A/N Thank you for all the encouragement you've offered over the course of the first four chapters. I'd like to acknowledge my new readers, followers, and reviewers. Some of you are joining me for the first time with this story, and I'm thrilled to have you along. Welcome. I'm grateful also for those of you who have been with me since I first started writing. There are a few of you who have reviewed every single chapter of every single story I've ever posted, and a simple "thank you" hardly begins to cover it. I seem to have lost some of my old regulars from previous stories, so I'm most thankful for those of you who have stuck with me and those of you who have recently come on board. Please keep up the support. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing without your encouragement. Love to all.
Chapter 5
"How did your meeting with her ladyship go?" inquired Mr. Carson a few afternoons later when he found himself alone with Mrs. Hughes in the corridor for a moment.
"Much the same as yours with his lordship," answered Mrs. Hughes. "She was surprised, of course, and asked lots of questions, but in the end, she wished me well and promised me a cottage. She did wonder about my leaving at the same time that you are."
"And what did you tell her?" he asked anxiously.
"Only that I'd reached my decision independently of yours. I told her you'd made the idea of retirement sound so attractive that I decided I'd like to give it a try. I also emphasized that after working by your side for so many years, I could never see myself working half so well with anyone else. I wouldn't even want to try."
He was touched by her words. "That's kind of you to say, Mrs. Hughes."
"It's the truth, Mr. Carson. The Abbey will find another butler, but there's only one Mr. Carson," Mrs. Hughes assured him so earnestly that his heart skipped a beat. But then she continued on a less intimate note. "Lady Grantham and I agreed that the timing is regrettable, since the family will lose us both at once, but she understands it can't be helped. I told her I could stay on for a bit to help ease the transition."
"So it's all sorted now," stated Mr. Carson with a certain amount of relief and satisfaction.
"It would seem so. I'll tell the staff later today." Mrs. Hughes became lost in thought for a moment. "I never imagined this. I never thought I'd see the day that either of us retires."
"Neither did I." Mr. Carson smiled warmly at her. "But now it's all decided, and it does make me very happy to think what the future might hold."
"Me, too," agreed Mrs. Hughes, returning his smile with one of her own.
Before either could say anything else, they were interrupted by Mr. Molesley.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Carson," came Mr. Molesley's voice as he walked down the corridor towards them. "I'm very sorry to interrupt, but Lady Mary is asking for you. She's in the drawing room."
"Oh, goodness! Am I late for tea?" worried Mr. Carson.
"No, Mr. Carson, I don't believe so. The others haven't come down yet. It's only Lady Mary. She said she's hoping to have a word with you before the rest join her," Mr. Molesley informed him.
"I see. Well, thank you, Mr. Molesley. I shall go and see what she requires. Mrs. Hughes, I shall see you at tea." And the butler strode off to find Lady Mary.
OoOoO
When he arrived in the drawing room, he found her sitting in an armchair, looking out the window and waiting patiently for him.
"My lady, I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting." Mr. Carson nodded and bowed slightly.
"No need to apologize, Carson. It's been barely two minutes since I asked for you," said the young woman.
"How may I help you, my lady?"
Lady Mary plunged straight into the subject she wished to discuss. "Is it true? I'm still reeling from news that you're going to leave us, and now Mama tells me Mrs. Hughes will be leaving, too?"
"Yes, my lady, it is my understanding that Mrs. Hughes wishes to retire."
"But why? I no more believe that she intends to sit about in a cottage, reading and knitting, than I believe you mean to take up fishing or woodworking."
Mr. Carson smiled at her keen assessment. "My lady, I will readily admit that I have no intention of taking up fishing or woodworking. Nor do I believe Mrs. Hughes will spend a great deal of time knitting, though I can well imagine she might enjoy having a bit more time for reading."
"So why is it you both feel the need to retire?" As if a sudden thought occurred to her, she continued worriedly, "You're not ill, are you? Or Mrs. Hughes?"
"No, my lady. I appreciate your concern, but I am quite well, and I have every reason to think Mrs. Hughes is in good health, as well," he assured her.
"And you're not unhappy here?"
"Speaking for myself, I can say I've been very happy here, and if you were to ask Mrs. Hughes, I'm certain she would say the same."
"What is it then, Carson?" wondered Lady Mary.
"My lady, while I am not unwell or unhappy, I cannot deny the fact that I am no longer young."
"Oh, rubbish! You can still run circles round the youngest hall boys."
"Be that as it may, I shan't be running circles round anyone anymore. The truth is I'd like to stop running altogether and enjoy a less demanding way of life." He could never lie to her. Even though it was only part of the reason, what he'd said was true.
"I see. And Mrs. Hughes?"
"Sometime after I informed Mrs. Hughes of my intention to retire, she came to her own decision, quite apart from mine. It's pure coincidence that we shall be leaving concurrently. When you consider it, my lady, it's not really that remarkable at all. We're both of a certain age. It seems only natural to me that we might both consider leaving service at this point in our lives." This was also true, though incomplete.
"And you can tell me honestly that you and Mrs. Hughes have no … arrangement?" demanded the young lady.
"I can, my lady," the butler insisted. "Perfectly truthfully. Mrs. Hughes and I have no arrangement whatsoever beyond simply leaving simultaneously. If you are implying a sort of romantic attachment, I can assure you that Mrs. Hughes and I have always conducted ourselves in a strictly professional manner. I have never made romantic overtures towards Mrs. Hughes or any other woman during my tenure here. You know that I would never allow anything to interfere with the execution of my household duties, and neither would Mrs. Hughes."
"Oh, Carson. Don't worry yourself. I'm not suggesting anything untoward. But … if you ever did want to consider a more … personal affiliation, you wouldn't need to leave, you know. I'm sure Papa would allow it. And you would have my support, as well."
"His lordship is a very benevolent and accommodating employer, my lady, and your support means more to me than I can say. But you know as well as I that there's a perfectly valid reason a butler does not marry. His devotion must be solely to the house and family he serves. He must not be distracted from his responsibilities. As long as I'm butler here, I've no business entertaining amorous notions."
"But soon, you'll no longer be butler," Lady Mary challenged.
At this point, Mr. Carson saw no point in keeping up the pretense, since he knew the shrewd young lady before him saw right through it. He also knew that she could be trusted to keep his secret.
"That is true, my lady. And I've no idea what sorts of notions I'll be entertaining then. Perhaps I'll find myself … reconsidering my alternatives … once I'm free to do so," replied Mr. Carson, with only the smallest hint of a smile tugging the corners of his mouth.
While Mr. Carson's smile was subdued, Lady Mary's was not. She beamed joyfully at him. It was true that the housekeeper understood the butler like no one else, but the earl's eldest daughter could interpret his meaning nearly as well.
"Carson, you sly devil!" she responded.
Soon, the other family members began arriving for tea. They, too, asked some probing questions, but with Lady Mary's help, Mr. Carson was able to deflect most of them. When he was sure no one else was looking, he offered her an appreciative nod, and she reciprocated with a sideways glance and a satisfied grin.