Where does it hurt?

It answered

"Everywhere,

everywhere,

everywhere" -

"Have you seen William?" Carson asked as his eyes darted around the Kitchen in the vain hope of finding William hiding under the table or flat against a kitchen wall or even perched upon the shelf with the copper kettles.

"No I've not. I thought he would've been upstairs serving the tea" Mrs Hughes asked with the beginnings of a worried look in her eye.

Carson stood at his full height snapping his hand up to his side looking offended "Mrs Hughes if he was upstairs I wouldn't be down here asking you"

Mrs Hughes for her part didn't even bother rolling her eyes, she'd worked side by side with Mr Carson enough years to know he was all bark and little bite.

"I'll look upstairs in his quarters and if he's not there I'll ask around" she offered

"Good" and with that Carson spun around to head upstairs again before stopping momentarily "Take a look outside also would you?".

"Yes Mr Carson" Mrs Hughes replied genuinely grateful that he had thought of it.

W&W&W&W&W

"No I've not seen the lad this morning" Mrs Patmore replied while kneading the dough "Come to think of it I've not seen 'im since breakfast"

Mrs Hughes bit her bottom lip "I've been to his room. I thought he might be polishing shoes but to no avail and the others have not seen him either"

"Oh dear" Mrs Patmore slammed the dough down "He'll be in the dog 'ouse if Mr Carson catches 'im"

"Who's going to be in the dog 'ouse?" asked Daisy as she walked in with a basket of oranges.

"William, Mrs Hughes has been looking for him. You've not seen 'im have you?" asked Mrs Patmore

Daisy put the basket down gently and looked at both women unsure of whether she should speak.

"Daisy you need to tell Mrs Hughes if you know where he is"

"It's jus' that I don' know where he is, not really" Daisy looked to Mrs Hughes "he's really upset over what 'appened yesterday with Thomas" she explained in the hope of saving William grief.

"If you know where he is Daisy you must tell me" encouraged Mrs Hughes "We're all upset over Thomas' disgusting behavior but William cannot just leave the house without informing Mr Carson"

Daisy looked to Mrs Patmore who jerked her head gently towards Mrs Hughes "Go on" she encouraged.

Daisy took a deep breath "After breakfast he told me he were going for a walk, he were right upset, I think he'd been cryin' all night. I told 'im to talk to you but he were in a right state"

"Yes Daisy but do you know where he went to walk?" pushed Mrs Hughes.

"No I don' think so, I don' right know because he didn't tell me, but I know he likes the 'orses so he might be at the stables.. but I can't be sure"

"Thank you Daisy" Mrs Hughes turned to Mrs Patmore "If Mr Carson asks for me tell him I've found William and that I'm bringing him back"

"Of course" answered Mrs Patmore.

W&W&W&W&W

William liked horses, he always had. His father had told him many a time that he a certain way with animals, a gift, and though his beloved mother had agreed she'd still not wanted her only son to be a farmer. Mrs Mason had dreamed of greater things for her son, but money did not grow on the wheat fields so the safest and best option for William was to enter into service. With Williams sweet and calm nature she was sure he would with time became a fine butler like the almost legendary and most respected Mr Charles Carson of Downton Abbey.

At this moment however being a butler was far from William Masons' mind, at this moment William only wished he was back on the farm with his Dah and Mum. Pouring slop for the pigs, sneaking his hands under the soft underbelly's of the chickens to steal their still warm eggs and then meandering his way to the barn where his Dah's horse munched away at the hay.

Mr Mason's horse was called Riley but at times and with great affection he would call the animal 'Old man Riley'. He was in Williams opinion the most gentle of animals, he'd never bitten anyone, never kicked or whinnied in anger or fear, he barely swished his tail to shoo flies away and for a long time Riley was his best friend. Riley ears always stood to attention when he heard William walking towards the barn, they weren't the heavy plodding footsteps of a sour teenager, rather, soft slow steps of a sensitive and gentle young man, and Riley knew that this young growing master of his always had a few cubes of sugar hidden in his pocket.

It was always that way, first the scratches behind the ears and then a little game of finding the sugar cubes finally followed by a good brushing of his coat. Young William would babble away in whispers about all his worries and dreams, about girls , about his mothers dreams and about what new piece of music he was teaching himself on the piano.

So lost in his thoughts was William that he did not hear Mrs Hughes approach him and he was startled a little when he heard her voice.

"William?"

William quickly brought his hands down to his side, standing to attention.

"I'm sorry Mrs Hughes I didn't hear you" he looked down to her nervously.

"William Mr Carson has been searching for you high and low"

At the mention of Carson name William stiffened, he knew that the butler would be looking for him but in all honesty he hadn't cared, not this morning and not after what happened the day before with Thomas.

"I understand" was all he said.

Mrs Hughes for her part had expected pure panic to flush into Williams face as happened with anyone who was bound into Mr Carson's bad books. To hear and see him so unresponsive, uncaring that his employer was most certainly going to find a resounding punishment to instill fear into the young man worried her more as each second ticked by.

She studied Williams face, his eyes where indeed still quite red and swollen, he was pale and empty and unresponsive. She stepped a little closer to allow him to realize that she was there to listen.

William had turned around slowly to look at the horse again aware that Mrs Hughes was waiting for him to talk. He liked Mrs Hughes, she had always been firm but kind to him, always patient yet encouraging, she was for him a mother in the great house that at the moment felt anything but great.

He reached up and scratched the horses noses and then moved his hand to scratch it under its chin, the horse for its part was quite pleased at this attention and swished it's tail in delight.

A stray tear fell from one of Williams and he wiped it away with the back of his hand then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"William would you like to tell me?" asked Mrs Hughes gently.

William looked down at the housekeeper, at the one person he knew he could trust, who wouldn't ever hurt him. Suddenly he felt a gentle nudge and turned to see the horse who begged with his eyes for more chin scratches and he obliged.

"You know Mrs Hughes" William began while looking at the horse "my Dah has a horse called Riley. He's old now and he's got white hair on his forehead and chin and little patches here and there. We call him Old Man Riley at times and he's the gentlest of beasts. He likes scratches around his ears"

"Lady Mary told me you had a way with horses" Mrs Hughes replied.

William blushed "Not really, well at least I don't think I do, I just think one's got to be patient with animals. Anyhow when I went to see my mum before she.. died.. well when she was resting I'd go and see Riley. He's slower now and he sleeps more. Most people would've be ridden of him but not my Dah, Dah says Riley's worked hard enough and has a right to make old bones"

"Well your fathers right about that" Mrs Hughes glanced momentarily at the horse that stood infront of them, this one was certainly does not know a hard days work, she thought.

"My mum worked hard Mrs Hughes, she lost so much, my brothers and sister and I wish that she'd lived long enough to have made old bones and become proud of me"

"Oh William she was proud of you, so very much" Mrs Hughes put her hand on Williams chin so that they looked eye to eye "You have been such a good son William, you were obedient and respectful to your mother, you put your own dreams aside just to make her happy"

"But was it enough Mrs Hughes?" William blurted through tears "Maybe Thomas was right crying over an unborn babe, over peoples suffering. I mean when it comes down to it Mrs Hughes I'm a nobody, my mum most probably died disappointed" William stared down to the ground defeated.

"William James Mason you will not ever speak that way again" William winced at the sting in Mrs Hughes voice "Your mother loved you so much and was so proud of you because she knew the potential you had, she knew that your honest heart and gentle nature would be needed one day to become a kind and devoted butler. As for Thomas take my advice and leave him alone to brood in his own bitterness. He's not a bad mad man, but he's confused and angry and he thinks the best way to make himself feel better is by putting others down"

Williams face softened a little as he listened to the sincere words of the housekeeper, perhaps not quite filled with confidence but still he was filled with the warmth of her words.

"William you've still a lot to learn, you've to stand up for yourself a little more, be less afraid when Mr Carson reprimands you, he does it because he's trying to teach you and he cannot moddle coddle you. You can only learn through kind discipline and by example and I can assure you that you will find no finer teacher than Mr Carson"

William stood up tall and straight "Yes Mrs Hughes I understand. I'll not let Mr Carson down and I'll not let you down either"

Mrs Hughes features soften "William you've never let me down. I know you've been homesick and of course the loss of your mother has no doubt been a devastating blow but you've proved your worth and I know you will in time became a very fine butler and I for one will be proud of you, I am proud of you William, very proud" she stated in a her Scottish brogue

William felt as if he where to burst at the seems for as much as wanting to please Mr Carson he also wanted to please Mrs Hughes.

"Mrs Hughes might I say something without sounding impertinent?" William asked shyly.

"Go on"

"I told you a little while back that you're a kind women, that I didn't know how the house would run without you and I meant every word of Mrs Hughes. When my mum died I thought I was on my own, I'm only a lad, I know it and I feel very lost without her but I now know its not like that Mrs Hughes, I've got you and that's more than I could have hoped for"

Mrs Hughes was not a woman to wear her emotions on her sleeve for the world to see, she hadn't become housekeeper of the great estate by blubbering at every housemaid of footman's heart breaking, she had learnt to stand on her own two feet through many years of self discipline so she didn't let tears escape at Williams sweet words. No, instead she did something she'd never done with any housemaid or footman, she reached up to Williams tie and straightened it, she pulled his vest down gently and passed her hands over his jacket to straighten it out, then she reached up to put a stray hair back into place and then stepped back. All this little actions spoke the many words she could say, actions only a mother would do not a housekeeper.

"We best get back to the house, no doubt Mr Carson is waiting and I've to talk to him"

"Its ok Mrs Hughes, It's my responsibility to face him" William smiled.

Mrs Hughes smiled back "Shall we go" she indicated and moved aside to let William walk by, instead he stopped by her side and planted a kiss on her cheek but before she could say a word he strode ahead of her and she was left standing shaking her head with a little smile creeping up.

W&W&W&W&W

Mr Carson was naturally quite angry at the Houdini disappearance of William, he was however not an unkind man and had not forgotten the hurt in the young lads face from the day before. Never the less he could allow the lad to go unpunished and so ordered him to polish all the silver before going to bed.

It was there in the room that Daisy found him, polishing every item meticulously.

"Its getting late William, will you not go to bed?" she asked quietly

"Not yet Daisy, I'll do a little more. They've the garden party and I want to make sure it's all ready" answered William without looking up.

"Well I'm heading up then, good night"

"Night Daisy" William looked up with a smile.

The clock in the kitchen sounded midnight and William was truly tired and decided to call it quits, he only had a few more pieces and he could wake early to finish them. As he placed them all back in the cupboard he heard the heavy footsteps of Mr Carson.

"William?"

"I'm just putting everything away Mr Carson. I've only a few pieces left and I can do them in the morning before I start my day" William explained.

"Very well, now off to bed with you" Carson orded.

William closed the cupboard "Good night Mr Carson".

"Oh William wait one moment, I forgot to give you this, it arrived in the afternoon" Carson pulled out an envelope from his pocket with a telegram in it.

William took it and decided to read it when he got to his room "Thank you Mr Carson".