Thank you for all the wonderful reviews of the last chapter.

As she walked across the village green Mrs. Hughes noticed a group of mourners emerging from the church yard. As the group went their separate ways she was surprised to see that Tom Branson, dressed in a gray jacket and black pants rather than his customary dark green livery, had been among them and was now coming her way.

He tipped his hat as he reached her. "Mrs. Hughes."

She nodded back. "Mr. Branson. I wasn't aware of a funeral today."

"You probably didn't know him or the family. Billy Lloyd one of the stable hands." Tom looked back at the church yard where a man and woman were still standing beside a newly dug grave. Shaking his head he said "Lad was only 20 and had just enlisted a few months ago."

He turned towards her and noticing for the first time the wicker basket she was carrying reached out his hand. "I'll carry that for you if you're heading back to the Abbey."

They walked in silence as they passed the short line of passengers waiting for the bus to Ripon. A car horn pierced the air as a child ran across the street. They had to walk around two women, each with a wicker basket like Mrs. Hughes', stood on the pavement chatting. They heard the tinkle of a bell as someone opened the door of the butcher shop.

"Sometimes it seems a bit strange to think we're at war and yet so many people are out and about going on with their normal daily lives" Mrs. Hughes said as they passed the post office.

"I know what you mean" Tom replied. "I had to drive his lordship to York the other day and I thought of how there's no outward sign that England is at war. It's so hard to reconcile the peaceful countryside with the atrocities I read in the newspaper of events on the continent."

"Is it too much to hope the war stays on the continent" Mrs. Hughes commented.

Tom looked down at his gray jacket. "But the war does have a way of intruding here. Billy was more interested in motor cars than horses. He'd often spent time in the garage, wanting to learn about the motor cars. He signed up hoping to work in the motor pool but he got sent to the front."

"Now with compulsory conscription I'm afraid the war is going to intrude here even more." Mrs. Hughes looked at him.


As Mrs. Hughes walked down the gravel drive pass the house towards the servants entrance she was surprised to see Edith quickly approaching from the branch of the drive that led to the garage. As Edith drew nearer Mrs. Hughes noted her redden checks and the clenching and unclenching of her fists, a look familiar to Mrs. Hughes for she had often seen it by a frustrated young Edith when the child didn't get her way. Mrs. Hughes paused, her brows knitted in bewilderment not only as to why Edith was coming from the garage but as to whatever had obviously upset her.

Edith almost brushed past Mrs. Hughes as if she wasn't even aware of the housekeeper's presence. "Is there something I could help you with?" the kindly housekeeper asked in that motherly way she had.

Stopping abruptly, her eyes hardened and narrowed, she stared at Mrs. Hughes who wasn't sure if Edith had actually heard her until the younger woman, taking a deep breath and turning her face towards the direction of the garage, huffily said "No Mrs. Hughes there is nothing you can help me with." Then without waiting for any reply Edith stomped off.

Edith's words and manner made Mrs. Hughes even more curious as to what had upset her although she knew that even the most trivial thing could do that. She watched the back of Edith for a minute or two before turning to look down the drive in the direction of the garage.

The Renault was parked on the gravel drive in front of the garage, beside it was the homemade rolling tool cart which Tom had so proudly showed Mrs. Hughes and in front of it stood Tom, dressed in his khaki colored overalls, wiping his hands on an oil stained cloth.

"Nice day to get some work done outside" Mrs. Hughes said as she approached him.

Still wiping his hands he looked up at the cloudless blue. "Aye." Then placing the cloth on the tool cart he spoke quietly almost as if talking to himself "at least some people can recognize when someone is working."

"I take it you're talking about Lady Edith."

He stepped back from the tool cart and rubbed his hand across his forehead. "She came to you about that" he said in disbelief.

"No. I was on my way back from the village and saw her coming from here. She seemed rather upset."

He briefly shook his head and took a deep breath. "She wants me to teach her how to drive. I mean she insisted right then and there as if I-" he again shook his head as he looked at the Renault. "I told her I was busy changing the oil and cleaning the spark plugs and she said that could wait and we could use the old motor car instead."

"As you can imagine she wasn't happy." He faced Mrs. Hughes. "It's not that I'm opposed to teaching her how to drive although I can't say it's high on my list of things to do but her demanding and insistence that I stop what I was doing …" he paused and looked away as if trying rein in his annoyance. "These motor cars aren't toys Mrs. Hughes. When I said his lordship hadn't mentioned anything about this to me and I'd have to talk to his lordship first … well you can imagine how she took that."

She stepped closer and patted his arm. "I understand why you're distressed. You're quite right that you should talk to his lordship first." Glancing at the motor car she said "I wonder what brought on this sudden desire of Lady Edith to learn to drive?"

Tom snickered. "She said she wants to do her part for the war effort."

"The war effort!" an amazed Mrs. Hughes blurted.

"I was a bit dumbfounded about that too" Tom replied.

"Did she say exactly how her learning to drive would help the war effort?"

Any trace of amusement left Tom. "Somehow she's under the impression I'll be called up for service. As if I'd ever serve in the British Army! Especially not after …" he looked away but he didn't need to finish his thought for her to know what he was talking about. She might not pour over the newspapers as he did but she knew about the Easter Rising and what was happening in Ireland.

"How is your family doing?" she asked.

"With all the destruction my mam lost her cleaning job three nights a week and the building where my brother worked for a printing company was also destroyed. Hopefully my brother will find another job but with so many people out of work it's tough. My sister is still working as a secretary since her office wasn't in the area but she doesn't really bring in enough money for them. That's why it's important I stay here as long as I can. They need my earnings."

"The real fight for independence will come after this war's over Mrs. Hughes and I'll be a part of that."


"Whatever are you doing?"

Carson looked towards the doorway of his pantry where Mrs. Hughes stood. "Now Mrs. Hughes I should think it's quite obvious what I'm doing" he replied.

"I mean Mr. Carson why are you cleaning the silver. Shouldn't William be doing that?"

"He's busy on something else and besides he's never done this before. Thomas always did it."

"And no one else can do?"

"I doubt it … at least not to my standards."

Before she could comment on that he continued. "I may need Anna to help with dinner tonight. Not in the dining room of course but in the butler's pantry."

Mrs. Hughes sighed. "Oh no we mustn't have women serving in the dining room."

Carson set the bowl he was polishing on the table. "You may jest Mrs. Hughes but women serving in the dining room is just not how things are done. I want things done properly. We have standards to keep up."

"There's a war going on Mr. Carson we need to make some adjustments."

"I hope this doesn't mean that you're lowering your standards."

"I mean Mr. Carson that it might be impossible to do everything the way we did it before the war." She turned to leave the room but stopped in the doorway. Turning around to face him she said "I never thought there would be the day when you missed Thomas."


The package wasn't heavy and it gave Mrs. Hughes an excuse to get outdoors for a few minutes. So often these days she found she needed a few minutes away from everyone, to have a few minutes alone, to clear her mind, to think of nothing important. She lingered for a minute or two taking in the sweetness of the late blooming roses that perfumed the air before walking on.

She wasn't sure who was more shocked: herself or Sybil.

"Oh Mrs. Hughes!" Sybil's voice betraying her unease at being found in the garage.

Mrs. Hughes stared at the youngest daughter of house who was sitting at the chauffeur's work bench. "Lady Sybil"

"Branson isn't here, he's taken Papa to his regiment luncheon in York. I don't suppose they'll be back till four or so."

Mrs. Hughes nodded. "I was aware of that." As she set the package down on the work bench her eyes took in the newspaper and map spread on before Sybil.

"I … I" Sybil hesitated as she waved a letter in her hand. "Oh Mrs. Hughes Papa doesn't want us to concern ourselves or worry about the war but" she looked at the letter "it does concern us. Every week it seems I hear about another friend who has gone off to the war or even worse who has-" her voice began to tremble and she took a moment to compose herself. "Papa makes Carson take the newspapers downstairs as soon as he finishes with them. I know Branson takes them so I came out here to read them."

She picked up the map. "I want to know where Ypres is and Verdun and the Somme. Matthew is somewhere in the Somme."

She looked up at Mrs. Hughes. "I want to do something but I just feel so helpless. I've seen the posters and fliers about knitting socks or scarves but I only know how to embroider and do needlepoint and I hardly think anyone at the front needs a needlepoint pillow or an embroider sampler."

"It's admirable that you want to do something my lady. There's talk of a possible concert and tombola to raise money for the hospital maybe you could get involved in that."

"That doesn't seem like much Mrs. Hughes."

"Well it could be a start."

Sybil nodded her head as Mrs. Hughes started to leave.

"Oh Mrs. Hughes you won't say anything about my being here reading the newspapers, please, especially not to Carson for he'll tell my father for sure."

Instead of clearing her head as Mrs. Hughes intended her walk had given her a bit to think about and it was somewhat troubling. Lady Sybil certainly seemed at home in the garage. Sure Branson wasn't there but how did Lady Sybil know where the newspapers were?


"I see Miss O'brien is up to her old tricks" Carson said as he settled into the chair in front of Mrs. Hughes' desk.

Mrs. Hughes nodded her head. "I thought with Thomas gone she'd be … well … I guess some people just can't change. But Ethel doesn't seem cowered by her."

"I'm not sure getting on Miss O'brien's bad side will help."

"I'm not sure Miss O'brien has a good side" Mrs. Hughes countered.

"Well Mrs. Hughes I just think we need to monitor the situation. Ethel may not be a good fit here. Furthermore I find her talking about Lady Sybil learning to cook and scrub inappropriate and I hope you'll speak to her about it."

Seeing the deep frown on her face Carson held up his hand. "I don't mean to tell you how to do your job-"

"Well that's exactly how it sounds to me Mr. Carson. The world isn't going to fall apart because Lady Sybil spends a couple of days in the kitchens."

"I'm not comfortable with it. Lady Sybil should have secured her ladyship's permission first instead of sneaking around."

"I'd hardly call it sneaking around and she wants to surprise her mother by baking her a cake. Don't spoil it for her."


Zipping up his coveralls, Tom took a moment to look up at the brilliant blue sky. After days of seemingly endless rain and drizzle today was a much welcomed change with a clear blue sky and bright sun that gave the air a much welcomed warmth. He had planned to spend this afternoon, his half-day off, finding a quiet spot, soaking in the sunshine while enjoying his lunch and reading a good book. Instead he looked at the Renault and grimaced.

Realizing standing here bemoaning his fate wasn't helping him he turned towards the garage. Maybe, just maybe, if he hurried with his task he could salvage some of his afternoon. While in the process of assembling his supplies he heard the clack of heels on the stone pavers of the courtyard. With the mood he was now in he wasn't up for a visitor.

"Whatever happened to the motor car?"

Carrying the bucket filled with his supplies Tom hurried to the front of the garage where Mrs. Hughes stood looking at the Renault. She was so used to seeing the motor cars in pristine condition it was rather surprising to see one with dirt all over it including splatters on the windshield.

"Edith" Tom gruffly replied before remembering himself and saying "Lady Edith"

Perplexed Mrs. Hughes asked "Whatever does Lady Edith have to do with getting the motor car so dirty?"

Tom glanced at the motor car and shook his head as if in disbelief that one of the motor cars he took such pride in maintaining would look like that. "Lady Edith believes she's mastered driving. Does that look like the motor car of someone who can properly drive!"

Tom's tone and agitation surprised Mrs. Hughes. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"She doesn't want to listen, she thinks she knows what she's doing. She doesn't understand road conditions. She took a curve too fast, drove right off the road." Tom inhaled deeply. "Busted the right front tire and the back tires became stuck in the mud and Lady Edith … she laughed as if it was so amusing …"

Tom walked slowly around the motor car as if trying to reassure himself that there was no damage. "I could change the tire but I needed help in getting the motor out of the mud. Course she stopped laughing when I told her we'd have to walk back here to get help for getting the motor car out of the mud."

"Where were you?"

"Out on the estate about a mile or so away." Still looking at the car he continued "now what may be the last nice day before winter sets in and I have to spend what was supposed to be my afternoon off, or at least what little is left of it, cleaning and polishing and making sure there isn't any damage."

"Oh! That's why I'm here" Mrs. Hughes said as she held out the basket containing his lunch. "I noticed you hadn't taken your packed lunch and I wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong."

He gratefully took the basket and expressed his thanks for her bringing the basket to him.

"When I told Lady Edith we had to get back and that it was my afternoon off she said why did I need an afternoon off, with the war on that I wasn't driving them around much so I had plenty of time off. Guess she doesn't know that I've been maintaining all the estate tractors and I've been helping out driving the ambulance between the railway station and the hospital."

His agitation seemed to grow as he continued talking. "Lady Edith is just like their lot. They don't care their actions or carelessness causes work for others or worse. Lady Sybil almost cost me my job and even Mr. Matthew … he was the one at the count that got into a fight not me but I was the one that-" He stopped, looking horror stricken at Mrs. Hughes as if he suddenly realized what he was saying.

"It's alright lad. I understand you're upset and I can see why." She started to say that she knew Lady Edith wasn't the easiest person to deal but stopped herself. She knew how much Tom needed this job and she didn't want to encourage him to do or say anything that would jeopardize it.

Tom looked up at the sky and ran his hand through his hair.

"It alright to vent to me but I wouldn't do it in the servants hall or in front of Mr. Carson."

She smiled at him. "Now sit down and eat your lunch. I'll talk to Mr. Carson about letting you have another afternoon off."


"I feel like the world has gone topsy turvy Mrs. Hughes."

"My that bad Mr. Carson."

He looked at her. "I'm being serious Mrs. Hughes."

"What's happened now?"

"I told her ladyship about Lady Sybil working in the kitchen and when she came down to see she wasn't upset at all." He shook his head as if still in disbelief. "She … she said she wasn't worried any more about Lady Sybil. That she didn't mind." He sat back in his chair. "Lady Edith learning to drive. Lady Sybil cooking."

"This war is changing us Mr. Carson and I think when it's over it might be a very different world."