Aurelia and Henry had walked round to Hyde Park, not too far away from Grantham House, arm in arm, happily chatting away. The sun was shining and the sky was clear and the streets were packed with people. The young couple enjoyed watching children playing in the park and they both thought about their own family that they would one day start.

'When we start our family, I don't want our children to have a nanny.' Aurelia said.

'Well who'll look after them if you don't have a nanny?'

'Me of course! I was brought up by nannies and governesses and I got very little time to spend with Mama and Papa, unless I was ill, then they used to sit by my bedside from dawn till dusk; I'm not saying I don't love my parents, because I do, very much. But it's because I love them that I want to play a far greater role in the life of my children, than someone who just watches them grow, especially with recent developments.' She explained.

'Do you resent your parents for your upbringing?'

'No of course I don't, like I say, I love my parents very much. They took me on as their own child, they love me as if I was their own child and they gave me more protection, more encouragement and made more sacrifices for me, because I'm not their own child. I can't think of many people who would have done what my parents did for Elsie. Most of the aristocracy would have sacked their servant and accused her of all sorts to discredit her and make sure that no one would ever believe her story; but my parents didn't do that and I honestly couldn't feel more love and affection for my parents because of it.

'But, at the same time, I feel cheated; I feel that I was robbed of the chance to be with my mother and to know that I was brought into the world loved and wanted, but the fact I feel that way isn't the fault of my parents or Elsie…I guess I probably don't make any sense do I?' She rambled as she tried to make sense of her own feelings.

'Actually, you make perfect sense Ella. I was going to tell you this before we were married, but Larry Grey put paid to any announcement I was going to make to you. You see, I know exactly how you feel and what you are going through, because I've been there myself. My parents adopted me from America when I was less than a year old after my birth mother died of tuberculosis and my grandparents couldn't afford to look after me. I was put into a convent where I was looked after by nuns with lots of other children. My parents went to America after they'd failed to start a family of their own and adopted me.' He explained and Aurelia was astonished by his admission, but it was a great relief to finally find someone that she could talk to, who knew exactly how she felt.

'That's why I wanted Mrs Hughes to come with us. I know a honeymoon should just be about us, but the way I see it, we have our whole lives to be together. I wanted to give you the opportunity to really get to know your birth mother, the way that I will never get to do.' He added earnestly.

'Oh Henry I don't know what to say.' She said and by this time they had stopped walking and were standing next to the large pond in the centre of Hyde Park. 'I'm so sorry about your birth mother, but you are also very lucky to have nice parents, who I think love you very much.'

'I am, very lucky indeed, and like you I do love my parents, but I always felt that there was something missing.' He said as he held his wife's hands.

Nothing more needed to be said between them as they both felt the relief that the other knew and understood the thoughts and emotions of the other, like no other could. They continued their walk around the park, with Aurelia occasionally showing Henry places she used to visit as a child.

Back at Grantham House and Mr Carson was finally starting to feel a little more relaxed than he had done earlier. He and Mrs Hughes had sat all afternoon reminiscing about their time in service and were now talking about their childhoods and how they had come to be in service.

'I quite enjoyed growing up on the farm really; I used to play with the young lads from the neighbouring farms and I used to help out during harvest time. The boys and I used to play in the fields amongst the haystacks and then we'd run down to the river that ran at the back of our farm land. There weren't many girls in our area as it happened, just my sister and me.' She explained.

'Oh I didn't realise that you have a sister.' He replied, enthralled with her story.

'Yes, Becky; she was born…well she was born a little different from the rest of us. But she was a sweet child and I do try to take care of her the best I can.' She said with a slight sadness to her tone. He was about to ask her more questions about Becky, but she very quickly changed the subject. 'Ella reminds me of myself as it happens, when she was a child I mean. I used to enjoy watching the mischief she used to get into and I probably allowed her to get away with far more than I should have done.' She laughed.

'To be honest, so did I and I never quite knew why. There has always been something very captivating about her.' He said with a glassy eyed look, he'd certainly had more whisky than he'd consumed in a long time.

'She's got an exceptionally big heart and she is incredibly compassionate, more so than I think most people realise about her and even after everything she's been through over the years.'

'Do you regret the decision you made?'

Mrs Hughes paused for a few moments, trying to choose her words carefully, as the whisky had certainly loosened her tongue far more than she was used to; but she felt no fear in being truly honest with Mr Carson now.

'I do, but only for my own personal selfish reasons; She's had a good life I think, a good education and sisters and lots of other lovely things that I could never have given her, but selfishly, I sometimes wish I had been brave enough to leave Downton with her and brought her up myself, just the two of us.

'Coming here has made me think more about what our lives together would have been like and deep down I know, it would never have worked, but still, I can't help thinking about it. I never intended to stay in service, but I quite enjoyed my work and then after my father died, my mother needed someone to earn and when Ella was born Lord and Lady Grantham were so good to me and promised me a position for as long as I wanted it.' She explained. 'Do you have any regrets about not having a family?'

'I do sometimes wonder what I would be like if things had been different, if I'd taken a different path; I enjoyed my time in theatre, but after Alice and Charlie's betrayal, we couldn't carry on and then, like you, after my father died, my mother needed someone to go out and earn a proper living, so I came to Downton as a footman and worked my way up.' Mr Carson explained with a definite hint of remorse in his voice.

'But I enjoyed watching the girls growing up; they've been the closest to having children of my own as I will ever get. I know you've not always liked Lady Mary, but I do have a soft spot for her; I hadn't been at Downton all that long when she was born and I remember the excitement we all felt as we waited with bated breath for her arrival.' He said.

'It's not that I don't like her Mr Carson; it's just that I haven't always approved of how she treated her younger sisters and of course I feel defensive of Ella. But I did gain some respect for her when she was about ten, Ella would have been four or five and it was when Ella first started lessons with that woman, Barton,' Mrs Hughes said with a flare of her nostrils 'she went from being this bright, bubbly little thing to very quiet and subdued. I was so desperate to know why, but I couldn't interfere, it wasn't my place; but she was slowly becoming ill and I've never seen such anxiety as that in a child. Then one day when I was walking along the gallery, Lady Sybil came running out in floods of tears and was shouting for me to come urgently; I knew instantly that there was something wrong with Ella and my heart nearly stopped.

'When I got to their classroom I saw Lady Mary standing over Ella's cowering body whilst Miss Barton went wild with rage and whacked a cane over any part of either child that she could reach. Poor Lady Edith just sat in the corner crying whilst Lady Mary shouted for Miss Barton to stop and had I not walked in, I have no doubt in my mind that she would have been the death of my wee girl that day. It turned out that she'd been beating Ella for months because she is left handed. But you should have seen the courage in Lady Mary that day as she defended her sister, I won't deny I felt very proud of her.

'Although I only felt proud several days after my anger subsided. I don't think I have ever been so angry in all my life Mr Carson, if you hadn't come when you did, God only knows what I would have done to her.' She said honestly and with such sadness in her eyes, that Mr Carson deliberately caressed her hand this time and this time, she didn't allow it to just be a touch, she grasped his hand for comfort and they both could feel their hearts beating harder.

'I remember that day; it was the day I learned never to get on your wrong side Mam.' Ella said with a smile as she entered the drawing room and the butler, rather reluctantly, put a little bit of distance between him and the housekeeper. Neither he nor Mrs Hughes had even heard the young couple walk in; they'd been too busy reminiscing. Mr Carson instantly went to stand, but Aurelia stopped him. 'Don't even think about standing Mr Carson, it's not necessary.' And she was shocked to discover that he didn't argue back, perhaps she was finally winning him round.

'Did you enjoy your walk?' Mrs Hughes asked.

'Yes thank you we did, it's a lovely afternoon out there.' Ella replied. 'Sounds like you two have been having quite an afternoon yourselves.'

'We've not done any work, or even thought about it, since you left; we've been sat here chatting about old times.' Mrs Hughes said as she took another sip from her whisky glass. 'And what do you mean, "you learned never to get on my wrong side"? I'm not that bad am I?'

'Well I have never seen you as angry as you were that day; I thought you were going to smack Miss Barton, if not worse.' Aurelia said as she took a seat in one of the armchairs and Henry sat in the other one beside her.

'Well I think I would have done if Mr Carson hadn't arrived.' Mrs Hughes replied honestly.

'It sounds like an awful thing she did to you though Ella.' Henry said with concern, he was beginning to realise that his new wife had had a lot to deal with over the years, far more than anyone expected "her kind" to have to deal with.

'I got over it and she didn't win anyway; I'm still left handed. Actually I think everyone made more of a point of accommodating my being left handed after what she did.' Ella replied as she gently held her husband's hand. 'Anyway, I had a thought whilst we were out.'

'Oh yes and what was that?' Mrs Hughes asked.

'Well I was thinking about dinner and what we would have to eat; can any of us actually cook?' Ella replied with a stifled giggle.

'Ah, well I'm fairly certain I can manage. It won't quite be Mrs Patmore's usual standard, but it'll be edible at least.' Mrs Hughes said.

'Well that settles it then; I don't know much, mores the pity, but I can certainly help you.' Ella said and she got up out of her comfy chair, helped her mam out of her chair and they both walked down into the kitchens, leaving Mr Carson and Henry alone together.

'If they're going to do the cooking, perhaps we should set the table.' Henry said. 'Perhaps you can show me how to do it properly Mr Carson?' He added and the butler smiled with delight.