And now... *drumroll*
The truth, ladies and gentlemen! ;)
When Molesley had closed the door behind the two of them, he stood still, staring at Baxter, obviously caught off guard by her unexpected appearance.
- Mr Molesley… started Baxter, looking quite embarrassed.
The man shook himself awake and replied:
- Hum, yes, Miss Baxter… Would you… like some tea perhaps?
She smiled shyly:
- Yes, tea would be nice, thank you.
With that, Joseph disappeared into the kitchen, and she was left on her own. She looked around the little house, sparsely furnished but clean, though obviously deprived of a woman's hand.
- Your house is quite nice, she said, as Joseph came back from the kitchen.
- Thank you. I live here with my father, as you must know.
- Yes. Is he here?
She'd rather not have Mr Molesley Senior come unto them while she was spilling her darkest secrets to the man who could become her fiancé.
- He's out fishing, he shouldn't be back for a while. We won't be disturbed, assured Molesley, who seemed to have understood her fear. Would you like to sit? he offered, gesturing to the sitting-room.
A few minutes later, she was seated in an armchair with a cup of tea and he was sitting across the table on the settee. Baxter gathered her courage and spoke:
- Mr Molesley… Joseph, she corrected, emphasizing his given name. I want to apologize for the way I left you the other day. That was not correct, and I'm sorry.
- Please, don't apologize, Phyllis. I've been clumsy…
- No, no, it has nothing to do with you. What you said was very sweet. It's me really. You don't know who I really am.
- What do you mean, of course I know who you are, we've know each other for several years now!
- But you've not known me before.
- I don't care about who you were before, I care about who you are know, Phyllis.
- But still, I don't think it would be fair to bind you into marriage without you knowing what you're taking on.
- Is this about that trouble with Coyle? You already told me all of that. I know about the jewels, the prison.
- You know a part of it. I haven't told you the whole truth.
- Oh. And would you care to tell me now? So that I can make my own opinion?
- Yes. This is what I came for today. But it's very hard for me to talk about that.
- Alright. Well take your time.
There was a moment of silence, during which both of them sipped their tea. Then she braced herself and talked, in a voice that was barely more than a whisper, not daring to look him in the eyes.
- I was in love with Coyle. Or rather, I thought, I loved him. Now, looking back, I realize I was more like bewitched by him. Like he had put me under a spell. Anyway, at that time, I thought I loved him, and I thought he loved me. He had promised to marry me. He said that with the money from the jewels, we could go away and start a new life. I was foolish enough to believe him. You know how it went. He left with the money, but without me. That, is the part you know. What I did not tell you, is that when he left me behind, I was with child.
Molesley tried to conceal a little gasp at the revelation.
- And… what became of the child? he asked softly.
- There never was a child.
- Oh. I'm sorry. So you lost it?
- No. I saw to it that there wouldn't be.
Her hands trembled as she spoke, and tears were filling her eyes, ready to spill out.
- I was arrested only a few hours after I had gone to…
She didn't finish the sentence, too ashamed to voice the word out loud. Molesley stayed silent, visibly taking some time to let the information sink in.
- See, Joseph, this is why I think you deserve better than me. I'm so ashamed of what I did, I think I'm not worthy of you.
- Not worthy of me… he repeated, thoughtful. But Phyllis… I mended roads. Who wouldn't be "worthy" of me. I am nothing.
- You are an honest man who worked his way up to be a schoolteacher, and took honest jobs when he needed them! You never did anything so appalling!
- You were in distress…
He looked intently at her for a few seconds, as tears silently streamed down her cheeks.
- You know Phyllis, there are some things in my past that I'm not proud of either…
She scoffed.
- Something like that?!
Her tone marked well enough that she considered nothing could come close to her own misdeeds.
- During the war, I was exempted from service. On medical grounds. Except that I had no medical condition.
Phyllis looked up to him, surprised.
- The Dowager Countess took pity of my father, and wanted him to be spared from having to see his only son off to the front, so she convinced Dr Clarkson to make up a false report. And I said nothing against it. I was a coward. So, see? I'm not that honourable a man after all. Who's unworthy of whom, then?
Phyllis shook her head lightly, and replied:
- That doesn't make you unworthy in my eyes.
- Well, that doesn't make you unworthy in my eyes either.
The shadow of a smile appeared on her lips.
- Have you told me the whole story now? he asked earnestly.
- Yes, I have, she answered.
- Alright, so now I have one more question for you.
- Yes?
Her eyes grew wide as he got up from the settee and came close to her, then bent down on one knee and took her hand:
- Phyllis Baxter, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?
She laughed as some fresh tears flooded her cheeks again. Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead on Molesley's, and whispered:
- Yes, Joseph, I'll be your wife.
A bright grin split his face and he tilted his head up until his lips met hers in a chaste kiss. As he got up, he squeezed her arms, saying quickly:
- Er, wait here please, I'll be right back.
She heard him fumble somewhere in a chest of drawers, and she used those short moments to gather herself and try and realize what had just happened. She was engaged. He came back, holding a small velvet box. He shyly presented it to her, and took a ring out:
- It's not much but… it was my mother's engagement ring. My father kept it for my future wife, but I thought I'd never use it…
He slid the golden band, adorned with a small shining stone, on Phyllis's finger. She looked at it in adoration and said:
- It's beautiful, Joseph.
As a large smile lit her still wet face, she put herself on the tip of her toes and gave him another kiss.
x x x x
They walked arm in arm back to the Abbey, chatting animatedly on their way. The day was grey and rain was threatening, but to them it felt like the brightest day of their lives so far. It was about lunch hour, so they had decided to show up together in the servants' Hall and make their announcement. Indeed, everyone was already gathered around the long table when they entered the Hall, Thomas giving a curious eye to Molesley, wondering what he was doing here. Phyllis's gaze crossed Anna's, and she couldn't suppress a grin when the blond maid winked at her with a knowing face. How grateful she was that Anna (and Thomas, in his own special way) had convinced her to talk to Joseph. Daisy almost bumped into them as she brought the large dish to the table.
- Oh, Mr Molesley, hello, what are you doing here? There's no special party planned today!
- No, Daisy, I'm not here to work.
He took Baxter's hand and said out loud to the assembly:
- Everyone, Miss Baxter and I have some news!
All eyes were fixed on them, as he happily went on:
- Miss Baxter has agreed to become my wife. We are engaged to be married!
Cheers and greetings erupted around the table. Mrs Hughes gasped in surprise, joining her hands on her chest. Anna got up and skirted around the table to give a hug to Baxter, whispering:
- Congratulations, Phyllis, I'm very happy for you!
- Thank you Anna. You were right… smiled Baxter.
- Congratulations, Mr Molesley, said Bates, giving him a vigorous handshake.
- You'll stay and have lunch with us, Mr Molesley, offered Mrs Patmore.
- Oh, since you ask, I'll be glad to! replied Molesley good-heartedly.
He sat near Phyllis, and a merry chatter continued all through the meal, Mr Bates and Mrs Hughes enumerating to the advantages of a late marriage.
x x x x
Later in the afternoon, Molesley had gone back home and Phyllis was bent upon a blouse of Lady Grantham's she was mending. John and Anna were seated at the long table, and while she was working on knitting a jumper for Johnny, he was shuffling through a number of letters from real estate agents, pointing the pros and cons of each ad.
- This one is too big and too expensive.
- Let's cross it out then, said Anna.
- This one's not expensive… In fact it is so cheap that I wonder in what state it is… I hope it's not in ruins…
- We could always go and have a look. If it's cheap, that'll leave us enough money to do some modernizing.
- That'll take more time until we can live in it and open it though.
- Yes, but maybe it's a sacrifice worth being made, if the place has a good potential, she argued. I say we go look at it.
- Your wish is my command, Mrs Bates, he smiled, putting the letter on the pile with those he had to reply to. What about this one?
Anna frowned:
- It's a bit far from here…
- But an adequate size and a reasonable price, he objected.
- Hmm, she said, unconvinced.
- I'm sorry I haven't found anything in Downton, my darling.
She pouted.
- I'm not giving up, she said determinedly.
He shot her a loving glance.
- That's why I love you Mrs Bates. You never give up.
And they exchanged knowing smiles.
x x x x
Baxter kept smiling to herself as she was dressing Lady Grantham before dinner. No matter how hard she tried, she had not been able to suppress that silly grin from her face all day. Engaged. The word turned around over and over in her head, making it difficult for her to focus on her duties. After a while, Lady Grantham noticed that something was out of the ordinary. Her maid was a rather quiet person, not one to wear such a joyful face.
- Baxter, what is it? she inquired. You seem full of the joys of spring.
Phyllis chuckled discreetly.
- I am happy Milady.
- I'm glad for you. And what is the cause of this sudden happiness?
Baxter bit her lower lip as she almost giggled. She held out her hand to her mistress, showing her the ring:
- I'm engaged, Milady. I am to be married.
Lady Grantham gasped in surprise. She had not been aware that her Lady's maid was being courted, and given her mature age, she had not thought that would happen. Baxter had never mentioned her involvement with Molesley before, and she had not asked questions about her maid's private life.
- Baxter! Congratulations! That's great news.
- Thank you Milady.
- And who's the chosen one? If I may ask, of course.
- Of course, Milady. It's Mr Molesley.
- Oh, I see.
As about everyone else, Cora did not quite see what Phyllis could find interesting in Molesley, but then, she was not one to judge the working class's marriage choices, as long as they did not disturb her own life.
- Good news indeed, she repeated. For you, at least, maybe less for me… she mused. Are you intending on leaving my service when you marry?
It was not customary for a Lady's maid to stay in service when married, but then Anna had been the first to breach that particular rule. However, Anna's husband was also in their employment, which made her case slightly different than Baxter's, whose future spouse lived and worked in the village.
- I… I had not yet thought that through Milady, Baxter admitted. Would you want me to leave?
- Not at all, Baxter! I'm very happy with your service, I wish to keep you as long as possible.
- Thank you very much Milady. I like my job too, so if you'll permit it, I'd like to continue doing it. Though I might want to live in the village with Mr Molesley.
- We have already a lot of servants living outside the Abbey, I don't see why you couldn't. Jesus, will we have to call you Molesley? asked Cora, as the question struck her.
Baxter chuckled.
- I don't mind if you keep calling me Baxter Milady… Just as Anna is still Anna, and Mrs Hughes is still Mrs Hughes.
- Thank you for that, I'd be more comfortable, admitted Cora. If I kept calling for "Molesley", I would always expect to see him appearing in my bedroom…
- That would feel awkward to me too Milady.
- Then we're agreed. You'll still be called Baxter, concluded Cora.