Servants Series 6

by ss9

A wedding at last? Or is everything off? Taplows gains a new deputy housekeeper, another Adams who has more than enough secrets of her own and will Frank's plotting finally pay off?

7. Episode 6b

The next few days had passed with the less mishap as possible. The Earl seemed to be satisfied, which made the staff happy, Lord Julian was throwing up every two seconds, which also made the staff happy (save one). The footmen seemed to be enjoying the change of scenery, it was nice to be able to walk through town without every woman avoiding them. Since their little discussion Flora and Jarvis were spending as much time as possible together and Flora seemed to be getting far to use to doing basically nothing, except knitting the odd piece of baby clothing.

Mrs Miggins definitely had standards, which even if her maids were use to Grace wasn't, but all the extra work had helped keep her mind off things which had occurred over the passing days. She'd hardly said a word to George over the last few days, though she had been tempted. Very tempted to ask him why he was carrying a gun around and was dying to bite at him about being so stupid as to leave his jacket all over the house. If anyone else except her had found the contents in his jacket pocket, he would be up before Jarvis straight away. Luckily though it had been her and she had kept his coat with her until she had chance to subtly place it under his feet.

George was slightly glad of the estrangement between him and the maid. The last thing he needed at the moment was her nagging at him about this and that. Once this was over and they were out of the country he'd try to win her around again. He'd thought over these last few days he'd need his wits about him, but nothing had happened. Frank hadn't been anywhere near him and tomorrow they would be leaving, going far away for 6 months, a thought that brought peace to George's mind.

Will: I'm sure the Earl loves to just pick on me! What have I ever done to him? He hisses, stamping his feet in order to get his blood circulation going again. This is the second year in a row now that I've missed the new year's party.

George: I'm sure you ain't missing much Will, they are the same every year. anxious to keep moving not wanting to turn into Felix's new ice statue masterpiece.

Will: How would you know you've only been to one?

George: True, but they can't be that different. Will sighs to himself, rubbing the chill out of his hands.

Will: It better not bloody snow. looking up at the dark gloomy snow. That was all they needed to be stuck outside this house all night and for it to start to snow. The Earl had been invited to a New Year's party at a household near by, which he had nicely invited Will and George along to, to stand outside in the freezing cold and wait for him.

Frank had been made to come along too to keep Lord Puke-a-lot in check. The Earl had instructed Jarvis to make sure Frank would be near by in case he needed to get- or more likely carry Julian out, "the last thing I need is some son-in-law making a fool out of my and spoiling my impeccable reputation". The words 'impeccable reputation had made perfect dinner conversation between the butler, housekeeper and chef that night.

Frank however seemed to have disappeared momentarily with some tart he'd found in the kitchen. Or at least that is what George and Will had thought as a very intoxicated chef had breathed to close to them while asking if either of them had seen his loose maid.

Will: That just confirms the fact that all chef's that are hired have to be completely off the rails. He'd commented at the time.

George: Unique. George had replied and they'd both sniggered.

Their night hadn't really been all that bad, they would have preferred being back at the London household living it up with their colleges, but making up nicknames for all the toffs from only sight had proved very amusing. But after a while they realised they were getting the same names more than once so in the end just decided to divide them into 4 categories; the first was the Lord Hugo group, but after a while George made Will change this to the Prince Albert group instead, due to the fact there were still people 'mourning' for the former. The second was the Stick up their arse group, this included all the males who looked the footmen attending to them up and down in disgust rather than the reasons of the other males.

The women were divided into the Farquarson sisters, either the Hamilton-Hussey, love to rule the roost version or the under-butler shagging version, but the division was really to do with whether they were gorgeous or a bit of a dog.

Will: Good god, did you see the body on that nose? He whispers to George, who sniggers

George: She definitely goes in the Francesca Hamilton-Hussey group. Will nods in agreement. What about her then? Will studies the woman for a moment.

Will: Neither, she's not feminine enough, she'll have to go in the Stick up their arse group. George chuckles to himself.

George: She's definitely a Lady Caroline. He mutters to Will, as they watch a woman shriek at the top of her voice about the fact her dress was going to get wet in the rain.

Will: It's only spitting. Maybe we should throw her in a river, then she may understand the difference. They both chuckle. I hate that b Keneally, he gets to sneak off with some tart while we are stuck out here. Well I'm telling you now, if the Earl comes to tell us darling Julian has to be taken home you doing the honours!

George: Oh lucky me he huffs, but an idea strikes him and a smile creeps across his face. Then again once I'd got him to bed I'd be free to join the party, while you be stuck here all alone while your bits turned blue. Will suddenly turns very pale and clenches his fists.

Will: But as first footman the Earl may trust me to look after his son-in-law more than some SECOND footman.

George: No, no. shaking his head and smiling. First footman stays with the Earl. But I may be able to let this go, as long as you tell me how many times he throws up on you. He chuckles as he sees Will scowl, before beginning their game again, this time with a new category; Batty Lady Mary's.

However if the two lads had known just how the party was proceeding back at the house then they might not have felt so distraught about missing it! Surprisingly for a New Year's eve party there was no loud music, or dancing or even a single sign of anyone having fun; the reason for this could be boiled down to one woman Mrs Miggins! She had issued a household ban on alcohol starting that evening and there was nothing that Mr Jarvis or Mr Adams could do to get her to change her singularly stubborn mind. She had even conducted a room inspection, and found the footmen's hidden stash of brandy in their trunks, which of course she automatically confiscated and Joe dreaded having to explain to Will where it had gone, he knew the first footman would be furious.

However this didn't stop the remaining footmen from trying desperately to think of a way around the problem after all it was unthinkable to have a new year's eve party without a shot or two to toast 1852 in properly. It was because of this noble endeavour that Fred and Joe found themselves sneaking about in the shadows as they headed towards the kitchens.

"Pist, Fred…" Joe called out from behind the door. "Are you sure about this?"

"Sush!" The other footman hissed as he jumped behind a statue just in time to hide from a kitchen maid who came flying out of the kitchen, the sounds of the chef ranting in the background filtering into the hall whilst the door closed. Then when everything was quiet again Fred reappeared, waving at Joe to follow him along the corridor to the back door to the larder, a door that normally remain locked unless the supplier was delivering.

"It's locked, I told you it would be, you didn't think the silly old bag would leave it open tonight just for you did you! Joe muttered as he tugged at the door handle. "Why don't we just go, have a game or two of cards, unless she's banned that as well in our absence…" He trailed off miserably.

"Not so fast Josephine!" Fred joked, glancing up and down the corridor making sure no one was coming or had seen them lurking about, before reaching into his coat pocket and removing a selection of skeleton keys and quietly trying one after the other in the lock.

"Where the bloody hell did you get them!" Joe squeaked.

"Not so loud!" Fred snapped. "Do you want the entire senior staff to hear us, besides we're not doing nought illegal we're only getting some of what's ours so there is no needed to start showing that girly streak of yours!….Ahhhh that's the one!" He added turning the key and hearing the lock click open, glancing over his shoulder he slipped into the room, reappearing a moment later to thrust several bottles into Joe's reluctant hands.

"Here hide them!" Fred ordered before disappearing again and so missing the look of panic on Joes's face as he tried to stuff two bottles either under his coat or down his trousers and failing in both attempts.

"Ere Fred I can't hide two! How many are you getting anyway?" He hissed.

But the other footman didn't answer, he was busy up to more mischief. Inside the larder once he had found their confiscated brandy Fred had paused to take a quick scout around, seeing if there were any other interesting items he could slip under his jacket. It was at this point that he spied, sitting innocently on the self near the kitchen door a large bowl of Kraus's famous fruit punch and in the dark Fred smiled mischievously.

A minute later he reappeared in the corridor much to Joe's relief and took the other bottle off of his friend.

"What the hell were you doing in there?" Joe demanded as they quickly strode towards the footmen's room.

"Oh nothing!" Fred replied smugly. "Nothing at all!"

"Well you took a bloody long time to do it!" Joe retorted. "It's not going to get us into trouble is it?" He added as he recognised the guilty twinkle in his friend's eye.

"Us…No it's not going to get US in any trouble at all!" Fred replied cryptically before they both disappeared into the relative safety of their room.

Ten minutes later the senior staff assembled in their dining room, a sulking Jarvis sitting at one end of the table and as far away from that 'mad, old bat' as he could manage, Flora sat to his left and Felix to his right, both exchanging amused smiles as the Butler fumed under his breath before moving to he hack the roasted joint to pieces, Felix wincing at every stroke as he saw his masterpiece shredded before his very eyes.

"Stop Please!" The chef suddenly exclaimed. "You need to be gentler Mr Jarvis, the meat is cooked to perfection so it should practically fall off the bone…."

"Fine!" Jarvis snapped sitting back into his seat and practically throwing the caving knife over to the chef. "You do it then." He added as he glared in annoyance at his empty wine glass. "I suppose we are expected to wash this 'masterpiece' down with water are we?" He hissed as Felix passed him the prime cutting as a consolatory gesture.

"Well no actually…" Felix replied smugly. "I managed to have one of the maids whip up my famous fruit punch." He added waving one of the staff forward to pour a generous helping into the Butler's punch glass.

"Oh joy!" Jarvis muttered sarcastically, earning him a reproachful look from his wife for his apparent ingratitude towards Felix's kind consideration. "Thank you Mr Kraus!" He muttered apologetically raising the cup to his lips.

"I of course added a little of my secret ingredient." Felix whispered winking at the Butler, and Jarvis practically chocked on his first mouthful.

"A Little you say?" He spluttered when he had gotten his breath back.

"Well yes only a few spoonfuls but even so I suggest Flora doesn't drink more than one glass…" He added pointedly as the housekeeper took her first sip and her face suddenly flushed bright red.

"Felix are you sure you didn't make a mistake and add say half a bottle by mistake?" Flora rebuked, as the chef sampled his punch for himself, his eyebrows shooting upwards in surprise.

"This isn't my…" Felix gasped, but the smiling butler quickly finished his first glass and waved the waiter over for a refill.

"I don't care whose idea it was…But if I ever find out I'll give them a pay raise!" Jarvis joked leaning back in his chair, his smile broadening when he saw the elderly housekeeper take her first sip. "This should be a most interesting evening after all!"

As Jarvis predicted, it was an interesting, and indeed entertaining evening. Although it would have been most unthinkable for her to admit it, Mrs Miggins was rather partial to the odd tipple before bed, to 'help her sleep', of course, but she had tasted nothing quite like the punch concocted by that 'contemptible foreign cook'. Before she was able to protest at having such a potent mixture under her roof she had drunk nearly half a glass of the stuff and was tittering merrily for what felt like to her the first time since she condemned herself to spinsterhood.

"I think I'll leave the poor dear in your capable hands." Jarvis walked around to Flora and whispered in her ear while eyeing Mrs Miggins as she began to point and laugh at an innocent pepper pot. "I'm sure you and her can find something to chat about."

"Don't you dare leave me here alone with her while you and Felix escape!" Flora hissed, her serious expression clouding further through anger while snatching at his sleeve so he couldn't leave. "Which I know is exactly what you intend to do!"

"Come now, Flora darling." Jarvis forced through gritted teeth as he pulled his jacket away from her extraordinarily strong grasp. "You know that us gentlemen need time to relax otherwise we become irritable and shout at our wives."

"And you're off to drink that brandy you've had to smuggle into the household because you won't stand up to an old woman." Flora snapped playfully but with a sharp sarcastic bite to her tone. Jarvis thought it best not to answer back as Mrs Miggins had stopped chattering to a teaspoon and was now staring intently at the butler, squinting and gaping as if he had sprouted another head. With an awkward grunt, Jarvis smoothed down his waistcoat and pecked his wife on her flushed cheek, then moved over to the door, indicating to Felix to follow him with a coaxing nod of the head. Felix jumped to his feet, casting a sympathetic eye towards the younger of the two housekeepers who was propping up Mrs Miggins at the table and trying to prise a remarkably empty glass out of her wrinkly fingers.

"Please, Felix, do come in." Jarvis smiled a little awkwardly once he and Felix reached his room, waving the chef into the room and brandishing the rather inviting looking bottle of brandy. "It's been a long time since we, well, talked."

Without a word Kraus stepped over the threshold, examining the butler's expression for signs of the friendliness that he had missed over recent months. It's not my fault we've not talked, he thought as he watched Jarvis slosh a generous shot or two into his glass, and he very nearly responded with such a comment, but thought better of it and instead gratefully accepted the glass when it was thrust into his palm.

"I'm not much looking forward to this damn boat trip." Jarvis laughed apprehensively, swishing the dull liquid around in his glass and breathing in deeply. "Remember how I was last time? I couldn't work out which I hated more, the smell of my own vomit or every body else's."

Felix nodded knowlingly; he had forgotten just how ill Jarvis had been on their last voyage together, but now they were going an awful lot further than Italy and he suddenly began to dread the journey even more. "Indeed, Walter, I remember only too well how you were last time, I think everybody else could see you certainly weren't at your best except for His Lordship!"

"Hmm, yes." Jarvis recalled, signalling to his colleague to sit opposite him. "I can still hear him now barking in my bloody ear, completely oblivious to the fact I was trying to hold my guts in: 'It's not bloody good enough, this damn cabin's too cramped, it's too hot and if it's this oppressive on the continent I will need your constant attention – are you listening, man, you've gone positively green! Oh yes and get me a sea view!' If I hadn't have felt so rough, Felix, I would certainly have pointed out to our Lord and Master that we were in fact surrounded by sea – the English Channel to be precise - and if he had bothered to look out of his porthole he would have been enlightened to that fact! I certainly was aware, I can tell you!" Jarvis snorted, supping at his warming alcohol and rolling his eyes.

"Yes, his ignorance knows no bounds sometimes my friend." Felix chuckled. "Although it often amazed me just how much he was able to blame on you – the hot weather, his own seasickness – remember he thought he had been poisoned by substandard ship food?"

"I most certainly do, it didn't occur to him for a moment the motion of the ship might have had something to do with it!" Jarvis smiled, moulding his body into the chair and nursing his drink. "Then he said it was my fault because I hadn't been giving him due care and attention and if I hadn't been far too busy with my own affairs – namely leaning over the side of the ship and vomiting into the wind – I might have noticed he was being served substandard food. To be fair, Felix, I think you should have been blamed for that one!"

"Ah but if you hadn't have been so sick you still may not have been paying him all that much attention, isn't that so Mr Jarvis?" The chef grinned, a twinkle in his eye as he leaned forward and cocked a questioning eyebrow. Jarvis' eyes widened in confusion and he scowled thoughtfully, shaking his head. "Oh come now Walter, you know just what I am referring to."

"I don't think I do, I was sick, if I wasn't desperately trying to keep my stomach contents in – which I might add was very little by the end of both of our crossings – I was either pandering to the old man's whims or trying to forget my woes through sleep." Jarvis muttered gruffly, genuinely not remembering what his friend could be referring to. He snatched at the bottle and refilled their glasses, the fire crackling happily nearby as Kraus eyed his colleague in amusement.

"On the way there – oh you must remember!" Felix sighed in exasperation, lowering his voice and tapping his temple. "That very fine Spanish beauty in steerage who couldn't keep her eyes off you? What do you say here – oh yes, she /fancied the pants/ off you, just a shame you couldn't have managed a little fun with her apart from a couple of sultry smiles in between your vulgar and rather sudden trips to search out the toilet, not always successful though may I add!"

Jarvis' confused expression suddenly turned into one of realisation as the other memories flooded back from their perilous trip across the Channel on their way to Italy. He remembered that even after only a few hours after their departure from Dover he heard a steward say it was the worst weather he had ever encountered in all his years working on the ferries and this had not surprised the butler one bit. His seasickness had hit almost immediately and his stomach churned with every slight – and not so slight – movement of the ship and his throat filled with an overwhelming urge to be very, very sick. "This damn boat has certainly put the 'sea' into 'nausea', Mr Kraus!" Jarvis had remarked to the chef, doubling over in their stuffy shared cabin and simply wanting to die. But before Felix could reply that it was only going to be for a few days there was a tiny tap on their door and being the only able body in the room the chef opened it, expecting it to be the inevitable visit by Keneally just to poke fun at his superior's condition. Far from it being the smug under-butler, Felix gasped slightly in surprise.

"Who is it?" Jarvis had demanded, struggling to turn from his bed slow enough so his chronic dizziness didn't worsen. The imbalance in his ears was so bad that he had gone temporarily slightly deaf, so it had taken a moment or two before he heard the soft tones of a female voice speaking what Jarvis could only imagine to be either Spanish or Portuguese. Felix replied to her in her native tongue, laughing under his breath as the woman giggled.

Not wanting to be left out of what could have been a vitally important conversation, the butler jumped to his feet a little too quickly and nearly blacked out, but when his vision finally returned, if a little blurry, he saw a rather tall but slender young woman standing just beyond Felix out in the corridor. Her hair was dark as was her skin – it may have been a tan but he thought it more likely to be her natural colour – and her eyes were large and friendly. Something occurred to him as her gaze locked with hers, the eyes seemed familiar, their rich colour, their wistful beauty, although he didn't have time to ponder who she reminded him of because Felix had begun babbling away to him.

"The lady apologises, she's got the wrong cabin, she's looking for room 611 instead of 119. Walter?" Felix's eyes darted in between the curious expression on the butler's face and the smile which had spread across the woman's full lips, and instantly he felt very awkward and out of place.

Jarvis suddenly felt very ashamed he couldn't speak a word of her language, so instead of trying to struggle he gave her a small boyish wave, which he regretted straight away when he considered how stupid he must have looked. He felt even worse as his condition prevailed and she managed to stammer out 'h…hello, sir' as if to put him to shame, her dark cheeks pinking.

"Tell her my only other language is French and that I apologise." Jarvis said quietly to Felix, his heart thumping wildly in his chest as he caught the woman undressing him with her gaze, although there was certainly a small look of concern on her pretty face. Felix immediately did as he was asked, but the Spanish woman then simply shrugged, obviously disappointed they would not be able to communicate without the help of the friend of 'el hombre hermoso'.

"She says her name is Josefina." Felix beamed, giving Jarvis an encouraging wink, but his smile fell rapidly away from his face when he saw the butler clutching at his stomach, his face as pale as the whitewash walls around them. "Walter are you alright, you look a bit……."

"Excuse me!" Jarvis gasped, clasping his hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to stall the more pressing of the two urges he had been experiencing in the last few minutes. He forced his way past Felix and Josefina and hurried out into the corridor, desperately searching out the communal toilets, but it was too late. Even the approaching steward couldn't get to him in time with a towel.

"Enfermedad del mar." Felix whispered to Josefina in a matter of fact tone as she bit her bottom lip in sympathy and nodded gravely, the steward instantly fussing around Jarvis in an attempt to wipe up the mess.

"I remember the look of devastation on your face as clear as if it were right now!" Felix mocked gently as Jarvis had to laugh at his own misfortune. With a sigh the chef smiled, leaning forward and patting Jarvis on the shoulder. "Ah my friend, you must have done something for her as she still waved and smiled at you for the rest of the journey."

"Yes she did." Jarvis mused, a fleeting expression of 'what if' passing across his face. "I was rather flattered to say the least. I had completely forgotten about it until now. So much has changed since then, it now feels like a lifetime ago."

"Even still," Felix said, a naughty grin spreading from ear to ear. "You are very sneaky, Mr Jarvis, you may suppose to be the embodiment of Englishness when you are very much what polite circles call a 'ladies man', are you not?"

Jarvis raised his eyebrows in startled shock at such a statement, loosening his necktie and stiff collar as suddenly they felt rather tight. "And what would I be called in impolite circles, Mr Kraus?" Jarvis goaded, leaving Felix rather unsure whether he was rather put out by his friend's insinuations or instead just rather amused. "It's not my fault women obviously find me so irresistible."

Felix lowered his eyes then shifted in his chair so he could stare into the flames so he could ignore the gloating look on his colleague's face. "Well my friend I could pretend that I was jealous of all that female attention but somehow I don't think you would believe me."

Jarvis obviously riled at this, unable to help the contempt from showing as he pursed his lips and sniffed, but the chef carried on determined to get this taboo subject which had been hanging over them for months out into the stuffiness of the room.

"I remember you asked me if I would like to go after Josefina myself, now you know why I never did. I am so very sorry I have let you down Walter but it is not something I can help." Felix paused, forcing himself to look his friend in the eye and wait for a response, but it felt like an eternity until Jarvis had drained his glass and finally spoke.

"But Felix, it's…..it's….." Jarvis began, stalling as Kraus snorted and rose to his feet, flouncing over to the window and opening it so he could breathe in the smoggy yet cool London air.

"It's what, Walter, it's ungodly! It's a sin and I will be damned to burn in the flames of hell forever! I should be stripped naked in public and strung up by my ankles so a disgusted member of the public can take a rusty carving knife to me so they can cut off my……"

"FELIX, what I was actually going to say is that it's come as such a surprise, but I should have seen it really although I put your, how shall I say it, flamboyance down to being foreign." Jarvis said, a little more curtly than he intended. "And I was also going to say that you should be careful, if you get caught….you know….in a compromising situation….." Felix could see that Jarvis was becoming more and more uncomfortable but yet he continued to babble. "……especially in London where I am sure there is much more temptation around than in Tappleton…..then you'd be arrested, you could go to prison don't you realise?"

"Oh so now I understand!" The chef cried, slamming the window shut and turning to face Jarvis who had stalked over to the fireplace. "It's all about His Lordship and his precious reputation, that's all you're worried about, never mind loyalty to your friend!"

"That's not true!" Jarvis barked back, running his hand over the back of his neck where his collar was rubbing. "Yes I do have to take the Earl's reputation into account, of course I do as it's my duty, but my first concern will always instinctively be for you, we've been through a lot together, you have been there for me and for Flora and without you I fear we would not have got married – indeed we may not have been working in the same household by now!" The butler stopped abruptly having said his piece, folding his arms and puffing out his chest, but his indignant expression turned to one of confusion as Felix failed to stifle a snigger. "What is so funny!" Jarvis demanded as he flung himself back into his chair and massaged his forehead.

"You make me laugh sometimes, my dear Walter." Felix grinned, all his anger seemingly melting away as he pulled a small silver flask from his breast pocket. "But I am touched by your words. You don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself, and anyway I don't intend to sneak off to have my desires tending to."

Jarvis openly flinched, stammering to steer the conversation around to its less tasteful elements. "As I say, I owe you a lot so I can't keep my concerns to myself. I can't deny it Felix, I'll never be happy with the situation – your situation – but I don't want it hanging over us the whole trip to India. We may have been able to avoid each other at Taplows but I feel that we will be confined together for quite a while."

"So is this your way of rebuilding our friendship?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow as a small smile crept across his lips.

"Yes, well, I suppose." Jarvis mumbled, waving his hand dismissively as he stood up and stretched to try to hide his uneasiness. "Now I had better go and rescue the missus, don't want to leave her with a drunken old woman for too long!"

Jarvis forced a smile, but instead of moving towards the door he continued to stare at Felix, obviously wanting to say something more but finding it difficult to grasp the right words. In the end Felix sighed and turned to leave, but Jarvis reached out an almost desperately took hold of his elbow to stop him.

"There's something….something I wish to ask you. I wasn't sure when would be the right time but now seems as good as any." Jarvis said in a hushed voice, his throat instantly drying up and causing him to cough. He knew he wasn't normally like this when dealing with awkward situations, he was usually far more forthright, but just thinking about the child he was to have and his or her long term future seemed to affect him far more than anything, even Flora, had ever done. "My unborn child; I, or I should say we, would very much like you to be godfather and guardian, if anything was to happen to me and Flora, God forbid. If you would accept, of course. We may not agree on everything, but I would feel far happier knowing the child would be in your care than anyone else I can think of."

Felix simply stared at Jarvis, utterly stunned and completely touched by this incredible responsibility he was willing to give him. Then, with a wide smile, the chef patted the butler firmly on both arms and nodded reassuringly. "I would be delighted, indeed honoured, but what about your mother? And won't Flora's family want to claim your child?"

"My mother would have a say of course, but as agile as she is she won't be forever and you are young enough, but as for Flora's family, I don't know them." Jarvis lowered his voice and glanced out into the corridor to make sure his wife wasn't around to hear. "This isn't something I've discussed with her, but I don't want our child being brought up in Ireland. I want them brought up here, that's why I need your assurances that you won't go back to Prussia."

"Walter I don't know if I can give you that assurance. I still have family over there, I don't have any intentions of moving back at the moment but in years to come who knows?" Felix sighed, studying the growing look of worry etching itself on Jarvis' features. He rested a reassuring hand on the butler's shoulder. "Listen, I would do everything in my power to make sure your child lived a happy life, I would hope not to go back to Prussia but all I'm saying is that I can't guarantee. Anyway, you talk as if you were about to drop dead from disease rather than looking forward to a wonderfully long life with your new wife. Do not look so worried, Walter, you make problems for yourself even before your current ones are dealt with."

"But Felix I'm worried, I can't help but worry." Jarvis said sorrowfully, shutting his eyes. "What if something happens to me while I'm away, what if I sail away and as you say die of disease? Goodness knows what an Englishman can pick up in India, you hear all kinds of tales of strange diseases, God knows we have enough of our own over here but over there – and then there's Flora, what if she gives birth while I'm away, what if she is very ill, what if she is so sick that….." Jarvis trailed off, leaning back against the door until it shut as Felix eyed him pitifully. "I know I am just speculating and everything will be fine, but I can't help these thoughts. Even Flora is thinking up morbid situations. I just keep thinking that everything seems so perfect – our marriage, a child on the way – this is us Felix, Flora and me, when have you ever known it to go smoothly between us for long?"

"You have your problems like any couple, but you always pull through." Kraus said as he reached for the door handle. He smiled warmly again, taking a small sip from the flask and handing it to Jarvis. "Stop thinking that something bad will happen, it won't, not that I don't think you aren't wise to prepare for such tragic eventuality of course and as I say I would be honoured to be a guardian, but I shall focus more on the godfather aspect of your request and look forward to such a role with enthusiasm."

"Marvellous." Jarvis beamed, taking a sip from the flask and almost choking on the contents. "Good God Felix, what the hell is that!"

"A little something I have been trying out at home." Felix chuckled, tapping the side of his nose curiously.

"Oh not more homebrew, I thought you'd stopped all of that after mine and Andrew's little…..incident." Jarvis tutted, screwing up his face in obvious disgust.

"No, no, not that – different ingredients, a lot more what one would call potent. It's meant to be my version of vodka. Wonderfully strong, don't you agree?" Felix nudged Jarvis and snatched back the flask with a wink.

"I'm not sure about it being 'wonderful', but it certainly is strong." Jarvis said, feeling as if his entire head had become numb through that one tiny sip. "I'd best not have any more than that otherwise Flora may have to deal with not one but two drunken fools!"

"Yes, you'd better not be the worse-for-wear on your last night together for six months!" Felix said a little too loudly as they headed out of the door. "I don't think she would forgive you, I know I wouldn't!" He immediately realised exactly what he had insinuated regarding his platonic feelings of friendship for Jarvis and shut his mouth, but he could tell Jarvis was able to see the funny side from the half smile which spread across his lips as he turned away from him, the butler already planning his last night of bliss with his new bride. It had to be perfect, and he wanted them to lie in each other's arms right up until the last moment he had to get up so they could leave on schedule.

Jarvis knew he would miss Flora dreadfully, even when they had been apart in the summer it had felt like an age, but being unable to contact each other would be unbearable. By the time his letter would reach her it would be months out of date. What if something happened to him and Felix couldn't get word to her for three months? He could hardly entertain such a harrowing thought, so brought his mind back to the present and the naughty deeds he wanted to do to Flora before he had to stay celibate for the rest of eternity, or so it felt, and nobody, not even His Lordship, would ruin it for them.

Things had gone from good to worse for Will and George, after all the stuck up aristocrats had arrived they found their game incredibly hard to continue outside in the freezing cold while the subject of their game was inside wining and dining. Instead they settled for sitting on a low wall and seeing which conversation topics they could cover; Grace, Mrs Corey (the junior version), Lizzie and even Lady Rebecca was mentioned a couple of times… you don't have to be a genius to get the gist of their discussions. They were just giggling girlishly, while comparing the sizes of the four women's arses when they heard a tut tutting from behind them.

Frank: Dear dear Georgie, what would you lovely mistress say if she knew you'd been goggling at other women's backsides…then again she seems to be coming to her senses anyway and is not talking you. George grist his teeth as Frank smirks at him before turning to Will. Such a shame Miss McDuff and Lady Rebecca are on their way back up to Scotland and Jarvis has made an honest woman of the lovely Flora Ryan. You'll have to make do with Grace I suppose.

George: I'm afraid that will not be possible as the moment we get on that boat I'm going to see her and apologise. Frank chuckles to himself, shaking his head, and George suddenly felt a shiver go down his spine.

Frank: Then again maybe Flora Corey will do you the honours again. He hisses towards Will, though not taking his eyes off the horror on George's face. I warned you George. Told you to get away while you could but you decided to be the big brave boy and not listen to me and now you are going to pay for your mistake.

George: You are all talk Frank, now I don't know how you got hold of the information that you did but now you are just trying to scare me or make me do something I'll regret

Frank: You are either in denial or you are really stupid. Now maybe you don't have outstanding intelligence but you aren't completely thick. So I'm guessing it must be denial-

George: You are just trying to wind me up, well do you know what I'm not falling for it anymore! I'm not!

Frank: Well I'll stand here and watch shall I? Watch in pleasure while your whole world falls to bits around you. He hisses at him, stepping back after from him And then you know what? I'm gonna go and help Grace pick up the pieces and I swear now I'm going to get so much satisfaction from breaking her life into fragments once more.

George: That is what this is about. George whispers to himself. You don't want Grace to yourself…you want to get back at her for marrying you. Frank doesn't answer, he just smirks at the pair of footmen. Well where are they! George shouts loudly, waving his arms in the air. Where is Blyth and his tribe that are coming to smash my head in!

Frank was grinning now from ear to ear now, watching George get hysterical was always funny. The footman was storming around waving his arms around in all directions to emphasise the point no one was there. Will was stood over by the wall watching in horror as the usual calm George went ballistic before his eyes.

George: I'm waiting! I've waited long enough! So just get it over with! Give me a good beating and then leave me be! He was shouting up into the sky and all around him. He was shaking violently, his face colour changing from being pale to pink to burning scarlet.

Blyth: You think a little beating is all you're going to get and then I'm letting you go?

The piercing voice rang through the air and George span around, as a tall, moderately well built man came into view. His hair was jet black and his eyes were grey. He had thin lips, an unshaven chin, but the poisonous expression on his face had caught Will's eyes and almost made his heart stop still. George was glancing around looking for the swarm or angry men he was expecting to descent on him, but the man seemed unaccompanied. I too have waited long enough for this day to come and if you think it is going to be over in two minutes then you are mistaken.

George: Look Ollie, He began, backing away from Blyth, who was making his way towards him. Surely we can sort this out, come up with some sort of arrangement, we both know it was an accident.

Blyth: Accident it may be but a dear one! Arrangement! You think we can sort this out with some sort of arrangement! My brother is not coming back so how can I bargain with you! His face was like thunder as he headed towards the footman. You've got away with this for far too long, you've spent all your time hiding and I've spent all my time searching for you and now it is finally over.

Frank's grin broadened as he watched George shake in terror. Will was completely gobsmacked, all George's strange and secretive behaviour all seemed to be coming clear. He glanced towards Frank and saw the huge smirk across his face, which made his inside's turn. One of the things he hated most in the world was Frank Keneally winning. He wasn't going to let it happen, he needed to warn someone, George would do the same for him.

Seeing his opportunity Will began to sneak towards the path away from the courtyard. If he ran he could be at the London household in no time. He knew he'd receive the sharp back of more than one hand if he went and interrupted the Earl at the party and Jarvis would love the reason to reprimand him for airing their dirty laundry with servants from another household, so this was the only available option.

Blyth dived towards George, but he dodged out of the way and broke into a run towards a clump of bushes, determined to leg it away from here. Blyth shouted at the top of his voice something inaudible for George to hear, though he got the gist of his words when he suddenly saw one of Blyth's men appearing from out of the bushes.

The blood was pounding in his ears as he ducked under the guy's outstretched arms and darted away. But it was no good another seemed to appear out of nowhere and before he knew what was happening his was being surrounded by a group of men, all double his size, both height and muscle wise.

Seeing the need to rush Will broke into a run determined to get help before the heat had chance to rise. Frank seemed to have notices his plan though and shot towards the footman. Will stumbles slightly a he felt a pair of strong arms grasp his pining them behind his back.

Frank: You'll be signing your own death warrant if you interrupt this little congregation, so I wouldn't go running to your favourite butler if I was you. he hisses in his ear. Best stay out of he big boy's games. You know what happened last time you got 'involved' with something you shouldn't.

Will struggles desperately in the valet's arms but he held him firmly, turning his attention back to the powerless George.

Blyth: I'm not the only one who's got scores to settle with you!

George's knees seemed to be wobbling, his legs felt like jelly. He began to feel very claustrophobic, a feeling he hadn't felt since the time he and Grace has hidden in Jarvis' wardrobe… it wasn't the right time to be thinking of things like that, pull yourself together man! He scolds himself. The men were closing in on him and his mind was wandering from thought to thought, the incident in the wardrobe… to that blasted peacock… he didn't seem to be able to keep his mind on what he was supposed to be doing. His thoughts seemed against him. His mind was concentrating on the numbness of his feet buried in the snow, the feeling of the pelting rain splashing against his freezing face. He could feel the water tickling down the back of his shirt and he was very aware of his trousers sticking to his legs.

He hardly blinked as the first fist struck his face, he only felt the pain afterwards. His whole world seemed to be dissolving around him and all he was conscious of was the sensations running through his body, from the numbness of his toes to the throbbing of his head. Every part of his body had become sensitive to every single caress. His head was knocked backwards on the next blow, but he was more aware of the pain running through his finger he'd felt the moment a sleeve had brushed against it.

He didn't hear the sickening crack as a knuckle squashed his nose, he was concentrating on the agony he felt in his chest he'd felt the moment someone had pushed his jacket into him. This however did managed to break him out of his stupor as he realised just what had dug into his chest. He looked up at the surrounding faces and felt a pang of relief. He wasn't alone after all, Will may be unable to help him but he had all the help he needed in his pocket.

Stepping backwards slightly he drew the gun out of his pocket with a flourish. He waved it in front of him, warding off all those approaching him from the front before spinning around and banishing the gun to those behind him.

Blyth: Don't try anything stupid George. He warned, stepping back slightly, his hands slightly raised.

George: Stupid! What would be so stupid! I've done it before I can do it again!

Blyth: I thought you were keeping an eye on him, Keneally! turning to Frank. How on earth has he got possession of a gun!

Frank: I really don't know. Frank wavered, looking from Blyth to George with the gun. George couldn't help grinning.

George: You ain't that perfect are you Frank!

Blyth: You better not have bloody messed this up! He hisses towards Frank, who was stammering something about not letting George out of his site since they arrived in London. But what about all the other bloody times before you arrived here! Frank seemed to have lost his voice, a rare occurrence. He seemed to be losing his grip on Will and he knew his chance was coming up.

George: You better step back if you value your life! He bellows towards an approaching rival. Frank and Blyth seemed entirely unaware of Will's scheming.

Blyth: I told you not to let him out of your sight for a second! Will took the opportunity with both legs, darting under Frank's arms he began to leg it. Get him! Frank began to dart after him, George turned away from watching the approaching man to see Will sprinting away. Blyth commanded a couple of his men to help and they darted away before either George or his gun had say in the matter.

George: Oi! Don't you mo-!

He began, getting cut off by a sharp elbow knocking him in the back on the head and strong hand pulling the gun out of his hand. George tried in vain, he shot blindly in all directions, grasping his hand tightly around the gun as he could, but his head was throbbing, he was over come with a wave of dizziness, but he just managed to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

The party guests were all beginning to appear in the courtyard after hearing the shots, gasping at the scene in front of them. One of Blyth's men managed to retrieve the gun from George's clutch. He threw it towards Oliver, who ordered two of his men to pin George's hands together. He strutted towards him, the grin once again across his face. He grabbed the front of his jacket and pushed the barrel firmly against his temple.

Blyth: No one is going to mess this up for me, I've waited too long and now you're going to pay.

George swallowed the lump in his throat, searching his eyes for any sign of mercy, but he found none. He screwed his eyes up tightly waiting for the blow to fall…but it didn't come. He waited for him to pull the trigger, waited for his surroundings to disappear for good, waited for the continual blackness… but… this wasn't too bad… if this was hell then he could easily get used to it. He opened his eyes and saw Blyth still standing there in front of him.

George: What? he mutters to himself. Well do it then? If you've been waiting for this moment get rid of me for once and for all!

Blyth: Oh that would be all to nice for you. No... I want to get you back thoroughly for the agony you've put me through. I want to know that everyday you live you are going through the same torment I went through…. And knowing that is going to give me all the satisfaction I need.

George knew what he was talking about… death would be all to nice and easy… he was going to make him suffer… George found himself doing something he'd never done in ages. He stood there and repeated a prayer over and over in his head until it flooded his body. He knew his future with Grace had quickly evaporated into thin air. He tried to blank out the sudden feeling of emptiness that ran through him, he tried to think about the touch and smell of her, tried to concentrate on the first time he'd held her in his arms but he knew it was over.

Back at the house the evening had despite the strident alcohol ban managed to descend into a drunken mealy. It had all started when Joe had offered the last bottle of brandy as a prize in a competition, on that Fred was the first to volunteer for. All he had to do was stand on his head without the aid of a wall for as long as possible and the person who had the longest time won. A dare which naturally the somewhat inebriated footman seized upon with gusto whilst the other footmen proceeded to count in a deliberately slow manner. As a result by the time they reached thirty five in their count Fred had already been upside down for a good one and a half minutes and by now his legs were beginning to wobble dangerously as he struggled to keep not only his balance but also the contents of his stomach. Fortunately for Fred, and definitely fortunately for the servants within vomiting distance, a few seconds later in strode the under-butler.

"What in the name of Hogmanay is going on?" Adams demanded pushing through the crowd of servants and towering over Fred and Joe, however due to the significant amount of rum he himself had managed to imbibe over the course of the evening, the words came out slurred in such a thick Glaswegian accent that took the footmen a few minutes to interpret the whole sentence.

"Well?" Adams added after staring at their dumb blank faces for long enough, but before Joe could answer a screeching and very red faced Fred came crashing to the floor in front of them, landing right at the under-butler's feet.

After a few minutes the footman spoke up. "Well did I do it?"

"Uhhh, I don't know how to tell you this Fred mate." Joe piped up. "But we'd stopped counting, we can start again though." He added with the cheerful simplicity of a drunken twenty year old who hadn't spent the last three minutes feeling the blood rush to his head along with other less pleasant bodily fluids.

"Not bloody likely!" Fred retorted, holding his still somersaulting stomach. "Let some other idiot try his luck! No prize is worth that!"

"What's the prize?" Adams asked suddenly and for a moment Joe looked around shiftily, realising that even at Taplows they were definitely forbidden Brandy and for a moment the one remaining brain cell that as yet hadn't been thoroughly drowned in alcohol, screamed out at him to remember the Adams was the under-butler after all.

"Ummm…" Joe trailed off reaching surreptitiously under the table and flashing Adams the bottle before replacing it.

"Well I'll give it a go!" Adams suddenly exclaimed and before anyone could stop or warn him he was standing on his head, his kilt keeping his ears nice a toasty whilst the footmen looked away in shock and several of the maids ran screaming from the room. "Well will one of you beggars start counting, there's a bloody awful draft." Adams slurred obliviously as the senior staff alerted by the maids screaming came dashing into the hall.

For a moment they were too stunned to speak frozen to the spot in horror, Mr Jarvis turning a sickly green colour, the Chef not knowing where to look, and the new Mrs Corey having to fight hard to stifle her giggles.

"Mr Adams, get down at once!" Jarvis bellowed once he had regained his senses, shooting a warning look at his wife who now had tears running down her face as she practically burst with laughter.

Recognising the command in Jarvis's tone the under butler slumped to the floor, his kilt once more returning to its proper place much to the relief of all the people present, especially Joe as trapped in the corner he had been privileged to a rare up close viewing.

"Mr Adams would you care to explain…." Jarvis began but all of a sudden the back door came flying open and winded ad terrified William Forest came crashing through. "Mr Forest what are you…" Jarvis began but his sentence was once more cut off as the footman grabbed his arm.

"George….In trouble…men with guns…..Frank set us up….They're….going to….kill him!" Will managed to choke out in between gasps causing the assembled staff to turn pale in horror.

"Oh god poor Grace!" Flora whispered.

"Need to ….help!" Will added.

"Of course!" Jarvis snapped. "Johnny go fetch the police, send them to the assembly rooms, Felix, Will, lads." He added nodding at the remaining footmen who could stand. "Come with me."

"No!" The housekeeper called out, seizing her husband by the arm and pulling him into the corridor and away from prying eyes. "Walter leave it for the police!" Flora pleaded. "They have guns!"

"I can't leave one of my lads out there without any backup!" Walter hissed prising her fingers from his sleeve. "Flora I have to!"

"Oh so you care more about his welfare than you do ours….Of course I don't want George to be harmed but what if it's too late already what good could you do by getting yourself and the others killed as well!"

"He needs us, I'm sorry Flora but I've made my decision!" Walter replied softly brushing his hand down the side if his wife's face and wiping away the fearful tears that quickly replaced those of laughter but she pulled away and whimpered.

"So his needs, the needs of this household will always come first is that it? Dammit I need you, our child needs you! You have responsibilities now you can't go riding off into battle like a knight to save the day!"

"I'm going and that is all there is to it!" Jarvis replied tersely gladly accepting the heavy overcoat one of the maids handed to him. "This is just something we are going to have to agree to disagree on and you will obey me on this my wife!"

"Like hell I will! If you don't come to bed now, with me, then don't bother coming at all!" She added gazing deeply into his eyes and he knew she meant it.

"I'm sorry." He whispered before turning and re-entering the hall leaving her standing alone in the corridor.

"What about me sir?" Adams demanded, getting to his feet and staggering over to Jarvis, earning him a reproving look from the butler.

"I doubt you'll be of any use to anyone in that state Mr Adams!" Jarvis hissed. "But if you must help, stay here and if Keneally returns give him a new year's Glaswegian kiss from me!" And with that he turned and stormed off out of the back door the other's following him into the night.

Jarvis knew he'd made the right choice but he couldn't help feeling guilty. He knew he should be putting Flora first, less than an hour ago he was worried about leaving her for 6 months and now he'd just given up the chance of having a nice romantic evening with his wife…then maybe if he hurried he could still have a chance.

Will wasn't quite sure what was happening, he had managed to get the basic outline with snippets of information he'd caught from George and Oliver's conversation though he couldn't help desperately praying that they weren't too late. He'd only managed to catch a glimpse of Grace as they had left, he'd seen the pain and distress in her eyes as the men had hurried out of the door. He had also spotted the anxious look on Flora's face as she had taken Grace into her arms. He wasn't sure whether she'd been concerned for Grace, her husband or even George but whoever it was he'd respected her for it, though he couldn't help wishing she was pleading for him to be safe.

The staff weren't far along their path before they came across Frank and the couple of men Blyth had sent after Will. They came to a sudden halt when they saw him and Frank gave a little chuckle as he saw them.

Frank: I warned you Willy boy. You are meddling in things that don't concern you, you are just going to make things worse. So turn back now and save yourselves the bother.

Jarvis: Get out of the way Keneally! pushing his way past Will and glaring at Frank, while drawing himself up to his full height…which didn't really make much of a difference.

Frank: What are you gonna do Jarvis? Make me?

Jarvis: If you want to spend your whole journey to India locked up in a tight little cabin then you are going the right way about it.

Frank: Oh for once in your life keep your mouth closed Uncle Wally. Jarvis immediately began to turn purple and despite the seriousness of the situation there was something about that comment that whatever the situation was hilarious. Can't you just keep your nose out for once?

Jarvis: You know I can't do that Keneally. Why should I after all the trouble you've been causing over the past few weeks.

Frank: You never take any notice of me though, can't you for once. Why the hell you keep going back to that whor-

Jarvis: That is quite enough of that! Now just out of my way before I do something I'll regret.

He spits in his face, but Frank doesn't even flinch just smirks at him, gently reaching up to wipe the specks of spit of his face though not loosing eye contact with him. This silly little staring competition was not doing wonders for Jarvis' patience, he couldn't look away because that would mean Frank had won, so he had to find some way of settling the score. It didn't take him long to decide, if Frank was going to be stubborn then he should be taught a lesson. Clenching his fist he pulled his arm back, before walloping Frank round the face.

Frank: You are going to wish you had not done that. He winced, clutching his face, nodding at the two men at his side. They both darted forward towards Jarvis.

Will wasn't quite sure why he did it, or what was going through his mind when he did, but he darted forward, knocking one of the men out of the way before he had chance to teach Jarvis a lesson. One against one was far more reasonable. Though the act of bravery had cost Will dearly, he guy had grabbed Will's sleeve and spun him around, clouting him across the face. Will over-balanced and flew to the ground, dragging the man down with him.

They both rolled over and over, both wishing to get the 'upper hand' in things. Swiping at whichever area possible, though a favourite being each other's cough cough splutter splutter…private parts. Both Jarvis and Felix had managed to tackle the other guy to the ground (though Jarvis was sure he could have done it without Felix), while Joe got a firm grasp on Frank.

Jarvis: I'm not sure what you are up to, Keneally, but you better stop this little game of yours now. Frank struggled slightly. Take him home Mr James and lock him in his room until tomorrow… I'm sure if u feed Mr Adams a loaf of bread he will be quite happy to keep watch over him for the night. Joe nods and begins to drag the struggling Valet back towards the house. Felix, Mr Forest… Mr Forest! he shouts, trying to catch the footman's attention as he fought to keep the man pinned to the floor. You shall wait here, while we continue.

Will: But sir I want to-

Jarvis: You'll do as I say, d'you hear me!

Will cursed Jarvis under his breath, nice way to pay him back when he'd just prevented him from suffering a thorough beating. Some people were just so ungrateful. He wasn't even sure why he'd not let Jarvis get beat into pulp, maybe it was to do with the look on his ex-lover's face as her husband left her at the house.

Jarvis: You'll not move until I send word, understand?

They both nod firmly. However Jarvis couldn't help feeling a bit vulnerable leaving feeble Felix and that weakling Will Forest to 'hinder' the men. Maybe it was very foolish of him… well if it is it is, but he didn't have time to fret about that right now. Jarvis led the rest of them towards the house, as they closed they could hear all the chatter, which assured him their was a bollocking to come from the Earl.

The situation seemed to be largely under control. George was being held by a policeman at the moment, he looked as though he could hardly stand up, not just because he was battered and bruised but simply due to the fact he didn't see the point of anything anymore. Blyth was talking to a policeman, barely containing the delight he felt inside. The rest of his man were just stood around nattering quite normally. Jarvis felt a wave of confusion run through him, shouldn't this all be the other way around, shouldn't George be the happy, relieved one and the others be being held down by one of the many policeman scattered around the courtyard.

Jarvis quickly spotted the Earl standing with a group of his 'friends', a champagne glass still in his hand. He knew they must really be enjoying this entertainment if they agreed to stand out in the snow to observe it. They were all whispering about the goings on they'd witnessed and the Earl was overjoyed to recount what he'd seen to Jarvis. Jarvis found it quite amusing when he described George as 'a mere slip of a lad', 'foolish' and told Jarvis he felt sorry for his master, the shame and embarrassment he must be feeling right now. He had pure delight in revealing to his lordship, that he was one of their footmen, though made sure he jumped backwards as the Earl stamped his feet and began to flail his arms about in rage.

Earl: Well you better go and find out what the hell they intend to do with him Jarvis! We've got a boat to catch tomorrow and I will not be held up because some fool has decided carrying guns around in their pocket is the done thing!

Jarvis: Yes sir. He nods slightly, before turning.

Earl: And Jarvis! He rolls his eyes slightly and turns back round to the old goat. You better make sure not of this gets out!

Jarvis: Yes my lord. turning again, unable to help thinking that everyone must have heard him shouting anyway.

George looked up at Jarvis as he made his way over them. He couldn't read the expression on Jarvis' face no matter how much he tried, it was blank, he wasn't sure if it was anger, sympathy, curiosity. The policeman holding George, pointed out the man questioning Blyth as the chief officers in this case. He quickly filled Jarvis in on the details, brawling, in possession of a gun and he'd just discovered some very useful information about his past.

Jarvis: But you can't take him in! We are setting off to India tomorrow what are we supposed to do? The policeman shrugged slightly

Blyth: Find a replacement. he chuckled and Jarvis turned to him, a look of disgust on his face, he gave him the once over and quickly decided that he must have had the involvement with Frank.

Officers: You will probably need to give a character reference at the trial anyway sir.

Jarvis: But we could be well on our way by then.

Officers: Surely you could put your little voyage off until tomorrow evening.

Jarvis doesn't answer, muttering something under his breath about their being absolutely no way he was going to ask the Earl that sort of favour. However he glanced over at George and caught him looking his way, a look of pain and desperation on his face. Jarvis knew from this look that he needed him, he was the best chance George had…therefore maybe he could suggest the idea to the Earl. He gave him an encouraging smile and a subtle wink. George knew their was no hope, but just the idea of someone on his side, going out of their way to defend him made him feel somewhat content inside.

It was almost two in the morning when the rest of the men returned tired and battle weary and without George! That was the first thing that Grace noticed as they trudged in dejected, leaping up from her seat opposite Mrs Ryan the baby clothes she had been working on falling to the floor, forgotten in her haste.

"Where's George?" She demanded, her usually soft voice straining shrilly.

"Miss May." Jarvis began solemnly, his tone soft. "Grace…We aren't certain at the moment what happened, we know that George was set upon by a group of locals, apparently trying to settle some old scores, fortunately due to Mr Forest's quick thinking and the police arriving George has escaped without serious injury but…"

"But What?" Grace demanded her tiny frame shaking with fear, as Mrs Corey rubbed her arms soothingly. "If he's alright then why isn't he here?"

Shaking his head sadly Jarvis sighed deeply before answering. "It appears Mr Cosmo drew a gun on the crowd and shots were fired, no one was injured but the police have taken him into custody charging him with possession and affray and something about questioning over past offences."

"What offences… what will happen to him… will I be able to see him?" Grace blurted out, the words tumbling over each other in her haste.

"I don't know at the moment…But what I do know.." Jarvis cut in before Grace could descend further into hysterics. "Is that there is a preliminary magistrates hearing tomorrow morning when he will be formally charged and we will know exactly what is happening, it may be he just has to pay a fine or serve a token sentence, we will just have to wait and see….I'll sort it out tomorrow I promise!" He added finally, looking away from the petite maid for the first time and glancing across at the silent lady standing next to her trying desperately to catch her eye but Flora studiously kept her eyes on Grace.

"Come on dearest you can't do anything tonight best be off to bed after all you're the one person who George will be looking to see tomorrow and we can't have him spotting you with bags under those lovely eyes of yours." The housekeeper whispered soothingly, watching as a despondent and tearful Grace simply nodded and allowed Mrs Corey to escort her from the room and up to bed.

As soon as the two ladies had left the room Will piped up. "You don't really believe that do you sir?"

Whirling round Jarvis's eyes narrowed on the first footman, for a moment annoyance flickering in the butler's crystal blue eyes. "Why what do you know about it Mr Forest?" He asked his tone low and accusatory.

"Only what I overheard sir!"

"And what did you think you overheard?" Jarvis snapped.

"Enough!" Will replied tersely. "Enough to know there is more going on here then just a common street brawl, he's in serious trouble isn't he sir?"

"Perhaps!" Jarvis countered. "But not as much trouble as you'll be in if I hear a word of what you 'overheard' repeated around the other staff, do I make myself clear?" Jarvis added icily.

"Oh I understand perfectly 'sir'!" Will retorted sneering slightly as he muttered the word 'sir' as if it left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.

"Good!" Jarvis hissed, noting down Will's continued insolence, perhaps one day soon he would finally be in a position to deal with that obnoxious little snot; now with that little problem under control the only thing he had left to worry about this evening was his wife's wrath.

"So if you men have quite finished with the heroics its up to the women to pick up the pieces as usual." Flora's voice rang out clear and sharp through the hall as she marched across to the long table dumping her medicine box on its surface and pulling out her bottle of iodine and cleaning cloths. "So whose first?" She asked the latent commanding tone obvious to even to even her husband. "Mr James?"

A few minutes later and with her customary efficiency Flora had bandaged and sent most of the men off to bed with a strict flea in all their ears to go straight to bed and no dilly dallying or drinking those vile liquors they seemed so fond of, until it was only Will and Walter left.

"Mr Forest!" Flora muttered crisply, her eyes softening slightly when she watched the bruised footman hobble over and take his seat opposite her, his eyes locking momentarily with hers and he gave her an abashed smile sa he shrugged his ripped shirt off over his head. "Well William how did you do this? Been walking into any doors lately?" She asked teasingly watching as the footmen returned her wry smile.

"Naa, I think it was someone's fist Ma'm, either that or his knee!" Will replied jokily, ignoring the sensation of the Butler's eyes burning into the back of his head, watching their every exchange like a hawk. It hadn't escaped his notice, nor Jarvis's he was certain, that Flora had yet to even look directly at her husband let alone address him.

"Well just as long as you don't make a habit out it, I seem to recall you get into more than enough scrapes as it is!" Flora jokily retorted as she added the iodine to a nasty bruise on his chest, and Will could have sworn he heard Jarvis take in a deep breath.

"I can't promise anything but for you I'll try!" Will added cheekily, winking at her as he got to his feet pulling his shirt back on, and ignoring the death glare being sent to him by her now fuming husband.

"Well what about me?" Walter asked when his wife made no attempt to treat him but instead began to pack her bottles and bandages back into her medicine box. "Or don't I count I suppose, unlike Forest for example!"

But Flora didn't answer him she continued to pack up everything picking up her box before sashaying out of the room without even so much as a glance in his direction. Silently fuming the butler started forward trailing her along the corridor and up the stairs to their room but when she went to close the door in his face he barged it open causing her to look at him in surprise. Her eyes widening as she caught sight of the bruise appearing on his jaw, but she suppressed her instinctive concern and instead moved over to the dressing table and began to get ready for bed whilst her husband stood behind her his hands on his hips as he waited for a response that would never come.

"Flora you can't ignore me for ever!" He exclaimed as his wife changed into her nightgown and began brushing out her long dark locks. "Look I am sorry about earlier but I had to go surely you can understand that?" He asked as she moved over to the bed pulling back the cover and getting in still without answering him. "Oh for goodness sake you can't spend the rest of our married life in stony silence!"

Sighing in exasperation when instead of arguing back she simply turned her back on him, stumped and perplexed Jarvis quickly undressed smirking as he forwent his usual nightshirt and slipped in behind his wife tugging the covers out of her iron grasp and pulling them over them both. Sliding his arms round her waist he pulled her back against him moulding his body against hers and nestling his face into her neck, nuzzling gently as he felt her momentarily relax.

"So can't we just put it all behind us?" He whispered nibbling gently on her earlobe. "It's the last night for six months, even you wouldn't want to miss that darling!" He added softly his hands running gently over her back.

However despite his best efforts, pleading and sweet talking, kissing the back of her neck just where it usually drove her crazy and other more stimulating caresses Flora still refused to respond, lying next to him with all the warmth and pliability of one of Felix's ice sculptures. Huffing in both despair and frustration Jarvis finally resolved to just get a good nights sleep running his hands gently down to rub his wife's stomach affectionately realising how much he would miss out on in six months. The first time she began to show properly, the first time the baby kicked…But that shouldn't stop him making the most of his child while he was still here.

Leaning up and over his wife he slid his head down till it rested on her stomach, stroking it lovingly before opening his mouth and mumbling gently, at first Flora couldn't make out the words and so she strained her hearing. Then when she did she had to stifle the desire to laugh out loud.

"Your mommy is still mad at me darling….But don't worry daddy will think of something, he always does, so don't you fret, you just concentrate on getting bigger and I'll be home before you know it! And then it won't be long before you'll be here with us…"

"Walter do you mind the baby and I are trying to sleep!" Flora muttered causing her husband to look up in surprise as she suddenly broke her vow of silence.

"Well there is one sure way of shutting me up!" He replied naughtily sliding up over her and rubbing his nose against hers and brushing his lips lightly against hers hovering momentarily as he felt his wife finally cave him and kiss him back passionately. Smiling to himself as he realised he would at least get to try out a few of those things on his list after all.

The sun rose too early next morning, even in the middle of winter the dull sun escalated all too soon. Most of the staff were sat around the breakfast table, drumming their fingers by 7 just waiting for Mr Jarvis to appear to tell them the routine for the day, desperate to find out how much of it included Mr George Cosmo.

The butler however had still a while until he would surface, due to his lack of sleep and his concern in the fact he'd not see his wife or child for another 6 months after today. Laid upstairs in bed, having a cute little cuddle with his wife and stroking his baby gently, George was the last thing on his mind.

Grace hadn't slept at all last night. She'd appreciate Mrs Cory sorting a spare room out for her… she couldn't face listening to all the whispers and gossip of the rest of the maids in her room, but she'd not slept a wink. She'd sat on her bed, leaning up against the back wall and hugging her blanket up to her, while she sobbed.

She didn't like not knowing what was going on, she knew this must have something to do with what he'd been keeping from her and the reason he'd been carrying a gun around, but she just didn't understand. She'd caught a glimpse of Frank as Joe had brought the night before. He'd caught her eye for a minute and given her a little encouraging smile. Her heart had twanged slightly and she saw for a moment the reason she'd once been in love with him. He'd been so…in a way romantic with her the last couple of days, their was the comment on the train and all the warm smiles he'd located in her direction. It did puzzle her why he'd been locked away though, she was pretty sure none of this was to do with him. He wouldn't do that to her. She just knew it.

"Oh come on, don't be ridiculous Joe, he's gonna get off." Fred mutters to those present around the table. "Once Jarvis has had his say they'll let him off scot free. A respectable butler against the words of some stupid thugs."

"Respectable?" Will hisses through his teeth, ignoring the glare from Flora, who in the absence of her husband and her lack of chores had found herself listening to the morning gossip.

Her husband and Grace had just sent off to the trial. She'd had a job that morning trying to convince Grace to go, they'd spent the whole morning dolling her up, which Flora thought would make her feel better…and had for a moment, but when they reached the door, she spun back around and exclaimed she couldn't go and witness it all.

Their had been a lot of sobbing and Flora had put her comforting mood on and did her best to convince her to go, while sending her husband outraged looks every time he huffed or looked at his pocket watch. Finally they managed to get Grace out of the door, Jarvis had been the gentleman and helped her into, before following after receiving the stern "be nice" comment from his wife.

"We don't know what he'd done though," Joe argued.

"Keneally bloody does!" Will mutters. "No wonder Jarvis has locked him up in his room and won't let him out. He'd probably sneak off to the trial to try and give evidence."

"Was it Frank who set George up then?" Trying to dig, though guessing Will wasn't going to answer him in front of the rest of the higher staff.

"I reckon."

"What exactly was said in this huge scene?" Will shrugs and mutters something about not being able to hear what was going on. "I wished I'd been there." Fred adds, tutting slightly. Will rolls his eyes slightly, causing Flora to smirk. She admired Will for keeping this all quiet, though she was quite sure her husband may have had something to do with his silence, but even still. Then again maybe if she wasn't there the words would be tumbling out of his mouth.

In the centre of London, the hearing wasn't go too well. Grace was sat nervously staring at her shoes hardly able to listen to the evidence being given around her. Some of the information being brought up was beyond anything she had ever imagined.

Jarvis sat awkwardly next to her, wishing he'd spent more time trying to convince Flora to come along, he was no good at this sentimental rubbish, but Flora had insisted that she was not going to sit in a cold courtroom, bored out of her brains, while trying desperately to fight her overwhelming bouts of morning sick.

He'd so far settled for passing her a clean handkerchief every now and again, but now the dark nit bits of information he'd kept from her where being to creep up and the more they heard the more she began to shiver and shake as the prospect of George's freedom faded away.

He was feeling increasingly ill as his moment drew closer. He knew he had to do this for the lifeless looking man stood in the accused box and the blubbering woman next to him. He bravely took her hand and squeezed it gently, causing Grace to glance up at him. He gave her an encouraging smile before dropping her hand. That was about as soothing as he got towards any female, unless it was Flora or his mother (god forbid him having a daughter!).

This gesture from the butler, although small had managed to spark a little hope into her. He'd never in all their time of working together given her the slightest bit of acknowledgement of any shape or form and now when she needed him, he'd recognised this and was now aiding her like a true gentleman.

She tried to imagine what things would be like if Frank was there instead but…

She felt movement next to her and rose her gaze to see Jarvis standing and making his way uneasily to the front. She held her hands together tightly until the fingernail marks were visible on her hands, listening intently to Jarvis taking his oath and confirming who he was before they began to question him.

He started by saying how polite and a gentleman he was, however he was unable to look George in the eye as he said this. He then went on to saying what a hard worker he was with lots of potential and had a good working brain.

"You say a good working brain, a… scheming brain?" The prosecutor teased.

"Not in the slightest," Jarvis assured them.

"Oh please, this gentleman would never scheme his way out of little tasks to be done around the house or what have you?"

"Well…" unsure how to answer the question. "Maybe occasionally, but only little things like that-"

"A man who can scheme up little ways of getting out of taking his master his morning tea can scheme up larger more gruesome and dark things Mr Corey," he cut in sharply, glaring from the butler to the utterly lost George.

All evidence he gave for the defence was thrown back in his face straight away. All his comments on how pleasant George was and how well he worked were exchanged for little remarks on how cunning he was, they completely twisted everything Jarvis said about his nature.

Every time Jarvis tried to enforce his statements the prosecutor just interrupted him and waved anything he said away with his magic wand. Even when the defence tried to object they were just struck in their losing battle.

Grace was meanwhile fighting her own battle. She'd seen George trying to catch her eye, she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She wasn't even sure if she wanted too. She couldn't look into those eyes that seemed to gone on for entirety without glancing upon all the lies he'd fed her…

"…Well he'd obviously convinced you Mr Corey that he was harmless otherwise you wouldn't have considered him for a job would you! He seems to have had you and the rest of your staff under a his sticky little paws…"

Grace couldn't listen to anymore, she jumped up and fled from the courtroom. She dashed down a flight of stairs, picking up her skirts as she flew. She was feeling incredibly claustrophobic and needed some fresh air. She began to swoon slightly as she ran, but she finally breathed in that London outside air, which felt better than anything she'd breathed in inside. She leant back against one of the walls and closed her eyes. Things seemed to be going from bad to horrific. She knew it wasn't Mr Jarvis' fault but she wished…many things. She wished that he was doing more to fight for George's freedom, she wished she could get up there and tell each and every one of them what a caring, loving man George Cosmo was, she wished he was with her now, she wished none of this had ever happened…she wished that she'd gone with Frank to Ireland after all and most of all she wished Frank was there with her that moment, looking after her, just simply being there for her.

However if she'd been inside in that moment she would have realised what a conniving cheating little scum that Frank Keneally really was. He'd somehow managed to write a statement and get it to the court testifying that George had fought and threatened him over a year ago. This threw Jarvis' exclamation that George was in no way an aggressive man in the opposite direction. Jarvis was outraged by the fact that Frank had managed to get the better of him (again) and had been able to give evidence against George. Jarvis stepped down, his heart right down in his boots and turned his attention to finding Grace May, incapable of looking George directly in the eye.

The moment Frank had been told that morning Grace was attending the preliminary trial he set out trying to get word to Oliver that his name was not to be mentioned. If Grace knew he was involved with this then his whole swooping in plan went to pot. He'd been unable though, Jarvis had his crows guarding his door and that Scottish thug was watching over him every second of the day. He just had to wait and see what happened and hope desperately that this all hadn't been for nothing.

"What will happen if he doesn't get off?" Grace whispered hoarsely, as Jarvis found her and wrapped his arms around her sobbing form.

"There will be another trial in 4 months or so where they will decide what to do with him."

"He doesn't stand any chance does he?" She whispered softly looking up into Jarvis' eyes, determined to find the truth there and not just hear the words that came out of his mouth.

Jarvis gulped, he couldn't say the words he knew would shatter her heart into a million pieces, but nor could he look her in the eye and lie to her, so he settled for whispering, "I'm not sure my dear, I'm really not sure."

"All we can do is wait and hope for the best," he continued, trying to pull her back into his arms so he wouldn't have to look into those sorrowful eyes.

"I'm not sure I can wait 6 months to find out," she mummers, more to herself than Jarvis. "Do you believe his innocent?"

Jarvis waited and pondered her question for a moment, it was more taxing than anything he'd been asked inside. He knew that George hadn't just been given a fair chance to defend himself, he was hardly able to get a word in. He'd claimed it was self-defence…he had believed him. He knew George well enough to know he wouldn't hurt a fly unless it was holding a gun against a loved ones' head.

"I do," he whispers quietly, "but more importantly…do you?"

"I'm not sure if I do…" she trails off unable to voice anymore of what she was feeling deep inside.

"Then that is something you need to consider, it's a decision that only you and no one else can make." Grace nods sadly, she was completely lost, she didn't know what to think…if only she could talk to George is person or contact him someway…but tonight she'd be leaving England and the rest of what she knew for 6 months.

They both stood for a moment not knowing what to say or do to make the situation less awkward, finally they heard a raucous shouting from behind them and turned to see the snakes of the courtroom pushing their way out.

Grace's eyes darted everywhere trying to glance her George striding towards them, but her heart sunk as she saw him being taken to a carriage, his arms held behind him. "Grace!" He called towards her, trying to break free to dash towards her, but the men holding him were grasping him too tightly. "Don't believe it Grace! It's not true."

She tried to ignore his calling tried to turn away and not listen to him. He was flung into the carriage. She heard the clatter of the carriage wheels on the cobble and looked up for once last time. She saw him leaning out of the window, trying to gage a reaction from her. His pulse quickened as she looked up and their eyes locked for the briefest of moments in which he took the opportunity to mouth those three simple words that could mean so much a person "I love you"

She was unable to look away until the carriage disappeared round a corner. "What will happened if he loses his next trial?" She whispers to Jarvis.

Jarvis didn't want to answer the question knowing the answer too well, but this was something he did not wish to say in front of a lady. His silence convinced what she was thinking.

"Oh no," she whispers to herself, covering her mouth with her hand. The realisation that she may never see him again came swooping over her. If he lost his next trial in 4 months he'd face the noose, the odds were against them. There was pretty much no hope…and she'd have to wait 6 months to find out the results.

If things weren't going well in court, then it was if the negativity had spread right across London and had descended across the Sturges Bourne household like a threatening great black cloud. Everybody busied about their duties in muted foreboding, mainly because nobody felt like travelling right across the world just so the Earl could get his hands on his cash, although Flora did rightly point out that without it hardly any of them would still be in his employment. Felix screwed his nose up at this unhelpful comment, moaning about how the perishable contents of his boxes were unlikely to make it all the way to India and the fact that he will have to 'scour the barren earth' for edible produce to keep His Lordship happy.

Will had emerged from the Earl's bedroom, and stormed his way through to the servants quarters where he flung himself down at the table in front of a plate of cold hams and cheese and stared at it as if he were expecting the food to leap up onto his fork at find its way to his mouth on its own. Joe and Fred emerged moments later, both looking rather sullen and equally uninspired with their lunch, and all three sat in contemplatory silence until Adams arrived and sat at the far end of the table, not even bothering to look up at the stoney-faced footmen.

"His bloody Lordship and his stinkin' feet." Will muttered under his breath to nobody in particular, slicing into his ham and with a piercing screech of metal against crockery. "If he learnt to wash them himself then maybe he'd think twice about leaving them until they smelt like this cheese." He picked up his hunk of cheese and smelt it, screwing his face up and throwing it back onto his plate. Fred opened his mouth to laugh out some crass comment but the under-butler beat him to it, glaring up from unceremoniously heaping far too much butter onto what looked like half an entire loaf.

"Why don't you shut that oversized mouth of yours and just be grateful for once." Adams growled at Will, earning him a sour smirk from the footman. "You really are a bloody state, did that mop of yours even see a comb this morning?"

"Oh leave it will you, I'm not in the mood." Will snapped back as Fred and Joe exchanged glances and rolled their eyes knowingly.

"No I will NOT leave it, and you will earn to pay me some bloody respect laddie!" Adams shouted, thumping the table and causing Fred's mug of water to tip off the edge of the table and into his lap, drenching his livery.

Adams' harsh glare barely flickered from Will's hardening expression as Fred leapt back and groaned in annoyance. "I've still got my eye on you boy, and I won't take it off you for a minute neither while we're away or when we've returned to Taplows so you'd better watch your back, because I'll be right behind you just waiting for you to make my day."

"What's up with you Andrew?" Will laughed with a guttural chuckle, pushing his plate away and idly sipping from his cup. "Just because your usual lay ain't around don't mean you can take it out on me."

Joe and Fred stared at each other in surprise but decided not to say a word, the lady in question had certainly become obvious at the wedding reception but they thought it best to play dumb and look particularly vacant on the subject. Besides, from the look on the under-butler's face he would be in no mood for Fred's sharp sarcasm, or as Adams called it his barefaced cheek.

"You must be sick in the head Mr Forest because I've no idea who you're talking about, and I don't think you should be spreading gossip about me because you may end up with a fat lip and a sore head for six months!" Adams shouted, gripping his cutlery so hard they imprinted into his palms. He could tell the smug little bd was enjoying every second of his superior's discomfort but somehow Adams just could contain his anger. He had only been apart from Rebecca for a few days but he knew Will was right, he was missing her dreadfully and he had begun to worry about her constantly, and his frustration was certainly taking hold in more ways than one.

"Oh you mean Fred and Joseph don't know!" Will snorted in mock surprise as his two colleagues busied themselves with their rapidly diminishing lunch. "I thought everybody who had eyes in their bloody heads could work that one out, you're not exactly the subtle type are you Andrew? You should tell me your secret, bagging a stunner like that, it can't have been your looks she went for so you must have some extremely well hidden attributes although I can't for the life of me think what they might be! Yes that's right I saw you pissing up the wall in the yard when you were hammered, the night of your heart attack I think it was, and my God lads he's got nothing to turn Her Ladyship on in that department I'm telling you!"

"Why you little bs!" Adams thundered, leaping to his feet and sending his chair crashing to the ground. For the first time Joe glanced in Adams' direction; it had been quite a while since the under-butler and the first footman had locked horns and everyone had presumed they had agreed to differ and their scores had been settled.

It was usually Jarvis who Will had to avoid these days and not Adams, but quite obviously the old hatred still simmered away and the chip was still well and truly on William Forest's shoulder. "You sneaky little perve, that's disgusting, you watching me!"

"You don't disagree with me though do you, eh!" Will practically cackled as he turned his attention to Joe and Fred's alarmed faces. He waved his hand in front of them, his thumb and forefinger about two inches apart as he continued to laugh. "This big I tell you! Don't know how he managed to produce one child let alone the two Lady R's carrying….!"

"Will you two quieten down!" A soft Irish brogue snapped from by the door in a sharp whisper. All eyes swivelled to see the new Mrs Corey standing with her hands firmly on her hips and her expression determined. "You can both be heard right around the house! I'm afraid this place isn't as big as Taplows and voices can be carried further so will you please watch your tones – and your tongues – before Mr Jarvis gets back and hears you!"

Adams slumped back into his chair, his eyes now firmly back on Will's rather put-out face. "He needs to be taught some manners and to respect his superiors." Adams growled furiously. "He's spreading all kinds of lies about me and I'll not stand for it Mrs Ryan!"

"Corey." Flora corrected in rather harsh tone as she bustled over to the serving hatch and began to gather the dirty dishes in her arms. She was sick to death of the place looking so untidy, Mrs Miggins might very well be strict but sometimes certain things got overlooked at it appeared most shabby – just because it was the servants quarters it didn't mean that it had to undergo neglect, she wouldn't stand for it at Taplows and she wouldn't stand for it here no matter how much Walter told her to rest.

"I think the Earl needs you again, William." Flora announced as she saw Will and Adams size each other up across the table. She could tell they were just waiting for her to leave so they could be at each other's throats again and part of her felt like leaving them to it, she was far too tired to put up much of a fight even if her tone of voice warned them otherwise.

Will huffed, swinging himself out of his chair and tucking it under the table with a loud scrape, but Adams wasn't going to let him get away with it that easily so with one last swig of water wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and ignoring Flora's stare charged after the cheeky little sod.

"Jesus, get off me will you!" Will cried as Adams snatched him by his upper arm and dragged him into a conveniently located store cupboard. The under-butler threw him against the wall and he banged his head on a shelf, but Adams ignored his yelp of pain and the hateful look on his face. "I don't know where you get off treating me like this, but we all know you're all mouth and no fists, that posh bit of crumpet's made you go all soft, not quite the hard man any more are you!"

"Shut up! Just shut the up!" Adams spat, winding the footman with a well-aimed whack in the stomach and pinning his head back against the cold stone of the wall. "If I hear you mentioning Lady Rebecca again I'll rip your guts out through your throat and make them into a nice necktie for you, and don't think I won't! I may have found happiness with a woman, something I suspect you are utterly incapable of, but she's not around and I would be more than delighted to remind you of the old days and I'm sure Mr Jarvis wouldn't mind me keeping you out of trouble!"

"Save it for Keneally, you don't scare me any more!" Will laughed in a shaky voice, but Adams could see in his eyes that the fear was still there and it was all he could do to stop the smirk spreading across his lips.

Adams was just about to retort when he heard the familiar voice of the butler from just beyond the door, he was talking in a very low voice so they could both only just about hear what he was saying. Will tried to struggle free but Adams' grip was too strong so there he remained, pinned to the wall as the under-butler strained to listen.

"It was terrible, the poor lad's got no chance."

"Poor Grace, no wonder she can't face any of us." Adams heard Flora mutter in response. "I just can't believe he would do such a thing – I'm sure you did my best, my darling. These things are sent to try us."

"I just can't see him hang, Flora, I just can't. It was self defence, I'm sure….."

"Shhh, you can't fix everything, Walter. They may find new evidence, he may still walk free, but there's nothing you can do from India. It's Grace I feel most sorry for, she doesn't seem to have much fortune with men."

"Well, I have to see His Lordship and then….well…I think I could do with some comforting." The softness in Jarvis' voice suddenly turned a little saucy and for the briefest of moments Adams and Will were united in silent horror as the door handle of the store cupboard began to twist slowly. "Actually, light of my life, woman of my dreams, joy of my heart, I could actually go for a bit of 'comforting' right now if you would be so kind..…"

"Walter, will you behave!" They heard Flora hiss and the door handle was suddenly freed as the housekeeper had quite obviously pulled him away to bring him back to his senses. Adams breathed a sigh of relief, although somehow Will had wished Jarvis had opened the door so he could have hopefully escaped a thorough beating.

"Stop behaving like a young, immature footman sneaking an illicit fumble with a stillsmaid, I am rather past all of that!"

"Spoil-sport." Jarvis sulked as Adams and Will heard their footsteps walking away. "And it's our last few hours together too."

Back in the servants hall, Fred and Joe dragged themselves up from finishing their rather bland lunch, finally free for a bit of gossiping of their own without Adams ready to expel the wrath of his fists on their bodies.

"So it is true then!" Fred laughed, a naughty twinkle is his eye, raising his leg onto the table to smooth down a wrinkled stocking. "Urgh can you imagine it, Lady Rebecca, her fine, porcelain skin being touched by that wr, the poor cow!"

"Yes well." Joe sniffed, obviously unamused by his friend's lurid comment. "Love moves in mysterious ways, it's not always about getting your leg over with the first convenient loose maid who flashes her eyelashes at you, sometimes love is inconvenient I'm afraid Frederick. The only 'inconvenient' love – if you can call it love – you seem to know is shagging two women at once and worrying they might find out about each other!"

"Oooooooh!" Fred said in a high-pitched exclamation at Joe's apparent righteousness. "Listen to you, touched a nerve, have I! And since when have you called me Frederick! I can't believe you're still whingeing on about Molly Watson, get over yourself will you mate!"

"I don't 'whinge', it's true love I'm talking about and I'm sorry you can't understand that!" Joe remarked in what Fred thought to be a rather condescending tone. "Maybe you'll have to make a mature decision in future about whether you cheat on Annie, if she has you back that is, which I doubt!"

"What the hell d'you mean, if she'll have me back!" Fred exclaimed as Joe winced, the superior look on his face falling away and replaced by one of shock realisation. "Come on, why the sudden guilty look Joseph !"

"I mean, you know, if she was to find out…." Joe stuttered, his air of moral superiority falling away and leaving him looking crumpled.

"Not that she would of course, ain't that right mate? Or is there something you're not telling me?" Fred asked slowly, studying Joe carefully for those tell-tale signs of a person about to lie to save their skin. Joe gulped hard, unable to look Fred in the eye and he twiddled his thumbs frantically – damn it, he had just incriminated himself, here he was being all high and mighty and moralistic when in fact he wasn't so perfect after all.

"Alright, alright!" Joe suddenly exploded, the intensity of Fred's stare too much to bear. "I may have accidentally let it slip to Annie, I dunno what I was thinking of – look Fred I'm sorry, I really am…..!"

"Bloody hell, Joe, how could you have been so….so….." Fred gritted his teeth, snatching up his wig from the bench and storming over to the doorway. "…so inconsiderate and unthinking!"

"Look don't blame me for your stupid mistakes!" Joe yelled back, his guilty look replaced with one of annoyance.

"It's not my fault you couldn't keep your hands of Isobel, who was let's face it hardly that much of a looker anyway! Annie suspected, you dumb idiot, she's not as thick as she looks, when you don't turn up to meet her for your 'usual' because you're having your end away with Izzie then it doesn't take too much of a genius to work it out! All I did was accidentally confirm the truth to her, she hardly looked surprised!"

Fred huffed, fixing his wig firmly and roughly onto his head. He paused for a moment, considering what to say, but the thought of having nothing but the arms of knackered old Rosie to return to was certainly bleak and he couldn't help blaming his friend for ruining one of his few pleasures in life. "If I want to wreck my own life, Joseph, that's up to me, I don't expect a friend to do it for me! Now if all you're going to do is to continue to moan on about Mrs Watson for the next six months - how your love is unrequited and how you're meant to 'be together forever' - then you can just keep out of my bloody way, understand!"

"Fine." Joe muttered under his breath, squeezing past a seething Fred Matkin. If Fred wanted to be so damn childish then yes, he would keep out of his way no problem. They weren't seeing eye-to-eye as much as they used to so it would be no skin off his nose, he intended to spend much of his free time writing to Molly about India so why would he care if Fred just ignored him?

Fred snorted as he watched Joe storm down the corridor. He knew he had to follow but for a moment he was glued to the spot. Joe's reaction hadn't been what he expected, he thought his friend would instead beg for forgiveness and they would be friends again, but his obsessing with Molly had somehow gnawed away at their friendship since she arrived at Taplows. They had been through so much together, they were a pair for God's sake, and now a woman – a woman Joe couldn't even have – was threatening to wreck it all and he found himself beginning to hate Molly for it. He knew that was wrong; he shouldn't be jealous of Joe's attention to her – it was a different sort of attention Joe had ever paid to him which of course was a relief – but it didn't make it any less difficult. Fred wouldn't have minded so much if Joe didn't got on about her all the bloody time, she was a nice woman and yes maybe he could see what Joe made all the fuss about, but it was obvious she wasn't interested in him so why couldn't he just grow up and get over it?

Well, if Joe wanted not to speak for the next six months – or longer – then sod him, Will would be there, even if poor George wouldn't, it's not as if he needed Joe for anything. Grimacing, Fred took a deep breath, held it, then marched off after his 'partner'. If they weren't going to be friendly then they could at least be civilised, they had a job to do right now and Fred wasn't about to be the unprofessional one of the pair. Sod Joe, sod his Molly obsession and bring on India!

A few hours later and after a lots of yelling and arguing, panic and at times practically downright hysteria, well almost from Felix Kraus when Mr Jarvis informed him there would regretfully be no room for that new set of sauté pans he had bought in London not unless of course he preferred to leave his own trunk behind and walk around India naked; after all this had been sorted the household managed to make it to right station in time to catch their train. It was after he had settled the Earl down in first class, content to sip at fine single malt and make small talk with the delightful looking Lady Ernestina Simple, a handsome and mature woman and a widow to boot, that the butler could finally pay attention to the most important of tasks, bidding farewell to his wife.

Bustling down the platform he watched as the footmen loaded the last of their luggage, scanning the crowd for any sign of Flora, but she wasn't anywhere. Frowning in annoyance and frustration he reluctantly strode up to that bounder William Forest tapping him sharply on the shoulder and watching in malevolent glee as the surprised footman dropped his end of a heavy trunk right onto his own foot.

"Be careful Mr Forest that isn't your own pitiful possessions you're ferrying about!"

"Yes Sir!" Will retorted, the latent tone of disrespect still evident in his voice even under the obvious pain.

"I'm looking for my wife and I expect your beady little eyes know exactly where she might be?" Jarvis sneered.

For a moment Will didn't answer if he did he would ultimately only incriminate himself further but the truth was he did indeed know where Flora was. "I believe she's on the train!"

"Well what the hell is she doing on there…" Jarvis exclaimed more to himself than actually asking the footman. "Bloody woman why sometimes…." He trailed off flinging open the nearest carriage door and jumping on.

"Flora Corey, get your bones down here at once your husband wants to see you!" He bellowed down the corridors earning him amused grins from the few Taplows staff already on the train as well as a few humphs of disapproval from the other passengers.

"I'm down here!" Flora's voice clearly rang out, indicating to all present that she had absolutely no intention of bending to her husband's whim and that if he wanted to see her then it was up to him to make the effort; suitably abashed and embarrassed the butler made his way to the correct compartment stopping dead when he caught sight of his wife.

"What are you up to know?" Walter teased, his eyebrow suddenly rising as he watched her slam his attaché case closed.

"Nothing my darling!" Flora replied, but the tell tale flush of her cheeks betrayed her and her husband knew that was not the truth.

"Really then I suppose it won't matter if I go through my case now?" Jarvis asked moving to retrieve it from the overhead rack.

"Don't!" Flora exclaimed suddenly pulling his hand away. "It's a surprise."

"Really? A nice one I hope?"

"Of course….Oh what the hell!" Flora snapped whirling round and pulling out the slim package she had slipped inside. "Here."

"A present for me?" Walter muttered.

"No for the Agar Kahn…" Flora snorted. "Of course it's for you, go on open it."

Smiling indulgently at her impatience Jarvis carefully lifted the seal and withdrew the two items within, a sealed letter and compact but beautifully bound leather journal. "It's lovely but…"

"Wait and then open the letter when you've pulled away." Flora cut in softly. "It says every thing I wish I could say now but can't and it well explains the present."

"I am going to miss you so much Mrs Corey." Walter suddenly whispered reaching out and drawing his wife into such a tight embrace it felt as though her entire circulation had been shut off. "Stay safe for me." He added before kissing her softly, unable to keep the smile from his face as he felt her tears against his cheek, or were they his as well, he couldn't be sure?"

Suddenly the stationmaster's first whistle sounded and the pair leapt apart, "Not now it's too soon." Flora whimpered leaning forward and burying her head into his shoulder.

"It won't be for long but darling we have to go." Walter whispered soothingly brushing the stray hair from her face and escorting her out of the train holding her tight in his arms until the second and last whistle sounded.

"I love you Flora Corey!" He added kissing her firmly but all too briefly before gratefully accepting Andrew's arm to drag him onto the now moving train.

"I love you more!" Flora called back unable to restrain her tears as she waved off the love of her life, straining to hear his muffled reply over the screech of the engine and just making out the phrase. "That's not possible…"

Settling back into his compartment Walter felt unable to meet the knowing looks from both Andrew and Felix, he could only imagine from the amused grin on his under-butler's face what a state he must look like, hair all messed up and Flora's tears still damp on his cheeks. Huffing slightly he threw himself into his chair, moodily swiping at his hair till it felt right but he didn't have the heart to wipe away her tears preferring to sit and stare out of the window as they dried naturally. Then suddenly he remembered it…the letter.

Waving aside Felix's customary offer of a swig from his hip flask he suddenly dived into his attaché case pulling out both the journal and the letter. Suddenly feeling the need for privacy he stepped out into the corridor and leaning up against the wall began to read.

My dearest darling Walter,

Reading this means you have now been taken from me but you are never absent from my heart and so in a way you will never be anywhere but by my side. I will be waiting my love, and through hell or high water we will be reunited. I know this will be more difficult for you than I, after all I will be home whereas you will be far away and facing many dangers without even a means to send me word and reassurances and no way of receiving them from me. So I have bought you this journal and by the time you return I expect it to be full of letters to me, telling me about your day and your life and how much you miss me as much as I will be missing you and I will be doing the same. Perhaps this will help me feel closer, I know writing to you has always made me feel as if you where somehow in the same room. Keep safe my darling and come home soon, I will be waiting.

Yours forever and always

Flora.

Shaken Walter slowly re-read every word, a smile gracing his handsome face as he beheld that very journal in his hand, only she would think of something so simple and yet so perfect and he only wished he had the chance to tell her how much he loved her gift, on the other hand perhaps he could perhaps now would be the perfect time to start his journal.

Meanwhile back at the station a very alone Flora Ryan still stood watching until the tiny train pulled out of her sight, it wasn't until a squeaky cockney voice at her elbow caught her attention that she could bear to look away.

"Letter for one of the Taplows staff M'am a Miss May?" Fumbling in her purse Flora handed him a shiny half-crown watching as the lad's eyes opened in surprise at such a tip.

"Thank you M'am!" He added handing her the letter, confused Flora accepted it without question, glancing at the handwriting on the envelope as the messenger boy darted off the way he came and gasping in shock as she recognised the handwriting.

Glancing up at the now empty space where the departed train had once been she realised it was much too late to be sent on and now Grace would have to wait until her return to find out just what a certain George Cosmo had to say to her.