"Ethel, might I see you for a moment?"
The maid let out a sigh of frustration, placing the bookmark so she didn't lose her spot. She was reading about the Swiss Alps and dreaming of what it would be like when she finally got to go there. Charles had promised her that when the war was over he would take her across the continent. They would see the snowy mountains and bath in the warm tubs the Swiss loved to have outside even in the icy coldness of the winter. She would dress in fine furs and Charles would look so dashing in fine leathers and heavy coats like some grand explorer stepping out onto a new unconquered land. Then they would make love in the finest of beds without a care who heard their screams of passion before going in whatever direction they desired.
Ethel was no fool, of course. She knew that Charles Bryant would never marry her. He was the son of a powerful man, who came from a powerful family, and it was expected he would marry the dull and dutiful daughter of a dull and dutiful man who came from a dull and dutiful house. That was simply how life worked and only the foolish would believe otherwise. For how much the others might mock her, including the sneering guttersnip Sophie, for dreaming of a better life she wasn't a naïve child. She understood that it would take hard work to get where she wanted to go. There was a difference between dream and fantasy. A dream was that she would travel the world and see all it had to offer… fantasy was that it would happen without her having to do a thing and that life would be like a fairytale.
Ethel hated fantasy.
No, Charles would never present her with a ring and ask her to walk down the aisle. For one thing all they had done in the quiet and forgotten rooms of Downton had ensured that even Ethel would scold herself for wearing white! No… Ethel had far simpler plans. The wife of Charles Bryant was out. But the mistress? Oh, that was still very much an option. A likely one to be sure.
'And far easier.'
A wife had to manage a house and dine with the pesky family members and screech on the birthing bed as she popped out heirs and spares. A mistress was given presents and put up in fine homes and then didn't actually have to see their lover for days or even weeks. They could live rather freely, buying their comfort with a few pleasurable moments and not have to deal with the tedium of married life.
It was perfect. She had Charles wrapped around her finger, focused on only her. He sought her out all the time; sometimes she allowed him to spend time with her whispering the gentle woo that all the maidens loved to hear. Other times though she played hard to get, making him come to her and give her gifts to win her favor. And still more moments saw her purposely avoid him… she didn't scorn him or send him fleeing away, of course, for that wouldn't do. But she would let him long for her as she went about her tasks and only when she was ready find him once more.
'And soon it will be all settled. He will be unable to think of a life without me and when he has married and tasted the boredom such a life brings he will call for me and that will be that.'
And before that happened Charles had already promised a world tour for the two of them, so they might see what the Continent was like after the War. One last youthful folly.
Ethel honestly found for the first time in ages a reason to want the War to end. So many others would have gasped at that sentiment but the fact of the matter was that the War had been a lovely thing for her. It had given her a position at Downton with so many women foolishly seeking out other opportunities, believing incorrectly that the changes the War had brought would remain forever. No… once the boys returned all those factory jobs would disappear and Ethel would be well settled in Downton until Charles made her his mistress. And because of the lack of good staff she could get away with so much at Downton without facing trouble. Oh, Mrs. Hughes did what she could to frustrate Ethel at times, like casting her outside or giving her horrid little tasks… but Ethel found ways to make Downton pay for that. A pinched bottle here, vocal displeasure that made the old bat grit her teeth there… little things to please-
"Ethel?" Mrs. Hughes said again, drawing her out of her thoughts.
"What is the matter, Mrs. Hughes?" Ethel asked, looking at the head housekeeper. "I am on a break. Those are still allowed, are they not?"
"They could be made to last forever if you keep with that lip," Mr. Carson said coolly.
Mrs. Hughes though shook her head, waving him off. "Your break ended 10 minutes ago, Ethel. I was kind and didn't mention it as you have been working hard these last few weeks-" Actually she'd been off meeting with Charles but Mrs. Hughes didn't need to know that, "-but I will not pretend anymore if you take my kindness for granted."
"Of course, Mrs Hughes," Ethel said, forcing as much embarrassment and contrition as she could into her words even as she mentally scoffed. The old bat had spent her entire life at Downton… if one could call that a life… and had no idea what it was like to dream. For her a break was probably sitting down and polishing the silver. "What can I do for you?" Ethel rose and smoothed out the front of her uniform.
"It concerns some work you've been doing… and not doing."
Ethel frowned at that. She knew that many at Downton, especially Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes, thought she was just some lay about who cared little about the day to day matters of keeping the estate managed but that was simply wrong. "Mrs. Hughes, I take great pride in my work and I assure you that every task I have been given I do to my fullest ability."
"Oh, I am sure of that," the older woman said and there was an odd… snap… to her voice. Not sarcasm or mockery. Not fully. Yet also not scorn or pride. The best way Ethel could have described it was that it felt like Mrs. Hughes knew a secret that she was barely able to contain within herself. Which was just madness because what could that old woman have to hide? Her entire life was Downton. "In fact I've gotten quite a few comments about the jobs you are willing to perform and how committed you are to seeing them done."
Now Ethel knew the head housekeeper was hinting at something; she was never so free with compliments. Still, the maid smiled all the same because she knew it would drive Mrs. Hughes wild to believe that Ethel had taken her compliment as just that.
"I merely try to do all I can for the honor of Downton," Ethel said and she fought back a smirk when she saw the old woman's mother twitch at that; oh yes, she wasn't happy in the slightest over THAT!
"That might be, Ethel, but the fact remains that there are tasks that you have taken on in the past that now are being performed by someone else. And that has caused problems within the house that I must correct."
Ethel frowned at that, trying to figure out what the head housekeeper might be referring to. "I assure you Mrs. Hughes that I have done every task I have been assigned. I have even been willing take on jobs that were not discussed during my interview because I understand the situation at Downton has changed-" For some reasoned Mrs. Hughes' mouth twitched again at that, but this time like she was trying to hold in a laugh, "-but I have been willing to do so without complaint."
"That we agree upon," Mrs. Hughes stated.
"But I assure you that I have completed every task I have taken on and in full. And to the full satisfaction of all."
And now she was SURE that Mrs. Hughes was trying to fight back laughter and it was angering her.
"I do believe that I have the right to know who as accused me of these lies so I might defend myself." Ethel folded her arms over her chest. "It was Sybil Crawley, wasn't it? She misunderstood what she saw and she wanted to punish me-"
"Her name," Mr. Carson said, rising to his feet with surprising speed, causing Ethel to actually take a step back even though there was a decent amount of distance between the two of them, "is Lady Sybil Crawley. If you must call her anything else you may choose Matron Crawley but she will always be Lady Sybil Crowley, third daughter of his Lordship the Earl of Grantham… your employer!"
Ethel swallowed, making a mental note not to wander into that bear trap again.
Mrs. Hughes held out her hand. "Peace, Mr. Carson, peace."
"My apologizes," Ethel quickly added. The old butler glowered at her before letting out a huff and sitting back down in his chair, Mrs. Hughes motioning for Ethel to follow her out of the dining hall. "Mrs. Hughes, the fact remains that I have done my tasks and those that claim otherwise are liars."
"And yet I know of one such task that you have taken on in the past that others have been forced to complete for you."
"And what is that?" she demanded.
But rather than answer Mrs. Hughes merely raised an eyebrow at that. "I would be happy to show you."
"Please do," Ethel said and the head housekeeper nodded and made her way up the narrow stairs, Ethel only a few steps behind her. The two of them finally emerged on the ground floor and as they continued on Ethel tried to figure out what was going on. She went over the duties that were expected of her and remembered that each and every one had been completed. She was no fool; she could get away with some lip but if she didn't actually do the job she would be flat out on her backside with no reference.
'I fluffed the pillows in all the guest rooms, even the ones not being used. I was very respectful when I stripped the linens in William's room-' She'd cried when she'd heard of his death; they all had. William was a good man who deserved far more than he'd gotten and she hoped Larry Grey burned in Hell for his hand in the poor lad's death. The poor lad… he had been kind to her and she would never forget that. 'I dusted the chandeliers today… right?' Her steps stuttered for a moment, worry filling her as she tried to remember… only to let out a breath as they passed by Sybil Crawley's assistant who nodded to Mrs. Hughes and her. 'Yes, I did. I had to be careful with the stool but I was able to get to the ceiling with the feather duster…' She frowned. 'What did I miss then?'
Nothing. That was her final conclusion. She hadn't missed anything and it was just someone trying to get her in trouble. Most likely 'Lady Sybil', enraged that Ethel had caught the eye of Charles.
'Probably hoped to make him her own,' she thought as they climbed the steps to the second floor. 'A high born girl like that isn't used to being beaten out by a member of the staff. It is eating her alive that someone like Charles Bryant is interested in me and not her.' She smirked. 'Foolish little girl. Men don't want meek children that don't know their way around the bedroom. They long for women who can bring them pleasure. 'Lady Sybil' would faint if she saw a man naked… let alone have an idea where to place her hands or what to do with her arms and legs when embracing.' Ethel chuckled mentally as they passed by Mr. Crawley's valet, Molesley, who was standing by the third story steps, the man giving a tight smile and a nod as they passed. 'She never had a chance.'
Her good mood failed her though as she realized that the Matron of the hospital and her employer's daughter had it out for her. Spreading lies and trying to get her fired because she dared to be better than previous little Sybil.
'Well, let her try,' Ethel thought coolly as Mrs. Hughes led her along the third floor, passing the closed doors that flanked them on either side like silent soldiers. 'I won't let her drive me out without a fight. I can fight just like her and I can win!' They came to Mrs. O'Brien who pressed her lips together and gave a nod before Mrs. Hughes led them around a corner… and they came upon the little girl in question.
Sybil Crawley was standing there with a face that might as well have been carved in stone, an old man with his arm in a sling standing to her right while Mr. Crawley himself was at her left. Ethel frowned, trying to figure out what exactly was going on only for Mrs. Hughes to finally give a nod (why was everyone nodding?) and Mr. Crawley reached out and threw the door to one of the guest rooms open.
The grunts and groans that filled the air were the first thing that told her things were VERY wrong. The deep guttural ones that spoke of exertion. The squeaky female ones that were mixed with panting gasps of someone struggling to handle the situation they were in.
Next was the familiar smell. The musk of sweat and stink and fluids that always came when man and woman met each other in the most intimate of ways. It always seemed to linger and Ethel had taken to bringing a bar of white soap and a wash cloth with her whenever she visited Charles so she might hide what she had done.
All of this hit her first even though she saw Charles thrusting into Sophie. Because her brain refused to accept what she was seeing and thus kept removing the visions her eyes were proclaiming were true and real.
Her hated rival was draped over the bed, naked as the day she was born, legs held up in the air and feet shuddering as she rocked back and forth. Her hair was thrown all over the bed as her bare rear rose and fell to meet Charles' thrusts. It wasn't love… it was primal lust, one that Ethel had known all too well.
Just as she knew the man who was causing Sophie to squawk and squeak as she was.
Charles… her Charles. Her ticket out of Downton and London and the role society demanded she play. She'd had him wrapped around her finger, able to lead him around by his manhood… except it was now buried deep into Sophie who gasped and threw back her head in the same throes of passion that Ethel herself had experienced so many times in the past. He was grabbing her hips and forcing her against him with the same wild abandon that he'd used when they'd been together. He had his uniform still on only with his pants laying crumpled around his ankles, his bare behind rocking back and forever as he plunged into the maid.
And in that moment time slowed and all their moments together suddenly twisted and changed.
The times he'd seemed distracted and she'd been forced to draw his focus onto her? It wasn't the war or his family that had taken his thoughts away but his fantasies for Sophie who had been just across the room.
The days when she didn't see him and assumed he was pining for her? He was buried in the whore's nethers.
The hours they would spend making love only for him to need to dash off? It wasn't guilt over what they'd done but a desire to try out another maid.
All of this washed over Ethel in the span of seconds, her thoughts only sent crashing away by Sophie's scream when she opened her eyes and saw them all standing there.
It was almost comical. She fought to get away from Charles but he hadn't noticed them and thought her startled wail to be merely a new part of the game and thus he held onto her all the harder, refusing to let go. Sophie screamed his name and told him to stop but Charles merely grunted and Ethel remembered that sound well and knew in that moment he'd sent his seed into Sophie's body. With a wet plop the maid finally yanked herself away and Charles, seeing the terror in her eyes, finally turned and stared at them all in shock.
"What in the world?!" he cried out as Mrs. Hughes let out a gulping gasp before steeling her shoulders and staring him down. But Charles focused on Sybil and took a step towards her only to nearly trip on his pants; he caught himself and bent to gather them up, trying for some mad reason to maintain his dignity. "You dare burst in here you harlot and-"
Matthew Crawley rushed forward with surprising speed, fingers wrapping around Charles' throat as he spun him around and slammed him hard into the ground. He twisted him, forcing him onto his stomach and driving his knee into the man's back, Sophie screaming and covering herself with a sheet as she looked at them all with wide frightened eyes.
"You dare insult her in front of me after what we caught you doing, you cad?" Matthew hissed.
"You interrupted me!" Charles snarled.
"You think THIS is the kind of activities the military expects you to participate in?"
"Why not?" Charles said with a huff. "Everyone does it. Half the men have probably had her." If he was speaking of Sophie or herself Ethel had no idea. She wasn't for sure if she wanted to know. "There isn't a law against it. In fact you are assaulting me-"
"No, Major Bryant. I am merely giving you your final examination."
That… made Charles pause.
"What now?"
"Your final examination. You were brought here because it was worried that you were too hurt to fight. Clearly you have quite a bit of energy to penetrate enemy strongholds and maintain a fighting spirit for quite some time." Matthew hauled the man to his feet, forcing Charles to shuffle thanks to the pants still wrapped around his feet. "You'll be going to a special room we've prepared and tomorrow you'll be shipping right back to the front."
"You… you can't!"
"I can and have. Be glad though, Major… your 'exercises' have worked wonders." Matthew Crawley forced him out the door.
He didn't spare a glance at Ethel.
'Someone else is taking on your tasks for you,' Mrs. Hughes' voice echoed in her head and she mentally commanded herself not to cry. To not give her the satisfaction or Charles to dignity.
She failed.
~MC~MC~MC~
"I am normally not a fan of spirits, believe it or not," Mr. Carson said as he poured Mrs. Hughes a glass of wine. "I have to taste each bottle of wine before dinner, to make sure that it is up to the proper standard. Thus it isn't something that delivers pleasure or comfort but merely another task. And for as much as I enjoy my life at Downton there are limits to how much I allow it to control my life… despite what others might think." Mrs. Hughes merely smiled at that, accepting the glass from him as he then set about pouring one for himself. "I don't long to sip upon a glass after a hard day. The thought of going down to some pub and having a pint is… displeasing. Oh, I'll drink if it is required or if it is polite but that is all." He settled back in his chair and Mrs. Hughes saw that rather than his normal stiff and dignified stance he was slouched in his seat… or slouched for him… staring at the wine glass before raising it up. "But I feel that after today a good glass of wine is entirely needed."
"On that, Mr. Carson, I can agree," she said sipping her own as he did the same.
"They are both gone then?" Mr. Carson asked.
"They are," Mrs. Hughes said.
The butler shook his head. "To think the two of them were sinning like that in this house…" She didn't know if he was more disturbed by the idea of two women having sex while unwed or that they'd done it under Downton's roof. She supposed that it honestly didn't matter in the end. "And that you had to see it…"
"If it makes you feel any better I prepared to find Sophie in such as… compromising position." She paused. "No, I'm afraid that isn't quite right. We had been told that Major Bryant had been seeing another woman besides Ethel but I didn't think it was Sophie." She sipped her wine. "But I was prepared to catch the Major engaged in such acts with a young woman."
"Well, being prepared still doesn't make it right. And for Lady Sybil to have to see such things!" Carson shook his head. "That poor girl…" Mrs. Hughes shot him a lot and he let out a huff. "She might be the Matron of the hospital and seen all many of injuries and maimings but that doesn't mean that she should be subjugated to such vile things as-"
"A man and woman engaged in the act of procreations?"
Mr. Carson glowered at him. "You are beginning to remind me of Thomas." She merely smirked at that, taking it as a compliment in this case. "Having to see such sinful things when she is far too young and innocent to witness them."
~At That Very Moment~
"Sybil!" Tom exclaimed before forcing himself to quiet down. He'd gone to take a bath after dinner, as it helped him relax before bed, only to find Sybil had somehow snuck into his room, shucked off all her clothes, and was now lying in the tub with the water coming up to just above her breasts. "What are you doing?"
"Bathing," Sybil said with a sigh. "Though I'd much prefer to do other things." With that she rose like Venus from the sea foam and Tom gapped at her; despite how much the two of them had come to know each other carnally over the last few months it still startled him when she became the instigator in their love making.
And there was little doubt in his mind as she gracefully slid out of the tub and approached him, water dripping from her nude form as she began to hungrily tear as his clothing, that she had nothing else in mind for the two of them.
~MC~MC~MC~
Mr. Carson took another sip of wine. "But they are gone?"
Mrs. Hughes shot him a dark look. "I know that you think I am at times too soft hearted, Mr. Carson, but I assure you I do not put up with maids engaging in such acts within the beds of the family and their guests."
"I do not think you are soft hearted," Mr. Carson told her gently. "Only that sometimes you allow sympathy to color your acts and prevent you from doing what you should."
"…that is the very definition of being soft hearted."
The butler merely muttered to himself, not actually speaking aloud his thoughts on that matter.
"But as to your repeated questions… yes, both Ethel and Sophie are gone. The latter went first, since we actually caught her in the act. She was allowed to gather her things and I paid her for the work she has so far completed this week but that is all she got."
"If I didn't think it would cause a scandal or send the gossipers into a tizzy I would complain that you gave her that much. There was a time when a woman caught in such acts would be forced to march away from their home without a stitch of clothing so all could see how they'd debased themselves. The cut up soles would show them the cuts on their very soul."
"Would you have liked me to arrange the mob to stone her before or after dinner?"
"You jest but such things didn't use to happen."
"Oh, they very much did, just not to us."
"Exactly."
Mrs. Hughes let out a sigh, deciding that it was rather useless to fight with him on this. In Mr. Carson's mind the world had been a perfect place during his youth where there was no pain or trauma. Every worker wore a well pressed suit with shiny brass buttons and flashed dazzling smiles as they happily went along with their tasks with a song in their heart. For him Downton had been literal Eden except Adam and Eve wore their Sunday finest.
"And what of Ethel?" Mr. Carson asked.
"She has left as well, though of her own choosing." He cocked an eyebrow at that. "I may have… assisted her in coming to that decision."
"oh?"
"I merely laid out the facts as they were to her. Everyone now knows that she and Major Bryant were engaged together in some form. While we can't prove that they were involved romantically-"
"There was nothing romantic about what Sophie and that cad were up to," Mr. Carson snapped off.
"-everyone knows she was close to him and will assume as much."
"Because she very well was," Mr. Carson grumbled. "We just were unable to proof it."
"Innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Carson," she reminded him gently; of course with him she was sure he thought that the world would be a better place if they went back to the days where the King was able to demand someone's head and all just rushed to get the sword and the block before the prisoner could even speak. "I told her that a woman choosing to leave her employ due to the actions of a man and a former member of the staff would be looked upon far more favorably than a woman who was forced out of her position with no reference because her status had created far too much gossip and drama for her to remain." Mrs. Hughes gave a helpless little shrug. "She saw the wisdom in that and has decided to leave. She will stay at the Grantham Arms tonight and then leave tomorrow."
Mr. Carson though focused on something else Mrs. Hughes had said. "You gave her a reference?" he scowled at that, his great busy eyebrows crinkling low to his eyes like two hungry caterpillars.
"The most bare of ones, I assure you," she told him, trying to hold off his anger. "It is little better than I would give a stable hand who worked for us for a season. It merely states that she worked for us… any butler or head housekeeper who saw that she had several years with us and only that small of confirmation would see at once the truth of the matter."
"I would have preferred her to have none," he grumbled petulantly.
"We had no proof that she had committed such acts as Sophie while working for us and thus no reason to deny her that." She shook her head at his stubbornness. "You act as if I decided to give her a glowing review that will allow her to work for the Court! She will, at best, be able to take a position in a minor house… or become the lowest ranking maid at a larger estate. But-" She held up her hand to forestall his complains, "-it will be nowhere near Downton. Word will spread of course and keep her from any hope of being employed by even the Greys."
"Hmmm… I suppose so," Mr. Carson grumbled. "Though I do not like it. She caused us enough scorn and gossip… his lordship will not be happy with this at all."
"You'll pardon me but his lordship can lump it or leave it." Mr. Carson stated at her in shock at that. "Oh it's true and you know it. None of us did anything wrong!"
"Others will not think that," he warned her. "We are always judged by those that are employed by us. That is simply how life is." She didn't argue with him on that, instead finishing her wine and holding out her glass, allowing him to refill it. "I imagine Ethel didn't take kindly to your… comments?"
"She had her mind on other things," Mrs. Hughes told her. "She didn't say it to me but I got the sense that she had deluded herself into believing that she was the only one Major Bryant was interested in. Finding of all people Sophie with him was a heavy blow to her ego."
"And she had a rather big one to take that hit."
Mrs. Hughes smiled at that. "Combined with what happened to Sophie and she realized rather quickly that it would be best to accept my offer. I do believe she thought I would give her what you suggested and was prepared for a fight so my reference, no matter how minor, was enough to see her scurry away with her tail between her legs."
"Well, I suppose that is well enough." He paused. "And Sophie? How did you handle that?"
"No reference, if that is what you are worried about. As I said she was given just enough time to dress and throw her personal effects in her suitcase… and I was standing with her the entire time." Mrs. Hughes shook her head. "She begged me for another chance. Said she wasn't thinking-"
"That much is rather clear," Mr. Carson muttered.
"…you haven't asked about Major Bryant."
"I assumed Mr. Crawley was handling him."
"Or you only blame women for these situations and not the men?"
"Come now," Mr. Carson said, his tone filled with disappointment. "You know me better than that. The man is a cad, plain and simple. He abused the kindness Lady Sybil and Mr. Crawley showed him by letting him stay here. The kindness we showed him. I am quite glad that he is returning to the Front… perhaps he can allow a chap who deserves to make his way from the War to return now to his loved ones."
Mrs. Hughes considered his comment before dropping the subject, the two lapsing into silence, enjoying the wine.
"How will you manage without the two of them?" he finally asked.
"Lady Sybil has agreed to lend us two of her nurses."
"They can afford that?"
"They can. And her assistant, Jane, knows how to handle a house and has agreed to assist as needed. And Ms. O'Brien will take over a few tasks… mostly stitching and the like."
"Good. I understand his Lordship's kindness but we can't allow her to sit around collect pay for doing nothing."
"Very true."
"At the very least," Mr. Carson said, "we can be glad this was handled before his Lordship left for London tomorrow."
"I agree," Mrs. Hughes said. "You will be going with him?"
"I will. You will be able to manage things-" he cut himself off, shaking his head. "Of course you will. My apologies."
"And what of you?" Mrs. Hughes asked.
"What of me?"
"Will you see her?"
The butler, who had been raising his glass to his lips, instead slowly lowered it, setting it on his desk. "I…"
"You must, Mr. Carson. You must. This distance between you and Lady Mary… it must be mended. For your sake."
He let out a sigh… before quietly nodding.
