wasn't negative in any way towards Mrs Hughes, because she was genuinely happy for her. A part of her thought that Mrs Hughes would be like her until they retired. Both of them single, working into their old age until they couldn't any longer. Mrs Patmore longed desperately to be in that situation that Mrs Hughes was now in, and it had never mattered how hard she had tried she just never managed to get to that point. There had never been a man that she had known that had wanted her for who she was. It made her feel sad somewhat, but she pushed it away as quick as it came. "We should leave you to get back to sleep."

Mrs Hughes flung the covers from her body and moved her legs to the side so they were hanging over the edge. "You think I'm going to be able to get back to sleep now? No, I'll get ready and come down. I might get another slice of toast though."

Mrs Patmore chuckled. "I'll make you as many as you like!"

Both of the women left the room to leave Mrs Hughes to get ready, their faces both full of happiness and smiles. They had both started their morning feeling unnerved by the absence of their friend. Now, they both felt the contentment and happiness from finding out what had happened. It was beautiful, it was warm and it was pure. They were both happy that Mrs Hughes finally had a reason to be happy that was above and outside of work. Carson was someone she could call her own. If you could ask them if they would have thought the year would have panned out like that, they probably both would have laughed. It was funny how the world could change on the edge of a knife.