Chapter 8: The Change

A few days later, Lilly had come to Downton after making sure that Maria was doing alright. At this point, Maria had told Lilly that she could do the work and Lilly could rest, but Lilly had said that she would do this the way the English people did. And if Cousin Robert's daughters were helping out, Lilly would too.

After all, there was a war going on and if she couldn't fight for her country, she would participate by helping to save lives. As she had entered the outer hall, she found herself helping out the in the ward area, where the officers were mostly in bed resting. Luckily, Matthew and George had come together. Matthew, for his tour, while George came to support his older brother and now wife. The recuperating officers gave curious glances to Lilly, but did not say anything rude to a lady who clearly had wealth, and enough strength to deter any complaints. But the warning glances George provided, given his rank and status as her husband, was also enough to ward off anything but respect.

Later on, Lilly found herself walking into the library with Mary, when they stopped at the sight of Robert's exasperated face and Cora's tight smile. Mary warily asked,

"I'm sorry, are you in the middle of something?"

Dr. Clarkson rather looked relieved at their entrance as he said,

"We're discussing the arrangements."

Lilly glanced over to her mother-in-law, seeing the clipboard in her hands and grimaced a little. Clearly, the dispute was whether Cora had a say in how to handle the situation, or Isobel. Mary had said something while she was trying to understand the situation when Cora brought her out of her thoughts with,

"Of course he can come here."

Lilly held back from raising a curious eyebrow, while Dr. Clarkson and Isobel looked like they were about to refute that statement, when Isobel explained,

"The Middlesbrough General will have their own arrangements for where their patients convalesce."

Dr. Clarkson only added on, "I'm afraid Mrs. Crawley is right. Downton must function as part of the official system, or it cannot function at all."

Lilly fidgeted as she stated cautiously, "But I'm sure that if Mr. Napier is coming as a visitor of the family like he used to do, this wouldn't raise any issues. Especially since this is their home."

Isobel gave Lilly a look of slight irritation while Robert gave her a grateful look and said,

"Yes, and now, I think, perhaps, I should make one thing clear. Downton is our house and our home, and we will welcome in it any friends or any relations we choose. And if you do not care to accept that condition, then I suggest you give orders for the nurses, and the patients, and the beds, and the rest of it, to be packed up and shipped out at once."

Dr. Clarkson stiffened, before tightly answering back, "Thank you, Lord Grantham, for making your position so clear."

With a clear of his throat, the doctor left the library, while Isobel stood up, before asking, almost in an innocent voice,

"Oh, just one more thing. The dog. What should we do to stop Isis getting into the patients' rooms?"

Robert gave her a stern look and said, "I can answer that. Absolutely nothing.

Isobel seemed to then get the hint that the family was rather finished with the conversation and departed, following after Dr. Clarkson. Feeling a little awkward about what happened, Lilly said,

"I'm sorry about that. I know Isobel means to do well, but I didn't think…"

Mary snorted and quietly added, "That she would become a dictator?"

Cora gave her a scolding glance, though she didn't say anything to refute it, while Lilly merely grimaced. After all, it appeared that Lilly admired them for being able to do so much for the soldiers anyway. Trying to help the young girl wash away any awkwardness, Cora asked,

"Lilly, will you be staying on for dinner?"

Lilly looked up in surprise, before looking at the clock and asking, "Are you sure? I don't want to cause any trouble for Mrs. Patmore. Especially since she has to prepare meals for officers already…"

Cora shook her head when Carson smiled warmly and said, "My lady, it will be alright. We have everything prepared after hearing that Master George has come back."

Lilly smiled gratefully at the butler and said, "That is wonderful. Then thank you, I would love dinner."

Robert smiled at her, before sitting at one of his chairs and grabbing a newspaper. Lilly then headed out to meet with George.

George was currently at the Crawley house, where he was the new taste-tester of Maria's cooking of English food. When Lilly came in with a relieved sigh, George smiled and welcomed her.

He dragged her to the kitchen and had her tasting Mrs. Bird's cooking of food from Joseon. Lilly smiled, her eyes tearing a little at Mrs. Bird's passion to learn other cuisine and asked her to cook her some of the food sometime. Mrs. Bird nodded and smiled, liking the young lady.

The husband and wife spent their day discussing George's job as they played chess. George knew that Lilly, who had been fought in battle extensively before, could help him with some ideas to deal with certain scenarios. After losing terribly to his wife, George grabbed Lilly's hand and said,

"Once this is over, I'll take you to the beach if I can. After all, you need some time off from the family drama my mother lands you in."

Lilly laughed at that, glad that George was by her side, and said,

"I don't mind. As long as you can take me somewhere to practice my shooting, I think everything is good."

George hummed a little and said, "You are so, wonderfully brave and strong. Do you know that?"

Lilly hugged him, resting her head on his chest, as she said contentedly,

"Yes. And I love you, so, so much."

George kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Thank you for being with me. I promise to help you. I promise to fulfill the promise I made your grandfather."

Lilly sighed, and looked up at George's blue eyes, and responded with,

"You mean so much to me. I don't want to lose you."

George smirked a little, trying to comfort his wife as he said, "I'll protect you now. So we can do what we can to help your people."

Lilly smiled warmly before resting her head back on his chest, as he said,

"I love you, Lilly."

~~ ….. ~~

A few days later, Lilly arrived first at Downton, George having had plans to come with Matthew and General Strutt a while later. Lilly helped Cora with preparing plans for the house during wartime. Later, they stood by the front door to greet the genera. Lilly smiled warmly at the sight of George with Matthew. Matthew introduced the general to Robert, Cora, and Dr. Clarkson. That was when everyone slightly winced as Isobel introducing herself. George had told her that she would be introduced by him. The general then looked towards Lilly, the woman standing out with her jet-black hair. General Strutt came up to her and smiled, as he said,

"You must be Major Crawley's wife. It is finally nice to meet the beautiful wife he told me about."

Lilly smiled, a slight blush dusting her cheeks, as George came up and introduced her to the general. Afterwards, Dr. Clarkson came up to him and led him inside the building. As they all entered, Lilly walked beside George while Lavinia walked beside Matthew.

As they walked around, they eventually ended up in the wards, where Matthew explained,

"The ground floor rooms are for those men who need the most care, sir."

The general nodded, smiling at each of the officers he met, as he answered, "Yes, of course."

That was when one of the men, who Lilly recognized as Captain Smiley, welcomed the general. The General turned to the party behind him, stating,

"Oh, right, yes. Tell me about this officer."

Isobel was cautiously answering with, "Who is that man? I hope he's not complaining."

Lilly noticed that Edith stepped up, and said,

"Oh, no. That's Captain Smiley. He hasn't an unkind bone in his body."

Mary looked surprised at this revelation and asked, "How do you know?"

The general smiled at that and stated, "Matthew, listen to this."

Matthew looked a little worried, as he asked, "Everything alright, sir?"

And they walked over to someone else, as noise erupted from a separate room, causing Edith to explain once more time, when Cora asked her second-eldest daughter,

"How do you know so much about a pack of strangers?"

Lilly could tell that Cora was rather proud of her daughter, especially when Edith answered,

"They're not strangers to me."

Then General Strutt turned to Cora, and complimented her with,

"This is all very impressive, Lady Grantham. The nurses and your own staff are to be congratulated."

Lilly smiled, genuinely happy for Cora after all she had to deal with when this drastic change was decided. Her constant clashes with Isobel had only been adding stress and more stress as time went on. It was nice to see someone give the credit to Cora, who had to re-organize everything, her lifestyle and her staff to help with this to take place.

Later on in the dining room, Lilly noticed a tense looking Branson assisting Carson before William came in his place. William was actually dressed in his uniform and not his typical livery. Lilly had heard of William's situation from Isobel, and rather wished that William would be able to safely return.

Earlier, Branson had been dragged away along with the soup, causing some concern and confusion in the dining room. George warily glanced at Carson, who just quietly sighed and tried to remain composed as much as possible. Once that had been dealt with, Robert curiously asked,

"What was going on with the soup? It came, it went."

The butler tiredly responded with,

"Nothing to worry about, my lord. Branson was taken ill so William volunteered to be footman one last time. You don't mind, do you?"

Robert shook his head, looking towards William with a warm smile, as he said,

"Oh, not a bit. It was very kind of him."

With that, Carson departed from the dining room while Robert explained to the general,

"Our footman, William, is leaving us tomorrow to join his regiment, that's why he's not in livery."

The general looked please at this and stated,

"Well, you're a credit to this house and this country, young man. There is no livery so becoming as a uniform."

William puffed his chest a little at the compliment from so high up, and Robert nodded to William in confirmation. William then returned to his duty as footman, helping out with the serving of food and drinks throughout dinner. Meanwhile, Matthew turned to Rosamund, stating,

"Lady Rosamund, Mary, all of you, have been so kind to Lavinia."

George and Lilly shared a glance as they saw Mary visibly wither at that. They could tell Mary dearly loved Matthew and still loved him. Violet kept the conversation going with,

"Well, naturally. We're all curious to know more of Miss Swire if she's to reign over Downton's queen."

Matthew looked clearly uncomfortable at that statement, causing George to give his brother a wary glance, as Matthew chuckled to hide his discomfort before answering,

"Dear me, I hope you haven't unearthed anything too fearful."

Violet mysteriously said, "You must as Mary."

Other than General Strutt, most people at the table shared glances that said more of their discomfort. Then the General turned to the Doctor, and asked,

"One thing I'm still not quite clear about. Who, precisely, is in charge of Downton when you're not here?"

The doctor looked at the general and said,

"I've given it some thought, sir, and it seems to be only fair that Mrs. Crawley…"

But then that was when the doctor saw Isobel smile almost in victory and then the cautious looks around the table, and added on,

"… and Lady Grantham…"

Cora smiled smugly, while Isobel's smile to fade a little, causing Lilly to wish this awkward business was finished as soon as possible, as the doctor finished his statement with,

"… should share that responsibility."

The general seemed to be satisfied with that answer as he said,

"Capital. Well said."

And then, with that, the general added,

"The fact is, I have been more than gratified by my visit here today, and I thank Captain and Major Crawley for arranging it."

Matthew nodded while George politely smiled, grabbing onto Lilly's hand below the table. Then the General also said,

"You are all to be praised for your response to our national crisis, but I've been talking, and I've been listening, and I feel there are two among you whose generosity is in danger of going unremarked. It seems the daily cares and needs of the patients are being dealt with quietly and efficiently by both Lady Edith and Lady Lilly."

Lilly looked at the man in surprise, while everyone had looked towards Edith more in surprise than Lilly. Everyone knew Lilly liked to help out in whatever way she could, but Edith, given her more selfish personalities before the war, managed to surprise her family with her interactions with the injured soldiers.

The general chuckled at this and said, "Or that's what the officers tell me. So, let us raise our glasses and drink to their health."

Everyone raised their glances and said, "Edith and Lilly."

Lilly smiled more towards Edith, who had a bright smile, and seemed to regain some form of excitement and joy in her life during the dreary times. Lilly had been aware that Edith felt a little left out after all the attention went from Mary and Matthew alongside Lilly and George, to Sybil and Tom. She then looked over to her husband, who had been smiling at his wife, as if in awe, of how she had been able to win the hearts of not only his superior, but other soldiers.

After all, even these times, George knew that it was hard to easily acknowledge a foreigner living near an Earl, and George felt grateful that his wife was getting more and more lively as time went on. After the meal, George and Matthew went to talk more with the general, while Lilly had gone back to the Crawley house.

Though the meal was good, Lilly felt a sudden exhaustion hit her. Her complexion had slightly paled, causing Violet to guide her to a car. Although Violet had initially planned to talk with Mary about Lavinia's strange situation with Mary's suitor, when she saw Lilly go pale, she changed plans and they both took a car to the Crawley House.

Seeing Lilly go into her home, Violet could only worry slightly after George's wife. Although Lilly herself had said that she was fine and that perhaps all she needed was a nap, but Violet had seen that for the past few days, Lilly had seemed to get easily exhausted more so than before.

Compared to the days when Lilly would trail after Cora or Violet all day to help out with events held at the abbey or shopping, Lilly did much less today. Although she was worried, there was no obvious sign of illness, and Violet merely sighed before urging her chauffeur to take her home.

When George had started to approach the library to see his wife before the general left, Carson came over and said,

"Sir, Lady Lilly was not feeling well, so the Dowager Countess has escorted her to the Crawley house."

George frowned at that. He had noticed Lilly had eaten little during their meal earlier, and said to the butler,

"Thank you, Carson."

Carson nodded at the younger master, who immediately looked worried at the information. The butler could see that the love the young couple shared was deep and true. It made him happy that at least one couple was able to be so loving towards one another.

Once the general had departed, George rushed over to the Crawley House, apologizing to Robert for leaving in a rush. Robert just shooed him out of the abbey, telling him to go to Lilly. After rushing over, George ran into Maria quietly coming down the stairs. Handing his coat to Molesley, he asked Maria,

"Maria, how is Lady Lilly?"

Maria sighed and said in English,

"Lady Lilly is asleep now, but she has been feeling slightly nauseous earlier."

The younger girl's dark brown eyes warily glanced over to Molesley. George looked at him too, before stating,

"Molesley, could you prepare my night clothes for me?"

Molesley finally got the hint and quickly went to George's dressing room. Maria then whispered to George,

"Master George… the way my lady has been easily growing tired lately and her not eating as much… doesn't it remind you of…?"

George took in a sharp breath before he started to have mixed feelings. One part of him was hopeful, while another part of him felt a sense of fear and anxiety. He reigned in his emotions and then looked down at Maria, and said to her gently,

"Watch over her for me. Take special care for her. I know you do but let me know if she needs me."

Maria nodded before heading down. George then changed with the help of Molesley before entering the room he normally shared with Lilly. The lights were off, but George was able to see Lilly's outline in the bed. She was lying on her side, sleeping deeply. He could see exhaustion still all over her face as she slept. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

~~ ….. ~~

In the morning, George woke up to movement in the bed. He opened his eyes to find that Lilly was sitting, facing away from him, with legs over the side of the bed. She was sitting slightly hunched as she was beating her chest gently, as if she was feeling stuffy. George quickly sat up and patted her back as well, trying to sooth her. He then asked her,

"Are you feeling alright?"

Lilly shook her head, as she tried to even out her breathing, mustering out,

"I'm not sure. I don't feel good. I know that I promised mother that I would help her with work at Downton…"

George shook his head at that and said,

"Don't worry about that. If there is anything needed, I'm sure mother would not want you to risk your health. I will let her know about it. I know Doctor Clarkson is busy, but how about I ask him over?"

Lilly breathed in a little deeply, then exhaled, trying to calm herself down. George tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear, waiting for her, before his wife answered with,

"I'm sure this is nothing. It will pass. I might just rest a little longer, if that is alright?"

George could see the hesitance in his wife's eyes before giving her a peck on the forehead. He smiled before placing his palm on her cheek, seeing her immediately lean into his touch. George chuckled and said,

"Rest all you like."

Lilly nodded, before pulling away and lying back down in bed. George placed the blankets on her and prepared to head down for breakfast. When he came across Maria, he whispered,

"The Lady is resting, so how about you go take a break. If you have some free time, could you look into cooking something easy on the stomach for her later or ask Mrs. Bird to do so?"

Maria looked towards the door before nodding. Satisfied with the answer, George joined his mother for breakfast. She was already in her seat when he joined, and said,

"Mother, Lilly isn't feeling well so she is resting upstairs."

Concern immediately took over his mother's features as she asked,

"What's wrong?"

George sighed and said, "She is just tired. She said she will be better once she rests up, so I'm hoping that you would be alright without her there with you. If not, I can take over her work, I don't have anything else to do at the moment."

His mother took a sip of her tea, then responded with, "It's fine. Let her rest, and you too. After all, you're still busy with your own work."

George raised an eyebrow at his mother's slightly hasty tone but left it at that. After all, when his mother put her mind on something, it was hard to stop her from doing it.

But it wasn't too long before George saw his mother huff back into the Crawley House, clearly upset about something. George had been writing letters when his mother had made her entrance into their home. He looked up to see that his mother's facial expression bordered on panic and anger.

It wasn't common, but he had seen it before when someone had stopped his mother from being the boss, and he was able to hypothesize what must have happened at Downton. After all, even if she was his mother, she tended to be overbearing without herself knowing it in certain situations.

What really surprised him was when Isobel brought out a suitcase from somewhere, causing him to stand and ask,

"Mother? What is going on?"

Isobel sighed heavily, before gritting out,

"Cora has decided that I have no part to play in the managing of Downton for the care of the soldiers, so I decided that I will head to Paris. Remember the cousin? I will be joining them in the branch in northern France under the Red Cross."

George felt his heart drop a little at that announcement, and he incredulously asked,

"Now? Of all times mother, you want to go now?"

Isobel merely hummed while she started to pack her luggage. George could see the stubborn decision would be impossible to stop, before sighing out, brows furrowed,

"When are you leaving?"

Isobel then looked at her son, seeing him give her a worried look. It stopped her for a moment, feeling a little guilty that she was leaving to work at a location closer to the war, and said,

"Tomorrow."

George then whispered out, "Be careful mother."

Isobel looked at her son in surprise, asking him, "You're not going to stop me?"

George shrugged before smiling tightly as he asked, "How could I possibly stop you? You know I never was able to."

Isobel smiled a little at that, before going up to her son, and holding his hands, stating,

"I won't be close to the danger like you think I am. But I promise you that I will come back safe and sound."

George chuckled before saying, "You'd better."

Isobel laughed at that, her mood lightening up a little bit with the help of her son. With that, George let his mother resume her packing.

~~…..~~

The next day, all the servants, Lilly, and George were outside the Crawley House, watching Branson load the luggage on the car. Isobel turned around to face her son and daughter-in-law and hugged them both.

She could see that Lilly was indeed, still tired, and it worried her, but hoped that it was nothing too serious. She then said to them,

"I'll try to send you an address, but you can always get me through the Red Cross."

Lilly and George looked worried but nodded. Isobel then added,

"And I'll try to contact Matthew, explain to him what's happened. If he does get leave, he'll probably come to me or stay in London. But if I miss him, and he turns up here, look after him."

Lilly nodded and said, "With everyone's help, you have nothing to worry mother. Just stay safe."

Isobel smiled warmly when Mrs. Bird asked,

"Y—you don't know when you'll be back?"

Isobel stopped to think for a moment before providing, "I don't think one knows anything in wartime. I'll try to give you warning. But in the meantime, look after yourselves. Now, I mustn't miss my train."

And with that, the remaining members of the Crawley House watched as the matriarch left to go to make a contribution of her own. George and Lilly held hands tightly as they watched the car depart from the residence. But it did not take long before Mr. Molesley asked,

"So, what now?"

With that, George took care of Lilly for the next few days. Lilly seemed to be regaining a bit of color as some time passed, but he grew concerned again when Lilly did not seem to stomach some foods. Out of worry, he had contacted Dr. Clarkson for help.

When the doctor had arrived to do a quick check on George's wife, George couldn't help but want to pace. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was his wife, who had gripped his hand tightly.

She reassured him that everything was fine, but he couldn't help but worry. After all she had gone through, he didn't want to risk any problems with her health. When Dr. Clarkson had frozen at some of the scars on Lilly's body, the couple decided to tell the shocked doctor some of their story of what happened in Joseon. The doctor's complexion had turned pale at the story, but he promised to remain quiet about this and continued to check Lilly's condition.

When Dr. Clarkson finished his inspection, he smiled a little and cleaned his hands. George waited a moment before asking a little hurriedly,

"Well? Is she… is my wife alright?"

Lilly, who was lying down in bed, looked towards the Doctor. The elder man said,

"As much as I would love to keep an eye on Mrs. Crawley here, I believe there is nothing to worry about. Lady Lilly should not stress herself, but otherwise, I think everything is more than fine."

George's brows furrowed in confusion, causing the man to chuckle and continue to state,

"I believe congratulations are in order. Lady Lilly, you are pregnant. It's hard to tell how long, but I believe that there is nothing to worry about for now."

George's mouth opened in a dramatic fashion, while Lilly's eyes widened at that. Tears sprang into George's eyes, before he went to Dr. Clarkson, shaking his hand enthusiastically as he tearfully stated his thanks to the doctor.

The man could tell that this meant a lot for the couple, and he quietly exited the Crawley estate, leaving the younger couple some time to themselves. The moment the doctor left, George sat down next to Lilly on the bed and full of joy, George grasped her hand and said,

"I love you. I love you both so much."

Lilly tiredly smiled, before a few teardrops fell from her eyes, as she whispered to him,

"I miss mother and grandfather."

George grew quickly solemn at that, and said, "I know they didn't like me much, but I miss them dearly too. They would have taken care of you far better than what we have here."

George took a moment, before asking his wife, "Are you lonely here?"

Lilly immediately knew where George's mind went to and shook her head, stating,

"It's different, but you're here with me, and so is Maria. I couldn't ask for more than that now."

George nodded, before putting a gentle kiss on his wife's lips. Then he smiled and said,

"I'll have Maria prepare anything she can. I might escort her to a market and see if we can prepare anything for you to remind you of home."

Lilly looked at her husband with gratitude and love brimming in her eyes. She smiled and said,

"This time, we can protect our child. I know it."

George nodded and said, "I'll make sure I return home safely when the war is done."

Lilly nodded and said, "Do what you can for this country… and for us."

George smiled, still overwhelmed by the news, before asking her,

"When should we share the news to the family?"

Lilly thought about that for a moment, before answering with, "Soon. But we should write to your mother straight away. She would want to hear the news first."

George chuckled and said, "I'm sure she would."

With that, he pecked his wife's forehead, and tucked her into bed a bit more. He then quietly exited the room to let his wife rest before heading down to the kitchen below, where he knew the staff were.

Upon entering the kitchen, the staff all stood up, surprised by the visit. George motioned them to sit down. Maria, having known that Dr. Clarkson had gone by to check her lady, urgently asked,

"Is Lady Lilly alright?"

Molesley looked like he was about to scold Maria for being so forward with her question, but George smiled brightly and announced,

"Yes, and I have some exciting news to share. Lady Lilly is pregnant."

The staff also beamed with a grin while Maria teared up as well. Having served Lilly for her whole life, Maria knew how special this moment was and wanted to bound up the stairs to hug her lady. But knowing English customs since their arrival, Maria held back.

George smiled even more, if that was even possible, and said,

"So, I would like it if you could help her for the next few months. I'm not saying coddle her, because she loves to be independent and hates someone treating her like something fragile. However, Mrs. Bird, if you could help Maria cook some of Lady Lilly's meals when she is alone, that would be great. I want her to be reminded of home."

Mrs. Bird nodded, the thought of doing that not too bad at all. After all, she knew what it was like to be homesick. With Isobel gone, and both Master Matthew and Master George so frequently in either London or some other country due to this war, it was up to the staff to help Lady Lilly.

Maria thanked Mrs. Bird so much afterwards that the cook could only blush. Molesley looked a little lost though, and Mrs. Bird could only sigh. The man was unfamiliar with this kind of thing and Mrs. Bird shared a glance with Maria that told each other everything. Maria giggled immediately, while Mr. Molesley asked them why they were laughing so mysteriously.

~~ ….. ~~

In the next two days, George left for London reluctantly, having been called to help with the war. He didn't want to leave Lilly alone in the Crawley House, but Lilly all but kicked him out, telling him that he had a job he needed to do.

With his departure, he had asked Cora to check in on Lilly without telling her the news to Lilly's pregnancy. Cora then invited Lilly more frequently to dinner at the Abbey, not wanting the girl to feel lonely. Upon hearing Lilly's situation, Violet stepped in for caring for the younger woman as well. They had both come to care for Lilly as family and didn't want her to be in a house alone.

But it did not take long for both women to find out Lilly was pregnant. The day after George Crawley's departure, the women were having tea when Lilly grew nauseous. Immediately, Cora and Violet tried to help her, when Lilly reassured them that she was alright. When they looked like they didn't quite believe her, Lilly announced her pregnancy to them.

Both Cora and Violet's eyes widened at that and they tried to urge her to move into the Abbey for the time being. However, they failed in persuading Lilly to do so, the younger woman adamant that she didn't want to leave the servants in the Crawley House without work.

A few days afterwards, Lilly had fallen into the pattern of inviting Violet over to the Crawley House for tea and making some kind of work for the staff. It was a little difficult, however, when she realized it was just her in the household. Finding tasks for Molesley became a little difficult, but she made an effort to make work for him, so he didn't feel like he did not have anything to do.

One day in particular, the staff were relaxing in the kitchen, where Mrs. Bird and Maria were drinking tea. Mrs. Bird noticed Molesley come from providing Lady Lilly some letters that had arrived, and asked him,

"Want a cup?"

Mr. Molesley, sighed, sitting in his typical spot, responding with, "Not really."

Maria and Mrs. Bird shared a knowing glance, when Maria asked, "What were you doing? Does Lady Lilly need anything?"

Molesley shook his head and said, "Well, other than the typical chores, I've tidied the study, twice. And I've rearranged the coats in the hall. I might check Master Matthew's clothes for moth. What about you two?"

Frankly, Molesley was a little jealous of Mrs. Bird and Maria, who both remained busy with serving and preparing food. They were also researching what ingredients they could use to substitute the ingredients they did not have to cook something from Joseon. After all, Maria knew how to cook as well, which excluded Molesley from doing much to help out since there wasn't much to do compared to before.

As they started to discuss some plans to help Lilly with food, who had noticed eating alone was awkward. Molesley still appreciated Lilly's efforts by allowing him to serve her dinner in increments. They heard footsteps and saw Lilly enter the kitchen, looking for Molesley to send some letters out when a homeless man walked into the kitchen through the back door with a cane.

Molesley immediately stood up, almost in a protective stance, as the stranger said,

"Beg pardon for troubling you, only… the door was open."

Lilly glanced towards Molesley and studied the man. It appeared that the man relied on his cane to properly walk. His gaunt appearance told a lot, but she let Molesley handle this.

The butler quipped back, "Yes, but the front gate was not."

The stranger blushed, looking down, ashamed, as he muttered, "No."

Mrs. Bird sighed and asked, "What do you want?"

The man looked at the pot nearby, seeing the food the servants ate earlier, and asked, "Have you got any spare food?"

Mrs. Bird looked like she was about to snap at the young man, when Lilly spoke up and asked,

"Did you fight in the war?"

The man stared incredulously at the young lady, who held his gaze with a startling intensity. It left no room for questions. She wanted his full honesty and if he lied, there would be consequences. Both Molesley and Mrs. Bird shuddered at the look she sent to the man, who immediately nodded, and whispered out,

"Yes. I used to work on the farm around here, but…"

Lilly nodded, her gaze immediately softening, and looked towards Mrs. Bird, asking her,

"Mrs. Bird, is there any way you could offer this person some food? Anything will work."

The woman nodded, seeing the look of understanding come into Lilly's eyes as she turned to prepare the food. Lilly then looked at the man again and said,

"If you create trouble, I will not hesitate to inform the proper authorities, do you understand? Thank you for your service in the war, and the food is all I can provide, but I will not tolerate you creating trouble or causing harm to my people."

The man immediately nodded his head, terrified of whatever consequence the lady could bring should he accidentally cause any problems. Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Lilly ushered Molesley to talk with him quietly. She told him to watch the man, and once the person was gone, asked him to do some errands for her. Molesley nodded with a renewed sense of responsibility and went to do his task.

To Lilly's surprise however, the man quietly ate and left, thanking her and the servants. On his way out, Maria brought Lilly to the kitchen again on the request of the person. The man thanked Lilly profusely, and on his way out, he hesitated before asking her a question,

"I know that I shouldn't really ask this, but if it's alright, could I bring a few friends over for some food? We all lost jobs after our injuries from the war… and… I promise that these are good men! If you have anything you would like us to do, we will do it for the meal!"

Lilly studied the man quietly, while Mrs. Bird and Maria waited for her to respond. It was up to Lilly as the only master of the house to make a decision. They could tell from the sharp gaze that came back in Lilly's eyes that she was considering this. Turning to Mrs. Bird, Lilly asked,

"How much food can we spare?"

Surprised by the question, Mrs. Bird responded,

"There's some, but with my own budget, I'm afraid that I won't be able to do a lot."

Lilly fell into quiet thought for a minute, before stating,

"Mrs. Bird set a time with this man for him to bring other injured veterans to feed them. I will personally fund this. And you,"

Lilly looked back at the man, and the man straightened at this, as she said,

"You will be responsible for bringing men who won't cause issue. The moment something of concern arises, you will all be prohibited from entering the grounds of this estate. You understand me?"

The man nodded gratefully and thanked her. Lilly then smiled at him warmly before stepping up to the study. Mrs. Bird and Maria then arranged for the time and number of people that would come every day for a meal.

And of course, the scale increased rapidly, the men bringing injured people from the town to eat one meal. And once the number of people grew, Lilly also helped out with serving food in an orderly fashion. But it didn't take long for Cora to send Mrs. Patmore and Daisy to help out as well.

From time to time, Cora also joined in, not wanting Lilly to overwork herself when she was pregnant. Word spread of how the two ladies worked hard to help not only the soldiers that came to Downton, but also those who were struggling to make ends meet despite their service in the war. This quickly helped Lilly earn the respect of the people in the area, and Cora grew to be proud of Lilly for her strength despite her family's absence.