Chapter 31

The dull light of the winter morning crept into the nursery like a sneaking child opening a forbidden door. A few idle birds chirped into the quiet winter air. Mrs Hughes began to replace the cold clothes put on the foreheads of the young ladies. She wrung out cold water and wiped their necks. Starting with Lady Sybil and then Lady Edith, she moved on to Lady Mary.

Just as she placed the cool cloth on Lady Mary's neck the young girl whimpered and started squirming.

"Diamond, no. I can't. I'll fall. Please. Please Diamond," she mumbled in her sleep. Elsie guessed that Lady Mary was dreaming possibly about that time when she fell off her horse and took a few bad bruises.

"Sshh… Milady," Elsie shushed trying to calm the young girl, "You're safe, Milady. You're at home," she whispered as she stroked the girl's forehead.

"Mama?" Lady Mary called out, still in her dream. A note of fear in her voice. Elsie couldn't help but pity the young girl before her. They may walk about like princesses in the making but they were girls after all.

"Everything will be alright Milady," Elsie ran her fingers through Lady Mary's dark hair and stroked her forehead. The girl calmed down and a deep sleep conquered her again, her breaths deep and slightly laboured.

A knock sounded on the door and Elsie looked up, her hand still holding the side of Lady Mary's head. Mr Carson stood at the door holding a tray, his eyes a mixture of surprise and affection. Seconds passed as he watched two of his favourite people together. Realising the awkward silence he cleared his throat.

"We missed you at breakfast," he said as he walked in and placed the tray on a table at the far corner of the nursery. "I brought you a tray, you must be hungry."

"You shouldn't have bothered yourself Mr Carson. You could have sent Anna up. Or Daisy," she replied as she watched him straighten to his full height having placed the tray down.

"No, it was not bother. Certainly not. We can't have you worn out after doing all this," he replied uneasily. He didn't like to appear too sentimental but he certainly couldn't go about his day without knowing that she was alright.

"Thank you," Elsie said, a smile gracing her face, touched at the Butler's concern for her.

"How are they?" he asked watching the three pale looking girls who were fast asleep.

"Steady. I think they might be alright by afternoon today," Mrs Hughes answered. "If it doesn't worsen," she added an afterthought, her face darkening even at the thought of the possibility.

"Is there anything else I could possibly get you?"

"Nothing for me Mr Carson. But could you tell Mrs Patmore to prepare some broth for the young ladies for their breakfast? And perhaps send Anna up? I need to tell her about today's duties but I'd hate to leave the young ladies alone," she answered with a slight smile and he nodded.

"It's frightening isn't it, when young people fall ill?" he asked, perhaps wondering aloud, his gaze still fixed on her.

Mrs Hughes looked at the three girls who were sleeping, their bodies drenched in sweat, "It is, and it doesn't help when one has seen one's fair share of unhappy conclusions surrounding those," she sighed. The moment she finished uttering that sentence she had slivers of regret piercing her mind. Would he think her too sentimental? Would he think she is not the strong person that she is?

"I'm sorry Mr Carson. I didn't mean to sound-," she began but he cut her off.

"No need to apologize Mrs Hughes. I suppose a bit of sentiment is allowed at a time like this," he argued but in an instance he regretted it. Would she think him to be unfeeling? Would she think he doesn't value anything in life about feelings and people? But his doubts had no time to find a firm place in his heart for she looked at him and gave a faint smile.

"After all we've seen a bit of life haven't we," he added as an afterthought and he noticed a tiny sparkle in her eyes that suggested that Mrs Hughes was regaining her fire back.

"You aren't trying to call me old, are ye Mrs Carson?" she asked playfully, her lips twitching at the corners.

"I didn't mean it that way, I just," he flustered and she cut him off.

"Because I daresay that is certainly not a gracious thing to say to any woman," Mrs Hughes retorted but her eyes betraying the suddenly mischievous and humorous turn of the conversation.

"I was only a complimenting your wisdom Mrs Hughes and I don't think that is hardly a reason for you to put me up the guillotine," Mr Carson replied in a defeated tone.

"I daresay that's too much of a foreign way for you to go Mr Carson," Mrs Hughes chuckled and instantly looked around to see if her unchecked laughter had woken any of the girls.

"Mrs Hughes!" in a stern tone was all he could manage to avoid the speechless state he was left in.

The cheerful note faded and Mrs Hughes sighed, turning her head away from the Butler. Mr Carson cleared his throat softly in an attempt to banish the awkward silence that settled in the air again.

"Mrs Hughes?" Mr Carson asked in much more concerned tone, worried by the dark and sad expression that began to haunt her face.

"I was… just away with the fairies Mr Carson," she gave a vague reply and Mr Carson decided to drop the subject. But it was clear to him. Something did come over her. Whatever it was he didn't know but something did. He would not mind knowing but he hated to pry. Mrs Hughes was after all very much her own person, quite like himself.

"I'll ask Anna up then and inform Mrs Patmore? I think Anna has already started her day. Will that be all Mrs Hughes?" he asked ending on a heavily professional note but with part of his heart aching at the sight of the odd mixture of fear and sorrow that suddenly tainted her rather ordinary disposition.

"Yes Mr Carson," she replied in an equally professional tone. Her shoulder even and high, her back straight. Ever the professional Housekeeper. But her eyes… she didn't know that they gave a glimpse of the clouds that darkened her skies. She watched Mr Carson close the door behind him and her head bowed.

"Becky ye canne leave me on my own lass," Elsie pleaded to her sister who was tossing and turning in bed.

"Elsie," Becky whispered, her half open eyes glistening in the feverish frenzy.

"Becky? I'm 'ere my dear," Elsie wiped her hand across her sister's forehead.

"Da dinnae want me," Becky replied, fresh tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Elsie's heart ached. She couldn't deny that her father didn't like Becky. But to see that her sister had actually taken it to her head pained Elsie.

"But I need ye Becky. Elsie needs ye. Ma needs ye," Elsie said desperately in a pleading tone. No reply came and Elsie felt even more desperation filling her heart.

"Ye cannae leave me Becky. Listen here Becky Hughes ye willnae leave me alone! Ye cannae leave me all on my own! If ye leave me and go Becky Hughes I willnae forgive ye! I mean it, I willnae forgive ye Becky!" Elsie stormed out but her voice cracked at the end and she burst into tears, sobs wracking her whole body.

Becky's hand touched Elsie's. Elsie rarely cried. But when she cried it was since she was too tired of holding on to her feelings. And in her own way Becky knew it.

X x x x

Mrs Hughes woke up with a start, horrified that she had dozed off. It must be last night taking its toll on her, she concluded. She ran her fingers across her eyes to rub the sleep away. Looking around she saw the girls asleep, rather peacefully compared to last night.

A tap on the door, and Anna entered carrying a tray with three bowls of broth.

"Ah Anna, I was wondering whether Mr Carson didn't fulfil his role as the messenger," Mrs Hughes said with a smile and she took the empty tray from her breakfast and watched Anna settled the tray with the broth on the table.

"I was late because Mrs Patmore asked if I could take the tray up too. Spare another journey upstairs," Anna smiled. "I heard they were doing well."

"Rather well. Steady I would call it. No complications yet and I suppose the worst of it is over," Mrs Hughes replied looking over her shoulder at the girls.

"Jane was feeling a little better too and she wanted to start work but I insisted that she stayed in bed for the morning. Would that be alright Mrs Hughes?"

"It would be, yes. We can't have her falling ill again after being so weak. What about the rest of the day?" Mrs Hughes asked, pleased with the way Anna had worked so far without the Housekeeper's attention.

"I managed the library and the drawing room with Gwen. There is however something…" Anna lingered at the end the end of the sentence unsure how to finish.

"Anna?" the Housekeeper prompted.

"There's a wine stain on the carpet of the library," Anna revealed the source of her worry.

"A wine stain?" Mrs Hughes asked confused. "There wasn't anything when I went over last night."

"Apparently His Lordship had been in the library early today since he hadn't been able to sleep. He had accidently spilled the wine on the carpet," Anna observed a frustrated look occupy Mrs Hughes' face.

"You don't know how to take the stain off? Surely Anna you must know it by now! I can't go on telling you every day!" Mrs Hughes couldn't help the annoyed note in her voice that made Anna tense slightly.

"Well I do know. But it's the Persian one Mrs Hughes and I'm afraid… if anything goes wrong...?" Anna looked at Mrs Hughes with an expression of fear and a pleading note in her voice.

"Alright, I'll see to it. But Anna this is the last time!" Mrs Hughes warned! She knew Anna did have a good reason. Elsie herself didn't like dealing with that delicate carpet. Why on earth did Lord Grantham have to go wondering in the night when he was ill for heaven's sake! If she look into the stain herself it could give Anna a break from her hard morning while she stays at the nursery, Mrs Hughes thought. But something, something didn't feel right. Something most certainly didn't feel right but Elsie couldn't point a finger at what it was. Se mentally shook her head. It was just her being over anxious.

"Anna you'll stay in the nursery. And let me know at any change," Mrs Hughes instructed and Anna nodded. "And no falling asleep," she added feeling a bit of a hypocrite.

Anna watched Mrs Hughes walk out of the door mumbling something under her breath and by the tone of the mumbling Anna felt rather grateful that she didn't understand Gaelic or Scots.

To be continued…

Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews! I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I had a couple of exams and now I've got vacation! And I'll probably be able to update regularly than usual. And a few facts… Scots and Gaelic are not the same thing. Scots is quite like the dialect of English spoken in Scotland and it sound a bit like English but it's actually considered to be a separate language than a dialect now. Gaelic was the language spoken in Scotland first in the 4th and 5th centuries and reached its peak in the 11th century. So Scottish Gaelic and Scots are two different languages. Thanks for bearing that history lesson that wasn't asked for and see you soon with the next chapter!