The next few days were spent similarly to their first; Ella and Henry went out most of the time to spend time together, seeing the sights and shopping in some of the country's biggest stores, whilst Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes spent their time mostly in the garden. Mrs Hughes was quite enjoying being able to sit and read, a luxury she hadn't had the pleasure of doing for many years, and Mr Carson was enjoying tending to the garden, which was generally kept tidy, but the standards had slipped a little in recent months, which delighted Mr Carson, as it meant that he could enjoy doing some of the work.

'I used to enjoy helping my father in his garden when I was a boy; we used to have an allotment and a greenhouse full of home grown vegetables. I remember that when I was very small I used to disappear for hours on end, and when my father eventually found me, I'd be hiding amongst the sugar snap peas eating them as if they were sweets.' Mr Carson explained fondly as he rested on the handle of his fork.

Mrs Hughes was laid on one of the wooden sun loungers with her book, just as Ella appeared with a tray of cold drinks and placed it on the outside table, closely followed by Henry with Ella's freshly baked cake. This change in roles still felt a little unusual to them all, but yet, it also felt very natural. Ella was in her element playing hostess and not worrying about having someone waiting on her and Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson were enjoying having a life, that didn't involve around other people; not that they would admit to that of course.

'Mr Carson, come get a drink before you dehydrate.' Ella said as she poured fresh squash into tall glasses and handed them round everyone.

'Thank you Aurelia,' Mr Carson said as he did as he was instructed.

It had almost been a week since their arrival at Grantham House and so much had changed for them. Although Mr Carson hadn't come round to calling Aurelia, Ella, he had become accustomed to using just her first name in the last couple of days, but it did still seem unnatural to him and took quite a bit of effort on his part; however, Mrs Hughes greatly appreciated the effort he was making for them both, she only wished he would make the same effort with her. He still felt very hesitant in telling Mrs Hughes how he felt and about what he wanted for them both, although she wasn't much better herself.

After the way he had held her hand outside Buckingham Palace, she had hoped that something would happen, but he was still being the gentleman and still hadn't said anything further; but she didn't want to push him too fast and this constant hesitation was really beginning to frustrate Ella. She could see how happy they were together, especially now that they were away from work, and she could see the potential for something so beautiful between them, but their uncertainty was proving their biggest barrier.

'I'm certainly looking forward to our trip tomorrow,' Ella said as she sat in one of the white, wooden deck chairs. 'I hope we'll get this same good weather.'

'I think it'll be a lovely day out, regardless of the weather.' Henry replied as he took a brief hold of his wife's hand.

'I'll make us up a picnic tonight and then we're ready for tomorrow morning. I've bought us a couple of bottles of lemonade and ginger beer; I hope that's alright for everyone?' She said as she took a long, gentle sip from her ice cold glass.

'You don't need to go to all that trouble you know Ella.' Mrs Hughes said.

'I know I don't, but I want to.' Ella replied with a warm and loving smile. 'I wonder how they're getting on back at home.'

Things at Downton seemed at little strange without Ella and Mary; Cora missed her girls very much and spent most of her days thinking about them both, but she had to keep reminding herself that they are grown women and not her little girls anymore. Robert was a little more philosophical about his daughters' departures and found that getting used to Molesley as butler was harder to get his head around than the absence of their girls. He just didn't do things the way that Mr Carson did and Robert didn't appreciate change.

He couldn't deny that Molesley was attentive to the family's needs and good with the staff, but it was very clear that he wasn't used to managing a large number of staff members and some of the standards, and little details that Mr Carson took his time over, weren't quite as well taken care of by Mr Molesley. Whilst Molesley never showed how stressed he was, below stairs the strain of trying to run the house was beginning to show.

'Mr Barrow I need you in the dining room tonight as the Dowager will be here.' He said sharply to Thomas, who looked most aggravated at best. It was barely breakfast time and Molesley was already stressed to exploding point.

'Mr Molesley, you already have Jimmy and Alfred in the dining room this evening, what good would it do for me to be there too?' Thomas snapped.

'Alfred is sick and we're down two maids as well; I need you to stop complaining and start pulling your wait!' Molesley said, his voice raised a little and the stress clearly evident on his brow. He stormed off in the direction of Mr Carson's pantry to organise the wine for that evening's dinner, leaving Thomas standing at the bottom of the stairwell, fuming.

'Are you going to let him get away with speaking to you like that?' Miss O'Brien said as she walked towards him from the servant's hall.

'No I bloody well am not!' He said in careful whispers before leading Miss O'Brien outside into the kitchen courtyard. They both remained silent as they lit their cigarettes and once they were sure everyone else was inside.

'So what are you going to do about him then?' She whispered.

'I thought of something far better than the shoes; but you'll have to wait until dinner to see what it is. It'll be worth the wait though Miss O'Brien, I can assure you.' Thomas replied with an evil smirk on his face and a confused look on O'Brien's.

Elsewhere, Ella, Henry, Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson weren't worrying about what was going on in Downton; they were too busy thinking about their day out as they arrived in Margate for their day by the sea. They walked together along the promenade with Ella arm in arm with Henry and Mrs Hughes tightly clasping on to Mr Carson's arm, a gesture that seemed to strengthen their growing relationship and something that hadn't been missed by Ella, or even Henry.

They walked along the sandy beach until they found their perfect spot, slightly shaded by the wall but perfect for placing their blanket and a couple of deck chairs. Ella and Mrs Hughes laid out the basket, food and drinks and handed a couple of sandwiches to the men. It was now lunchtime and their stomachs were telling them that it was definitely time for something to eat. Ella poured them a hot cup of tea from her thermos and tucked into her simple cheese sandwich; she was in absolute heaven as she sat with her family.

She quietly watched her mam and Mr Carson together and smiled at how attentive he was, as he passed her a sandwich or poured her a glass of juice or even by just making sure she wasn't getting too much sun. It was these little signs of affection that clearly showed that he loved her, which may not have seemed like declarations of love to others, but to the two stoic heads of the house this was a massive step for their burgeoning relationship. With these little moments, Mr Carson was saying that he wanted to be with her, that he cared about her and loved her very much and every time she accepted with a greatful smile and a look of adoration, she was telling him that it was alright, she loved him too. But the thought of actually verbalising this love, seemed to terrify them beyond anything they'd ever dealt with before.

'Right, who fancies coming for a paddle?' Ella said as she removed her shoes and stockings, airing her bare feet and wiggling her toes in the sand, and looked daringly at the others.

'Oh go on then, I'll come with you, why not?' Mrs Hughes said as she also removed her shoes and stockings.

'Are you sure that's a good idea Mrs Hughes?' Mr Carson said with a worried tone.

'And why wouldn't it be a good idea Mr Carson? Why don't you come with us? It'll do you no harm.' Mrs Hughes replied as she took a hold of his hand and walked him towards the water and even though he didn't object, he was still rather reluctant and hesitant.

'But what if I fall over or get my trousers wet?' He said as he watched Ella and Mrs Hughes waddling about a couple of feet in front of him as he remained on the shore.

'If you get them wet we'll dry them!' Mrs Hughes replied a little impatiently, although not unkindly.

'I'm not so sure…'

'Come on, I dare you Mr Carson, are you going to stand there all day or are you going to join us?' She said. 'You can hold my hand if it would make you feel any better, that way we'll go in together if we should fall.'

'I think I'd pay to see that,' Ella laughed as Mr Carson was pulling off his shoes and socks, just as Henry joined them as well. She smiled with adoration when she saw Mr Carson tentatively taking a hold of Mrs Hughes' hand and thought about how natural they looked together as a couple. She thought about how easy it would be for her to accept this man into her life as more than a staff member in her home, a man she already thought of as a second father or at least a father like figure and as someone who clearly made her mam very happy.

'Are you alright my love?' Henry asked as he observed Ella staring into the middle distance and she felt a little embarrassed at being caught day dreaming.

'I am perfectly well thank you,' she smiled graciously, 'I was just thinking, about Mam and Mr Carson. I really wish they would find the courage to tell each other how they feel.' She said as she and Henry paddled out a little further and once they were out of earshot.

'Well how do we know they actually feel anything for each other? Maybe they really are just very close friends; after all, they have worked together for more than twenty years, share similar status and probably don't have many people they can confide in other than each other. Maybe you're reading more into it than there is?' Henry suggested as he held his wife's hand.

'Henry, my darling husband, I love you very much, but you are a man and therefore have no idea what you are talking about.' Ella replied mischievously and gave a loud shriek as Henry then splashed her slightly in the sea, which of course meant that she splashed him back.

'Well they're certainly not worried about getting wet.' Mrs Hughes laughed as she still gripped Mr Carson's hand and watched her daughter and son-in-law teasing each other.

After they paddled in the sea for a while, and once Ella and Henry required drying off, they returned to the safe sanctuary of their picnic. By mid-afternoon, the sun was burning hotter than ever and the beach was full of people as far as the eye could see. They stayed in the cool shade for a while, drinking their lemonade and eating more sandwiches. Mr Carson had bought a newspaper and was sat in one of the deck chairs happily reading it, although he did occasionally make the odd sound of dismay when reading certain articles.

'Sounds like the country have got a right pandemic on its hands with this outbreak of Spanish Flu; it's spreading like wildfire and killing almost half the people who get it.' He said aloud, not to anyone in particular, but loud enough for Ella, Henry and Mrs Hughes to hear it.

'Do you remember before we were married Ella, you said that you would like to study to be a doctor, were you being serious when you said that?' Henry asked as he sat close to his wife.

'I was actually, quite serious; I had thought about it often when I was nursing, but Mama and Papa would never allow it. Whilst they may have been relatively liberal with me and humoured me in the past, I don't think it is something they would ever permit. The war was one thing, we all had to do something to play our bit, but they wouldn't see it as respectable for a Lady, especially a now married Lady, to study at all, even if it was something as respectable as medicine.' Ella explained with a hint of sadness in her tone. 'But I have plenty to be happy and proud about, like being the wife of a doctor; that'll do me.' She said with a smile and Henry placed a gentle kiss to her temple.

Mrs Hughes watched them together with mixed emotions; pride and love for her daughter, but with sadness at the things she had never had. It was only recently that she really regretted not getting married or having a relationship. She'd been asked for her hand once by Joe Burns, a very kind and loving man, but she had seen herself as more than a farmer's wife, she wanted more than that and had she married him she would never have had Ella. Although the circumstances around Ella's conception were very dark, she still wouldn't be without her daughter for anything in the world, even if she did sometimes wish things had worked out a little differently for them. As she watched her daughter and thought about her own relationships, she then turned to Mr Carson and watched him as he read his paper and thought about their many possibilities.

As she watched him her brow creased in concern as she saw him perspiring profusely and his face was very pale. It was obvious to her now that he was trying to hide the fact that he was unwell behind his paper, but this just made her concerns grow all the more.

'Mr Carson are you alright?' She asked as she went to his side, which drew the attention of Ella and Henry to him as well.

'I'm fine Mrs Hughes just a little over hot, that's all, nothing to worry about.' He replied as casually as he could, but it was very obvious that he wasn't well at all.

Henry went into doctor mode and went to the butler's aid immediately, whilst Ella poured him a glass of lemonade. Henry examined him the best he could without his equipment and grew more concerned about him, but he didn't want to worry his wife or Mrs Hughes unduly, so he tried to brush it off the best he could.

'Heat stroke Mr Carson I'm afraid; I think we need to get more liquids into you and then I suggest we head home.' He instructed as Ella passed Mr Carson the glass of juice, which by now wasn't as cold as she and Henry would have liked.

'There's no need, I'll be absolutely fine,' Mr Carson tried to say, but Mrs Hughes gave him one of her famous glares.

'Mr Carson you will do as you are told; we've had a lovely day and you now need to rest. It makes no sense to push yourself and make yourself worse!' She chastised but the tone of concern was very evident in her voice.

Ella and Mrs Hughes then set about packing up all of the picnic things, whilst Henry further dealt with Mr Carson. They both suspected what was really wrong with him, but they didn't want to worry the two women.

'How long have you felt unwell Mr Carson?' Henry asked him quietly.

'Since late last night; at first I thought I was just tired, but I've been gradually feeling worse.' Mr Carson explained before giving the young doctor a nervous glance. 'It's Spanish Flue, isn't it?'

'Well, I'll know more once I get you back to the house; but I think it's safe to say that it is indeed Spanish Flu. Don't worry though, you're in safe hands.' Henry explained reassuringly as he helped Mr Carson on to his feet as the two women carried their things.