A/N Thank you for your warm response to the first chapter. You're all very kind. Special shout-out to my guest reviewers, whom I can't thank via PM.
Having spent the rest of the afternoon and the evening agitated and distracted, Mr. Carson was now making his final rounds downstairs, still agitated and distracted. The former housekeeper filled his mind and his heart as he performed his series of checks. As he'd written in his reply to her, he had indeed been wondering and worrying. He thought of Mrs. Hughes often, and as he passed the servants' hall near the end of his circuit, his mind settled on the first serious conversation he'd ever had with her.
November 1895
Mr. Carson had just completed the last of his work for the night, so he put away his account books and ledgers and tidied up his office. After lighting a candle, he extinguished the flame from the oil lamp on his desk, left his pantry, and closed and locked the door behind him. He headed towards the back door, intending to check the lock, when he noticed a dim light emanating from the servants' hall. He'd thought everyone else had gone up to bed, but evidently he'd been wrong. Upon investigating, he found Elsie Hughes, the new head housemaid, who had been at Downton only a few weeks. She sat at the table with a candle and a book in front of her, but the book was closed.
"Elsie?" said Mr. Carson, quietly, trying not to startle her. "What are you doing down here so late? Shouldn't you be upstairs asleep?" He spoke gently. Normally, he would scold any subordinate whom he found up and about so late, but somehow, he couldn't find it in his heart to be stern with this young woman, who was certainly causing no trouble. He didn't know her well, but he knew she was a dependable, diligent worker, and she struck him as a good person, as well. Mrs. Davies, the housekeeper, certainly spoke highly of her.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Mr. Carson. I'll go up soon," Elsie told him. "Only I need a few moments to … well, to ponder something. In a busy house like this, with so much activity, it's difficult to think sometimes. It's never quiet and calm until everyone's gone to bed."
"True enough," he conceded. "I'll leave you to it, then. But don't stay up too much longer; else you'll be tired tomorrow."
"I won't, Mr. Carson. Thank you. Good night."
"Good night, Elsie."
But after Mr. Carson ensured that the back door was secured and all of the fires downstairs were safely banked, Elsie was still sitting in the servants' hall, looking unsettled. Concerned that something might be wrong, he stood in the doorway for a moment before stepping into the room.
"Elsie, I don't mean to intrude," he began. "I'll leave you alone if you wish, but … "
"No, please. Stay. I don't mind. In fact, I would welcome your company," she told him.
He hesitated. "Only if you're sure … "
She nodded her head and smiled at him. "I'm sure."
He set his candle on the table and settled himself into the chair next to hers, and the two sat in silence for a time.
"Is something troubling you, Elsie? Are you unhappy here?" Mr. Carson asked after a moment, concerned for the young woman's welfare.
She seemed surprised at his question. "Heavens, no! I'm quite content," she insisted.
"Then, is it something else?" he wondered.
Elsie sighed. "Perhaps I'm too happy here."
His brow creased in confusion. "How is that a problem?"
"Well, it wouldn't be, normally … But in this case, I'm afraid my happiness has caused someone else to be unhappy."
"I'm sorry. I don't follow."
She took a slow breath and began to explain. "Before I came here, I was walking out with a farmer. When I told him I'd taken this job, he asked me to marry him. I told him I'd consider his proposal. But I've done well here, and I'm happy. I don't want to leave. So … when I met him in the village tonight to give him my answer, I told him no."
"Oh, I see," said Mr. Carson, not knowing what else to say. He thought for a moment before continuing, "Well, I'm sorry it's upsetting you, but I'm pleased to know you'll be staying. You've done well. Mrs. Davies tells me you show great promise, and … well, we're both quite hopeful for your future here."
She gave him a grateful smile. "Well, thank you for that, Mr. Carson," she said. "It's good to hear."
He smiled back and nodded.
After a brief period of silence, Elsie asked, "What about you, Mr. Carson? Have you ever thought of marriage?"
He waxed wistful for a moment. He would otherwise be reluctant to speak of such personal matters, but Elsie had just confided in him. Somehow, he felt at ease with her, and he answered candidly. "Perhaps I did, once … when I was younger. But not now. I've chosen a life in service, and I'm content with my lot."
She paused to consider for a moment before replying, "Yes, I think I can understand that. I'm beginning to feel the same way. I'm sorry to have hurt my friend, but I think I've made the correct choice."
"I'm sure you have," Mr. Carson offered sympathetically.
Neither spoke for a time, but then Elsie reached for her candle and her book. "I should be going now. Thank you for the chat, Mr. Carson. I'm sorry to have bothered you with my troubles."
"Nonsense. It's no bother," he reassured her. "I like to be sure my staff are all happy here."
Elsie bade him good night, took her candle and book, and left him at the servants' table, where he remained for a few minutes, thinking about the new head housemaid. He was pleased to have discovered that she was serious and determined in her chosen path. He'd already suspected as much, even without this new information, but the fact that she'd turned down a marriage proposal in order to remain in service spoke volumes about the young woman's character – and her prospects for advancement.
Mr. Carson was well aware that old Mrs. Davies was getting on, and he suspected that she would retire within a few years. He entertained the notion that it would be preferable, logically and practically, to find her replacement within Downton's ranks rather than to look elsewhere. The new head housemaid impressed him, and if Elsie continued to acquit herself as well as she had already, he would have no qualms at all in supporting her as Mrs. Davies's successor. With that thought in mind, he snatched up his candle and headed upstairs to bed.
Standing in the same servants' hall tonight, Mr. Carson recalled how that conversation had convinced him of the young woman's value. He and Mrs. Davies had been correct in their assessment, and after the elderly housekeeper retired a few years later, a young Elsie, thereafter called Mrs. Hughes, had stepped in smoothly, as if she had been born to the position. She'd spent nearly the next two decades working by Mr. Carson's side, supporting him both professionally and personally. During that time, the two had become good friends. They'd worked together flawlessly, happily, and he'd come to expect that they would continue to do so for many years thereafter, presumably until his death. (As he was several years older than she was, he'd naturally imagined predeceasing her.) He'd been incorrect in that assumption, however; for it was not his death but her departure from Downton in 1913 that had severed their working partnership.
But tonight, after the distressing events of the day and the turmoil that Mrs. Hughes's letter had caused him, Mr. Carson was far too weary to dwell on her leaving, and he tried to console himself with the prospect of seeing her again in a few days' time. He finished turning out the lights, damping the fires, and checking the doors, then headed upstairs to his bed, destined for a fitful night's slumber.
A/N All of the questions you asked in your reviews will be addressed over the next few chapters. The upcoming chapters will be a few flashbacks, telling bits and pieces of the story of Mr. Carson's relationship with Mrs. Hughes while she was at Downton, leading up to the details of the circumstances under which she left. After that, we'll travel to London with Mr. Carson to meet Mrs. Hughes in the tea shop, and we'll find out what Mrs. Hughes has been doing since she left. Finally, we'll see what happens after they're reunited in the "present time" of this story, or 1926. (And to be perfectly honest with you, I myself am not sure what will happen in 1926. That part isn't written or even planned out yet.)
Thank you again for your interest in this story. Please review if you're able. Your kind encouragement energizes me so that I can continue writing.