"Do you think you'll miss me?"
The question surprised her, although it fell from her own mouth. Still more surprising was that it didn't seem to do the same to him. Mr Bates smiled at her.
"I think I might manage to," he told her with a small smile.
He stooped to pick up his own bag. She knew better that to offer to do it for him. Before he reached the stairs he turned to look at her again. They stayed like that for she didn't know how long, him with one foot on the stair and a hand on the banister; her standing primly by the door to the servants' dining room. The clicking of a door caused them both to jump slightly.
"And you will be all right?" Mr Carson was saying as he retreated out of his own pantry.
Unsurprisingly, Mrs Hughes' familiar tone followed.
"Charles Carson, I have been here for the past twelve Seasons in your absence, during seven of which I acted as the head of this house. It has never yet burned down."
His tone was amused as he answered.
"Well, just as long as you're sure."
Mrs Hughes looked quite imposing standing in the doorway of the butler's pantry, hands on her hips.
"And I can have my pantry back when I return."
It was then that the two heads of staff seemed to become aware that they were not alone. Mr Carson, catching sight of Anna and Bates cleared his throat.
"Good afternoon, Anna, Mr Bates," Anna could not help but feel that the butler was looking a little self-conscious as he spoke, "I trust you are ready to depart?" he addressed his last remark to the valet.
Bates nodded.
"All ready, Sir," he replied.
Mr Carson carried a similar bag to him.
"Then let us go," he declared, "We mustn't keep his Lordship waiting."
Anna exchanged a look with Mr Bates before watching him ascend the stairs. Mr Carson, however, was not as keen to depart.
"And you'll remember, Mrs Hughes, to...-"
"Have Thomas lock up because you won't be here to do it," she finished for him. She gave a mock-irritated sigh, "Have away with you! We'll be fine."
Luckily, Mr Carson knew when the housekeeper had beaten him and gave Mrs Hughes a smile before turning to follow Mr Bates up the stairs. It did not escape Anna's attention that once Mrs Hughes' smile faded the housekeeper wore a look of mild melancholy such as the one she imagined she had worn moments before.
It was a relief to have them back, even if it did mean that Thomas and Miss O'Brien were also reunited and the same as 'ere they were. It would be insulting to point out that Charles was the specific contingent of the London party whose return she was most grateful for. It was with a spring in her step that she continued up to her Ladyship's room with the fresh linen. She knocked on the door and entered. Her Ladyship was sitting up in her bed.
"Thank you, Mrs Hughes," she said when she saw the housekeeper bearing the blankets, "Just put them at the end of the bed."
"Very good, my Lady."
"Couldn't you find Miss O'Brien?" she asked.
Mrs Hughes shook her head.
"There seemed little point in disturbing her just to deliver some sheets. Unless your Ladyship requires anything else?"
Lady Grantham shook her head, a kind expression on her face.
"No matter, Mrs Hughes."
"Is your Ladyship feeling better?" Elsie enquired.
Lady Grantham's smile seemed to grow at this.
"Infinitely, Mrs Hughes," she replied, "I was hoping that I would be able to tell dear O'Brien the news first but there seems little point at concealing it from you. I'm expecting a baby, Mrs Hughes."
Elsie could not pretend that she wasn't at least a little surprised at that.
"Congratulations, my Lady," she managed to stutter out. Evidently, years of practice had had little effect on her ability to control her astonishment.
Thankfully, her Ladyship seemed not to mind.
"It seems hard to believe, doesn't it?" she admitted.
Not knowing whether it was to herself or her Ladyship privately musing, Elsie remained silent. Lady Grantham looked over at the housekeeper and grinned in an almost comradely manner: she was clearly elated.
"Might I tell the rest of the staff?" Elsie asked.
She received a nod.
"You may," her Ladyship replied, "I imagine Mr Carson will be very pleased by the news."
"M'Lady?"
She knew it was paranoid of her, but she could not help but feel that her Ladyship might be insinuating something.
"He was so fond of the girls as children. Particularly Lady Mary."
So she was being overly-paranoid, Elsie thought.
Elsie, in spite of herself, cried a little when Anna told her the news. Dr Clarkson had confirmed Miss O'Brien's fears: her Ladyship's baby would never have stood a chance. In hindsight it was an odd thing to have a girl that you had spent the last few months subversively and hypocritically berating in one way or another pat you tenderly- if a little gingerly- on the back as you blew your nose.
"How awful," she finally managed, sniffing.
Anna nodded gently.
"And poor Miss O'Brien," she let out a half-laugh through her tears, "I can't honestly say I ever expected to say those words. She was there when it happened?"
The maid nodded again, her hand still resting on Elsie's back.
"She went to fetch Dr Clarkson straight away," she confirmed, and then; "His Lordship is understandably quite distraught."
Something in that remark pushed Elsie's brain back onto a more familiar course: it was the family who should be grieving, not them. As much as it felt otherwise, it was not they who had lost a child. It was their responsibility, her own personal responsibility, to ensure that things were as easy as possible for them. She felt the movement rather than actively deciding to straighten her back so that she stood in her usual prim and upright mode as her resident sense of duty kicked in and took a stirringly deep sigh. Anna seemed to sense this new air of business that was returning for she quickly continued:
"I don't think you should go rushing off back to work, Mrs Hughes. Lady Edith said that they would ring if they wanted anything, I think we're best off staying out of the way for the time being."
Elsie sniffed again in response, she could not deny that she did not feel much like going straight back to work, not just yet anyway. Suddenly a thought struck her.
"Has anyone told Mr Carson yet?" she asked, "It's sure to break his heart, I know he was looking forward to there being a baby in the house just as much as I was, although he wouldn't admit it."
"Has anyone told me what?"
Both women jumped a little at the sound of the butler's voice. Anna took a step back away from Mrs Hughes so as not to expose her recent state of distress and embarrass her in front of Mr Carson. He was apparently oblivious to what had recently gone on. She recalled that morning when he had said that he needed to spend some time in the wine cellar.
"Is there some kind of crisis of which I am ignorant?"
Oddly enough, yes Mr Carson, this time there is, Anna thought. Unsure as to whether or not to say anything she glanced towards the housekeeper. It seemed she was stirring herself to answer his expectant look.
"Mr Carson," Mrs Hughes began gently, then faltered. She cleared her throat and started again, "Mr Carson, there has been some bad news. Her Ladyship... Her Ladyship has...has miscarried."
He seemed at first not to take in what she had said but stood instead, open-mouthed, a frown creeping across his brow. Everything in his face seemed to say No, she can't have. Mrs Hughes bowed her head, as if unable to look upon his distress but continued nevertheless.
"It happened this morning. She slipped when she was getting out of the bath. Miss O'Brien was sorting her clothes at the time; there was nothing she could do."
He seemed to be searching, Anna perceived, for a question to ask: for something that might better help him understand what had happened, how it could possibly have happened. However, Mrs Hughes thoroughness had extinguished all possible avenues that interrogation could take and he exhaled, seeming to deflate as he did so and almost slouched for a moment before- not unlike Mrs Hughes herself had done moments before- recovering himself.
"Then we must make up for it now," he announced to the two women, his usual unmistakable butler's dignity resurfacing.
It surprised Anna that Mrs Hughes did not rally to this quiet battle cry as she usually would. Instead, the housekeeper took him timidly by the left hand and squeezed it. She gave him a look that Anna had never seen her give before; a mixture of weariness and comfort which was somehow gently authoritative. He seemed to respond to this, he gave her a resigned nod and, posture once again conceding but not as dramatically, sighed, squeezing her hand back. Anna suddenly felt embarrassed to witness such an intimate situation between the two of them and wished she was not there. It was the first time that she had ever given any really thought to Miss O'Brien's suggestion that there might be something more between the butler and the housekeeper. Thankfully, though, Mr Carson shortly cleared his throat, gradually untangling his fingers from Mrs Hughes'. With this gesture he made it clear that it was time for the three of them to go back out and face the rest of the household.
Another hectic chapter, I know. There should be at least one more after this. Thank you very much for your reviews so far, please keep leaving them.