An Unexpected Visitor
Elsie sat at her usual place at the dining table. It should have been the staff lunch time, but the footmen, Mr Bates and Mr Barrow were all stood outside the front door awaiting the arrival of a guest of the family, Sir Leslie Wilson and his wife Winifred. His Lordship had arranged a dinner for some of his old army regiment. The men were to go shooting, while Lady Grantham and the ladies had tea in the library, before a grand dinner the following evening.
Elsie had finished her cup of tea and had pushed her chair back slightly, an eleven month old William Bates sat in her lap gurgling happily as she sang to him and bounced him on her knee. Normally, William would be in the nursery with nanny, Sybbie, George and Mary's newest edition, Charlie, who was almost four months old. On Wednesday afternoons Anna had her afternoon off therefore, William would join them in the servants' hall for lunch before she took custardy of him for the remainder of the day.
Anna had chosen to have lunch early and was now waiting for Mr Bates to return so they could take a walk into the village together. Andy appeared in the doorway of the servants' hall as Mrs Hughes tickled the boy's sides and he giggled loudly.
'Mrs Hughes?' Andy asked, she looked up and gave him a soft smile. 'Sorry, Mr Barrow asked me to pass on a message. He said to say that you would know what I meant when I said that Mrs Wilson's lady's maid was the traitor who defected to Lady Flintshire. I hope that makes sense' he finished, looking confused. Mrs Hughes took a deep breath and glanced at Anna who had the same worried look on her face.
'I do Andy, thank you. Has he spoken to her, do you know?' She asked.
'Not as far as I know, the car is on its way round now' he explained.
'Battle stations it is then' she sighed, standing and shifting William onto her hip. Anna dropped her fork to take him from her but she shook her head. 'Finish your lunch, Lass. We'll be quite happy for a few more minutes, won't we?' she addressed William softly. 'I'll just give Mrs Patmore a heads up'.
She slipped into the kitchen where Mrs Patmore and Daisy were bustling round the centre table preparing cakes for the evening's dinner.
'And what can we do for you two?' Mrs Patmore cooed, tickling William under the chin with her flouring hands.
'Just a warning, Daisy?' she beckoned the girl to join them. 'Mr Barrow has sent word that Miss O'Brien is lady's maid to one of His Lordship's guests for the festivities' she explained to both of them. 'I though you may like to know before she appeared in the doorway'.
'Excellent' sighed Mrs Patmore. 'Just what we needed'.
'I'll do my best to keep her in check, but she's no longer under my jurisdiction, so we'll see how things go. Let me know if anything happens and I'll have a word with Miss Baxter to keep an eye out in the evenings if we've already gone. Can I trust you'll do the same?' she asked the cook, who nodded. 'Barrow's not the man he was when she was here, but I wouldn't put it past her to be deliberately awkward and unpleasant'. Voices at the back door caught her attention and she sighed. She gave another deep breath and walked purposefully back to the servants hall, where she could already hear Anna talking to the traitor.
Elsie caught Miss Baxter's eye as she descended the stairs and she beckoned her quickly to her. She briefly explained who Miss O'Brien was and an edited version of some of her more significant highlights of her time at Downton. Miss Baxter assured the housekeeper that she would look out for Barrow and ensure that Miss O'Brien behaved after the Carson's had left on the two evenings they would be at Downton. Elsie took a deep breath, giving Miss Baxter a final nod before she braved the servants' hall. The snippets of conversation she overheard as she approached the servants' hall caused her temper to flare.
'… didn't expect to find you here, Anna. Or Mr Bates, last I heard there were jail cells with both your names on' O'Brien was saying as she reached the door.
'Miss O'Brien, what a pleasant surprise' the housekeeper said in the kindest manner she could muster. She gave a pleasant smile, before responding to the scream of 'mama!' from William, passing him back to his mother. Elise gave Anna's arm a reassuring squeeze. Anna made her way quietly to the rocking chair by the fire, ignoring the raised eyebrows she was receiving from her former colleague.
'Mrs Hughes, still here I see' she observed, coolly. The housekeeper raised her eyebrows.
'I will ignore that comment, thank you.' Elsie said, sharply. 'I suggest you get yourself settled upstairs, tea will be in here shortly. You are in Anna's old room, I assume you can find it'
Elsie moved to introduce herself to the valet whom had stood silently beside Miss O'Brien throughout the exchange. As O'Brien made for the stairs she caught Barrow by the arm. He had just descended the stairs for the coffee's which were to be served in the library for the guests.
'Did old Carson finally pop his clogs then?' she asked. Elsie's ears picked the words instantly and she turned, fury set firmly across her face, her eyes wide, ready to spit fire.
'I suggest' Elsie began, her voice low and steady, 'that unless you wish to be out before dinner, that you attempt to be civil and respectful to the staff here' she was about to continue when a shadow appeared the other side of Miss O'Brien, she remained oblivious, shooting daggers at the housekeeper.
'I just wondered' she sneered in reply.
'I thank you for your concern, Miss O'Brien. I can assure you that I am perfectly well' Mr Carson said, jovially from the doorway behind her. She jumped and her head snapped round. The butler smiled, the smart grey suit surprised her; she could only recall the butler out of his livery for church services only.
'Mr Carson' she nodded stiffly at him, before he was able to say anything else she had begun to climb the stairs, confused as to what was going on. She didn't like to be unnerved and unprepared and the lack of correspondence she had received when she'd sent Barrow a letter to say she would be at Downton had set her on edge. Barrow continued towards the kitchen and Charles stepped towards his wife. He reached out and placed a hand on her upper arm, stroking it gently.
'Are you all right?' he asked. She nodded, giving him a gentle smile. 'Don't let her rattle you'.
'She's already made a crack at Anna too'. Elsie explained and he gave her arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze. 'Oh, Barrow?' Elsie said, catching sight of the butler behind her husband.
'I'm fine, Mrs Hughes. I'm not interesting in speaking to her and she won't have me up to anything. You have my word' he reassured her.
'I know, I trust you. We've got your back if you need it though' she smiled kindly at him and nodded. Mr Carson's face conveyed the same reassuring trust and he nodded, touched by their kindness. He thanked them before rushing back up the stairs to serve tea and coffee in the library.
Elsie and Charles made their way back to the servants' hall. Elsie silently crossed to Anna, sat down beside her and took her free hand that wasn't holding tightly to her son.
'How are you, Pet?' she asked. Anna shook her head.
'She'd not even got her coat off' she whispered, tears filling her eyes. 'I don't understand what I did to…'
'Nothing' Elsie interrupted, 'You have done absolutely nothing to deserve to be spoken to like that'. Elsie lifted her hand to Anna's chin, turning her head so she would meet her gaze. 'You are the gentlest and kindest soul I know, Anna. Don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise, especially her.' Elsie reached up and wiped a tear from Anna's cheek with her thumb. 'That lovely husband of yours will be back any minute. You are both going to go out and enjoy your afternoon off with the wee man and you're not going to give her another thought. Promise me.' Anna nodded.
'Sorry, I don't know why it's bothered me. It's so silly, I'm made of sterner stuff than this' Anna laughed a little as she spoke.
'Anna' Mr Carson interrupted. 'Mrs Carson and I will see to Lady Mary and His Lordship tonight. Have the evening off together. It's only a small dinner tonight, I'll need Mr Bates back to deal with regimental dress tomorrow night, but this one should be fine'. Anna smiled.
'Are you sure, I mean I'll…' Anna began. Mr Carson held up his hand.
'I insist.' He caught sight of Mr Bates appearing in the doorway and relayed his message. Concerned about his upset wife, Mr Bates escorted her out to find coats for themselves and their son.
'Thank you' Elsie said, turning back to him as she stood. 'That was kind of you, although, you'll have given us both extra work'.
'They'll be up to Brancaster on Friday, we can have a long afternoon off ourselves then to make up for it' he explained. She smiled, reaching up to give him a gentle peck on the cheek.
A short time later, the servants' hall table full. Mr Barrow sat at the head of the table, Mrs Hughes to his right, with Mr Carson in the next seat. The house servants had spread themselves in their usual seats, Mr Molesley quietly chatting with Miss Baxter. Miss O'Brien and the valet, Mr Andrews had taken the Bates' seats opposite the Carsons'.
Mr Carson gave a barely audible groan as he spotted the bowls of soup being passed out. Elsie gave his leg a reassuring squeeze under the table and he turned his head to see her. She gave a reassuring smile which he returned.
'So what else have I missed then?' Miss O'Brien asked as they began eating the soup. Mr Barrow raised his eyebrows at Mr Carson, who nearly laughed into his soup.
'The usual' Mrs Hughes began, 'several thousand dinners, a few births, deaths, and weddings'. She finished with a smile.
'Oh' Miss O'Brien uttered, she pulled a puzzled face and looked to Mr Barrow, who simply smiled into his soup. 'I get the feeling there's a double meaning there.' She observed. Before anyone could respond, Mr Carson groaned as soup tumbled off his trembling spoon.
'Andy, could you pass the bread, please?' Mrs Hughes asked, covering the outburst. She took the plate from the footman with a smile. She placed a slice of the bread onto Mr Carson's plate and one on her own, causing Miss O'Brien to raise her eyebrows at the housekeeper. Elsie didn't notice. Mr Carson swapped his spoon to his steadier left hand and continued to eat. Quiet chatter broke out across the table, Miss O'Brien attempting to edge more information out of Mr Barrow who didn't seem to budge. She kept one eye on the housekeeper and butler as she ate.
'I'll have to go home and change if I'm needed this evening' Charles said as he reached for his bread to mop up the remainder of his soup.
'I'll come with you, I'll need to change too' Elsie replied with a smile as she sipped a cup of tea.
CECECECECE
'And where have Carson and Hughes snuck off to?' Miss O'Brien whispered to Mr Barrow in the middle of the afternoon, when the nosy lady's maid had discovered the housekeeper and retired butler were mysteriously absent.
'They've probably gone to change for the afternoon, they usually do around this time. Did you want them for something?' Mr Barrow asked disinterestedly.
'I want to know what you're not telling me' Miss O'Brien snarled. 'I know there is something and I'll have it out of somebody'.
'I'm afraid I don't know what you mean' Mr Barrow replied, dryly. 'Anything you need to know is right in front of you' he added cryptically. He turned and walked away from her, a smile spread across his face.
Sarah O'Brien sighed, she didn't like being kept in the dark one little bit. She collected together her hat and coat and proclaimed she was going into the village. There were several grunts in response, but no one attempted to engage her in conversation. At the door she met Miss Baxter returning from the village.
'Oh, hello' Miss Baxter said, 'are you going out?'
'Yes, apparently I'm not wanted here' Miss O'Brien said dryly.
'I'm sure that's not true…' Miss Baxter began.
'It is.'
'Well, I'm sure there are plenty of things you could do about that. It doesn't take much' Miss Baxter reassured, before hanging her coat and walking towards the servant's hall.
'Did you enjoy your walk with Mr Molesley?' she heard Mrs Patmore ask. Miss O'Brien raised an eyebrow at this new information, before heading out the back door.
As she walked, Miss O'Brien contemplated the events of the day. Downton was not the place she had left it. No longer did she have a partner in crime in Mr Barrow, instead he had clearly joined forces with the remaining staff. She wasn't sure whether this was due to his promotion to butler or whether he really had changed and wanted to be friends with everyone. This she very much doubted, but she couldn't entirely rule it out. She did a lap of the village, plotting what she could do to up skittle things a bit. She didn't feel it fair that everyone was suddenly so chummy and happy. She stopped just shy of the cottages at the corner of the estate when she heard a giggle come from the doorway of one of them.
'Come on you,' she heard the recognisable lilt of the Scottish housekeeper. 'Stop it, Charlie, we'll be late' she continued, still with an uncharacteristic giggle. Miss O'Brien watched as she exited the door of one of the cottages and a man's arm pulled her back. After a moment she emerged again, hand in hand with Mr Carson. As Mrs Hughes closed and locked the door, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek, his hands on her waist. The lady's maid's brow furrowed.
'Oh fine' he groaned. Pulling her arm through his and they began their walk back towards the abbey. 'I've missed our afternoon off this week, Mrs Carson' he continued. O'Brien gasped at the new information.
'You just have to wait until Friday, love' Elsie reassured him. 'Would you like to do something? A trip into Ripon?'
'I think a picnic by the lake would be nice' he offered.
'And if it rains?' she teased. Miss O'Brien didn't hear the reply. Mr Carson had leant closer to the housekeeper's ear and caused her to laugh out loud. It also earnt him a slap on the chest.
'How did Miss O' Brien end up working for Mrs Wilson anyway?' Charles asked as they continued their walk back to the abbey.
'Sir Leslie was Governor of Bombay after Lord Flintshire, he still is I believe. Miss O' Brien stayed on rather than come back to England apparently. According to Mr Wilson they only return to England for a few weeks of the year' Elsie explained.
CECECECE
'You didn't think to mention that Carson and Hughes got hitched then?' O'Brien hissed at Mr Barrow when she returned to the servants' hall.
'It was inevitable, let's be honest. I can't truly believe you are surprised' Mr Barrow said coldly.
'And why did he retire?' she continued, determined to reach the bottom of that mystery too.
'Because he wanted to' Barrow explained, one eyebrow raised. 'Perhaps you would find your time here more enjoyable if you were nicer to people'.
'That's rich, coming from you' she snorted.
'It took me a long time and a lot of mistakes to realise how lucky I am here, Miss O'Brien. I have friends now, which I have never had before. And thanks to Mr Carson, I have the job I always wanted and the skills and experience to live up to his exacting standards. This is my family and you will not ruin that. I'm not sure what made you so bitter, but I speak from experience when I say that kindness actually does go a long way. I found so much when I stopped fighting them and became their friends and I'm a much happier man because of it. I went to a very dark place along the way and they pulled me back. I can't thank them enough for that'. Miss O'Brien didn't respond. She wasn't sure what to say or how.
CECECECE
Miss O'Brien managed to avoid speaking to the current Downton staff over the following day and a half, but by Friday morning as the guests prepared to leave she had decided on what she needed to say.
'Mrs Hughes, might I have a word?' she asked softly, having knocked on the housekeeper's door. Thankfully she found both her and Mr Carson sat in two of the chairs having tea.
'Of course' the housekeeper replied kindly. Mr Carson made a move to leave, but Miss O'Brien spoke.
'I'd like it if you were to hear this too, Mr Carson, if you don't mind' she said. He nodded and sat back in his seat. 'I wanted to apologise. There are somethings I have done which I do regret. I didn't always feel I was treated fairly here and perhaps I was wrong, but I certainly didn't respond in the way I should have done. I also wanted to offer my congratulations, I er… I can see you are happy together, and I'm pleased for you both. I hope the weather holds for your picnic' she finished, before rushing out the door as quickly as she had arrived.
The Carson's exchanged surprised expressions.
'Well, that was unexpected' Mrs Carson observed, taking a sip of her tea.
'Indeed' her husband responded. 'How did she know about the picnic?'
'I haven't the faintest idea. We probably don't want to know either. I'd rather just look forward to a lovely picnic and a few days peace'. She said.
'You could retire, you know' Charles teased.
'Don't tempt me Charlie' she said with a smile. 'You know I can't, not while Becky…'
'And I've told you, Elsie' Charles interrupted, 'that you don't need to worry on that score. The estate will provide you with a pension, just as I have. We can keep the cottage and the rent on our house is plenty to tide us over.'
'I know, it's just. She's my responsibility, I made the decision to…' Charles placed a hand on her wrist to stop her.
'And with all my worldly goods, I thee endow' he said simply and honestly. His eyes never left hers and his fingers gently caressed her wrist. 'You have the choice, my love. If you are going to insist on looking after me when I can't do it myself, then you are going to have to accept that I will give you everything I have. I have every intention of spending a long and happy retirement with my lovely wife.' She smiled lovingly at him.
'You do say such lovely things sometimes' she noted. 'I will think about it. Miss Baxter is keen to take the job on, perhaps I'll train her more seriously to take over in a few months.'
'I'd like that' he said, lifting her hand and kissing the back of it.
'I'll have to learn to cook properly, we won't be able to have Mrs Patmore continually feeding us too'. She sighed.
'We can both learn, we're as bad as each other, at least together we stand a slightly better chance of succeeding.' He teased. Elsie laughed.