SHARING TIPS
"This is coming along really well, Mr Carson." Mrs Kent said with a loud clack of the typewriter as she slid the platen across, making a new line.
"Thank you." He smiled and looked at the clock. "Another good day's work."
"Do you still have a minute?"
He nodded.
"I've told you about my sister's boy Josh, haven't I?"
"You have."
"He's just finishing school now, and it's his dream to work as an assistant in a solicitor's office but it's hard to get without any experience."
"So, you wondered if I could work with him?" He instantaneously guessed where she was going.
"I'd be so grateful, Mr Carson. You could try it out for a bit and if you don't like him, I'll come back immediately! He's a good worker and really determined-"
"Alright." Mr Carson interrupted her, pouting his lips. He gathered he needs to stop her in her tracks, or her persuasions could go on forever.
Mrs Kent exhaled loudly in relief as if she was holding her breath since she brough the topic up. "That's so good of you, really. You know how difficult it is with my Martha."
"I can only image." The butler tried to be sympathetic.
Mrs Kent looked at her hands.
"I am not sure I ever told you this." Mr Carson said, and she looked up at him. "My sister-in-law has got a similar…" He wasn't sure what to call it. "…condition as your daughter."
"You never said."
"I have never met her, but I am sure Mrs Carson would be able to emphasise more with what you're going through."
Their earnest conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud knock on the main door. Mr Carson furrowed his brow; he was confused as to who could be calling on him at this hour. It was still a bit early for his wife.
He became even more confused when he found out it was Mrs Patmore and Andrew – what an unusual duo.
"Is everything alright?" Mr Carson asked instead of a greeting.
"We've come to talk to you, Mr Carson." The cook barged in, and Andy followed her nervously. She seemed a little irritated.
"I'll get going then," Mrs Kent packed her stuff. She was eager to leave now, she noticed the cook was eyeing her up and down with wariness, making her very uncomfortable.
"Andy, you go first." Mrs Patmore urged the boy and titled her head towards the butler.
"I…" He started and then turned to the cook.
"Don't mind me, I'm not listening." She said and walked into the other room, without closing the door, feigning focus on the books in the Carsons' bookshelf.
Andrew was now nervously fidgeting with his livery, glancing around the room as if he hoped someone would suddenly jump out of the walls and save him from this extremely painful situation.
"I am planning on asking Daisy to marry me." He finally spit it out.
Mrs Patmore squealed loudly in shock and excitement in the background, trying to cover her mouth.
"Are you sure you are ready?" Mr Carson probed seriously.
"I believe I am, Mr Carson."
"And is she?" Daisy was not necessarily the butler's favourite, but he was still very protective over her.
"I hope so." He smirked. The firmness in the tone of Mr Carson's voice had a soothing effect on Andy, it calmed him down.
"Very well then…"
"I wondered if you could give me some tips."
Suddenly it seemed as if all the initial tenseness travelled from Andy into Mr Carson's body.
"Some tips?" He questioned, hoping he heard wrong.
"I want to make sure that when I propose, it will be so grand, she won't be able to say no."
"I see." Mr Carson noted, still not following.
"Anna said your proposal was very romantic. So, I wondered if you could give me some tips."
"Hmmm" Mr Carson finally understood what's being asked of him and he felt a little proud to hear that the young lady's maid was talking him up. "You see, Andrew, it's a bit tricky, I can give you all the tips I've got, but in the end, it's got to be your idea." He explained. "Do you know how you would like to propose?"
"Well… Initially, I wanted to take her down to London, I know a couple of places there, but they are all too crowded. I know I want my proposal to be a bit more private than Leicester or Trafalgar Square." He chuckled.
"Sometimes you can find a private, quiet corner even in a crowded place."
"That's a good point."
"What do you think Daisy would like?"
"Something fun and exciting, I reckon."
Mr Carson just raised his right eyebrow.
"She's always admired London and it's possibilities, but she has never lived there." Andrew was thinking out loud.
"Is there place that means a lot to you both?"
"There's a few places..."
"You will get there." The butler reassured the younger man.
"How long did it take you to plan your proposal?" He asked hoping the butler won't mind getting a bit more personal.
"It was more of a spare of the moment thing." He explained nonchalantly, not willing to go into much detail.
"Did Mrs Hughes agree straight away?"
"Yes." He declared proudly.
"And she didn't have any second thoughts?"
"No."
"Well…" Mrs Patmore mumbled to herself; she remembered the whole debacle about wifely duties they all had to go through.
"How did you know it was the right time?" The young footman kept asking.
"Sometimes these things come organically. I've perhaps waited a bit too long."
They both now heard the cook's ironic 'ha' and were reminded of her presence.
"And there is nothing wrong with waiting!" Mr Carson added defensively, eyeing Mrs Patmore.
"Thank you, Mr Carson." Andrew beamed at the elder. He was now almost grateful he came.
"Well, I wish you good luck, Andrew." He concluded their conversation. "What did you want to talk to me about, Mrs Patmore?"
"I'll leave you to it." Andrew bid his goodbyes. He wanted to avoid being questioned by the cook on the way back. The way there was enough for him. He tried to make an excuse and escape, but she dragged him there anyway – what a peculiar situation he found himself in. In the end though, he felt a bit more confident after the chat with Mr Carson and didn't regret this as much as he thought he would.
"How are the memoirs are going?" Mrs Patmore asked after a bit of contemplation – she didn't know how to start.
"You came all the way here, during work hours, to ask me that?" Mr Carson was flabbergasted.
"Well, I actually came to ask you how it's going with Mrs Kent."
"It's going well."
"And she made you biscuit, did she?" Mrs Patmore sounded a bit like detective from a theatre comedy show.
"What are you getting at?" The butler was becoming impatient with her.
"I wanted to remind you to bear in mind your wife."
"What?"
"How would you feel if she was spending her days alone with a dashing man making her biscuits?"
"I-" The butler was about to protest, he was fuming. How dare she talk to him like that.
"I'll leave you with that." The cook offered, turned on her heal, and left.
Thanks so much for the reviews and support guys xx special thanks to all the guests who post reviews to which I can't reply, grazie mille! xxx
