Continued: YaY! It's still CHristmas! Downstairs style!
Chapter Thirteen
"Mrs. Patmore, if you don't get out of my kitchen I will be forced to have you physically removed." Daisy was joking but she tried her very hardest to keep a straight face.
The older woman knew she was joking, and mostly stayed in her way just to tease the cook.
"Alright. Alright. You don't have to resort to brute force you know. I was only helping." Mrs. Patmore shot a cheeky grin but did as she was told.
It was instinct for her to take charge in the kitchen even after having retired a few years ago but she wandered back towards the dining hall nevertheless. Daisy had lent her the farm to live out her golden years in order to keep it in good standing. She loved it. She loved the fresh air, the hard work and most of all she adored Daisy for giving her the gift of free room and board in her retirement. By the time Daisy was ready to retire to the farm herself, it would be a very valuable property with the efforts of the older, red-headed woman.
It was Christmas morning but the downstairs didn't seem to have their faculties fully about them due to the recent events that had transpired. Everyone was still in quite a bit of shock and because it was Christmas, the business of the house didn't diminish just because his Lordship's Valet and the Head Housekeeper were away tending their daughter.
Thank goodness Carson and Mrs. Hughes were there. They were coordinating the efforts of Christmas day with the ease of practised skill and every single person in the house was grateful that they were there. It was hectic, there was always something that needed to be done, so most of the staff had no time to stand about and lament about the gossip of the accident. They had tended to do just that on more than one occasion until Carson or Barrow would catch them slacking and reprimanded them. Even the newer staff were already jumping to make sure the old Butler didn't catch them standing about wasting time.
Mrs Patmore sat at the table and poured herself a cup of tea and watched as one of the maids responded to the bell being rung from Lady Mary's room. Molesley and Barrow came into the room and greeted her good morning and a Merry Christmas. The two of them had been discussing whether or not to wake up Master George as the morning was progressing well enough and he still hadn't stirred.
Molesley was insisting the young man be allowed to sleep, while Barrow was arguing that they had an early dinner to put on and they would need Molesley's help to run food and attend to the guests at the table.
"He's going to have to learn his responsibility." Barrow was adamant.
Molesley didn't budge.
"When I hear his beckon I will go. Poor lad's been through a time. He looks terrible." The older, balding man said it more to Mrs. Patmore than to his supervisor.
Barrow grumped off to find someone else to encourage. His lips were pursed and his eyes narrowed.
After he had gone, Mrs. Patmore laughed with the part-time valet of the young Master Crawley.
"I feel sorry for the next person he runs into who isn't performing double duty." They both laughed. Years of experience had taught them to not be bullied by Barrow.
The current Butler had eased his need for drama over the years, especially after he had been promoted to head Butler. His focus had changed after that but he retained the standard that he always had held himself to. And now he flourished in it. The house was very well-run under his charge but it didn't didn't mean the older staff wouldn't take the chance to rib him when the opportunity presented itself.
The two sitting at the table heard the familiar voices of Carson and Mrs. Hughes coming down the hallway. They were also discussing the evening's dinner and they looked up in surprise to see Mrs. Patmore sitting there. She didn't sit for long as she stood up and gave her old friends two very warm hugs.
"How was the trip in from the farm?" Elsie asked her friend.
"It was fine. Daisy made all the arrangements so I only had to be where I was supposed to be." Mrs Patmore sized up the couple and decided that retirement was doing them well. They both looked wonderful, if not just a tiny bit tired from the chaos of the house.
"You look wonderful, I'm so glad you made it to visit with us. The farm fresh air must be doing you well." Elsie smiled warmly at the former cook.
"I was thinking the same of you both. You look as happy as honeymooners."
The older couple looked at each other and blushed as they both grinned the same grin at one another.
Mrs. Patmore laughed at them and encouraged them to take a seat and have some tea with her. It was Christmas after all. And there was so much to talk about.
The four at the table were eventually joined by Daisy, who had been kind enough to bring them a fresh pot of tea and some bites to eat. She sat down with them as they discussed the 'George' situation and they all had their opinions about it all right.
The conversation went on as they all filled each other in on tidbits of information they had heard from varying sources. Branson had not been back to the Abbey since the day of the accident and they heard Sybbie was doing fairly. O'Malley seemed the worst of the lot but they had not a lot of information about him except that his brother was in town and one of them should have him come for dinner over the holidays. Master George was home but looked like he had been through the trenches. And poor little Emma had lost her arm but she was doing well in spite of the terrible injury.
The group was added to at certain times and lessened on others over the course of the late morning and early afternoon. People came and went as the daily duties required them to either hurry up and wait or get busy fast. But there was usually someone at the table to chat with Mrs Patmore as she sat wishfully thinking she could be of some help.
As though Daisy read her mind, the younger woman was by her side without a sound and when the former cooked looked up at her replacement Daisy blew a piece of hair out of her own eyes and pulled Mrs. Patmore's arm.
"Quit looking so glum. It's Christmas. You can help me with the sauce for the pudding. I've never quite been able to make it as good as you do." Daisy smiled warmly at her mentor.
"I thought you'd never ask." Mrs. Patmore popped off her chair with an enthusiasm she hadn't felt in awhile. As much as she loved her retirement, she did miss the thrill of just before dinner service at the Abbey. She missed it all.
The kitchens came alive for the next few hours as course after course after course of food was delivered upstairs to the many guests that were trying to enjoy the celebration of what normally would have been a merry day. The footmen flew up and down the stairs so many times that even they lost track of the steps they had taken.
Barrow came running down the stairs so fast at one point that he nearly took out Mrs. Hughes who was standing at the bottom.
"What on earth has you in such a hurry?" She was a bit shocked at his behaviour, and she answered her own question when she noticed that something had been spilled on his trousers.
"Someone was sick. I don't want to talk about it." Barrow stopped only long enough to tell her. He looked rather like he was going to be sick himself.
Elsie encouraged him on his way, she would get the story later.
When the last service dish had been brought back downstairs everyone stood around with half-stupid smiles on their faces as they noticed the long table had been set up beautifully by the kitchen staff and their own early dinner was ready to be eaten. It was late afternoon and they could spend the rest of the day doing as they pleased after their dinner was finished.. Upstairs would take care of themselves for the rest of the night.
As everyone sat down to dinner they heard the sound of feet stamping by the back door. Elsie and her husband stood up to see who it was.
They reappeared in the doorway a short time later after some voices were heard discussing matters from the hallway. Everyone at the table waited patiently to begin their dinner until they saw who was accompanying the older couple back through the doors. Many of them jumped to their feet and a lot of voices greeted them all at once.
John and Anna came into the dining hall and wished everyone a very Merry Christmas. They hadn't known, or had forgotten that dinner was going to be early and had just stopped by on their way back to the hospital to wish everyone well. They had been convinced to stay for something to eat by Carson and Elsie. Lena held her father's arm firmly and tried to hide behind him as everyone made room for them at the table. One of the maids had run into the other room to get them some place settings.
Everyone knew that the young Bates was still quite traumatized by witnessing the accident and this was the first any of the staff had seen of her since that day. The poor girl looked to be trembling and she tucked close to her father at the end of the bench. She picked lightly at the plate of food that was set before her but didn't engage in any of the conversation that went on around her.
Bates was telling Carson about how George had saved Emma's life that morning and so he no longer was angry at George for what had been caused. Barrow butted in with his opinion on how none of it would have happened if George hadn't been driving the car. The Butler completely blamed George for the accident that had nearly taken Miss Sybbie's life. Barrow had remained close to her over the years and clearly still adored the young woman.
It was as though someone had suddenly taken the blindfold off of Lena and she really heard what was being said around her. She looked around her with clear eyes and her father noticed her change in demeanour from beside him.
"What is it Sweetheart? Do you feel alright?" John asked his daughter.
"I don't understand why you're all being so mean to Master George... He wasn't driving the car..." Lena looked at Barrow as she said it. He looked back shocked.
"What do you mean he wasn't driving?"
Bates looked firmly at his daughter not quite sure of what he had heard.
Everyone at the table fell silent as Lena repeated herself.
"George was not driving the car. I was there. I saw it. Miss Sybbie was."
The entire table sat in silence as they digested both their dinner and the news that had been dropped in their presence.
Someone cleared their throat from the entrance to the dining hall.
They all turned around to see Tom Branson standing there. More than a few gasps were heard from around the table as they realized he must have heard what was just spoken aloud.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to tell you all that Sybbie has woken up and she's foggy, but she's coming around." Tom tried to say the words without his voice breaking, but it did audibly. He had very clearly heard what Lena had said from the other end of the table and didn't know how to take it. "I'm sorry, I should go..." He turned quickly and left their presence before anyone could stop him. The look on his face crushed those of them who had seen it before he turned.
"I'll go talk to him..." Elsie stood up and encouraged everyone else to finish their dinner. "This has not been a good time for him at all, and now this..."
Lena started to cry and her mother and father left the room quickly to console her away from everyone.
Barrow cut himself another piece of roast and before he put it in his mouth he said,
"I think a few of us owe Master George an apology."
He stared at his plate as he chewed and contemplated how he would deliver his. He understood why George had lied. To protect Sybbie. And the Butler's respect level for the young Master had increased tenfold.
To be continued:
Alternate ending to this chapter... Thomas Barrow's heart grew three sizes that day... (Giggles)