It's time to catch up with the Bates and Moseleys!
For anyone new to the story, you can catch up on the earlier events in 'A Long Needed Holiday' and 'A Long Needed Christmas Holiday'.
Across the county of Yorkshire, another evening was being passed in companionable circumstances. With their children finally subdued in their beds after baths and a bedtime story, Anna went to their bedroom to unpin her hair and brush it out for the night and John finally had chance to put his feet up.
"Cup of tea, you two?"
John turned toward the voice from the doorway and smiled.
"That would be a treat, yes please."
With a smile, Phyllis went off to the kitchen as Joseph Moseley returned from locking up the front door.
"Little ones all tucked up, John?"
"Yes, finally. Although Matthew was determined to argue for a second story. He takes after his mother, that one..."
"Who takes after me?" Anna came in, her hair long and loose around her shoulders, her face as angelic to John as the day he had met her.
"Matthew. His arguing and persuasive powers certainly didn't come from my side of the family."
Anna chuckled, curled up into the corner of the sofa, tucking her stocking feet up beneath her. An old stirring of lust twinged in John's stomach, as he recalled many pleasant evenings where he and his wife had shared that sofa, when they had their private living quarters entirely to themselves. Squashing the old impulse down and promising himself an early night with his darling wife, John reflected that this need for self control was certainly the disadvantage of having live in staff.
Although, that being said, it was the only disadvantage. And a small one, compared to the benefits of having permanent staff who were also old and trusted friends.
"Here we are..."
Phyllis brought in the tray, a handful of ginger biscuits on a small place nestled in among the cups. Joseph beamed at her, and for a second John could see exactly what his own expression must look like when Anna entered the room.
"Thank you dear, should I pour?"
Joseph took charge of the tea tray as Phyllis sank into her customary seat. The decision to leave Downton and move to Whitby had been taken a few years ago, after Phyllis had struggled with ill health one winter. A dose of flu had developed into Bronchitis, taking an age to shift and leaving her weaker and prone to chest colds. The old cottage left to the Moseley's by Joseph's father had not been as good an investment as they had hoped, having lapsed into a poor state of repair over the years. It was riddled with damp, and the persistent cold that invaded the cottage throughout the autumn, continuing through the winter and well into the blustery Yorkshire spring did Phyllis no good at all.
The Masons had finally gotten involved after a visit from Daisy revealed the seriousness of Phyllis' condition. With agreement from Dr Clarkson and some help from Isobel, Phyllis was moved to the farmhouse along with Joseph, to rest and recover under the watchful eyes of Beryl and Daisy.
Seeing his wife so ill had shocked Joseph into action. Realising that the repairs to the house were beyond him, he set about looking to sell, hoping that they might be able to find live in work somewhere else, or to rent somewhere else on the estate. He wrote to Mr Branson asking his thoughts on the matter, inquiring about properties and wondering if he should go back to teaching at the local school.
Mr Branson had visited the cottage and noted that the repairs could be completed by the estate team, but that they would take some time and it would need to be unoccupied to take apart some of the damaged features. He offered to buy the cottage from Joseph, absorbing it back into the estate to be let out to other workers once it was complete. He left the offer on the table and advised Joseph to think carefully and see how his wife's health improved before making a decision.
By the time February was done and dusted, Phyllis was looking more like her old self, but was still thin and pale. Dr Clarkson prescribed a change of air and scene, to give her time to throw off the old infection. Telephone calls and letters to Whitby followed and in early April, Joseph took his wife by train to the Yorkshire Coast, to stay at the Gull's Nest.
At first, they were paying guests, giving Joseph time to spend with Phyllis to make sure she recovered her strength. But after the first week was up, Phyllis was soon minding the children for Anna, while Joseph found himself helping John with odd jobs around the hotel. The air was exactly what Phyllis needed – bracing, salty fresh and clean as a whistle. As two weeks stretched into three, and the Bates realised that their hotel ran more smoothly and their family lives became easier with two extra pairs of hands, the proposal was made that Joseph and Phyllis should move into the Gull's Nest as live-in staff, with first refusal on purchasing the place should John and Anna ever decide to leave.
Within a month it was all settled. Joseph returned to Downton to pack up the cottage and sign the paperwork selling the cottage back to the Downton Abbey estate. With some help from Isobel and Bill Mason, the Moseley's personal effects were packed up and crated and sent down to Whitby by train, to be delivered to the Gull's Nest. That had been two years ago, and Joseph frequently thanked his lucky stars that things had turned out so well. Phyllis never recovered her old bloom, but she rallied and was stronger in health in the bracing Whitby air than she had been at Downton, which was the best blessing that could be hoped for under the circumstances.
Just as all four of them took a sip from their teacups, the telephone shrilled into the air. In one fluid movement, John had the cup back into his saucer and reached across to snatch the receiver from the cradle, hoping that it had not woken the children. Anna, reading his mind, was already on her way to check on them as he answered.
"Whitby 286, Gull's Nest, John Bates speaking?"
"Mr Bates, I'm sorry to call so late, it's Dr Clarkson calling from Downton."
"Dr Clarkson! Goodness, what brings you to the phone so late at night?"
"I won't beat about the bush John..." John smiled into the received, recognising a slither of the old army attitude creeping back into the doctor's tone, "I'm calling because I need your help. Not on my own behalf, but on someone else's."
John's eyes flicked over to Joseph and Phyllis. He remembered a conversation that started in this vein a few years ago.
"Go ahead Doctor, what can I do for you?"
"Well, it's Bill Mason I'm calling about."
"Bill?"
That name had everyone's head shoot up. Anna hurried back into the room, her eyes transfixed on John as he listened to the doctor's call and a worried expression began to creep across his face.
"No ... no absolutely, you were right to call. Of course we can help. Let us just get the ledger..." he motioned to the door and caught Joseph's eyes. Understanding at once, he fled to retrieve the booking ledger from the reception desk.
"John what's going on?"
John motioned to Anna to wait a second, still listening intently to the other side of the call.
"So ... the sooner the better? Within a few weeks. Right I see... Just hold on a second Doctor, let me pass you to Anna, you'd better fill her in..."
As Joseph returned, John passed the phone to Anna and turned to begin studying the book.
"What's the matter John, what's going on?" Phyllis spoke in a hushed tone, as the three of them bent over the book.
"Bill Mason's had a heart attack. He's ok, but the doctor wants to get him here to stay for rest and recuperation. But I think we're booked out..."
"Did you say in a few weeks?"
John met Joseph's eyes. "Yes, why?"
"The Marksons cancelled. They were due to come for a month. In three weeks time."
"Really? How come?"
"He didn't say, called this morning full of apologies. Said he will still pay for the room, given the short notice and length of stay."
"What room were they in?"
"The Abbey Room, first floor."
"Just a second Doctor, let me find out ... John? Have you found anything?"
John hurried back over to the telephone, taking the receiver from Anna, who immediately began filling the Moseley's in on the details.
"Doctor? John here again. If you can wait three weeks, we've got a room. And it's available for a month. Mmmm hmmm ... yes I see ... so that would work then? One second, let me check..." John covered the receiver with his hand. "Joseph, is there anything else free for one night, at the start of that booking?"
"The Bay Room is free, but only for that one night..."
"Perfect, book both of those out..." John returned to the telephone. "Yes, we do, but for one night only. Will that be alright... ? Excellent, glad to hear it Doctor. I'll follow this all up in writing by the morning post. Yes ... yes of course. And do give our best to Mrs Clarkson too. We'll be in touch. Goodnight Doctor."
The receiver tinged back into its cradle, as John turned back to the assembled company, who had now heard the salient details from Anna.
"Dr and Mrs Clarkson are going to drive Bill and Beryl over here. They'll stay one night, just to settle Bill in and to give Doctor Clarkson chance to have a talk with the local Doctor. They'd also like chance to see Josie and Matty. Then they'll go back the following day."
"That's good of them, to drive over here."
"I'm not surprised," said Anna. "We all know Isobel, she'll do anything to help in a crisis. And it's not the first time she's driven over here." She reached across and squeezed John's hand, remembering their rescue more than five years ago.
"It sounds as if Bill's very weak, but the doctor thinks he will recover. If we can get him to rest."
"Well..." Joseph blotted the entries in the ledger and closed it decisively. "If they want him to rest, they need to get him away from the farm. Hopefully he won't resort to counting sheep at night."
A quiet ripple of laughter spread through the room as the four friends took their seats once more, and began to plan how to set up their rooms and arrange matters to return the kindly hospitality they had experienced to their friends in need.