A/N: I will at some point finish my other stories but this idea has been burning in my mind for sometime. There will likely only be two or three chapters. I regretfully do not own these characters, if I did the show would most likely be shown on HBO and not ITV. Enjoy and if you've a moment to spare a review would be much appreciated!

Intimacy had never been easy for Charles Carson. Throughout his entire life getting close to people had been difficult. Even with his own mother he had bristled at her touch, moved away as she asked about his thoughts and feelings. Everything felt better deep inside him, away from others, he could rely on himself, others would only invariably let him down.

Despite his difficult with intimacy he had in fact reached some level of it with Mrs. Hughes after nearly thirty years working together. Indeed most days she knew his mind better then he knew it himself. They had created their own language with looks and gestures that over the years became a silent tribute to an unconventional love they shared, though it took him until the reality of retirement had come to admit such a thing. When he finally accepted that he loved her dearly, very dearly in fact, more than he had ever thought himself capable of, it had seemed a logical decision to request her hand in marriage. If their past thirty years together had shown him anything it was that the two could live happily in harmony with each other the rest of the days of their lives.

Charles Carson however had forgotten one very vital part of a marriage, the part he had never become even remotely familiar with. Physical intimacy and lustful desires.

Yes in his youth he had experienced lust and want but he had always been careful to contain these desires to himself. For along with lust invariably came responsibility and life outside what he had always pictured for himself. By the time he was thirty he had pushed aside the desires of the flesh and banished them to the darkest corners of his mind where he had also filled away any socialist ideals that had once appealed to him.

It wasn't until the day of his wedding when Mr. Bates had cautiously but firmly approached the subject of the wedding night. With horror the fantasy's of his youth returned, of creamy skin and pert breasts. He had thought briefly to cancel the wedding. To tell Mrs. Hughes that he had decided he was unfit for marriage and flee to the cottage to await death alone. However recalling the brightness in her eyes and the tears that rolled down her proud cheek at her acceptance of his proposal told him it would be impossible to retreat now. He loved her and she loved him. Perhaps he thought hopefully that she would believe herself to be too old for such things and that would be the end of it.

If only he had known the passionate fantasy's that had been plaguing her since his evening on bended knee.

The wedding had been a whirl. Hours of dancing and eating and enjoying the company of all they loved had finally concluded and the bride and groom walked hand in hand to their cottage.

"Its been a lovely day." Charles said gently squeezing her hand as they neared their own home.

"It has, and it shall be a lovely evening." She said with a slight giggle.

"Mrs. Carson, that sounded rather risqué." He said suddenly becoming very concerned again.

"My darling Mr. Carson, that was rather the point. Have you not been looking forward to this evening?" She said.

"I will admit I have been looking forward to this day for a long while. I must also sadly admit that I had forgotten about the wedding night until very recently." He said, deciding she didn't need to know how recently.

"Truly?" She said shocked and stopping in her tracks.

"I'm afraid I have spent the majority of my life being a chaste bachelor. I had forgotten or at least tried to forget that there were…aspects of life I was not…engaging in." He said looking at her.

"That does not mean however," he said quickly "that I do not have…interest in such things. Gods this is rather a painful conversation my dear, perhaps we can continue this walk in silence until we reach our new home." He pleaded trying to pull her towards their very near front door.

"Charles Carson, I shall not take another step from this spot until we have this sorted."

"Elsie…I-"

"Do you intend to make love to me tonight?" She said plainly, secretly enjoying watching the color come to his cheeks.

"This is not an appropriate conversation!" He said in a huff.

"We are married now Charles, nothing we do or say is inappropriate, especially when it regards our marriage bed."

"Why are you so…" he stumbled, wondering what had gotten into his normally levelheaded bride.

"Because I have fretted so these past few weeks wondering if I would please you in such a manner."

"What?"

" I know we can get along well in every other regard, this is the only thing that is uncertain."

"I don't understand."

"I know I can keep house and Mrs. Patmore has been teaching me to make your favorite foods. I know that should we argue that we can come to a compromise, I know that we can sip sherry in the evening and sit beside the fire reading books and be very content as man and wife but I cannot be certain that I can please you in the physical way a woman should please her husband and it has been terrifying me."

"Elsie, you please me greatly by just holding my hand."

"Perhaps, but you may want to do more then just hold hands." She said looking down intently at the ground, hoping perchance it would open and swallow her whole.

"Do you?" He asked.

"Yes. Being retired, being married is an opportunity to explore all those things that have been beyond my reach for so many years. Of course if you would rather not…well I will be just as content to share a goodnight kiss."

"Elsie," Charles began slowly, "I've every intention of making love to you tonight. Please have no more fears that you will not please me, in fact it is I who should be worried…actually I am rather worried. But we will weather this storm, like all others together." He said and reached down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

A short while later they lay in bed side by side, looking awkwardly at the ceiling. When Charles had entered the bedroom Elsie had already climbed under the covers and had pulled them up high, her arms laying tightly at her sides above the blankets, fingers fidgeting nervously and her teeth gently biting her lower lip. He had chuckled at the sight ,which in turn had earned him a sheepish smile from her. Following her example he had climbed in beside her and laid his arms above the blankets at his side.

Slowly his right hand found her left on the bed and squeezed it tightly.

Turning her head she stared at his profile for a long moment before softly whispering, "I love you Charles."

He turned his head to meet her eyes. "I love you." He said his free hand coming round to gently stroke her cheek.

"Kiss me?" she asked, her eyes closed at the touch his hand upon her cheek.

"My pleasure." He said rolling towards her slightly and pressing his lips against her.

He felt himself beginning to react to their kisses. She began to nuzzle her body closer to his as their passionate kisses continued robbing her of breath and making her head dizzy with desire. Unable to breath she pulled her lips away from his and turned her head away from him taking in large gulps of air as her body began to shake.

"Are you alright?" Charles asked sitting up alarmed, gently he put one arm over her to lean across trying to read her face in the shadows.

"I'm fine its just…I've lost my breath."

"Oh…um…" He began to pull away but her hand reached out quickly to rest on his arm over her.

"Its wonderful Charles. Wonderful." She said looking deep into his eyes, begging him to continue with silent looks she knew he'd understand.

With a slight nod he rolled himself fully over her, her legs quickly falling open to him. Careful of his great weight he braced his arms on either side of her.

"I love you Charles." She said quickly claiming his lips before he could return the sentiment.

Their passionate kisses began again and Charles had nary an idea what to do at this point. He understood the mechanics of the actions of course but all he could focus on was the softness of her lips and the worry of what his bulk of weight might do to her unchecked. Her hands began gently stroking his sides, rubbing across his back. Suddenly she bent her knees up and thrust her hips towards his. He moaned aloud at the sudden contact and she pushed her hips against his again. All thought and logic had left her by this point, primal need spurred her actions.

He was growing painfully hard, he knew he must do something soon or he would shame himself and his new bride. Readjusting his weight he reached one hand down and pulled her nightgown up.

He hadn't properly considered what to do about either of their underthings. He knew for him he could easily push his shorts down slightly to allow the necessary movements but how could he access her. Silently he hoped that she might have forgone female underthings but alas as the gown rose higher up her quivering thighs the white lace of her knickers showed themselves. He fumbled now truly unsure what to do, tentatively he touched the knickers searching for some sort of ribbon or tie, mindful not to touch the prize hidden underneath them. He found a satin bow at the front and followed it down and let out a slight sound of shock to discover an opening in them.

"Charles, is everything alright?" She said pulling back from his lips, concerned at such an odd noise arising from him at such a delicate moment.

"Yes, I just…I'm not as familiar with female garments as a husband ought to be." He whispered.

"Well you soon shall be," she said with a slight chuckle. "I hope you not think me wanton my dear but they all come with a slit in the middle."

"I would never think you wanton my love." He said, his anxiety beginning to wane, even in the most intimate of situations he took comfort that they were still themselves, the marriage bed it seemed had not turned her into a doe eyed damsel.

"Then forgive my saying but…I want you Charles." She said gently stroking the side of his face. He gave a quick nod, all his anxiety quickly returning as his shaking hand quickly pulled down his shorts just slightly. Without further thought or concern he pushed himself into the welcoming body of his wife.

She had let out a small grunt of pain at first but had quickly flashed him happy and relieved smile.

The sensation was a completely knew one for Charles. He'd never experience the delights of the flesh but found his body knew exactly what to do. His rhythm came naturally as he moved his body against hers, picking up speed at the wonderful noises coming from her. Loving the slight of her head thrown back and her eyes tightly shut. How he now wished he could undress her and witness how their loving was effecting the whole of her body but that was a concern for another day, for as he sped up he felt himself racing closer and closer to an unknown prize. With a mighty roar his body released and he could hold his weight no longer. He collapsed on top of his wife, his entire body humming with electricity and joy. After a few moments the caresses of her hands across his back awoke him to the world again as he rolled off of her and pulled up his shorts and pajama trousers.

"I love you Elsie." He said, fading away into the world of sleep. She smiled at him sweetly then turned to look at the ceiling again.

She wasn't sure what she had expected but what had occurred certainly wasn't it. Didn't men and women undress during such intimacies? She wouldn't flatter herself to believe she had a great figure but she had assumed that he might want to have seen it or touch it. She had always found that men seemed obsessed with women's breasts but her husband had not even caressed her there. In fact, she thought sadly, he had only touched her to find the opening of her knickers. She lay in bed, worrying her bottom lip that perhaps she had been all-wrong about what marriage was supposed to be like, what physical intimacy was supposed to be like. She tried to turn her mind from her thoughts just before the tears began to fall.