downtondownstairs/owlsiehoot sent this prompt a while back:late at night Ivy and Jimmy come home from the theatre. They're very loud because they thought everyone was in bed. Thomas gave them the key to the backdoor. But then Carson and Hughes are still up. Carson wants to run out of his pantry to reprimand the youths but Mrs Hughes holds him back "you were young once…" What's next. So now i'm here to follow this idea!

-mad sounds -

"Mrs. Hughes, and what do you think you are doing?" He rose his voice slightly. To his point of view what the young ones were doing could be easily avoided by simply scolding them so they won't do it again. He was quite sure. But her hand on his arm avoiding him from going any further made him boil slightly.

Elsie rolled her eyes and sighed, leaving his arm be. "I am losing faith in you, Mr. Carson. I seem to have long lost the man I've met years ago."

Charles, without a clue of what she was talking about, turned again to her. "Losing faith in me? I certainly do not understand what you mean. I am only trying to educate them…"

"I know and understand all that very well, Mr. Carson." She interrupted him. "But once in a while… let them live a little their wild and reckless age… It's not like they aren't learning proper behavior, it's just…"

She was getting slightly nervous with every word, every breath. She missed those years dearly, like she had long forgotten how to live properly. She didn't want another life than the one she had, but she had at least hoped to have lived a little more.

"I understand." Charles sighed. "Mrs. Hughes, you don't need to get so worked up on such a trivial thing. Have you told me later to let it slide, none of this had happened. I didn't want to upset you."

Elsie looked up at him, and as the few seconds passed, she smile flowered on her lips. "You did not, it was the silliest of thoughts in my head that made me behave like that."

"I'll let it slide then. But they will hear from me in the morning." Charles said, returning to his chair. "…Mrs. Hughes, might I ask something…?"

Elsie sat across him again, her hands resting on her lap. "…Well, yes. If I can answer, that is."

"Are we getting older?" He asked, after filling their glasses with some more sherry.

She chuckled. "Aren't we all?"

Charles took a look at his companion for that night, to his friend of all those everlasting years, while leaning on his arms upon the table. He chuckled as well. "What a silly question. Never mind me…" he said as he laid back on his chair.

"…But sometimes I wish we weren't." Elsie took her glass into her hand. "But as long as we're still breathing, I don't see why we should worry about age. They say that if a friendship lasts more than ten years, it should be everlasting."

"How many years has it been, then?"

"More than ten years."

"Then it's more than a friendship, it's almost a marriage." He smiled. "And honestly, with a fair woman like you? Within the blink of an eye…"

Elsie drank her sherry and sighed. "…Mr. Carson, we aren't in the age of flirting."

"But we were young once, Mrs. Hughes. You said it yourself." He chuckled, raising up. It was time for them to leave. "Well, we best be off. It's late and tomorrow there's work to be done…"

"Yes." Elsie rose as well. "Tomorrow there's work to be done. Goonight, Mr. Carson."

"Goodnight, Elsie."

She smiled as she went out of his pantry. He hadn't called her by that name in more than twenty years. Perhaps it was more than a friendship. The mad sounds of a beating heart made her shiver… The mad thoughts of a life together warmed her bed that night.