Chapter Twelve
Brrrring, Brrrring, Brrrring…. The persistent ringing disturbed a very nice dream Isobel was having of a picnic in a sunny meadow with Dickie, Matthew, the children and, for some reason, a lifesize living pink teddy bear…
"Dickie, turn that alarm off will you" She mumbled in a sleepy haze as she rolled over. He was fast asleep and totally oblivious. Isobel sighed, becoming more awake by the moment.
Brrrring, Brrrring, Brrrring…. It slowly dawned on Isobel that it was a telephone ringing. With a groan, Isobel rolled out of bed and stumbled towards their sitting room to answer it. Who would ring at this unGodly hour anyway?
"Hello" She whispered.
"Good morning m'lady. There's a Mrs Smith here at the desk to see you urgently." Said the chirpy chap at the front desk. "Are you happy for me to send her up?"
"At this time of the morning?" Isobel asked.
"It's gone 10 o'clock m'lady. I'm sorry, I assumed you'd be up." The chap was apologetic, and pulled a face at Mrs Smith in front of him.
"Never mind, I'm awake now. I wasn't expecting anyone this morning though. Has this Mrs Smith said what it might be about?" Isobel replied, now well and truly awake.
"No m'lady, just that it's urgent." There was a pause and a muffled conversation "She's saying the matter is confidential."
"Very well, send her up. And can you please ask room service to provide tea for three and cake? Thank you" Isobel sighed, and then rushed through to the bedroom to quickly dress. She was still doing her hair when there was a quiet knock at the door.
"Mrs Smith, do come in. And thank goodness there's tea as well." Isobel smiled. "Please, take a seat and let me know what this is about."
The lady across from her took off her headscarf and a pair of dark glasses. Isobel thought she looked vaguely familiar, but couldn't place her. She waited for the lady to begin.
"I don't know quite where to start m'lady" the stranger said "Perhaps with introducing myself. My name's not Smith, but I didn't want anyone to know I'm here. My name is Mrs Rawlins and I'm the housekeeper at Merton House. His lordship was there yesterday and I heard him say he was staying here. I was hoping to talk to one of you, but I'm glad it's you."
"I see." Isobel was intrigued "And what can I do to help Mrs Rawlins?"
"First off, I was wondering how Emma is please m'lady?" Mrs Rawlins asked quietly.
"She's settled in well, thank you. She's a lovely girl and all the children have taken to her. Nanny has taken her under her wing and has only good things to say. I think she still finds the country a little strange, but from what I understand it's a big change for her." Isobel noticed Mrs Rawlins relax "Was there a particular reason for asking?"
"That day was so strange." Mrs Rawlins shook her head "There'd been a tension in the house for a couple of days, then that morning Mrs Grey came to see me very early. She asked me to find the luggage and come with her to pack a few things for the young master. She seemed to have thought everything through carefully, because she packed very specific things for him. Then she had a bundle of papers already sorted out that she snuck into one of the suitcases when she thought I wasn't looking." Mrs Rawlins looked up at Isobel. "I guessed what was going on. I ran away from home to enter service, and I've never looked back. When I was little, we did the same kind of things: early start, packing quickly, sneak out the back door before anyone could notice. 'Doin' a flit' my Nan used to call it. The first time I remember it happening it was an adventure, but as I grew up and recognised it for what it was, I used to get scared. That morning, packing with Mrs Grey, I had that same coiled fear in my belly."
Mrs Rawlins paused and took a comforting sip of her tea. Isobel silently offered her a biscuit, but Mrs Rawlins shook her head.
"I knew the household wages were due, but she hadn't given me the cash to pay them yet. I figured then that the party was over, and boy did they have some parties!" Mrs Rawlins chuckled briefly, then her face straightened "I said to Mrs Grey then 'What shall I pack for you?' and she said 'I'm sending John somewhere he'll be safe. Somewhere I know he'll be brought up without always running away from something'. I remember thinking that maybe she'd had the same childhood as me, but that can't have been it, can it?"
"I don't know Mrs Rawlins." Isobel replied. "I don't know Amelia very well and, as I didn't go to their wedding, I've never met any of her family. Dickie might know more as she lived at Cavenham while she and Larry were engaged."
"Ah, doesn't matter now anyway." Mrs Rawlins flapped her hand "They're gone, and if I'm right, I don't reckon they'll be back any time soon. They left that lunchtime with a few cases telling Bolton they were going to the country for a few days, and the fool believed them." She clicked her tongue "He idolised the Master he did, couldn't say a word against him. When I went up after lunch to check around the fire in the study was a right mess. Burned papers all over the place. Clearing out, good and proper they were. Plain as the nose on your face. Even with the police turning up, Bolton still thinks they're coming back."
"I've never really understood why Amelia sent John to us." Isobel mused "She did everything she could to keep us apart at one time, and made it quite clear she didn't like me at all. Do you know why?"
"She changed after she had John, became a bit more human. I've heard others say that motherhood can make a big difference to a girl, but I don't have any experience of it so I can't say. She seemed more wary of things, seemed to look at some of the younger staff differently. Like the Boots. We had two young lads of about 12 the Master used to use for running messages and the like as well as household jobs. I think she suddenly realised they were children rather than just staff, you know?" Mrs Rawlins looked out the window, thinking back "She doted on him, fed him herself for 5 or 6 weeks before the Master made her stop. Said it was unseemly and unfitting. She tried to go back to how she was before, but you could tell her heart wasn't in it the same way. Nanny and I had a chat about it, and made sure John was always in her chambers when she was changing, or when she got back from a trip or whatever. She liked that." Mrs Rawlins smiled. "That day, she asked me who she could send North with John that wouldn't be missed. Emma is my niece, my younger sister's child. I got her a job to help the family out of a spot. I thought, if Emma's away with master John she'll be safe from whatever's coming. Bless her, she's a good girl. Did what I asked without a question." Mrs Rawlins started to get a little upset.
"She is safe Mrs Rawlins" Isobel assured her "And happy, enjoying her job. I'm sure if you wanted to come up and see her, you could."
Mrs Rawlins nodded "I suppose I could. Maybe I'll treat myself while I'm between jobs."
Isobel stood and went to her handbag on the sideboard. "This is our address in Downton" she passed a card to Mrs Rawlins. "We have spare staff bedrooms on the top floor if you want to come and visit Emma. I can let you know if I hear of any work as well, if you like. I'm afraid we can't employ you, we don't keep a very large staff at Crawley House".
"That's very kind of you m'lady" Mrs Rawlins was truly touched "I didn't come to beg a job from you, just to see that Emma was safe and settled. She'd never been north of London before that day you see. She's a good girl. I do miss her" Mrs Rawlins dabbed her eyes "Anyway, I've taken up too much of your time as it is. It's been lovely meeting you, and I hope there's not too much to sort out."
"Thank you, it was lovely to meet you to" Isobel smiled " And I meant what I said about the room if you visit Emma. Maybe you could do us a favour though? If you hear anything about where they might have gone, could you let me know? I think John deserves to know one day."
"Of course m'lady" Mrs Rawlins smiled before putting the headscarf and glasses back on. "And thank you for looking after my Emma." The ladies shook hands and Mrs Rawlins left.
Isobel stood with her back to the door for a moment, thinking. Surely Amelia couldn't have changed that much? Maybe there was an untold story there?
"Who was that?" asked Dickie as he emerged, dressed for the day and looking freshly polished.
Isobel smiled "Mrs Rawlins from Merton House. Turns out Emma is her niece and she wanted to know how she is."
"Aaah, I thought there was something familiar about Emma" Dickie smiled. "I'm for a meeting with Mr Rattisbon, so I need to dash. How about lunch at Simpson's before we catch the train?"
"Sounds good" Isobel kissed him on the cheek "I'll have a bath while you're out, do the packing and be ready to be whisked away on your return."
-TW- -TW- -TW-
"I enjoy London while I'm there, but it is always a relief to get home" Dickie commented as the train neared Downton. "I'm especially looking forward to catching up with John. Do you think he will have changed much?"
Isobel laughed "I know they change quickly at that age, but you have only been away two days!" She squeezed his hand.
"I suppose. I didn't really pay much attention when the boys were growing up." He looked over to Isobel "Do you find your grandchildren very different to raising Matthew?"
"It is different. With Matthew, I had nothing to compare it to, he was all mine. I don't know what it would have been like with a second child, but from the moment I held him I was filled with so much love for him. Our bond was always strong, and I just loved looking after him. I did have some help, but I certainly didn't have nannies and nursemaids. I'd read books, of course, but they didn't prepare me in any real way. Every day seemed like an adventure…. and exhausting, never ending, tedious. They seem to grow up so quickly, but at times it feels never-ending too" Isobel laughed "It's the best thing I ever did."
She smiled at Dickie "With the grandchildren, I'm more removed. I'm not the parent, so the responsibilities are different, but I love them just the same. I feel I can observe more about how they are and how they're changing, maybe because I'm not so wrapped up in making sure I've remembered to feed them or change them" They both laughed "I get to have all the good bits, without so many of the bad bits." She took his hand "And I get to share it with you"
"I feel like I'm experiencing it for the first time." Dickie said quietly. "Sometimes I look at John and can't believe I can love such a little thing so much."
"I was thinking, it might be nicer when he's older to have him live at Crawley House with us, like a family, rather than living in the nursery at the Abbey." Isobel mooted "He could still be with the children during the day for play and lessons, but he could share the evenings with us. It's how things were with Matthew, it's how I grew up."
Just then the train drew to a halt and the compartment door was opened. Dickie climbed down and turned to help Isobel alight. The conversation had been interrupted, but his mind was full of what the future might hold.