The next morning, Mrs Carson woke up to only find out her husband was gone. His bed was empty, the bathroom was empty, yet to her relief, his suitcase was still there and still full. She ordered herself not to panic, got ready, and went down for breakfast, hoping to see him there.

To her despair, at the breakfast table, there were only Mrs Patmore and Mr Mason sitting – no sign of her husband.

"Have you seen Mr Carson?" Elsie asked them instead of a greeting.

"Are you asking us?" Her question took Mrs Patmore aback.

"Yes, he'd gone before I woke up." She explained while taking a plate with eggs, sausage and hashbrowns from Mrs Bennet, the hotel manager. "Thank you"

"Oh, dear." The cook covered her open mouth with her hand. "Did you not make up last night?"

Elsie poured herself some coffee. "No, we didn't."

"Did you not manage to placate him?"

"We didn't have a chance to talk, Mrs Patmore, he was asleep when I got back." She was getting a bit annoyed by the cook's questions.

"Why didn't you wake him up?"

"It's a bit late for that question now, Mrs Patmore, don't you think? Why did you tell him about Mr Vyner?!" Now Mrs Hughes was annoyed as much at herself as she was at her friend and that caused her to snap.

The cook remained speechless.

When Elsie noticed her saddened expression, she exhaled tiredly and continued. "I am sorry, I don't mean that, I know it was an accident."

"No, you are right" Mrs Patmore offered in an almost inaudible voice, she felt responsible.

After that, they all went quiet, the Masons were apathetically tucking into their sausages and Mrs Hughes kept stirring the milk in her coffee without actually drinking it.

The awkward silence was eventually interrupted by Mr Mason. "So, what do we do about today's plan?"

Elsie looked up at him with such distress in her eyes, as if he just told her the Titanic had sunk again. "I am not sure."

"Do you think we should cancel and maybe just go to the beach instead?" Mr Mason suggested.

Elsie shook her head. "No, don't cancel because of us. You two go ahead on the trip with Mr Bennet, and I'll stay here in case he comes back."

"Are you sure?" Mrs Patmore didn't want her friends to miss out on anything.

"I am sure, Mrs Patmore, I'll read a bit and relax on the terrace." Elsie didn't sound convincing when saying the word relax.

"Alright then." Mr Mason nodded towards Elsie and gave his wife an insistent look, he sensed the housekeeper would rather stay alone.

When Mr Bennet came to pick the group up, the Masons instantly got up and joined him, but Mrs Hughes had to make up an excuse, and explain her husband's absence. Somehow, she got away with it as Mr Bennet didn't ask any questions. She proceeded upstairs instead to fetch her book, leaving the food on her plate almost untouched. With the nerves and worry she was experiencing her stomach would not be able to digest it.

With her book and sun hat she bolted down the stairs, through the reception and out, and settled on a settee on the terrace under a parasol – making sure she doesn't get more sunburned.

Elsie opened her book, but she couldn't focus, she must have read one sentence about fifty times now, still missing the plot. Instead, her thoughts kept drifting to her husband. Where did he go and what was he doing? She wished there was a way to somehow reach him from afar, to send a message at least. She was still debating looking for him, but going anywhere not near the hotel would mean she might miss him – so she was driving herself mad by staying in one place instead.

Meanwhile, Albert and Beryl were walking through and admiring the natural beauties of Dorset. They also struggled with being in the moment, Mrs Patmore's guilt weighing her down every step of the way. In her mind she devoted almost every second to trying to find a way to help her friend and somehow resolve the unfortunate situation.

"Could you talk to him when he comes back? You know, man to man?" She thought she had the perfect strategy finally.

"And what on Earth would I say to him, Beryl." Mr Mason wasn't too convinced.

"I don't know, Albert, whatever men say to each other in these situations."

"Men don't say anything to each other in these situations, it's his private business." He was explaining calmly.

"You could try at least?" She pleaded. "He won't listen to her, he certainly won't listen to me, but I think he might hear you out!"

"If you say so…" Mr Mason furrowed his brows. "But what would I tell him?" He was clueless.

"Tell him he's acting like a child, and that she loves him, and would never dare betray him… Or something along those lines." She started and then noticed her husband's shocked expression. Her advice wasn't very helpful to him. "Well, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"I am not sure I will…" He mumbled, regretting he agreed to this.

"You never know, he might have gone back and made up with her by now."

"Let's hope so."

But the opposite was true. When they came back, Mrs Hughes was still sitting alone on the settee, with a book in her hand upside down, staring into nothing, looking quite tired and miserable, and Mr Carson nowhere to be seen. Mrs Patmore tried to persuade Elsie to eat her lunch and go for a walk with them, but she resisted to both, and kept waiting instead. They sat with her for a while, but got bored and went for their walk, agreeing to meet for dinner in the hotel later.