Cora had decided to tell Robert of Aurelia's relationship once they were in the privacy of their own bedroom. Both dressed for bed Cora had that look that Robert knew too well; that look that said she was preparing to say something that he wouldn't like.

'What is it?' He asked, with one leg in the bed and the other still on the floor.

'It's about Ella.' She replied cautiously.

'I knew it. Is she in some sort of trouble?' He asked with a sharp tone.

'No, not at all Robert; in fact it's quite the opposite, but only if you approve it.' She explained and Robert closed his eyes and sighed deeply, a mixture of relief and frustration as he tried to prepare himself for what his wife was about to say.

'Do you remember Doctor Forbes from the village hospital? He's currently working as Doctor Clarkson's assistant.'

Robert thought for a moment. He didn't know the gentleman well, but they had met once or twice.

'I can vaguely place him.' He said.

'Well Ella is in love with him Robert and they want to be together. He wants to ask our permission to marry her.' Cora explained and watched as Robert exploded.

'Certainly not! I have no doubt that he is a good and decent man, but how could he possibly provide for Ella? As far as I am aware he is staying in one of the rooms at the pub for crying out loud! What kind of a life will that give her?' He shouted as he leapt from the bed.

Cora also got out and stood in front of him, with that fierce and fiery look that first attracted him to her.

'Robert will you keep your voice down? Or the girls will hear you!' She chastised and glared at him with such force that he didn't attempt to argue with her.

At that moment there was a gentle tap on their door and Aurelia popped her head round fearfully. She had heard her father's shouts and knew that her mother had given him the news and that it wasn't received well.

'May I come in?'

One look at her and all of Robert's anger disappeared into the night. She had always had that effect on him even as a little girl.

'Papa please don't be angry with me. I know you would rather I married Lord Edward or Duke Sotheby or some other lord or dignitary but that just isn't who I am Papa. Henry makes me happy and doesn't expect me to be perfect all of the time. When I'm with him I feel that I can be myself and I won't apologise for that.' She explained as she tried to keep her emotions level, but felt betrayed as her voice broke a little.

Robert relented a little and held his arms out to his daughter.

'Come here.' He said softly and Aurelia joined him in his embrace. 'I just think you can do much better my dear. At least I could guarantee that Lord Edward could take good care of you.'

'But so can Henry Papa. Doctor Clarkson has just made him a permanent physician here at Downton and he will earn good money. And if you permit us to, I would rather like to stay here.' She explained.

'We'll talk about this another time Ella, perhaps now isn't the best.' Robert said as he observed Cora stifle a yawn.

'Perhaps Papa. I'll say goodnight now; but I would really love for you to meet with him properly Papa and get to know him.' Aurelia replied as she kissed her father on the cheek and then her mother.

Robert stood for a few moments and watched after his little girl. Where had she gone to? He thought.

'Robert come to bed.' Cora encouraged as she climbed back into the warmth of the blankets.

Hesitantly, Robert returned, but didn't get any sleep at all that night. He tossed and turned with worry, but he needn't have worried as Aurelia was a strong and resourceful girl and deep down he knew that.

As the new day dawned, all four Crawley girls were sat having breakfast, joined by Matthew and their father. Cora was having breakfast in bed as usual but she intended to go downstairs as soon as possible.

Whilst the Crawleys were having their breakfast, so was the staff downstairs, all except Lily who was at the train station waiting to go to Cragalton House in Gloucestershire. She had arranged to meet with Mrs Briars who was going to tell her everything she could about the mystery baby Crawley and the birth mother of the child.

The train journey gave her plenty of time to think about what she was going to do with the information once she had it. She had decided that once she had enough information she would begin by tormenting Lord Grantham with poison pen letters, anonymously of course, telling him at first that she knew something about him that could ruin him. Then bit by bit she would reveal what she knew and hoped she could extort money from him and if he didn't pay she would threaten to go to the papers with the story. Then once she had her money and her story, she would resign. Yes she felt delighted with her plan and couldn't wait to wipe the smug look of his Lordship's face when she sent the first one.

The journey took her just over three hours and when she got out of the carriage she saw a short, plump, grey haired old woman waiting for her.

'Mrs Briars?' She asked once she was on the platform.

'Yes that's me.' The old woman replied without a smile or any facial expression at all.

The two women walked off the platform and into the little tea room where they chose the furthest away table, away from prying eyes and ears.

'So what do you want to rake this all up for?' Mrs Briars said with a thick east London accent.

'Because I want to get out of service and live a better life; and I want to take the Crawleys and their type down a peg or two. I'm fed up with people like them thinking they're better than us.' Lily replied in hushed tones.

Mrs Briars seemed to think this was a reasonable response, because she leaned closer towards Lily and said,

'So what exactly do you want to know?'

'Well Mr Carlton said that your niece was at Downton Abbey about twenty years ago. He said that she told you about an affair that Lord Grantham had with one of the maids there. Is it true?' Lily asked, lowering her voice until Mrs Briars had to strain to hear her.

'That's what Doreen said. She was one of the kitchen maids there at the time and she started there the same time as this other maid; apparently she was taken on as Lady Grantham's Lady's Maid. Now Doreen never went into too much detail about it, only that it was believed downstairs that his Lordship was having it off with this maid; on more than one occasion Doreen saw them together in the corridor in urgent whispers, arranging their sordid meetings I suspect. This was just before they went away, Lord and Lady Grantham I mean, I believe they went to America for several months and they took the maid with them and then when they came back, her Ladyship had twin baby girls with her. None of the staff had even known she was pregnant.' Mrs Briars explained.

'So how did your niece know that the twins were the maids and not Lady Grantham's?'

'Well that's the thing. She didn't think the girls were twins; she said that to look at them they couldn't have looked more different from each other if they'd tried, but what really tipped Doreen off, was the fact that the maid, who was now nanny to the babies, seemed to give more attention to one than the other, you know, she was always talking about her or mentioning her.' She said which peaked Lily's curiosity all the more.

'Mrs Briars, did Doreen ever give you the name of this maid?' She asked.

'She did but I can't remember it now, it was so long ago, the old mind can't keep a hold of everything.' Mrs Briars replied wearily.

'Well perhaps I could speak with your niece, would that be possible?' Lily hoped, but those hopes were soon dashed.

'I'm afraid that won't be possible. Doreen died about ten years ago and took my sister along with her, poor cow; she never did get over losing her girl.' Mrs Briars explained with a heartfelt sadness.

Lily felt defeated as the one thing she really wanted was gone. How could she ever possibly find out who the young maid was now without a name? She was going home with no more information than she'd come with and now her train home was just about to pull into the station.

Getting up from her seat she thanked Mrs Briars for all of her help and began to walk towards the door when Mrs Briars called her back.

'Doreen did mention one thing about the maid; she said that she used to have a funny accent…Scottish I think or Irish maybe.'

With that last comment Lily was overjoyed and rushed to the train carriage with delight. Mrs Briars might not have known it, but she'd just given her the maid who was mother to one of the Crawley twins and it was the last person in the world Lily would ever have suspected.