I hold my sons hand tighter as we walk up the stone driveway the big estate stands before us. I'm that nervous I can feel butterflies in my stomach I look down at my little boy "you have got to be good ok" he nods looking up at me why does he have to have his father's baby blue eyes. I haven't seen him since the war which was 5 years ago, he could be dead for all I know.
I see a man dressed in a butlers outfit standing outside the main door "excuse me sir could you direct me to the servants entrance" his smile was kind and he was slightly balding.
"Yes Madam if you go to the other end of the house and round the back you will see a black door knock and someone will be with you" he spoke like he was well educated.
"Thank you" we carry on walking until we find the black door I knock twice and a young women wearing an apron answers it,
"Sorry I thought you were a delivery" how rude she spoke with a common tone.
"I'm here to see Mrs Hughes about the advertisement in the paper" she thinks for a moment then the dots must have connected.
"Mrs Hughes someone is here to see you" she shouts and a second or so later I hear shoes clicking on the floor then I see an older women approaching us she smiles kindly she was wearing a dark blue dress.
"Thank you Daisy" the young lady who was dressed like she works in the kitchen disappears "hello I'm Mrs Hughes" she said with a Scottish accent
"Hello I'm Lilian Barker and this is Henry" she smiles to him
"Hello Madam" he says quietly
"Well aren't you polite, come in" she leads us in, we stop when we reach an entrance for another room it had a large dark table in the middle of it, this must be where the servants dine "Anna could you watch Mr Henry for me please" she asks a blonde lady who was sitting at the table sawing.
"Yes I would love too" she answers "I'm Anna nice to meet you" she shakes my hand
"I'm Lilian" I let go of Anna's hand and look at Henry who still had hold of my other "be good for Miss Anna".
Mrs Hughes takes me into another room there was a large man older man with a kind face sitting at the table I hope I don't get judged because of Henry "Hello Sir I'm Lillian Barker" I go to shake his extended hand.
"Nice to meet you Mrs Barker I'm Mr Carson please sit" I place my file on the dark oak desk he opens it and reads it carefully "I see that you were a nurse during the War" he looks up at me with a questionable face.
"Yes sir that I was" I answer his rhetorical question he continues to read.
"You seem overly qualified Mrs Barker" I never want to go back into that profession there is too many memories some good but mostly bad.
"I know but I want to do something different, help people in a different way and, be with my son" I see his dark eyes go wide.
"A Child" he raises his voice slightly I nod "we don't have staff who have children" I knew this would happen "I..." Mr Carson gets interrupted by Mrs Hughes
"Mr Carson, Mrs Barker's son won't be a mither, he is very polite" I look at Mrs Hughes who was standing next to Mr Carson they were looking at each other Mrs Hughes continues "I already spoke to her ladyship upon receiving Mrs Barker's letter and she wants to hire her but I didn't have time to speak to you beforehand".
"Very well then I will not go against her ladyships wishes you may go" that was pure luck
"Thank you so much you won't regret your discussion" I smile relived
"Come with me and I'll show you to your room" we head for the door.
"Mrs Barker just one thing your son must be on his best behaviour, this is a first in the house letting a staff member have a child with them when working" Mr Carson says coldly, he obviously isn't too fond of the idea.
When we left the small room I turn to Mrs Hughes "thank you so much I really thought..." I go to continue but Mrs Hughes stops me.
"Come on now" I follow her to where Henry was with Anna,
"Thank you Anna for watching Henry" I say once we get to the dining hall
"It's quite alright" she smiles turning to face us once we were in the room Henry was too ingrowthed in the pencil and paper he had to notice we were even standing there.
"Lilian is going to be Lady Edith's lady's maid" Mrs Hughes says.
"That's great I'll show you around later so you can get acquainted with everything before Lady Edith gets home from London"
"Thank you" I answer relived she is so kind, in fact everyone here is kind, I think I'm going to like it here.
YOU ARE READING
The secret
FanfictionIt's a Downton fanfiction about original character and a member of the staff or family member. Lillian Barker arrives at Downton not expecting to see someone from her past how will she deal with meeting him again knowing that she can't hide her secr...
