Chapter Twenty-Two
"Morning!" Said Hugh cheerily as he came in to the dining room.
"Do you have to shout so loud?" His wife mumbled quietly "I have the most splitting head." Hugh just chuckled and shared a gleeful look with Dickie.
"So, you're off this morning?" Hugh continued.
"Yes, I said we'd collect Tim at around ten" Dickie confirmed.
"Tim?" Margaret queried
"Yes, he's coming home to Yorkshire for the weekend." Dickie said quietly.
"What the?" Margaret looked at Isobel.
"He only told me last night" Isobel muttered "We have an understanding about how much I'll put up with." Margaret scoffed, then held her head. Isobel turned to Dickie "But I quite forgot to say last night that Barbara asked me to attend a coffee morning at St Thomas's and then I'm meeting Lady Marjorie and Celia at the Red Lion for lunch" she looked a little sheepish "Sorry, I got a little carried away yesterday"
"Don't worry, we'll wait" Dickie smiled at her. It wasn't often she caught up with old friends after all.
"No, I'll call Mrs Field and make sure everything is ready for you at home. You and Tim catch the ten-thirty as we planned so that you don't waste time hanging around waiting for me. You can start on that paperwork you mentioned once you get home." Isobel reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'll catch the train around two-ish and be home for dinner. How does that sound?"
"Only if you're sure?" Dickie queried "I don't like the idea of you travelling alone."
"Oh pish, I've travelled alone for years, and it's not as if travelling First is dangerous!" Isobel protested "No, you boys get a head start, and then you'll be settled in before I get home."
"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were avoiding spending too much time with Tim" Dickie quirked an eyebrow.
Isobel just took another sip of her tea.
-TW- -TW- -TW-
"Well, I really enjoyed that. Thank you for inviting me along" Isobel was pulling on her gloves as they started back across Westminster Bridge.
"It always amazes me how you never fail to know someone who knows someone, wherever we go" Barbara commented "It's like a form of black magic!"
"Both Father and Reginald were quite well connected. I just paid attention" Isobel smiled "It can really help to open doors and get people to take you seriously when you can drop the right names into a conversation"
"Yes! Like the Chairman of the Board at York Hospital!" Barbara laughed "I thought that pompous doctor was going to have kittens!" Isobel joined in her mirth.
"It also never hurts to bring them down a peg or two!" Isobel grinned.
"Do you think if things had been different for us you might have trained as a doctor?" Barbara asked.
"I did seriously consider it" Isobel confessed "It would have been hard, but I'm sure my father would have supported me if I'd tried. My mother would not have been happy, that's for sure. I enjoy the science of medicine, but the immediacy of nursing was what won me over in the end. The training was so much shorter and I could see the effects of my efforts so much sooner. What about you?"
"Oh no. Not my thing at all" Barbara shook her head emphatically "It was all about the patients for me. It's why I never went into administration like you did. I could fight for a person's wellbeing - vociferously, as you know! - but fight for beans and pennies? Not my forte."
"Funny isn't it, how we all have different ways of fighting the same fight. I look at those young women today and the options they have now that we didn't. So much has been achieved, but what else will be available to our grandchildren! It's exciting to watch" Isobel pushed open the door to the Red Lion and started to look for Celia and Lady Marjorie.
"This way" Barbara started to lead the way through the Public House "Marjorie always sits out in the back parlour." Sure enough, there they were in the furthest most corner.
"Anyone would think you were hiding back here!" Isobel quipped as they arrived at the table.
"Not quite, but it is advantageous to not be immediately seen" Lady Marjorie confirmed. "This is, however, the closest table to the kitchen, has a clear line of sight to the bar and is within easy reach of the bathrooms without being so close that everyone brushes past" She shared a knowing grin. "I spend many a lunchtime here, otherwise I'd hardly see Thomas when the House is in session."
"How was the coffee morning?" Celia asked.
"Very interesting. Youthful hope is always invigorating!" Isobel answered with a smile.
"This is Julia" Lady Marjorie introduced her daughter, who seemed to be eyeing Isobel suspiciously.
"Hello Julia" Isobel smiled "Have we met before?"
"Not met exactly" Julia replied "But I think you were in the Ritz a couple of days ago?"
"Aah, yes. I see" Isobel smiled at the girl who she now recognised as having walked out on Tim. "Tim Grey is my stepson." Julia just nodded.
Before they could discuss that particular topic any further, Celia introduced her own daughter "And this is Harriet".
"Hello Harriet" Isobel smiled at the other girl "It's a pleasure to meet you both".
"I've heard so much about you from Mama. She's always telling stories of the ladies she met in Paris" Harriet said shyly "I wish I had your courage"
Oh, I don't think it's courage necessarily" Barbara commented "We were just talking about how we all seem to have used our skills to achieve different things. If you know what your best skill is, you can use it to achieve the best results."
"Yes" agreed Isobel "And if you have confidence in your ability, it can give you confidence to challenge those who don't have the same knowledge. That's all."
Celia laughed "That's all! I've seen the pair of you go toe-to-toe with various people over the years in total disregard for their status or ability. Fearless, the pair of you!"
Isobel just looked at Barbara, who shrugged in response.
-TW- -TW- -TW-
Dickie looked at Tim sat beside him in the carriage. He looked like he hadn't slept at all and seemed listless. He had barely spoken since Dickie arrived at the flat, but had come along with him without any resistance. Dickie couldn't quite make him out.
"Did I say that Isobel has rung ahead? Everything should be arranged by the time we get to Downton." Dickie felt the need to try and have some conversation "She will be on the later train, but will be home in time for dinner."
"I don't blame her for avoiding me" Tim mumbled "I'd avoid me too, given the chance."
"It's not that at all!" Dickie protested "She had a coffee morning at St Thomas's Hospital this morning and lunch with some friends straight after. She just didn't want us hanging around waiting for her, that's all" Tim did not look convinced. Dickie decided to change the subject. "You seemed to arrange your leave easily enough?"
"Yes, I'd already debriefed the Boss about my trip to Rome, so he was happy for me to take a few days. It's been quite busy, but hopefully there will be a little bit of a lull now." Tim noted.
"How was Rome?" Dickie probed "I remember when you were little you went through a phase where you absolutely loved everything Roman. You insisted you wanted to be a Centurion and had legionnaires instead of toy soldiers. I remember you using a large roll map from the library to re-enact the advance of the Roman Empire, and running around the house with a red cape" He smiled at the memories. "Do you remember?"
Tim shook his head "It would explain why so much of it felt familiar though" he muttered half-heartedly. "Larry always said the Romans were stupid because they didn't wear armour. Said Knights were better because they rode horses and fought more bravely. Mother agreed." Tim looked out the window.
"Suits of armour are all very well, but a person is much less manoeuvrable." Dickie pondered. "The lightweight leather armour the Romans used was much more versatile and allowed full movement. Plus, the interlocked shields gave collective protection: Romans fought as a unit, not a one-man-band. On balance, I would have thought Roman warfare was better" Tim looked amazed at Dickie's response "Of course, neither would stand up to modern warfare" Dickie chuckled.
"No" Tim mused "Or betrayal from their inner circle."
"Did you find all the paperwork you have?" Dickie asked gently.
Tim nodded "I'm not sure I can face it though."
"Nonsense. The longer you don't know how bad it is, the worse you will feel. We'll start going through it all today." Dickie held up his hand "No arguments."
-TW- -TW- -TW-
After a delicious lunch of soup and sandwiches with much chatter, Isobel looked at her watch and announced she must be going as she had a train to catch.
"We'll come with you in the taxi" Lady Marjorie announced "I still need to discuss the next dinner with you."
With fond farewells, the threesome headed out to hail a cab. Isobel had no doubt what the subject of conversation would be.
"So you were at the Ritz when Julia walked out on Tim then?" Lady Marjorie asked without any further preamble.
"Yes. We had no idea they would be there. I hadn't seen Tim in over two years before the other night" Isobel explained. She turned to Julia "He doesn't like me, you see. He thinks I only married his Father for his money and status. Thinks I'm trying to take his Mother's place."
"There have been times when we've met at parties, or when he's invited me for dinner when he's been lovely. He can be chatty and considerate, and he's travelled. But… I don't know what it is" Julia sighed "There are other times when he's arrogant and dismissive and downright nasty. Never to me - so far - but it makes me worry. I just want the nice version of Tim, but…"
"What if you get the nasty version?" Isobel finished for her.
"Yes. That night he had already been drinking when he picked me up. He barely spoke to me all evening, and then was obsessed with your table once you arrived." Julia admitted. She carried on quietly "I really like him, despite my misgivings."
"I honestly don't know him that well." Isobel admitted "I've only met him a few times, and they have not been pleasant. Dickie insists that it's Larry's influence and the way their Mother brought them up, but I have yet to see any other side to them." Isobel glanced at Lady Marjorie "I know your Mother wants me to warn you off him (Lady Marjorie huffed) but in my experience that often has the opposite effect."
"I won't be told what to do" Julia's chin came up in defiance, in an echo of her Mother that Isobel was sure Lady Marjorie would not recognise.
"Quite." Isobel smiled "But as it turns out, Tim is staying with us this weekend"
"What?! How come?" Lady Marjorie was taken aback.
"While we were at Luncheon yesterday, Dickie went to see how Tim was. Larry's disappearance seems to have hit him hard, so Dickie took pity on him and invited him to Yorkshire for the weekend" Isobel explained "I will admit I wasn't best pleased, but he is still Dickie's son and I know that if they could develop some kind of relationship Dickie would be so pleased. So we shall see."
"With all I know about the current situation, I do not envy you the next few days at all!" Lady Marjorie commiserated.
"No, well. We do these things for the people we love, don't we." Isobel smiled sadly, then turned to Julia. "May I write, if I find out anything I think you should know?"
Julia considered for a moment "Yes, please. I don't know why but being with him just seems to feel right. But I'm not stupid enough to get into something that is just going to make my life horrible."
"I must go, or I'll miss my train." Isobel declared "It was so lovely seeing you both. I'll be in touch."