Sorry it took so long! Hope to update more frequently. Thank you for all your lovely reviews. A bit of silliness between cook & butler ahead :) Enjoy!

Charles was very quiet on their way to church. Beryl had thought about starting a conversation, but decided that it would be better to leave him to his thoughts. He probably was nervous to see that Alice again. Beryl herself was rather excited even if sceptical to meet the woman who had stolen the butler's heart, broken it and now managed to confuse it.

The younger staff was walking ahead, chatting happily. The church came into sight and Beryl heard Charles take a deep breath. She opened her mouth to say something, but no comment would slip her tongue. They crossed the churchyard and Charles removed his bowler when they reached the entrance. Mr. Travis was greeting the villagers and shook Charles' hand. He let Beryl go ahead and followed her to the back of the church where they sat down. The cook sensed the butler's searching look. She watched his face while his eyes skimmed the church for Alice. She knew he had seen her when he blushed and smiled shyly. Beryl followed his gaze and spotted the woman in the middle of the right side where she had joined the postmaster's wife. She wasn't very tall, had dark hair that showed no signs of grey. She had a nice face and kind eyes. Just an ordinary woman, Beryl thought.

Mrs. Bute joined them, sitting down next to Charles. The service started. Mr. Travis never managed to make his speeches interesting and only when he asked them to sing, the senior staff paid attention. At the end of the service, people began chatting, leaving in groups. Charles was trying not to lose sight of Alice who was trapped in a conversation with Mrs. James from the tea shop.

Beryl took Charles aside. "I suppose you want to spend a little time with her", she said pointing in Alice's direction. "I cover up for you."

"Thank you", he replied. "I won't be too long."

Beryl watched as he strode of to collect Alice. The cook wasn't sure how she felt about the two of them. There was a tiny fear that Charles would leave Downton to get married. Beryl did wish him every happiness, but he was her best friend and as selfish as it was, she wanted him close. Shaking her head at her own thoughts, she turned and made it her task to distract Mrs. Bute.

Charles cleared his throat when he had reached the two women. Mrs. James had just been gossiping about the big house as far as he was concerned and therefore looked quite shocked when the butler suddenly stood next to her. "Oh, Mr. Carson", she stuttered. "Can we help you somehow?"

"I was hoping to have a word with Miss Neale", he answered.

"Oh, you know each other", Mrs. James exclaimed.

"Yes, we do", Alice said. "Would you mind terribly if I left you to it?", she asked politely.

"No, no, not at all. I see you tomorrow", Mrs. James replied. Charles and Alice exchanged a knowing look, both aware that the woman would manage to make them the centre of gossip within no time. They slipped out of church unseen and quickly made their way away from the village to have some privacy. When they were well and truly on their own, Alice left the road and sat on a nearby bench. Charles followed, keeping a proper distance between them when he joined her. He could sense that Alice was as unsure and nervous as he was. He folded his hands and rested them in his lap, looking straight ahead to the village. Charles was aware that Alice eyes rested on him. Finally, she spoke. "Charles, I think we should talk about what happened."

"What do you mean?", he asked and furrowed his brow. "We have talked about it, haven't we?"

Alice hands were shaking slightly. "You told me what you did afterwards and I told you what I did and that was that. There never was any mention of… feelings", she said quietly, clearly unsure of what she was saying.

Charles swallowed hard. "It's not very English to talk about feelings", he tried to joke, but it sounded too volitional. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."

"I want you to know that my unexperienced and naïve younger me really did love you. I don't know what happened. I guess it were Grigg's false promises and my greed. I'm sorry I failed you. I'm sorry I…"

"Alice", he interrupted her gently. "It's been more than thirty years. I have no doubt that we loved each other then, but we're different people now. I don't know where we stand. But I'd like to find out."

"You want a new start?", Alice asked hopefully.

Charles nodded. "Can we do that?"

Alice smiled warmly in agreement. Charles was relieved. Relieved to have been given time to deal with this situation.

"You must be getting back, am I right?", Alice asked.

"I'm afraid so", Charles replied. They got up. Both weren't sure what to say and in an attempt to stop the situation from getting any more awkward Charles offered his hand. When she took it, their eyes locked, his thumb unintentionally caressed the back of her hand. They parted without saying a word.

Charles went straight to his pantry when he got back to the house. He distracted himself with paper work. His heart was beating wildly, so wildly it made him dizzy. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. And then he heard some housemaids shriek with laughter. He winced at the sudden noise. The chair scratched loudly over the floor when he got up. Charles made his way to the kitchen where half the staff was gathered. "What is going on?", he bellowed and had everyone jump at the sound of his deep, commanding voice. "Don't you have work to do?" Still giggling the maids hurried out of the room, exciting chatter waving through the corridor when they were out of sight.

Charles sighed deeply, turning towards Beryl who leaned over an enormous book, her reading glasses sitting comfortably at the tip of her nose. Charles gaze wandered through the kitchen. There was no sign of the cause for the maids' behaviour until he spotted Daisy kneeling in the darkest corner of the kitchen in front of William who was staring in wonder at the ceiling, mumbling something.

"May I ask what you think you are doing?", Charles asked the young footman, approaching him and towering over him, making Daisy crawl aside and retreating to the kitchen counter where she restarted working on upstairs' dinner.

"Observing birds, Mr. Carson", William answered dreamily.

"Pardon?", Charles asked confused. "Birds? What is this nonsense?"

"Birds, Mr. Carson. Can't you hear them? Their twittering sounds so lovely."

Charles' eyebrows shot up. He turned to Beryl. "Is he drunk?"

The cook cleared her throat and looked at him over her glasses. "No, at least, not like that."

"What?", Charles said and shook his head in confusion. "Beryl, what is going on?"

"I found the book this morning. It's from my grandmother. I completely forgot I had it." She tipped on the huge book in front of her.

"What has the book to do with the state William's in?", he asked, absolutely not seeing the connection.

"It's a recipe book. A lot of nonsense, really. I tried one of the drinks described and well, he drank it and now he is like this."

"What sort of non-alcoholic drink can do this to a grown man?"

Beryl mumbled something, the tip of her ears turning pink.

"Sorry?", Charles said in a tone that clearly ordered her to repeat what she had tried not to say.

"A love potion", she whispered, hoping only he would hear her. His jaw dropped. He stared at her dumbfounded. "A love potion?", he repeated quietly. "Do you think me completely nutty?", he hissed, closing the distance between them. "What is this nonsense?"

"It's my granny's nonsense, Charles", she replied. "Look!" She drummed her finger on the page. "Love potion. I thought it amusing, mixed it and when he drank it he went potty."

"I'd have preferred it if he had fallen in love instead of hallucinating about birds. I don't know what your grandmother was up to with that book, but I ask you not to do the same."

"But it's fun", Beryl protested.

"Fun? I have to manage without the second footman for however long that drink has an influence on him. Next time try your experiments on yourself, preferably after you've finished your duties, Beryl." He marched over to William and pulled him to his feet. "I'll get him to his room. If you're lucky sleep will let him recover, if not you explain his parents why their sun has become a lunatic." With that Charles left the kitchen, pulling William with him.

When he was gone, Daisy dared to look up from the pudding she had been preparing. "I think he is right."

Beryl shrugged her shoulders. "I think he overreacted. Maybe I'll try the next drink on him."

Daisy's eyes widened in shook. "But what for? Those drinks don't do what the book says they should do. He would end up like William and we can't have no Mr. Carson. How would we manage?"

"I might have mixed the blasted thing wrongly", Beryl said more to herself than the kitchen maid. She turned a few pages until her attention was taken by a particular recipe. "Now that sounds interesting", she remarked with a smirk.

Everyone had gone up to bed, but Charles was still doing paper work. He was tired. William hadn't been available all evening and Charles had started being short with Beryl because of it. Now he just wanted to go to bed and forget about everything, but he had to update the wine ledger. His thoughts drifted off, to Alice and on how to proceed. He had to get to know her again, find out how the years had changed her. And then what, Charlie? Will you court her? Marry her and leave Downton? Did he really want it to go there? Downton had become everything to him. It was his home and home to those he called family.

There was a knock and Beryl poked her head through the door. "Still working?", she asked.

"I thought you'd gone up", he replied, watching her as she walked towards his desk, balancing a tray with six cups.

"Are we expecting anyone?", he asked and raised his eyebrows.

"No", Beryl stated simply and sat the tray down. Charles could see the liquids filling the cups now and each one had a different colour. "Beryl, please don't tell me these come from that book of yours."

"They do", she said triumphantly and added: "And I mixed them correctly this time."

"You mean William's drink was not how it was supposed to be? Beryl, really, I can't have you poison my staff. They are people."

Beryl waved his comment aside. "Now they'll work", she promised, ignoring what he had said seconds ago. "Try one."

"Certainly not!", he protested.

"The red one is the love potion. Best not drink that. The green one helps when you feel nauseous, but I guess it would be pointless to try it now. I forgot what the purple one does", she admitted and scratched her head while Charles watched her in horror. "The yellow one is a sleep potion and the turquoise one calms nerves. And now the orange one", she said, making a dramatic pause. "Is a compass."

"Pardon?"

"A compass, Charles. You know, the little thing with the needle that helps navigating a ship or…"

"I know what a compass is, Beryl. But I'm quite sure it's not what the book means when it calls a potion compass."

"More or less, it does. It said that the liquid would send the person who drank it where he or she belonged."

"Now that makes it clearer", Charles mumbled annoyed.

"I guess it means that it will send a murderer to prison and a lost child home. Why don't you try it?"

"Beryl, I won't disappear into thin air by drinking some orange liquid and reappear somewhere else", Charles protested.

"Let's find out, shall we?"

"No, for heaven's sake. I won't risk ending up like William. Beryl, I'll ask you one more time: Stop this nonsense, please."

Beryl folded her arms across her chest. "Fine, if you don't try it, I'll do." She reached for the cup, but Charles was faster, grasping it and holding it out of her reach. "You will do no such thing!"

"Charles Carson, give the tea cup back this instant!", Beryl demanded.

Charles was aware that they were both behaving very childishly. Worries, a confused heart and desperate need for sleep weren't a good combination for him. Beryl tried to reach his wrist and somehow managed to make him lose his balance. The cup emptied itself just as Charles was looking up. The liquid partly ended up in his mouth. It tasted like fresh soap with a hint of peppermint and summer air. Surprised as he was he swallowed the sip, only then realising what he had done. "Oh my god, I've drunken some of it", he panicked, dropping the cup.

"Will you calm down? It wasn't poison", Beryl snapped, collecting the left overs of the cup from the floor. While she was doing so she realised she could get revenge easily. "I think it's better if we go to bed. I'll never bother you with my drinks again and… Oh my god", she shrieked suddenly, making him jump two feet in the air.

"What is it?", he asked hastily.

"You're disappearing. Oh my god, you're actually dissolving into thin air!", she exclaimed.

"What? Oh god, do something. Beryl!", he shouted, staring at his hands to see if he could see himself disappearing. "Beryl!"

And then she started to shriek with laughter. His eyes wide open he stared at her in shock. After minutes of her laughing tears, she managed to form words. "Your face!"

"This is not funny!", Charles protested, trying to hide his fear of what could happen now that he had drunken the orange liquid. Mad at Beryl he stormed off, his tiredness getting the better of him on the stairs. Sleepily he made it to his room and soon was sound asleep. When he was woken by the six o'clock knock, there was no sign that Beryl's mixture had had any effect on him. And if it had had then he obviously belonged to Downton. He had known that before. But what that meant for Alice and him he didn't know.

Next: Grantham School - Meet the staff of Downton's school