A/N: The lack of Carson/Hughes in the Christmas Special made me quite sad. Oh, well—it's nothing that couldn't be mended with a little fan fiction… It might be slightly OOC, but my C/H deprived soul needs it. Hope you enjoy it.

Well, this was the most improper behaviour, if he'd ever seen one!

Something had to be done!

He all but sprung forward, across the hall and outside to the courtyard—but a small, yet strong hand caught his sleeve and held him back.

"What the…" he started, amazed that someone had the nerve to stop him in his way, and turned on his heel, to face—her.

She was smiling, warm sparkles dancing in her eyes, her face still coloured from the evening activities. "Stay where you are," she said playfully. "Isn't that what you always wanted?"

The question caught him completely off guard. "Well… yes, but…"

"No 'buts'," she demanded, shaking her head reproachfully and pulling him away from the windows, and into the dark hallway leading below stairs. "It's as it should be. Give them this moment, they deserve it."

He frowned, his fingers tingling with the need to brush her away and stride across the corridor, to open the door and say… something… anything!, to break up the scene he'd just witnessed. "What if this is all wrong?" he asked, not quite managing to hide a pout. "What if he's simply taking advantage of her?"

She chuckled, and squeezed his arm reassuringly. "I do not think that is the case, Mr. Carson."

"How can you possibly know that? How can you be so sure?" he grumbled, but seemed to lose a little of the wind under his proverbial wings. She smiled at him, beautiful, full smile, which made his heart skip a beat.

"I saw him kneeling down a moment ago. That's how I know, and am sure."

He blinked and turned fully towards her, instinctively covering her hand with his. "You mean he—?"

"I believe so, Mr. Carson."

Relief flooded over him, and he felt himself relax, slumping inelegantly against the wall. "They gave me quite a scare, you see," he mumbled, hoping it would serve as an explanation.

Of course, she would have none of it.

"And…?" she pressed, her brow quirking as she bit her lip playfully.

"…I might have overreacted a little."

She nodded triumphantly, clearly very satisfied with herself. "You must try to trust people more, and to believe in their intelligence, Mr. Carson," she lectured him with mock seriousness. "Giving in to one's spontaneous urges doesn't necessarily mean one's behaviour has to be considered improper. Not even by a person of such high standards as yourself."

He could tell she was making fun of him, but couldn't hold a grudge against her: after all, she did provide him with an explanation that put his nerves to rest… not to mention the soothing effect her touch had on him, as much as he tried to deny it.

"Perhaps you're right," he sighed, and reluctantly let go of her hand. "I'll make it my New Year's Resolution."

"Good," she said, and turned to go downstairs, giving him one last look. "Goodnight, Mr. Carson. I believe the whole household will be in an uproar tomorrow—try to get some rest while you can."

"And you, too," he replied automatically and put one foot on the stair to head up to his room, before a nagging thought hit him. "Mrs. Hughes?"

She looked up from where she stood, half-obscured by the shadows from below the stairs. "Yes, Mr. Carson?"

"Do you ever… give in to spontaneous urges?"

It was most improper to ask her that, he knew: but it felt as if an insubordinate Christmas Elf took up residence in his head and was pushing him, trying to find out how big a fool he could make of himself.

She didn't look offended, though: as a matter of fact, he thought he saw her smirk—although it might have been a play of light.

"More often than you might think."

The door shut quietly behind her, and he still stood there, frozen mid-motion, with quite a silly smile upon his face, and a warm feeling spreading across his chest.

"'More often than you might think'," he whispered to himself, testing the words on his tongue, tasting them in his mouth, and finally started to climb the stairs.

Surprisingly, he found himself looking forward to the commotion of the following day.

TBC?...