Slowly the car came to a stop outside Crawley House. Isobel awoke, blearily rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Richard escorted her to the door and while he wanted to he didn't kiss her goodnight. What he didn't know was that when Isobel climbed into bed she was not wearing her shoes. In her dreams she was once again in the shadows of the walkway. However, when the women would emerge to stare at her Richard was there beside her and beheaded them. The exit was shining with light and wasn't blocked by the man and together they strode through it.
In the days that followed Isobel wrote to the Bryant's having gotten the address once again through Mrs. Hughes. The housekeeper could not get away to join Isobel at Crawley house to mediate between Ethel and the Bryant's, instead Doctor Clarkson decided to fill that position. Earlier that morning Ethel Parks came to the Downton Cottage Hospital where Doctor Clarkson gave her a thorough examination. There had been consequences from the choices Ethel had made. He drew up a measure of Salvarsan and injected her with it. When he was finished Ethel asked him, "Do you think they'll do it?"
"You mean come?" He asked off hand.
"Oh they'll come." Ethel said with a laugh.
Richard kept quiet, he knew before Ethel opened her mouth what she had planned. Today she was going to surrender her child to the Bryant's. The only stumbling block he could foresee was not from the child's grandparents but from Isobel. The quality that annoyed and attracted Richard to no end was Isobel's optimism. He had first been introduced to it with a case of dropsy. On some base level he was sure that Isobel knew that Ethel had to give Charlie to the Bryant's. There would be no fairytale ending here. Nonetheless, Isobel had elements of fairytale's around her. Matthew was essentially a prince married to a princess and living in a castle. This day was going to end badly for someone. Soon the appointed hour approached and he made his way to Crawley House. Once inside he made his way to the drawing room and placed himself next to the fireplace. From his position he could survey the whole room and he watched as the couple entered and sat down.
"Thank you for letting us come." Mrs Bryant said her tone slightly wavering no doubt she was nervous.
There was no nervousness in Mr. Bryant's voice, "And why have we come? To hear more guff about a mother's love?"
RIchard had been witness to some ugly scenes as a doctor and as a soldier and was able to mold his face into a mask. He would not react to the venom from Mr. Bryant. Isobel however, hadn't seemed to regain her impereability. "Mr Bryant, that's not fair."
The man shrugged, "Isn't it? We know what you are now, Ethel. We know how far you've fallen. I didn't want to let Mrs Bryant in the same room as you, but she insisted."
His wife's eyes darted to him in fear, "What Mr Bryant means—"
Ethel now openly showed fear, "How could you know about me?"
Bryant scoffed again and Richard remembered Major Bryant, they were cut from the same cloth. "Do you think it's so difficult to find out about a woman like you? Ha. I could give you a list of your clients."
Ethel's fear had morphed into indignation, "You mean, you've had me followed?"
Mr. Bryant bristled with righteous indignation, "What? Didn't you think we'd keep a check on our grandson?"
"We're not judging you." Mrs Bryant sputtered and Richard inwardly sighed, this was not going well.
"I'm judging her. I judge her and I find her wanting." Bryant spat.
The smile Mrs. Bryant was wearing was starting to annoy Richard, "Ethel, we've decided to offer you some money, to make things easier so that you won't have to..
"Unless you don't want to give it up." Mr. Bryant spoke as if he were discussing the weather.
All eyes in the room seemed to bore into Mr. Bryant's head, a silent plea for him to shut his mouth.
Isobel found her voice, "Well, that's very generous, isn't it, Ethel?"
Ethel couldn't speak, when Doctor Clarkson had given her money it didn't feel as dirty as this offer seemed. Wanting to feel clean she leaned forward and kissed her son.
"It throws a different light on things." Isobel added.
The awkwardness in the room was palpable, everyone's senses were extended all heard the rattling of china.
"Oh, there's Mrs Bird with the tea." Isobel rose to go to the door. Wanting to get away herself Ethel also got to her feet, with this motion an idea began swirling in Isobel's mind, "Would you like to help me, Ethel?"
With Ethel and Isobel gone Richard turned his attention to the three remaining people in the room, Mr. and Mrs. Bryant and their grandson. A teddy bear was produced and Richard saw Mr. Bryant's face show genuine delight at interacting with the child.
Poor Mrs. Bird was at a loss, for her employer and prostitute were out in the hall. "Should I not take it in, then?"
"I can do that." Ethel proclaimed. As she reached for it Isobel watched as Mrs. Bird pulled away. Isobel was taken aback by this.
"Sure I don't need your help." Mrs. Bird delivered with a challenge in her eye.
"Thank you, Mrs Bird." Isobel said dismissively, Ethel needed a break from the onslaught of negativity.
Instead of surrendering the tray directly to Ethel the tray set down on a table with a thump. Mrs. Bird's protest was duly noted. Isobel could see the pain on Ethel's face and she wanted the pain to stop. "Ethel... you don't have to do this. You have a choice."
While Ethel felt indebted to Mrs. Crawley she also felt sorry for her for the woman had no clue. "You mean I should take money from that man? It won't be much. Enough to keep us from starving, but not much more."
"But even if Charlie doesn't go to a famous school or university, you'll be there to give him love." Isobel said lightly but even to her ears it sounded false.
Ethel saw through her, "Yeah, I suppose Mr Crawley went to a famous school and university."
At the mention of Matthew, Isobel blanched.
In that moment Ethel knew what needed to be done "I see. Thank you, Mrs Crawley."
Isobel saw that a decision had been reached and she swallowed. With reverent care Ethel picked up the tray and entered the drawing room. As Ethel effortlessly set it down and began pouring she addressed the Bryant's. "I won't take your money but you'll be pleased by what I've come here to say."
Tea was just a formality and all in the room seemed to swallow the scalding liquid as quickly as possible.
"You'll want to say goodbye." Mrs. Bryant half asked half commanded to Ethel.
All watched as a Mother knelt down and captured the hands of her child, "I give you my blessings for your whole life long, my darling boy."
All could hear her words and all knew that her child had no clue as to what she was saying, in fact he just parroted "yes" too absorbed in his teddybear. Ethel could see this and swallowed around the lump in her throat, "You won't remember that or me. But I'll stay with you all the same."
"Let's not make a meal of it." Mr. Bryant said in poorly veiled boredom
The three climbed into the car, Mrs. Bryant voice was cheerful but hollow, "I'll write to you."
The doors slammed shut, the engine roared to life and with that they were gone.
Clarkson moved beside Ethel standing next to her shoulder, "You've done a hard thing today, Ethel. The hardest thing of all."
"You don't agree, do you?" Ethel said as she turned to look at Isobel.
"I don't want to make you doubt now that it's happened." She said.
Richard choose his words carefully, "You've done the right thing for the boy, Ethel, whatever anyone may think."
"Perhaps you're right."
"I am, until we live in a very different world from this one." Richard said softly his words more for Isobel than Ethel.
Ethel pulled her coat around her, "Well, then. I should be away."
They watched as she made her way to the bus stop. The red coach arrived and Ethel Parks climbed aboard and left Downton.
As Isobel turned to go back inside Crawley House she felt something she hadn't felt since the war-outrage.
A mother should always be able to keep her child. She didn't bother to ring the bell to have Mrs. Bird or Molesley come to clear away the teacups. Hastily she began tossing the cups onto the tray. Richard went to help her and she surprised herself by batting his hands away. "I can manage thank you."
He sighed heavily, "I know you're upset."
Her head snapped up and her brown eyes seemed to burn, "I do know what type of world we live in Richard."
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, while she might say that it was far from true. "What did you think would happen today? Honestly? Tell me, I want to know."
"We have choices." Isobel said as if she were lecturing an errant child and threw another cup onto the pile before looking back at him.
He kept his voice soft, "Ethel made choices, she chose to get involved with Major Bryant, no one made her sleep with him. I think you're angry because the choice she made today was not one that you would've made."
His words were like a slap to the face and she ducked her head. "Thank you for coming today Doctor Clarkson, now if you'll excuse me I have things to do."