Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! Hello again! I've written you the 8th chapter of this lovely story…Once again I must thank you for the amazing, encouraging reviews you've left me. They always manage to make smile and laugh, and they make my days better! So, I thank you for those. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others. Don't mind the typos and remember to leave me a review! Until next time!
Sunday 15th, Downton Abbey, the kitchen
He burst into the kitchen in panic, startling both Mrs. Patmore and Daisy. The cook reassured him that everything was fine now, they got over it with just a scare…Lord Grantham had someone, in this case Mr. Branson, call for the retired butler and inform him about what had happened. And Charles came running. He almost wished they'd sent a car, so he could've come quicker. How dared the man touch his wife? Someone had laid a hand on his lovely, ever so beautiful wife…The thought made him shiver.
"Where is she?", Charles asked, still out of breath.
"Her ladyship insisted that she would sit down for a minute. They brought her into the library and Dr. Clarkson is examining her now, I suppose.", said Mrs. Patmore as she dried her hands on her apron."I went to see her just a moment ago and se told me to try to keep you calm."
"Keep me calm?! What on earth do you mean?"
"She knew they would telephone you, and that when you'd heard about it you would get all agitated, Mr. Carson, and I do not blame you, nor her, for the matter."
"…Uhm…Well, I thank you, Mrs. Patmore."
"Not at all. Now, go get your wife and bring her to the safety of your cottage. I will have you a hamper ready when you get back down."
God bless Mrs. Patmore, he thought. Charles made it to turn around and leave the kitchen. The two women watched the former butler rush off before Daisy spoke up;
"What has happened to him?"
Mrs. Patmore turned her head to face the younger woman.
"What do you mean?", she asked.
"Mr. Carson has gone soft! Thats what I mean.", Daisy beamed.
"Oh, don't talk like that! When it comes to his wife, Mr. Carson has always been a big bear of a softie.", the cook told Daisy with a smirk.
Daisy chuckled and lifted a tray into the oven.
"Do they mean to tell us what happened?"
"I don't think it is our business, Daisy. So, get on with your work.", Mrs. Patmore scolded, turning back to her own work."And for heaven's sake, don't tell Mr. Carson I called him a softie…"
At the same time Dr. Clarkson closed his supply bag with a quiet click and stood up from the chair he had been sitting on while he was putting a bandage over the housekeeper's wrist.
"So, it is broken?", asked the woman in question.
"It's not broken, just slightly sprained, Mrs. Hughes. It should heal nicely on its own. You will have to reduce putting any weight on your right arm and you should have some rest, at least today and tomorrow. Then I can grant you to go back to work, if you promise not to do any lifting. It would surprise me if you even could.", explained the doctor.
"I'm sure Mr. Carson will take care of that.", she smiled absentmindedly.
"Most certainly he will.", Clarkson nodded, and handed her a small package, containing some white pills."Now, you are to take these if the your wrist causes you any pain. And don't hesitate to come and see me if anything comes up."
"I will, thank you Dr. Clarkson."
And with that, the doctor left the room, bowing his head at the lord and the ladies present in the room. Her Ladyship had come down right after her husband did, and now she was sitting on one of the red couches with Lady Mary. The commotion at the hall had intrigued her interest…That minx always had to interfere with things, the housekeeper thought with a heavy sigh.
"No one has yet told me what that man was about? Why would he just choose someone to blackmail them?"
"Mary.", said Robert Crawley from the side of the big room, trying to tell his daughter that she was to not ask anything else.
Lady Mary didn't mind much of her father's scolding;
"Well, Mrs. Hughes? What was that all about?", asked Lady Mary with excessive interest.
"Well, milady, the thing-"
The housekeeper couldn't finish what she was saying when they all saw, and heard, the retired butler walk into the room. She shook her head as she stood up to face him.
"Are you alright?", Charles asked, not realizing the family watching them intently.
"Everything's fine now, don't you worry. We survived with just a slight scare.", she placed her left hand on his arm, seeing he wasn't calming. Looking lovingly into his eyes, she whispered quietly enough so that the others didn't hear her;"Everything's fine now that you're here."
That seemed make him relax. She'd always had a calming influence on him, they all knew that. But before any of them could say more, Elsie sensed the anger inside him. She could see the fury in his eyes. This was not going to end well; he would most likely tell her he would find the man in his hands and hit the life out of him. Now certainly was not the time for that.
"How did the man dare to do something like this? If I ever cross paths with him, I will h-"
"Charles.", interrupted his wife."He's long gone by now, I doubt you will ever have to see him. "
"What was he thinking?", said Charles angrily.
"He had somehow found out about the news. I don't know how, but he had."
She could see his hand clenching into a fist.
"So, he was so disturbed by the fact that you would be his princess? That you would be the person in front of whom he would kneel? How dare he…Once yo- we'll join the family, I certainly expect them to take care of your safety, far better than they have now!"
Her husband certainly let the cat out on this, Elsie grimaced, well, they couldn't have hidden it much longer anyways.
"What?!", Lady Mary said, her voice loud like she was shouting.
Charles turned his face towards the others in the room in horror. Bloody hell, he shouted at himself, not outloud.