Lady Grantham paused and turned to look at the girl who had addressed her. They had spoken little in the weeks, months now, since their mutual arrival, but her general impression of the soft spoken young woman was positive. The girl had manners and grace, which both put her well into Violet's favor, enough so that the response was soft in return.

"I have not, my dear," she replied. "We are not well acquainted, but I do not believe that I have seen anything of him of late." She might have gone on her way then, but she remembered that another had gone missing as well, and that made her pause. "You have spoken to him recently?" she asked.