A/N: Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited and commented on this story
—
Edith, Emma and Tom walk together across the grounds at Downton. It's been all systems go here at Downton. The London Season has come around and it's been deemed time for Rose to come out to society as many upper class young girls do.
The months have moved rapidly since the bazaar. Edith had finally returned after eight months in Switzerland with Rosamund last month though to Emma she looks sadder and more tired than she was before she'd left. The children have been growing. Both George and Michael have turned one and Ivy's third birthday is coming up soon.
Emma has settled at the Hospital as head nurse. It's incredibly stressful but rewarding after her leave.
"I might go with them. I must look into Michael's office, now I'm back." Edith comments as they walk along. "You and Billy should come with Emma and I tomorrow."
"No. I have things to do." Tom dismisses.
Emma huffs, linking her arm with his. "So unfair that you don't have to go yet."
"You promised mama that you'd be there to help in the preparation of Rose's presentation." Edith reminds her. "Don't worry, Tom and Billy won't be able to get out of the ball."
Tom huffs a resigned breath. "Why wasn't Grantham House sold when Downton was in trouble?" He questions.
"It would have been, eventually, but not for nearly enough to save them." Emma says.
"So, thank God for Matthew." Tom remarks.
"Dear Matthew. I do miss him." Edith murmurs.
—
A car stands ready at the front door. Mr Stark, the chauffeur, is at the wheel. Tom and Billy are saying farewell to Edith and Emma, while on the other side of the car, Mrs Hughes and Daisy are getting in. Mrs Bute, the Crawley's London housekeeper has been taken ill and she won't be back again for weeks so they want Mrs Hughes in London to take over, and for Daisy to come with her. Ivy is staying longer to cook for Tom and Billy until they too arrive in London.
Edith gets into the back seat. Emma gives her husband a peck and Billy a hug before following in after.
"Well, good luck, then. We'll see you in London. Goodbye." Tom says and Billy echoes him.
Edith nods, looking rather uncertain while Emma rolls her eyes fondly at the situation. The car moves away. Emma glances back to see Tom, Billy and Thomas standing alone in front of the house. Oh dear, Emma hopes everything will turn out fine despite the three of them being stuck together.
—
The car containing Edith, Emma, Mrs Hughes and Daisy pulls up behind two others that are already parked in front of the Grantham House.
"Is that your Grandmother?" Emma comments to Edith as she spots said woman on the pavement talking to Mr Carson. A man, who Emma can only assume is her son Harold, stands next to her, wearing a coat with a fur collar and smoking a cigarette.
"So, it is." Edith replies.
Jimmy has arrived to hold the car door open for Edith and Emma. The two get out and walk towards the newcomers. Edith with a smile while Emma is more cautious. She knows Martha, who'd been nice to her when she'd come over for Mary and Matthew's wedding but she hardly knows anything about Harold Levinson.
"Grandmama, you're here already. Mama said you were coming later." Edith greets.
"Obviously she thought so, as did everyone else." They embrace. "Carson tells me there's no one in the house to receive me." Mr Carson's facial expression confirms how mortifying he finds this. The American grandmother turns to Emma with a smile. "Hello Emma dear. You've gone down in size since the last time I saw you."
Emma laughs. Ah yes, she was pregnant with Ivy the last time they'd met. "I suppose I have." Emma sees Edith pull a face that looks like she's almost falling apart at the topic. Emma doesn't know what it is but releases its best to move on. "How was your journey? Much longer than ours I imagine."
"Don't remind me." Martha huffs. "And it would've been easier if my maid hadn't turned in her notice just as we were leaving."
"Why?" Edith questions.
"Who knows why these people do what they do." Martha dismisses.
Edith turns to the butler. "Carson, can we help?"
"Shall we let Mrs Hughes get inside, m'lady, and then she can make a plan?" Mr Carson replies. He offers his arm to Martha. Mrs Hughes and Daisy walk up to greet the newcomers, too.
"Mrs Hughes, I didn't know you were running this house, too." Martha greets the housekeeper.
"Not as a rule, madam, but Mrs Bute is ill, so I'm to take charge until she's better." Mrs Hughes politely replies.
"Well, I'm glad of that." Martha remarks as she retakes Mr Carson's arm and starts walking towards the entrance. "At least one person under this roof knows what on earth is going on."
Mrs Hughes ushers Daisy away towards where the stairs are for the servants' entrance. Edith pulls Emma over to who they can only presume is Harold Levinson, who was about to turn away to oversee the unloading of their own luggage from the first car in the line, where Mr Molesley and a man in coat and bowler hat are already busy.
"You're Uncle Harold, aren't you?" Edith greets.
Harold turns back to them, takes off his hat and removes his cigarette from his lips and makes a noise of acknowledgement. Emma makes a face at the smoking.
"It seems mad that we've never met before."
Harold shrugs. "Well, I haven't felt the need to leave America. And to be honest, I don't feel the need to leave it now."
Edith continues, undeterred, "Grandmama thought it might be fun for you to see a bit of the Season."
"You may not know me, but I suspect you've heard enough to grasp that watching debutantes in a ballroom is not my kind of fun." Harold replies.
"Well, you're here now so you're going to have to deal with it." Emma snips. She doesn't know why. Maybe it's because here's a privileged individual complaining about the trivial.
"Emma!" Edith admonishes.
"What?" Emma shrugs before sighing. "I want to go back to the days when I was a maid and didn't have to attend the actual events."
Harold looks at her in surprise. "You were a maid?"
"Yes. Your mother didn't tell you?"
Harold shakes his head. "No, only that you're married to the estate's agent."
"Well, I am that now."
"Hmm…"
They start moving towards the entrance.
"Well, the two of you might not find it fun but every now and then it's nice to try something new, isn't it?" Edith tries to cheerfully remark. Emma sounds her a doubtful look.
"Well, maybe it is, and maybe it ain't." Harold replies to his niece. He walks inside ahead of them. Emma is left feeling rather puzzled by what to think of him.
—
Robert soon appears to greet Edith and Emma as well as his mother and brother-in-laws. They are having tea, attended by Jimmy. Edith and Harold sit on a settee together with Emma on her own one and Martha and Robert in their own chairs. To be honest Emma actually quite likes the American in-laws so far. Harold is a bit awkward but alright really. She can't wait for Violet to turn up, that'll be entertaining.
The door bursts open to admit Cora. "Mother!" She hurries over to Martha's chair. Robert rises instantly. Harold takes much longer. "I'm so sorry. I thought you said you'd be here after five."
"Well, we just got away early. I didn't think I had to make an appointment." Martha remarks sarcastically.
"I had a last," they embrace, "fitting, and..." She turns and faces her brother. "Hello, Harold."
"Hello." Harold says a little awkwardly.
"How are you?"
"A long way from home is how I am." He opens his arms, and they hug. Emma watches amusedly as Robert looks on with a long-suffering look on his face. Cora sits down next to Emma.
"Harold and I will be spending some time seeing Europe - Madrid, Rome, Paris..." Martha explains before turning and saying pointedly to her son, "And we will enjoy ourselves."
"I hope so, but somehow I doubt it." Harold retorts.
"And this is because you want to put a little space between you and the Teapot Dome business?" Cora asks.
"Oh, let's not bring that up again." Robert hurriedly injects.
"It should've have worked." Harold laments. "I'm not much in a Drawing room, but I am good at business—"
Martha quickly interrupts him, "Harold, Harold, we, no, we came three and a half thousand miles so we could change the subject."
Harold dutifully shuts up.
—
That evening the 'at home' is in full swing at the Grantham House. Essentially the event is for people to listen to music, and chat before having a light supper.
The Drawing room is full of chattering people. Robert and Cora, holding glasses, stand near the door to greet new arrivals. The whole event seems easier than the previous ones. Maybe Emma is finding it easier at these gatherings now? Or maybe this one is easier as she's not the star attraction, not with the Americans visiting and the new girls of society.
Among the guests, Emma stands with Harold and Martha, partly to hide from the vultures but also because she enjoys their company, well the mother's anyway. Rose walks up to them with Lord Aysgarth and his daughter, Rose's friend Madeleine Allsopp.
"This is Emma Branson and do you know Lady Grantham's mother, Mrs Levinson, and her son?" Rose introduces the Aysgarths to them. "This is Lord Aysgarth."
Lord Aysgarth does a sketching bow. "A pleasure."
Emma keeps a smile on her face but internally she's pulling a face at the man. She can already tell he's one of those snobbish high society people who clearly see Emma, Martha and Harold as below them.
"Quite a crowd." Martha remarks.
"Yes, but plenty of old friends. Excuse me." Lord Aysgarth brushes rudely straight past them to greet another old man further off. Emma scoffs as she looks after him along with the Levinsons and the two girls.
"That's Lord Harrowby. They haven't seen each other for ages." Madeleine Allsopp says apologetically.
"He clearly thinks that Lord Harrowby is more alluring than we are." Martha comments.
Emma opens her mouth to make to reassure Madeline when she gets cut off by Mr Carson announcing, at the door, "The Lady Rosamund Painswick and Mr Terence Sampson."
Rosamund comes walking in, smiling brightly, followed by Sampson, the card sharp. Emma is pleased to see Robert's sister but less than pleased to see Sampson. Not only because of the poker incident but also because his arrival reminds her of how he was at Downton when Green attacked Anna.
—
Emma meanders into the Hall by the staircase when she overhears an American accent speaking. She looks over to see a young man dressed in a footman's livery, offering snacks or savouries on a platter by addressing passing guests. The guests look at him in bewilderment as they pass by.
Emma winces at the sight as Mr Carson walks up behind him. "Have you lost your mind?" She hears him hiss from her spot.
The man looks at him bewildered. "Why? What have I done?"
Emma comes up to them, knowing this man probably needs someone to explain it nicer than the butler will. "The footmen are not meant to talk back you see. Our guests are not used to this." She explains.
"What am I meant to do?" The man questions.
Emma shrugs. "Mostly walk around with trays of drink and food I suppose. Sorry, what's your name?"
The man gives her a small smile, casting uneasy side glances at the still glowering butler. "Ethan Slade, valet to Mr Levinson."
Emma smiles kindly at him. "Nice to meet you, I'm Mrs Branson."
Mr Slade nods politely before scuttling off away from Mr Carson's continues to glare.
Emma gives the butler an amused smile. "Now, now Mr Carson, no need to be harsh. We need to show our American guests how nice we all are."
"Yes, Mrs Branson."
—
The buffet arrives and then it'll be dinner, supper and no doubt a big breakfast tomorrow. Emma doesn't know how she hasn't gone up in multiple dress sizes since living upstairs at Downton. She might be in a food coma at the end of all this.
As people trickle in to have some supper, Rose pulls Emma over to a corner of the room, to introduce her to Freda Dudley Ward. Sampson hovers nearby. Emma's eyes widen when she learns who the woman standing in front of her is. She's one of the most well known married mistresses of the Prince of Wales flute King Edward VIII who abdicates after less than a year on the throne.
Emma doesn't want to make the woman feel uncomfortable and quickly recovers. "So, what's this I hear about all of you meeting at a club?"
"Oh yes, it was a lot of fun. It was called the Embassy. I was hoping to go again tonight." Rose explains.
Emma ponders for a moment before remarking, "Sounds interesting."
Rose grins at her. "You can join us."
"I don't see why not." Freda says kindly.
"Why not what?" Suddenly Mr Sampson appears next to them. Emma jumps slightly but upon releasing who it is, Emma begins to frown.
Rose is startled by his sudden presence but quickly recovers. "Some of us are going on to the Embassy later."
"Oh, what fun." Sampson says eagerly.
Rose is surprised. "Oh. Well, you can come, if you'd like." She says unenthusiastically.
"I will."
—
A band is playing jazz music as Emma enters The Embassy Club along with Rose, Madeleine Allsopp and Freda Dudley Ward enter the busy main room. They whisper and giggle. From a nearby table, Lord Aysgarth rises. He's there with Harold Levinson and Mr Sampson.
"What's so funny?" Lord Aysgarth asks rather impatiently. Emma lets out another giggle as she stumbles to the table, thinking how much of a bore he is. She might have had a bit too much champagne but oh well.
"Freda was showing us a letter." Rose explains with a laugh as the other men rise.
The four ladies sit down with the men. Freda can be seen putting her beaded handbag onto the table.
"What's so special about a letter?" Harold asks as he guides Rose and Emma into their chairs.
"Because of who wrote it." Rose replies carelessly.
"Rose! You must be tiddly." Madeleine admonishes with a grin.
Rose replies in a more sober tone, embarrassed, "Oh, I think I am a bit."
Freda looks on amusedly at the other women. "It's my fault. I never should have mentioned it."
Emma laughs. "Oh, don't be spoil sport!"
"Someone's had too much champagne." Madeleine remarks with a grin. Emma waves her off sluggishly causing the others to laugh.
"Isn't anyone going to dance?" Rose wonders.
Lord Aysgarth immediately turns on Harold. "Mr Levinson, Madeleine's dying to dance. Will you rescue her?"
Oh dear, Emma immediately knows what Madeline's own father is up to.
Harold looks uncomfortable. "Oh, I watch dancing, I don't do it." He tries to argue.
"I don't believe that. Off you go!" His daughter and Harold reluctantly stand. "And what about you, Freda?"
"Very well. If you promise not to step on my toes." Freda accepts.
The four of them step onto the dance floor, leaving Rose and Emma alone at the table with Sampson.
Sampson turns and addresses Rose. "Would you care to dance?"
Rose then conveniently spots an acquaintance and jumps up from the table, dragging Emma up with her. "Oh, there's Nell Foster! How topping. Can you look after our bags?"
And with that, Rose pulls Emma away. Emma glances back to see a rather disappointed Sampson sitting back down at the table. Emma shrugs to herself and carries on, not carrying about what happens to the man.
—
It's finally the day that Rose will be presented at Buckingham Palace. She goes off to the presentation in the company of Cora and Robert. They'll later be joined by Martha, Harold and Violet, who arrives in London today along with Isobel, for dinner at the palace.
Emma is sitting in the Library with Mary when Mrs Hughes suddenly appears with a return train ticket in her hands that had been founded in Mr Bates' old coat. Emma becomes alarmed when she sees that it says 'York – London Kings X / London Kings X – York', and it's neither torn nor marked. That could only mean—
Mary stands holding it with Emma and Mrs Hughes standing next to her.
"So, Bates was in London that day." Mary's tone doesn't imply any questions.
"You say it as if you already knew?" Mrs Hughes says. Emma and Mary don't reply. "Does Anna suspect anything?"
"Absolutely not. She knows nothing." Mary denies.
"We don't know for sure. She did seem rather suspicious," Emma argues, "but do we confirm those thoughts?"
"I gather neither of us want to." Mary remarks.
"No. No, that's why I'm handing this to you." Mrs Hughes replies.
"Meaning leave it alone?" Mary questions.
"We can't know what happened on that street. Maybe he was in London for an innocent reason and nowhere near Piccadilly. But this I will say. If he was there to avenge his wife's honour, I won't condemn him for it. I'm sorry, but I won't." Mrs Hughes declares before leaving.
—
The night before, Rose had come to Emma in a panic. Turns out she'd spoken to Freda who'd been at the presentation. The woman herself had been in a panic as the letter they'd been laughing at the other night wasn't in her bag despite her putting it back. Rose came to Emma, questioning if she knew anything and if she had any idea who might have taken it. No one had come asking for money so they had no leads there, but then Emma recalled that they had left Mr Sampson at the table at the club with all the bags, including Freda Dudley Ward's.
Emma tells Rose this and argues that they can't do this on their own and will need Robert's help. They decided to approach him the next day.
Rose and Emma stand at the door of the Drawing room, take a deep breath and then approach Robert, who is in an armchair, hidden behind a newspaper.
"Robert?" Emma calls.
"Mmh?" Robert replies from behind his newspaper.
"We've got such a funny question. It seems an awful thing to say, but do you think your friend Mr Sampson might be capable of something dishonourable?" Rose hesitantly asks.
"He's not my friend." He lowers his newspaper to give them a sceptical look. "Why do you ask?"
At Emma's encouraging nod, Rose speaks, "Well... It was when we were at the Palace, at the supper." They sit down next to him.
"Go on."
"Do you remember Mrs Dudley Ward? Did you notice how upset she was?"
Robert, having heard the story of Freda Dudley Ward's letter, slaps his paper onto the side table in frustration. "I'll be sorry if he means to revive the ways of his grandpapa, winking at every beauty in an opera box."
"It must be a lonely job." Rose remarks.
"All the public want is a happy marriage at the Palace. Is it so much to ask?" Robert laments. Emma holds in a laugh. "And anyway, why did Mrs Dudley Ward have a letter from the Prince in her handbag?"
Emma scoffs. "What do you think? Surely, Robert, you're aware of the two. It's not exactly a secret."
"Well, it won't be much of secret at all when it appears in the American newspapers." Robert retorts.
"Do you think that's why he took it?" Rose asks, alarmed.
Robert replies as he rises from his chair, "Sampson took it to make money. The question is whether he means to blackmail Mrs Dudley Ward with it, or sell it on to the foreign press."
"No wonder she was in such a state. We can't tell you what it said." Emma says as she stands as well.
"Don't! I'm a monarchist, and that's why I would like the letter retrieved, and why I do not wish to know its contents." Robert tells them.
"I feel so guilty!" Rose says despondently. "If I hadn't joked about it, he would never have suspected it was in her handbag."
"Good God. Then we have to do something, at once. If we're lucky, the letter will be at Sampson's flat. We must get him away from there, and while he's distracted someone must go in and—"
Rose cuts off Robert, standing. "Steal it?"
"You can't steal something that's already been stolen." Robert corrects.
"But how would we get in? We can't very well pick the lock." Emma reminds him.
Robert thinks for a moment, then makes a decision. He opens the door and looks out into the Hall. "James, could you please ask Bates to come to the Drawing room?"
—
Mr Bates has reported to the Drawing room and stands in front of Robert, Emma and Rose. Emma feels unnerved being near the valet after what Mrs Hughes had found.
"Bates, during your time... away, did you ever meet a man who could copy someone's writing?" Robert uncomfortably questions.
Emma rolls her eyes. "He's asking if you know a forger." She says bluntly.
"Emma." Robert hisses, somewhat embarrassed.
Emma shrugs. "What? We are."
"What would he be required to do?" Mr Bates asks.
"We have to gain entry to someone's flat, so the porter needs to be told to unlock the door. The order will come in the form of a signed note." Robert explains. God does that make all sound dodgy.
"I see." Mr Bates replies. "I assume we have a sample of this person's writing."
"Do we?" Rose asks.
"He sent a bread-and-butter letter after our party the other night." Robert replies.
"Then I can definitely get it done." Mr Bates assures.
"How long will it take?" Emma asks.
"If I can have the letter straightaway, I believe I can supply the note by the end of the afternoon."
"So, the man is here in London?"
"He is, m'lord."
Emma raises an eyebrow at that. How convenient.
"What a stroke of luck." Robert remarks. "I know this sounds rather dodgy, Bates, but I promise there is nothing underhand in what we're trying to achieve - quite the reverse."
"Your word is enough for me, m'lord."
—
Robert, Emma, Cora, Mary and Rose are having tea and a council of war. Mary pours herself some tea while the others are sitting down.
"Of course I understand why the letter must be recovered. I don't see why it has to involve me." Mary remarks after they have explained the situation and the plan.
"We need your help in getting more people to play the card game so that me and Rose can get the letter." Emma tells her.
Mary walks over to her own chair but doesn't sit down.
"At least one of them must be genuine, or it will smell fishy." Robert adds.
"Tony Gillingham would come," Cora suggests, "but I suppose we'd have to tell him."
"I know who'd play and bring Sampson with him, and we wouldn't have to say a word. Lord Aysgarth." Rose suggests.
"Grandmama can sit on his lap." Mary comments with a grin. Emma lets out a stifled chuckle.
"I don't want her here. She'll make some crack and give the game away. She won't be able to stop herself." Robert argues.
"What can we do with her?" Emma questions as Cora stands and walks to the table that has the tray of tea.
Robert thinks for a moment. "Send a note to Rosamund. Ask her to take Martha to a play. And Mama, and Isobel. And tell her to give them supper afterwards." He consults his watch. "They'll have to change almost as soon as they're back from their picnic, so we won't be stuck with them long."
"I hate to lie." Cora complains as she walks back to her seat with a cup of tea.
Mary shrugs. "I'll do it. I don't mind lying."
"In the meantime, we ought to give the men dinner. It will make it more normal." Robert conspires.
"But won't Sampson be suspicious? He must be aware you don't like him." Emma points out, worried.
"I'll tell Aysgarth that Harold will play." Robert says. "The chance of fleecing your uncle will be too tempting for Sampson to resist."
"Suppose Uncle Harold would rather go to the theatre with the others?" Mary points out.
"He'll come if you ask Lord Aysgarth to bring his daughter." Rose argues.
"I don't like the idea of you and Emma setting off to burgle his flat all alone. I can't allow it." Cora laments.
"We could ask Evelyn Napier." Robert suggests.
"He's in France." Mary informs him.
"Mr Blake, then. He can do it." Emma suggests.
"But Emma and I have to go with him because we know what the letter looks like." Rose reminds them.
"Suppose one of the porters calls the police?" Mary points out.
Robert rises from his chair, angrily. "Do you want the heir to the throne to be lampooned across the world with a story that will never sleep, even when he's safely crowned and married to a foreign princess?"
Emma presses her lips together to stop herself from laughing. Better to let Robert live in ignorance.
"No, but I can't help feeling he's brought it down on his own head." Mary huffs.
Robert continues, getting louder and louder. "Well, even if that's true, we introduced Sampson to Mrs Dudley Ward, and Rose as good as gave him the letter. The fact is, this family is responsible for the whole ghastly debacle."
He walks out and slams the door behind him. Cora and Rose look very startled.
—
Mary, Emma and Rose have come to check with Mrs Patmore that the impromptu dinner party will work out in the Kitchen.
"Can you really manage?" Mary asks.
"Oh, yes. You were going to be ten anyway, now everyone's here, so fourteen makes no difference. I only hope Mrs Hughes can sort out the sleeping arrangements." Mrs Patmore replies in a tone of unconcern though Emma knows that as soon as they leave, she'll go into a tizzy.
Rose replies with her mouth full, as she's been helping herself to food from the Kitchen table, "Mm. We're packed in like sardines, but I suppose it's not for long."
"Ooh! If the family's sardines, m'lady, the staff are like maggots." Mrs Patmore chuckles.
Emma laughs at that. Mary smiles, but only just.
"Erm, where's Mr Bates?" Emma asks.
"Erm, he were in the Servants' Hall earlier on." Mrs Patmore replies.
"Thank you, Mrs Patmore." Mary says.
"M'lady."
Emma, Rose and Mary come walking into the Hall and Mr Bates stands ready for them.
"His Lordship asked if there's any news on the note for tonight." Rose tells him hurriedly. Emma and Mary linger in the background, looking at Mr Bates cautiously.
"It's here, m'lady." He hands it over, together with the letter of the original handwriting.
Rose takes the papers and looks over them. "But that's extraordinary. How did you get him to do it so quickly?"
"He had nothing else on."
Mmm…
"It's all quite proper, whatever it may seem." Mary reassures.
"As His Lordship assured me. Good luck with the recovery plan, when you get to Mr Sampson's flat." Mr Bates says.
"We'll let you know. Well, I'd better tell His Lordship we're all set." Emma says, scurrying out of the room along with Rose.
—
They are all assembled in the Drawing room for tea. Violet and Isobel are back from their picnic, Edith is back from Rosamund's, and Tom and Billy have arrived from Downton with Isis, who is at Robert's feet. Mary, Emma, Rose and Cora are there, too.
"What? A card game? Here? And what are the ladies supposed to do? Put feathers in their hair and light the gentlemen's cigars?" Violet laments after being told of the plans for the evening. Well, some of them.
"You know, Rosamund wants to take you to the theatre." Cora tries to casually remark.
"Oh, I don't think so. I'm too tired for an evening of second-hand emotion." Violet attests.
"Oh, me too. One outing's enough. I'd rather stay in and play cards." Isobel agrees. Emma glances at Rose, trying not to be obvious in her worry. Rose shifts uncomfortably.
"Oh, poker's not your game." Robert dismisses before quickly turning to Billy and Tom. "I hope you don't mind playing on your first night here."
"Not at all," Tom reassures and Billy echoes this. Tom leans toward Emma. "What's going on?" He whispers.
Emma sighs and whispers back, "I got dragged into this but I'll tell you later."
"If you don't want to go out, we'll sit and talk and leave the men to it." Cora says with false cheer.
Violet looks at her daughter-in-law doubtfully. "So it doesn't strike you as odd?"
"No, not really. Well, not very." Cora stumbles.
"And Mary's men, why are they coming?"
"Don't call them 'Mary's men'." Mary retorts irritably.
"They're coming for cards, Mama, except for Charles Blake. He doesn't play. That is, he won't play tonight." Now the struggle to lie has caught Robert as well as his wife.
"Well, we could play a different game." Isobel cheerfully suggests.
"Oh, no, he has to go out. He's taking Mary, Emma and me to see a show." Rose says. Mary is now having to go with Emma and Rose to the retrieval of the letter as they'd all realised it would make more sense for Mr Blake to go out with Emma and Rose if Mary is there too.
"Well, not a very long show." Mary adds. Emma winces at that.
"I wish you'd say what's going on." Edith says.
Instead of a response, Robert pats his dog. "Well, now, Isis, old girl. Are you happy to find yourself in London?"
"No, she's happy to see you. We were poor substitutes." Billy reassures.
Mr Molesley opens the door for Martha and Harold Levinson. Billy, Robert and Tom rise.
"Whoa! Well, the gang's all here, I see." Martha announces to the whole room.
"Is that American for hello?" Violet sarcastically remarks.
Martha gives Violet a belligerent look, then turns to make the introductions. "Harold, I don't believe you've met Billy, Sybil's husband. And that's Tom Branson, Emma's husband."
"It seems strange we never met when she was here to introduce us." Billy says to Harold
"Well, I'm glad to know you now." Harold says sincerely. They shake hands cordially.
"How curious these phrases are!" Violet comments as Harold shares a greeting with Tom and they too shake hands.
"Oh, er, could we get some tea? With milk?" Harold asks Mr Molesley, who is bewildered by this request as tea is not served by footmen when it's already in the room, nevertheless moves off to fulfil Harold's wish.
Harold sits down, grinning cheerfully. "Well, I hope you enjoyed our picnic."
"Of course, we did." Isobel reassures.
"Even if the combination of open-air picnics and after- dinner poker make me feel as though I've fallen through a looking glass into the 'Déjeuner sur L'Herbe'." Violet complains.
"It's lucky you don't exaggerate, Mama." Robert grins into his teacup. Emma chuckles at that.
"Poker after dinner? There's a message from Rosamund that she's taking us to the theatre." Martha tells them.
"Not us, you." Robert corrects.
"Why have I been selected for this honour?" Martha questions.
"She was complaining she doesn't see enough of you." Cora 'explains'.
"Enough for what?" Violet clearly can't help herself.
Martha sighs. "Well, if I'm going to the theatre, then I ought to change." She rises, and so do the men to see her out.
"Yes. I should." Violet says in a not-so-quiet undertone.
Martha, who has heard this, and was probably supposed to hear it, turns to give Violet a dark look. Emma sighs in relief once everyone eventually departs from the room. Thank god that bit is over.
—
That evening, Emma, Mary and Rose are behind a liveried porter as they walk down a corridor, who's holding the note supposedly written by Sampson authorising his supposed friends to enter his flat with Charles Blake bringing up the rear. They're all in evening dress to sell the story of them all going out to see a show.
"This is so kind of you." Rose casually says.
"I'm sorry to hear that Mr Sampson has been taken ill, Miss." The Porter says as he arrives at the door and uses his keys to open it.
"I'm sure it isn't serious, but we do need to gather some things." Mary replies.
The Porter opens the door and they all file past him into the apartment. "Let me know when you've finished, and I'll come and lock up."
"Thank you." Charles calls over his shoulder.
The porter closes the door behind them. The four conspirators take in their surroundings to find a moderate sitting room with very little personal touch to it. There's a writing desk, a set of armchairs, a gramophone, and a card table in the centre of the room, but little else.
"Well, this is a bit sad." Emma comments. "The flat Dublin had more to it than this and we weren't exactly on high salary so it wasn't as large."
"Cheating at cards can't be very lucrative after all." Charles remarks.
"Never mind that. Charles, you take the desk, and us three will search the bedroom." Rose instructs. "They say men always hide things in their sock drawer." She says the latter part over her shoulder as they walk towards the open door into the, presumably only, other room of the flat.
"Why's that, do you think?" Mary wonders.
"It's a deterrent. What could be more revolting than to rummage through a strange man's socks?" Rose remarks.
"Ugh." Mary and Emma both grumble.
—
Sadly, they don't find the letter in Sampson's flat and return empty handed back to the Crawley London House. The gentlemen are still at their card game in the Library when they return so Mary walks in to indicate to Robert they haven't succeeded. Emma lingers outside and soon the card party are leaving the Library and heading for the Drawing room, Lord Aysgarth in the lead, then Sampson with Harold, Robert with Tom and Billy, and Gillingham with Mary bringing up the rear.
Emma quickly sidles up to her husband as Billy and Robert walk ahead.
"I gather we've failed to get the letter and prevent a royal scandal?" Tom asks.
Emma gives him a doubtful glance as they follow the others. "Don't pretend you're sorry for him."
Tom shrugs dismissively. "I'm not, especially after what you had told me about him."
"True but in a way I'm glad that he abdicates the throne in the end. His brother and niece make a much better job of it."
Tom raises an eyebrow. "Even for royals?"
Emma chuckles. "Even for royals."
—
Everyone gathers in the Drawing room. Robert with Edith, Cora with Violet, Mary with Gillingham, Harold with Madeleine, Tom and Billy with Isobel, Sampson and Lord Aysgarth.
It really is remarkable how Billy and Tom have come on in leaps and bounds in social situations like this as Emma has, after the terribly awkward house party.
Emma goes up to a despondent Rose who lounges on the outskirts of the party in a chair. The young woman looks up as Emma plonks herself on the settee next to her.
"What are we going to tell Freda?" Emma wonders.
"I don't know. God, I wish we had found that letter." Rose replies.
"I keep wondering whether it's best to not let her know that we basically helped the stealing of the letter or do tell her and how we tried to make up for it." Emma thinks aloud.
Rose just groans in frustration in reply. The guests later trickle out to get their coats. Emma is soon left in the Drawing room with just Mary and Rose. The former joining them in mulling over their failure.
Robert enters and wordlessly brandishes the retrieved letter at them. All three of them gasp in shock and leap up from their seats.
Rose gets to Robert first, grabbing the letter. "Ha! I don't believe it! But how?"
"Mr Sampson appears to have dropped it, and Bates picked it up," Robert explains. They all look at him doubtfully.
"He dropped it?" Rose voices their disbelief.
"Aren't we fortunate?" Robert remarks innocently. Emma raises an eyebrow but decides to leave it be, relieved they have the letter.
"Fortunate is one word for it." Mary comments but she smiles in relief, too.
—
The next morning, the preparations for Rose's ball are in full swing. Chairs are carried hither and thither, and a drinks buffet with champagne and punch bowls is set up in the Hall. Ornaments are dusted and flowers are arranged. Musicians are tuning their instruments for a rehearsal.
Emma has a bounce in her step. Two crises have been averted. The royal one and the one with the two Bateses. Mary had told Emma that she had burnt the ticket because of Mr Bates' actions in showing loyalty to the family to which Emma couldn't agree more.
That evening guests start arriving for the ball. Rose looks lovely in her pink dress as she mingles with the guests. Emma smiles slightly from where she stands next to Tom as she watches Harold start sidling up to Madeleine.
When Emma thinks they're going to start the dancing, a man enters wearing a blue sash enters at the door, accompanied by Freda Dudley Ward. Oh my god, it's the Prince of Wales and future Edward VIII.
The ladies nearest the door curtsy. All chatter and laughter cease, replaced by gasps and whispers of surprise. The Prince reaches the middle where Robert stands with his wife and sister. Robert bows to the Prince, while Cora and Rosamund sink into deep curtsies. The room is completely quiet now.
"Lady Grantham, I know we're just crashers and we haven't been invited," the Prince glances at Freda, "well, I haven't, anyway. But we hoped you wouldn't mind."
"You honour this house with your presence, sir." Cora assures him.
"I don't know if the dancing has started yet, but perhaps His Royal Highness and Rose could..." Freda prompts.
"Would you permit me to open the ball?" The Prince finishes.
Cora smiles and turns to Mr Carson, who in turn gestures to the musicians to start playing. They start playing Émile Waldteufel's 'Skaters' Waltz'. Watched with bated breath by everyone present, Rose walks towards the Prince, and they start dancing, making a very decent job of it.
Robert and Cora start dancing, too. Everyone else begins joining in.
Violet comes over and addresses Tom, Billy and Emma.
"Are you glad you came?" Violet asks them. "I mean, these are your people now. You must remember that. This is your family."
Emma pulls a face. "I suppose that's what happened for me and Tom now and was already the case for Billy…"
"But these are not quite our people." Tom finishes. Billy nods in agreement.
"That sounds like a challenge." Violet remarks.
"Does it? Well, here's another. Would you like to dance?" Billy asks her.
"Oh! Well... are you sure?" He smiles. "Well, then, I accept the challenge." They start dancing.
Emma chuckles. "I suppose we'll have to as well. Come on."
She holds out her hand to which Tom does a mock sigh and accepts it before they step out to join the other couples.
—
Emma is off the dance floor and watches as Madeleine dances with Harold. He surprisingly looks like he's enjoying himself.
Emma glances to her side at Freda who stands next to her. "How did you manage this?"
"I told him in his whole life, he'd never owe more to anyone than he does to Rose." Freda replies.
"And did you tell him why?" Emma questions.
Freda smirks. "Certainly not. But he trusts me, and he's a faithful little chap."
"Mmm…" Emma supposes he is even if the women he's loyal to creates scandals.
—
The musicians are now playing Johann Strauss' 'Vienna Blood' waltz. Couples are still dancing, among them the Prince, now with Freda Dudley Ward. Emma watches on in surprise as Isobel joins the floor with Lord Merton. Interesting…
Edith joins Tom and Emma on the sidelines. "So, did you enjoy it? After all?"
Tom smiles fondly at her. "We enjoyed it fine. But we need to stand up to them, us three as well as Billy. We may love them, but if we don't fight our corner, they'll roll us out flat."
"You're right. Thank you for that." Edith says. She smiles, then moves away to talk to Cora, who is talking with Rosamund.
Emma frowns. "I wonder what that's all about?"
Tom shrugs. "Who knows but she's not been happy recently. Maybe we've helped?"
Emma frowns. "Maybe."