Chapter 3

"Mother, I do not know if you are going to approve of what we're doing."

Isobel smiled as she sat in her office at the care home, on her mobile to her son. She had had a feeling that her and Matthew were going to be having this chat. Cora was the type to gather her family to her when things went ill – and they were certainly doing that right then. Isobel would do the same if she could. But her life was somewhat different to that of the countess.

She turned her mind back to the matter in hand.

Isobel knew that tone in her sons voice. "Matthew, what I should say publicly can go hang. But privately you are my darling son. And I do not want you and Mary to be placed any other pressure beyond what you must be."

It was not easy starting a marriage, she knew that. And to be locked up together at the very start of that time - well she did not want that for him. Or for poor Mary either.

Isobel was of the opinion that they were going to lockdown. It did not take a genius to know there were going to be consequences of that. One of them was going to be a divorces. She was wise enough to know there were marriages out there that depended on couples being able to come together but also spend time apart.

To live in one another's pockets was not always possible for many people and nor should it be. It was her opinion it was entirely healthy for people to live their own life. She and Reginald had had their own jobs and roles and her and Dickie were far too long in the tooth to start living in each other's pocket now. Independence was a gift she had long cherished.

And then on the other hand there were going to be the couples who drew together almost too much and she had a feeling there was going to be somewhat of a baby boom when all of this was at an end. Still only time would tell all that.

"So you do not mind us going to Downton to lockdown?" Matthew asked his mother. He did not think he needed her permission to do so but if he was honest with himself, he would not mind having her blessing at all. In fact he found himself rather craving it.

"No, I do not." She said to him. It would be a lot more peaceful than she had a feeling her lockdown was going to be.

"Mother, I do love you. Are you ok?"

"Oh yes, you know me," she said to him with a forced smile. He could not see it but she had to wonder if he could hear it. He knew her. But the last thing in the world she wanted to do was to put any trouble on to him right then, her young newly wedded son.

The truth was she was worried about Downton Care Home that she run. She did not know how she was going to put in place all the procedures she had to and lord she just dreaded imposing the visiting restrictions which were going to come. She knew and understood entirely how important the visitors from family and friends were for the people who lived at the care home. She saw the difference daily. Mr Mason lived for his son William coming to see him, and yet Mrs Bakewell had no family to speak of at all. Thus it was no surprise to her one was generally in much better health than the other.

"I do know you – and if I can do anything in the world to help you right now all you have to do is call me."

That was her boy thought Isobel. He was loyal to the core – no wonder Mary had had the good sense to fall in love with him.

She would have been an unspeakable fool not to she thought. But she was very much the biased mother, she did not have to be told that.

"I do not know if I am going to get to see you face to face before lockdown happens…"

"But we have facetimes and calls and texts and –"

"And it will be fine," said Matthew said to her for the two of them had to believe that.

"One way or another I will see you soon."

"Love you mum."

Isobel swallowed and blinked. "I love you too, darling boy."

"Goodbye."

"Speak soon."

Mary locked the front door of their flat and walked out on to the street. She had had the feeling that her husband had needed a bit of space to talk to Isobel. Everyone was feeling on edge right then – it felt to her as if it was the way of the world.

No one knew what was coming.

"How is she?" Mary asked as she touched his hand, trying to reassure him.

"You know my mother – she says she is ok but I can't even think about her work load at the moment," he said to his wife. There was no good denying it. He worried about her right then and he knew he was going to worry about her for a long time to come this year. Then there was the fact that the government kept talking about the people with underlying health conditions. That had to apply to his step father he thought. Dickie was a kind man but he was not in the best of health.

And his mother was not going to abandon her post. So what that meant for their living arrangements he did not know. In fact that was another thing he did not want to think about.

Mary was not one to offer empty words of comfort to her husband. She was not going to say it was all going to be ok to him when she did not know if it would be. She did not like the sort of person who would do that – it was vapid as far as she was concerned. But she did take his hand for a minute and offer him a smile which she hoped said she was there and that no matter what, they'd face all of this together.

Together, together, together.

"Shall we get in the car Mrs Crawley?" he asked her for he still loved saying her full title to her for there had been plenty of days when she had thought he was never going to get her to agree to marry him at all.

But she had and he was, for all the worry and the stress, the happiest man in the world due to that fact.

"Yes," she said as she made her way towards there red two seater. She could not deny as soon as she sat in the leather chair, that her shoulders dropped.

They always did when she was going home. Truly home.

Even though it was open to the public, she had grown up in and out of and had a huge love for Downton Abbey. No matter what it was always going to be her home.

And that was where they were going.

X x x

"Hello my darling," Cora said as she saw Edith. She had to say whether her daughter thought they were going into lockdown or not – she was so grateful for her right then. It would have been a long lonely journey back to Downton alone.

The two of them had met at Kings Cross and were catching the train to York, then would change from York to Downton where Sybil had said she would met them and run them up to the abbey before her shift at the hospital for the night.

If she had thought her youngest was even a little less moral, then Cora would try and talk her into leaving the hospital right then. Maybe she would still try even then. She knew she was at low risk and she knew she was being selfish but – but the fact of it was they were all still getting used to living in a pandemic. And what she wanted more than anything in the world was for her babies to be safe.

But she knew her Sybil and she was not going to leave when the chips were down.

That was not who she was at all.

"Mama," said Edith as she gave her a kiss on the check. She had to admit when she had seen Cora she felt relief flood over her.

The last few weeks had been stressful – for reasons totally other than what she knew her mother was worrying about – so she was glad to get away. And no matter how old she had got she had always found a comfort in being close to her mother. She was sure she always would.

"Have you spoken to your office and told them you are going to be away for a while?"

Edith nodded. She had told them of her plans and they had said that was going to be fine.

She still did not think they were going to go into lockdown but that did not mean that everyone else didn't and she had been told she could work from home for the foreseeable. In fact she had been told there was no working in the office for the foreseeable.

"I have."

"And Bertie?"

Bertie. The office had been fine with her leaving, but he had not. He just like her mother thought they were going to be in for the long haul here. And she knew if he had his way then they would have faced what came there way next together.

And she would as well - if she could just let go of her past.

But the fact of it was she couldn't.

"He is going to be just fine – Come on, Mama, we are going to miss our train."

Cora knew at that moment that there was more to the story but whatever it was her daughter was not ready to open up to her about it.

But no matter. They were going to have time. They would find time to discuss whatever was on her mind.

"We've got ten minutes yet, my darling – let's get a coffee before we get on board."

Together, after a quick stop at Pret, boarded the train, ensuring not to get on a quiet carriage. They were both going to be on their laptops as they headed home – making calls as well no doubt – and no one was more annoying than the fool who disturbed the peace of the quiet carriage.

"I had to say I was surprised when you say Papa was not yet ready to go home – I thought he would be on the first train he could back to Downton."

Edith did not think she knew many people who loved home the way her father did and sometimes she believed he had been born in the wrong time. Nothing would please Robert Crawley more, or so Edith believed, than to fritter away his days at Downton in peace.

His work in the House of Lords did not seem to fulfil him the way his time with the family in Yorkshire did, she thought when he was home among his own.

"I must admit I felt quite the same myself –" Cora admitted to her. "But you know how he feels about duty and this is a time of national crisis. I imagine he is not the only man in government who feels as if he is First Lord of the Admiralty in 1939."

The imagine of her father as a kind of Churchill made Edith smile.

Yes, she could imagine that. Most of all the Prime Minister, whether it was warranted or not.

"Well, I am sure he is not going to be too far behind us."

Cora smiled as they pulled out of the station. "I do hope not."

As Edith set up her lap top, intending to do some editing on the train, Cora nursed a coffee she had got on the way to the train. Her mind was going twelve to the dozen. There were those staff at the abbey who had quarters there – Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson being among them. The long hours they did looking after the property as a tourist site had warranted the family doing a few of the old servants rooms up for them, Cora had thought, and so the staff had comfortable quarters there.

Without consulting Robert, or in fact anyone she drafted an email to them, saying they were more than welcome to remain at the abbey through lockdown. She was going back there with her daughters because it was going to be a more pleasant place for them to be and she had no right to deny that to people who worked so hard for them. Now would she.

"Did you manage to get in touch with the newlyweds?"

"I did – I think they are going to drive up to the abbey today."

Edith sighed. There was no denying it would be a bit more of a break for her if Mary was not there but – but if she was wrong and they were in for the long haul – then she did not want her sister to be cooped up, any more than her mother had wanted her to be.

"Do try and get on with Mary when your home, darling."

"I'll get on with her if she gets on with me," she said lightly. For all the trouble they had had, she had to say she felt as if she and her sister had got on better over the build up to Mary's wedding. She hoped that would continue through this period.

"I am sure she will be too taken up with Matthew for trouble."

"Let us hope so – and either way Sybil will be there to keep us in check."

She was glad of that. She felt as if she had not had a lot of time with her of late.

"She will." Cora said. It seemed to her daughter as if she was almost immediately deep in thought on hearing her youngest daughters name.

"You mustn't worry about her too much mama."

"I will try," but she knew it was not going to be easy. It would not be easy at all.

X x x

As it had dawned on Elsie Hughes that they were going into lockdown, she was not sure how she felt, like everyone else up and down the country she guessed.

It was alien to her and she'd no idea how they'd cope. It was like nothing else had ever been through in her life time. And that life would be completely different for some time to come.

There was going to be no opening of the season. There were going to be no tourists trapsing through the house. There would be no seasonal workers to train up.

Nothing like she was used too.

She paused, standing still as she was in the old drawing room, looking around. She had thought she was going to have to close up the house completely.

But it was not to be. She had got a call from Lady Cora telling her that she did not have to do much more but if she could just make sure the public aspect of the building was wound down so it was ready for the family, that would be enough.

She had had images of herself covering the furniture with dust sheets and turning off all the lights. But the more time went on the more she realised that just because they country was shutting down, it did not mean that they house was.

Years had passed since the Crawley's had had soul run of the place. And now, against the odds, they were going to be able to treat their family home as their home again.

She swallowed, straightened up and pulled out her smart phone, a contraption she had only just about got to grips with. If she didn't need it for work then she never would have bothered.

Upon reading the latest email she had received, she headed in the direction of the office of Mr Charles Carson.

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