Who will seek me at nightfall? (Mrs. Hughes, Mary Crawley)
For lovebelowstairsSunday Funday, prompt "Mr.Carson - regrets". Hints of C/H and M/M.
Spoilers for the S2E2 promo aired at the end of last week's episode, but will probably be turned utterly AU by tonight's episode.
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Mid-morning was not a good time of the day for Mrs. Hughes. Early mornings were devoted to supervising the maids. Later on in the day there was luncheon, for the family and for the staff, and in the evening dressing and dinner. Routine tasks she had been doing well for years. But now she had to choose the wines, serve drinks in the drawing room, polish the silver. Life had become a whirlwind since Mr. Carson had the heart attack she kept warning he would, and she was finding just how very much more work the house was than she had realized. Mid-morning she did battle with the butler's ledgers, each entry double and triple checked, written in her very best hand. Anything out of place, crossed out, incorrect would be taken to heart when Mr. Carson returned to work, and she would cause his heart no more stress.
The staff avoided her during these hours, so the knock on her door surprised her. When Lady Mary walked in, she was even more surprised; she couldn't remember the last time the young woman had been downstairs, but it certainly had been years ago.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Hughes. If I might have a few minutes of your time?"
Curiouser and curiouser. Mary Crawley being something more than politely dismissive? Lady Mary Crawley looking nervous in front of a servant? Mrs. Hughes invited her to sit.
"I've been visiting with Carson."
Mrs. Hughes said nothing. It was all well and good for her ladyship to go visiting, having both time and the right to venture into the men's quarters. No matter how often in the day she herself wanted to check on Mr. Carson, she had neither the time nor the right.
"He seemed sad."
"Mr. Carson cares very much for Downton. It must frustrate him to be ill."
"No, that's not it. Mrs. Hughes, you are his friend, are you not?"
Mrs. Hughes's lips pursed a second before she recalled that this was no scullery maid whom she could reprimand for idle gossip. "Yes, I like to think I am."
"Only it seemed that he was sad about something personal. Someone, more like. I rather had the impression that there was a woman."
"I assure you, Mr. Carson does nothing which is not befitting his station."
"You misunderstand me. This is not prurient interest in servant's chatter or below-stairs romances."
This was the unfeeling Mary Crawley she knew. Mrs. Hughes felt her tense shoulders ease just a bit.
"It's Carson, you see. I know what the servants think of me. Rather the same thing my family does, I should imagine. A lost cause. But Carson has never done anything but encourage me. I would give a great deal to ensure his welfare."
"I'm certain your visits cheer him."
"I do hope so." She played with her necklace for a long moment, and Mrs. Hughes risked a glance at her desk and the unfinished ledgers. "I'm keeping you from your work. I apologize."
"No matter, my lady. Take your time." You will, anyway.
"I had the impression there had been a woman, someone he loved, but for some reason--"
Mrs. Hughes cut her off. "Servants in houses like Downton do not marry, not if they want to stay. This house is all the home Mr. Carson knows, this family is all the family he has. He would do nothing to jeopardize that. Nor would he dishonor himself or a woman he loved with an illicit romance."
"So instead he lives his life in regret."
"The battle between duty and love is not limited to the upper class."
"I hadn't realized."
"No, I suppose you did not."
"Do you know who it is that Carson loves?"
"I couldn't say."
"Couldn't, or won't?"
Once again Mrs. Hughes's lips pursed. Had this been Daisy or Ethel, the tongue-lashing would have been heard clear up to the drawing room, but she contented herself with a click of her tongue and a narrowing of her eyes.
"If he did not have to choose?"
"But he did. He made his choice. I don't think, on the whole, he has many regrets."
Lady Mary stood and smoothed her skirt. "It was just a thought. Oh, one other thing -- please take Carson his luncheon tomorrow. I have been sitting with him, but I'm off to Ripon in the morning. I think he eats better when he has company."
"Females do not go into the men's sleeping quarters."
"I do."
Mrs. Hughes sniffed in disapproval.
"He does not have many friends. I think he misses those he has dreadfully."
"I'll take him his luncheon tomorrow."
"And Mrs. Hughes? Try to make him happy. It's so terribly important someone in this house should be happy."
"You might try to be happy yourself, my lady."
"I'm beginning to think that someday I might."
Spoilers for the S2E2 promo aired at the end of last week's episode, but will probably be turned utterly AU by tonight's episode.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid-morning was not a good time of the day for Mrs. Hughes. Early mornings were devoted to supervising the maids. Later on in the day there was luncheon, for the family and for the staff, and in the evening dressing and dinner. Routine tasks she had been doing well for years. But now she had to choose the wines, serve drinks in the drawing room, polish the silver. Life had become a whirlwind since Mr. Carson had the heart attack she kept warning he would, and she was finding just how very much more work the house was than she had realized. Mid-morning she did battle with the butler's ledgers, each entry double and triple checked, written in her very best hand. Anything out of place, crossed out, incorrect would be taken to heart when Mr. Carson returned to work, and she would cause his heart no more stress.
The staff avoided her during these hours, so the knock on her door surprised her. When Lady Mary walked in, she was even more surprised; she couldn't remember the last time the young woman had been downstairs, but it certainly had been years ago.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Hughes. If I might have a few minutes of your time?"
Curiouser and curiouser. Mary Crawley being something more than politely dismissive? Lady Mary Crawley looking nervous in front of a servant? Mrs. Hughes invited her to sit.
"I've been visiting with Carson."
Mrs. Hughes said nothing. It was all well and good for her ladyship to go visiting, having both time and the right to venture into the men's quarters. No matter how often in the day she herself wanted to check on Mr. Carson, she had neither the time nor the right.
"He seemed sad."
"Mr. Carson cares very much for Downton. It must frustrate him to be ill."
"No, that's not it. Mrs. Hughes, you are his friend, are you not?"
Mrs. Hughes's lips pursed a second before she recalled that this was no scullery maid whom she could reprimand for idle gossip. "Yes, I like to think I am."
"Only it seemed that he was sad about something personal. Someone, more like. I rather had the impression that there was a woman."
"I assure you, Mr. Carson does nothing which is not befitting his station."
"You misunderstand me. This is not prurient interest in servant's chatter or below-stairs romances."
This was the unfeeling Mary Crawley she knew. Mrs. Hughes felt her tense shoulders ease just a bit.
"It's Carson, you see. I know what the servants think of me. Rather the same thing my family does, I should imagine. A lost cause. But Carson has never done anything but encourage me. I would give a great deal to ensure his welfare."
"I'm certain your visits cheer him."
"I do hope so." She played with her necklace for a long moment, and Mrs. Hughes risked a glance at her desk and the unfinished ledgers. "I'm keeping you from your work. I apologize."
"No matter, my lady. Take your time." You will, anyway.
"I had the impression there had been a woman, someone he loved, but for some reason--"
Mrs. Hughes cut her off. "Servants in houses like Downton do not marry, not if they want to stay. This house is all the home Mr. Carson knows, this family is all the family he has. He would do nothing to jeopardize that. Nor would he dishonor himself or a woman he loved with an illicit romance."
"So instead he lives his life in regret."
"The battle between duty and love is not limited to the upper class."
"I hadn't realized."
"No, I suppose you did not."
"Do you know who it is that Carson loves?"
"I couldn't say."
"Couldn't, or won't?"
Once again Mrs. Hughes's lips pursed. Had this been Daisy or Ethel, the tongue-lashing would have been heard clear up to the drawing room, but she contented herself with a click of her tongue and a narrowing of her eyes.
"If he did not have to choose?"
"But he did. He made his choice. I don't think, on the whole, he has many regrets."
Lady Mary stood and smoothed her skirt. "It was just a thought. Oh, one other thing -- please take Carson his luncheon tomorrow. I have been sitting with him, but I'm off to Ripon in the morning. I think he eats better when he has company."
"Females do not go into the men's sleeping quarters."
"I do."
Mrs. Hughes sniffed in disapproval.
"He does not have many friends. I think he misses those he has dreadfully."
"I'll take him his luncheon tomorrow."
"And Mrs. Hughes? Try to make him happy. It's so terribly important someone in this house should be happy."
"You might try to be happy yourself, my lady."
"I'm beginning to think that someday I might."