At Downton life was far more hectic, as everyone became ill with the Spanish Flu. In the dining room only Mr Molesley and Thomas were available to serve, which made the process a lot slower than normal, but it didn't help matters that Mr Molesley was acting very strangely as well.
Thomas stood very still and straight behind the family, whilst Mr Molesley walked round the table pouring fresh wine into the family's glasses. If he was asked a question by the family he would mumble his reply or shield his mouth in some way, which had not been missed by Robert or Cora, who kept giving each other questioning glances across the table, but they pressed on with their dinner.
'Have you heard anything from Ella and Henry?' Isobel asked, she had decided to join them for dinner rather than sit in her house on her own.
'I spoke to Aurie this morning; she sounded exhausted but she said she was alright. It would seem that Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson both have Spanish Flu.' Sybil replied.
'Oh dear, how awful for them; did she say how they are doing?' Isobel said.
'Well she spent the last two nights with them, but I think they're over the worst of it now. Aurie was really worried about Mrs Hughes though, it sounded like she got the worst of it. It's just as well Henry is there with them, at least he can treat them, but Tom and I have decided to go down to them tomorrow to see if there's anything I can do to help.' Sybil explained and relished in the delight of the prospect of seeing her twin again, which made her parents smile quietly to themselves. Out of everyone in the house, Sybil had been the one to miss Ella the most.
'Great, so I'm just to be left here alone am I?' Edith cried, fed up of being the one left out all of the time. Her sisters were all now married and would no doubt be having children soon and she was to be left on the shelf, the spinster Crawley sister.
'Oh darling sister, you'll find your prince one day and then you will be as happy as we all are; but you have to be patient.' Sybil replied comfortingly to her sister, but Edith didn't find it particularly comforting.
'Quite right Sybil; I am most certain you will have plenty of suitors before long Edith, but it certainly sounds like Ella and Henry are going to need your help Sybil. It's a nasty business, this Spanish Flu; I hope there aren't too many more taken ill with it downstairs Molesley.' Cora said.
'I'm quite sure we'll be fine your Ladyship, quite fine.' Mr Molesley mumbled as he tried to cover his mouth.
'Molesley, is there something wrong with your face?!' Robert demanded impatiently, finally having had enough of the valet's rather strange behaviour.
'No Milord, there's nothing wrong.' He replied slightly defensively, but still kept his mouth covered.
'Well then, will you kindly stop shielding your face?!' Robert barked, clearly annoyed by the valet's reluctance to comply, but slowly Mr Molesley did as instructed and did indeed remove his hand from his face.
On closer inspection, and now that he was looking for something, Robert noticed that Mr Molesley's lips were tinged the palest blue colour, which, with recent illness in the house, concerned them all.
'Molesley are you quite well?' Robert asked with genuine concern.
'Yes Milord I am quite well; but it would seem that, somehow, my mouth…has been coloured blue.' Mr Molesley replied as he bared his now blue teeth and tongue, which caused both Sybil and Edith to have to stifle their laughter and Thomas found it very difficult to hold his. Robert didn't know whether he was angry or concerned for the man, but either way he couldn't have him serving them in the dining room. 'Mr Molesley you may go downstairs until…well until whatever has happened wears off; Barrow will serve us the rest of our dinner.'
Poor Mr Molesley looked flabbergasted and felt terribly betrayed, but Thomas' mirth soon turned to dismay as he realised all of the extra work he was now going to have to do. He glared at Mr Molesley as he skulked moodily out of the room, leaving Thomas to stew in his own doings.
In Grantham house life was staying at a more sedate pace as the evening began to draw upon them. Although she was still very pale, Mrs Hughes looked much better than she had done earlier in the day. She was now propped up in the bed, her long hair hung loosely around her shoulders, and she didn't feel as weak as she had done. She'd managed to get down a mouthful or two of toast, which was a vast improvement to her condition. Although she was now out of danger and clearly on the mend, neither Ella nor Mr Carson had left her side. Mrs Hughes was very appreciative of their company, but she sensed that something between them had changed and she wasn't quite sure what; she didn't feel that it was a bad thing, but there was just something else now between them.
She noticed that Mr Carson no longer had any difficulties in calling her daughter Ella and his previously formal demeanour was completely gone. He seemed to be presenting himself differently, almost in a more fatherly manner to the young woman and this change of relationship really did delight her. This different Mr Carson was a whole new side that she had never witnessed before; she knew it had always existed under the surface, but one he had always kept very well hidden.
Ella was still exceptionally attentive to her mother's needs, continuing to ensure that she had no fever and that she was comfortable; she kept fluffing up her pillows and readjusting them for her, bringing her glasses of water and generally making sure that she was alright. Mrs Hughes understood that Ella cared, but she cared about her daughter too and was exceptionally worried about how tired she was looking. It had been a long couple of nights for them all, but as her mother, Mrs Hughes worried about Ella the most.
'Why don't you go for a lie down Ella? You've been rushed off your feet for the last three days and you'll be no use to man or beast if you make yourself ill.' Mrs Hughes said with care and concern.
'Your mother is right Ella you need your rest as much as we do. I will stay right here with her if that is what you are worried about.' Mr Carson said and a look of knowing sort of passed between him and Ella. She would have made herself stay had it not been for that look, a look which said he wanted to be alone with Mrs Hughes, so that he could tell her his truth.
'Alright, you both win; I will be just down the hall if you need me.' She said as she kissed them both on the cheek and walked out of the room, leaving them both quite alone for the first time that day.
Now that she was alone with Mr Carson, Mrs Hughes began to feel nervous. They hadn't spoken about their kiss, or made any reference to it since it had happened, but not because either were uncomfortable that it had happened; neither knew where to progress from there, what to say to each other or tell the other how they felt without coming across too forward. Whilst she might have been a modernist in some respects, Mrs Hughes was still traditional when it came to romance.
'Don't feel you have to stay Mr Carson if you don't feel up to it; I'll be fine on my own. I never quite realised how much of a worrier Ella can be.' She said with a smile.
'She worries about you because she loves you Mrs Hughes; just like a daughter should love her mother.' He replied as he took hold of her hand.
'It still feels so strange to hear you, or anyone for that matter, saying something like that. I still can't believe that after all of these years, Ella has dealt with my being her mother the way she has. I never thought for a moment six months ago that she would be calling me her mother, or taking me away with her, especially on her honeymoon, just so that she could spend time with me.' She explained with a watery smile.
'Really Mrs Hughes? I don't find it too hard to believe; even as a child she thought the world of you and you always made the effort with your relationship with each other. Whenever she was in difficulty or needed to confide in someone, it was always you she looked for and when she was ill you were always the one there by her side. You've always been her mother and she has always been your daughter, the only difference now is that you afford each other those titles.' He said so beautifully and she not only felt comforted by his words, but she realised that he really did mean them and that he really did understand her situation.
'I do wish things had been different for you though, for both of you. It seems almost cruel to say it to you now, but had I known, I would have taken her on as my own and tried to give you both the life you deserved.' He said candidly and this response took Mrs Hughes completely by surprise.
'No you wouldn't have Mr Carson; you love your job and the family too much to have ever sullied yourself with my shame. You wouldn't have wanted to have been stuck with me.' She replied quietly as tears rolled their way down her cheeks, which Mr Carson brushed from her face with his thumb as he had done on the night that she told him her secret, but this time he took a deep breath and told her what he should have told her then; in fact, what he should have told her the moment he first met her.
'But that's the point; I would have wanted to have been stuck with you and I still do.' He explained and silently cursed himself for making it sound so unromantic.
'I'm not sure I can be hearing this right!' She said with the look of utmost shock on her face.
'You are if you think I am asking you to marry me. I don't normally believe in things such as love at first sight, but that is exactly what happened the day I met you. I fell head over heels in love with you and have gone on loving you for twenty five years.' He declared as he finally found his confidence to tell her how he felt.
'Well, if I wasn't already in bed you could have knocked me down with a feather.' She whispered.
'And you're not offended?' He asked uncertainly.
'Oh Mr Carson, I can assure you that the very last thing in this world that I am in this moment is offended. I thought you would never ask!' She exclaimed with teary delight and it was now Mr Carson who looked shocked. 'You see, I too don't believe in love at first sight; but I remember meeting a young, very handsome under butler all those years ago and I fell madly in love with him too and I have gone on loving that man for twenty five years.' She said.
They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity just gazing into the eyes of the other, like soppy teenagers at the start of their courtship. But if they had thought about it properly, they would have realised that they had actually been courting each other for twenty five years, in a relationship that had continued to grow, flourish and blossom into something so beautiful.
'If I wasn't still so weak I would have suggested that we celebrate Mr Carson.' She said after a time.
'Well what exactly are we celebrating?' He asked, realising that she still hadn't exactly given him an answer to his question.
'We are celebrating the fact that I can still get a proposal at my age.' She replied with a smile and a teasing tone.
'And that's it?' He asked with dismay, taking her response as a gentle let down, thinking perhaps she didn't want to marry him and just didn't know how to break it to him.
'After twenty five years together Mr Carson, I would have thought you would have learned when I am teasing you. Of course I'll marry you.' She replied and felt nothing but elation, as did he.
At the sound of her sweet, loving words he almost couldn't contain his tears of joy. He had waited so long to say those words to her and so long to hear her reply, that his heart raced painfully in his chest and he could no longer control himself. He bent his head down to hers and kissed her sweetly, but with every ounce of passion he had. Their chaste kiss earlier now seemed like nothing in comparison to how they felt now, but he did still feel a little guilty that he was behaving so ungentlemanly, but, almost as if she had heard his thoughts, Mrs Hughes gave his arm a gentle squeeze, which said that everything was alright.