PLOTTING; A SKILL ALL WOMEN MUST LEARN
The next morning, when Mrs Hughes arrived at the Abbey, the first thing she wanted to do was to speak to Mrs Patmore, to have a little tittle-tattle, if you like. Unfortunately for her, it was only after lunch they could finally enjoy a semi quiet moment in her sitting room with a cup of tea.
"Do you think Mr Carson enjoys her compliments?" Mrs Patmore was curious.
"What man doesn't enjoy his ego being stroked?" Mrs Hughes raised her eyebrows and slightly shook her head. "It was all I could do not to say anything!"
"Why does he need her help anyway? Can't he write it himself?" Mrs Patmore suggested.
"You know Mr Carson would never touch a typewriter." She explained. "He's worried he'd turn into one."
The cooked chuckled at that and then sighed. "Ah, so that's his excuse."
"And his trembling hands don't help either." Mrs Hughes signed. "Well, at least he's not spending his days alone." She added quietly with a hint of sadness in her voice.
Mrs Patmore just shook her head in disbelief. At first, she thought she'd have to interfere in her friends' relationship once again, but on a second thought, she gathered she'll give the old couple some time to arrive at the right decision by themselves.
They turned around when they heard Mr Molesley from the corridor. First, he was speaking to Mrs Baxter, and then headed towards the housekeeper's room.
"What brings you in here, Mr Molesley?" Mrs Carson asked as the former footman stumbled outside her door.
"I was looking for Mr Barrow, but he has gone upstairs just before I arrived."
"Anything I can help with?" She offered.
"Well.. I don't know, perhaps you could." Mr Molesley hesitated. "I brought this for his lordship" He handed her a pamphlet he was squashing in hand for a while.
Mrs Hughes squinted her eyes, to see better, as she took the pamphlet from him. "What is this?"
"We're currently planning a trip at the school, as we thought it might be beneficial for some of the more curious, high achieving pupils. I was asked to do some research and I came across this." He pointed towards her hands. "It seems this library in Cornwall is in possession of a book - The English Aristocracy over the years. It's got a whole chapter about the dowager's whereabouts apparently. So, I wondered if this is something his lordship knows about… I've personally never heard of it before."
"I'll make sure Mr Barrow gives it to his lordship." Mrs Hughes got up to close the door after Mr Molesley.
She widened her eyes and looked at Mrs Patmore, wondering if her friend was thinking the same thing
"Do you think Mr Carson would-?"
"I think he might!" Mrs Hughes didn't let her finish the sentence.
…
When Mrs Hughes came home after a long day, she was eager to put her feet up, but she still had to prepare dinner and tomorrow's lunch for her husband. Mr Carson was outside, tending to his vegetable patch. She quickly sneaked into his study and pinned up the Cornwall Library pamphlet. She smiled to herself and proceeded to the next room to start cooking. She entered the kitchen at the same time as her husband returned from the garden.
"How are you? Was your day successful?" She asked as she was trashing about with pots in the kitchen.
"It was indeed, we got to the fifth chapter already." He bragged. "What about you?"
"Busy as usual." She didn't really have the energy to share much more.
"What are you making?" He watched her cooking over her shoulder.
"A stew for dinner, and some turkey from last night's upstairs dinner with cauliflower cheese for your lunch tomorrow."
"It smells nice." He commended her. "But I don't think I will be able to eat much for dinner."
"And why is that?" Elsie turned to face him, to find him stuffing his face with a biscuit.
"Mrs Kent made these, and I overindulged." He explained with his mouth full.
"She made you biscuits?"
"They are delicious, you should try them." Charles turned to the plate only to find out he just ate the last one.
Her breathing deepened, there was a dangerous fire building up in Mrs Hughes. She noticed there was still some shortbread she made, which was untouched. She also recalled that last time she made biscuits, she ended up chucking them in the bin for the pigs, as they didn't manage to finish them.
"She offered to make lunch as well." At that, he could feel his wife's eyes piercing him. "She is only considerate, I told her how busy you are." He explained quickly, hoping to calm her down.
"I am perfectly fine with managing my time, thank you!" She snapped and started mixing the stew a little bit too violently.
