On Robert's return he met immediately with his wife who was waiting anxiously for him in the drawing room. He embraced her to comfort her as he saw the strained look on her face.

'Are you sure there's nothing more we can do to avoid this?' She asked him and felt heartbroken when he saw him shake his head.

'Murray said that the best we can do now is limit damage control and that it'd be better that she hear the truth from us than from someone else.' He explained as they sat on the sofa together.

'Mrs Hughes is on her way up and I've asked Anna to fetch Aurelia as soon as possible.' Cora explained. 'How do you think she's going to react?' She added.

'I don't know my darling. I hope she understands and I hope she can come to terms with it; but whatever happens, we are in this together and she needs to know that and that we're here for her, no matter what happens.' Robert said, just as Mrs Hughes entered the room.

Robert couldn't help but look at her and think how terrified she looked, but then again, they were all terrified of what was about to come.

Only a few minutes passed, but to the three people already in the drawing room, Aurelia's arrival felt like hours. When Aurelia walked in she found her mother sat on one of the seats, her father was stood by the fire and Mrs Hughes was standing behind them. Aurelia was surprised to see Mrs Hughes, who looked very anxious, and she didn't like the feel of the atmosphere in the room.

'You wanted to see me Mama?'

'Yes Ella, have a seat please.' Cora replied as she patted the space beside her and took a hold of her daughter's hand.

'What is going on Papa?'

Robert took a deep breath as he prepared himself for what he was about to say. As a father he had vowed to protect his children no matter what the cost and now he felt like he was betraying that vow as if he had somehow failed Aurelia.

'Ella something has happened over the past few days that is going to throw the family into turmoil when it is published. We want you to hear the truth from us now, rather than hearing it from gossip later on.' Robert said as he prepared himself and looked into the eyes of his anxious daughter.

'You see, I had a brother, a younger brother named Richard. I know that you have never met your uncle and that we rarely speak of him and this may explain why we do not.' Robert explained cautiously, before he moved toward Aurelia and sat on the chair in front of her.

'You see my dear, your uncle was always one for trouble; he drank too much, smoked too much and rather liked his ladies too much, if you will pardon the rather crass expression. Truth is he broke your grandmother's heart on more than one occasion, but this time he went too far.'

Aurelia sat and looked at her father with confusion and worry as she watched his brow crease as it so often did when he was hurting or stressed. She was concentrating so much on her father, that when Mrs Hughes shuffled behind them Aurelia jumped a little, forgetting that she was there.

'Go on Papa, what happened?' She pressed.

'Richard liked to cross boundaries and used to particularly enjoy exploits with the staff, so your grandparents sent him away to university in the hope it might help control him, but if anything it seemed to make him worse.

'Whilst he was away studying at Oxford, your mother hired Mrs Hughes as her Lady's Maid and neither had yet met Richard until his arrival for a week, during which time he took a very unhealthy interest in Mrs Hughes. He spent days making lewd comments and isolating her from the other staff…but I never thought…' Robert said as he broke off briefly and glanced up at Mrs Hughes apologetically and then she took up the rest of the story from there. She also, rather out of character, seated herself next to his Lordship, with no objections from the family. Any barriers that had been between them all those years ago had been broken, with the secret that they had all carried for over twenty years.

'On the last night of Mr Crawley's stay, the house was full of guests for a shooting party. Everyone above stairs and below was busy, so no one noticed that he had slipped away and found me whilst I was doing some of the chores around the house.' Mrs Hughes explained as she took a deep, calming breath. 'He attacked me and then returned to the shoot as if nothing had happened.'

Aurelia felt shocked at Mrs Hughes' admission and sorry for the pain that must have been caused to her, but she still felt very unsure as to why her parents and the housekeeper were revealing this to her and why at that moment in time. Cora gently squeezed Aurelia's hand to comfort her child for what she knew was about to come, as Robert picked up the story again.

'Shortly after, your mother and I went travelling to America to visit relatives over there; Mrs Hughes and Mr Wilson came with us, during which time Mrs Hughes revealed to your mother what had happened, after she discovered…her…well her condition.' Robert explained whilst trying to hide his embarrassment.

'What exactly do you mean Papa?'

'I discovered that I was pregnant, which I tried to hide at first, but her Ladyship soon noticed.' Mrs Hughes explained, barely able to maintain eye contact with any of the family, her own embarrassment much harder to conceal.

'When Mrs Hughes eventually came to me with the full story your father and I deliberated what to do for the best. I had also just discovered that I was expecting and as we were not due back home for several more months, we came up with the most logical solution. It seemed most unfair for Mrs Hughes to be ridiculed for something that was not her fault or that she should lose her child.' Cora explained, trying hard to find the right words.

'We had our babies a day a part and on our return we brought you both home as our own.' Cora finished with a look directly into the watery eyes of daughter.

'You are referring to Sybil and me.' Aurelia replied quietly as she allowed the information to sink in before turning to the other woman in front of her. 'So you are my mother Mrs Hughes.'

'Yes Milady, well, your natural mother by all accounts. Lord and Lady Grantham offered me the solution that allowed me the courtesy of avoiding any shame, whilst remaining a part of your life. We agreed that on our return Lady Sybil and you would be raised as twins and I would take on the role of your nanny and maid.' Mrs Hughes explained, feeling ashamed and mortified that she was revealing her secret, something that she had never contemplated that she would ever have to do.

'I see. So why are you informing me of this now?' Aurelia asked as she forced her voice to sound steady, even though she didn't feel it.

'Well my dear, it would seem that someone has discovered our secret and are intent on ruining this family's name with it. As we said, we thought it best that you hear it from us rather than hear a half truth from gossip.' Robert said. 'At the moment whoever has the story believes that I had an affair with Mrs Hughes and that you are the product of that affair.' He added.

There was deafening silence in the room apart from the painful ticking of the clock. Aurelia couldn't contemplate what she was hearing but she felt searing pain and her eyes prickled with tears. She had never seen her mother cry before, but even now there were tears in both Cora's and Mrs Hughes' eyes. Even Robert appeared to be fighting back tears of turmoil.

'Please believe that we only did what we thought was best for you Ella.' Robert said as he glanced at his daughter. 'None of this changes how we feel about you. You are our daughter and nothing will ever change that.'

Aurelia appreciated his words and knew that both her mother and father loved her very much, of that she had no doubt; but at his words she glanced subtly at Mrs Hughes, who couldn't bear to look at any of them, and Aurelia felt awful that she had to hear that. It must have hurt her very much to hear another man and woman tell her child that she would always be theirs.

'So what happens now?' Aurelia asked hoarsely.

'We thought we might send you to America to be with your Grandmama for a few months until the talk has died down.' Cora said with a small smile. 'She will take good care of you.'

'And I will take this opportunity to tender my resignation Milord. Yourself and Lady Grantham have been more than kind to me regarding this matter, but I think it is time that I brought no more shame on your house.' Mrs Hughes said as she stood.

'Papa you cannot possibly let Mrs Hughes resign, it isn't right. And I will not be going to America; I shall not run away from something that is the fault of no one here.' Aurelia said defiantly and determinedly.

'Well I quite agree. Mrs Hughes your resignation will not be accepted. Downton is your home as much as it is ours and I will not allow you to be chased out over this.' Robert said to the surprise of Mrs Hughes, who couldn't find the words to speak to his Lordship.

'However, Ella you should consider your mother's proposal. This could get quite nasty for you and I do not wish to subject you to such speculation.' He continued.

'Thank you Papa for your consideration, but it sounds like we are in this together and that is how I intend it to stay.' She said bravely and Robert, Cora and Mrs Hughes admired her for her courage. 'I do have one other question though, if I may; what happened to…to your brother?'

'I told him he was no longer welcome here, that he had hurt this family once too often and that he was to leave without another word. I believe he then joined the army and was killed in the African War, although his body was never found.' Robert replied.

'So who knows about this secret?' Aurelia asked.

'Only the three of us Milady and now you. We kept it as low key as possible, so I haven't a clue who it is that is blackmailing you, or indeed how they got a hold of the story.' Mrs Hughes explained and felt her blood boil with anger.

The feisty Scot in her was prepared to strangle the person once they were caught, but she knew better than to voice her thoughts out loud.

'So what are we to do then?' Cora asked.

'I am not sure my darling, but whatever we do, it will be together.' Robert said and all four of them allowed themselves a small smile.