I've seen Perfection

Part five

Just two little notes to warn you, so I hope no one will be annoyed or confused.
Number one. I know children of this time and in a family like the Crawleys were usually taught from a very early age how to behave and what was appropriate to say and so on, but we can ignore that for the sake of a bit of fun with our favourite Butler, don't you think?
Number two. Don't wonder that dear Mrs Patmore seems to be a bit more relaxed with talking about...things...than we are used to from the series, but first of all I thought it would be not too out of character when she's alright as long as it's not too explicit and secondly I believe it's realistic that she's more comfortable talking to Mrs Hughes about such things than she was with Mr Carson, they're good friends after all and both female, that helps as well...hope you agree with me.

After having said that, we return to where we left Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes in the last part, so he returned to the house to do his morning rounds and she waits in the garden for whoever Carson has sent to play her babysitter (or so she sees it, at least).

Enjoy reading and feel free to tell me what you thought about it!

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"Do you have children, Mr Carson?"

The little girl looked up at him where he was standing in the nursery. Miss Sybbie had insisted to wait for Mr Branson when Nanny wanted to go outside and he had agreed to look after her for a while, so that the others could already go ahead. Little had he known that she would confront him with a flood of questions, piercing him with those curious blue eyes that reminded him so very much of her mother.

"No...", he said, "no, I-I don't."

"Why not?"

"Well, you see...", he slowly began, considering how to explain it best, "my work is very important and takes a lot of time. Butlers usually don't have a wife or children. We take care of the family we serve, it's difficult to have one of your own then. The members of the staff are in some sort like the children of a Butler", he told her and Sybbie nodded, wrinkling her eyebrows rather sweetly as she thought about his words.

"But you like children?", she then asked seriously.

"Of course, I do", he answered truthfully and leaned down. "I certainly like you very much", he smiled at her and playfully pricked his finger in her stomach. Sybbie squeaked in joy and laughed when he tried to tickle her.

"I like you too", she giggled a bit out of breath when he finally released her. Then she sat upright on the edge of her bed and scrutinized him with the enquiring look of a child that thought about something she considered to be serious.

"I think you should be married", she suddenly declared, taking Carson by surprise. "Papa says people are happier when they're married", she went on, unaware of the Butler's slight uneasiness. "And I want you to be happy", she finished with a bright smile that warmed his heart.

"You know, Miss Sybbie...", he began slowly, soothed by her sweet naivety, "marriage is a very serious matter. If you marry you do it because you love each other, and your Papa is right, that certainly makes you very happy, but you have to find the right person", Carson explained, quite pleased with himself.

"And you haven't", she detected, more an observation than a question.
"Who would be the right person for you, Mr Carson?", she then asked frankly and despite the subject of the question, he couldn't help but smile at her childlike innocence that still allowed her to say whatever came to her mind. And what was the matter with giving this sweet little girl an answer, anyway?

"Well..." He thought about what to say, as this wasn't something one discussed every day, after all. There was irrevocably the image of a certain someone coming to his mind, however, and as much as he would have liked to deny it, he had to admit that it didn't actually surprise him at all.
"She should be nice and witty, of course", he began, her soft Scottish lilt echoing in his ears. "Know her own mind, but be also kind and funny...and pretty perhaps, although that's always in the eye of the observer", he finished and Sybbie nodded genuinely, staring in the air in front of her for a moment, as if concentratedly considering something. Then a smile spread across her face, announcing the idea that had just come to her mind.