Lucky Charlie's

Chapter 1

The arrangement was not right or appropriate, after all she was a busy woman, full of tasks in Downton and definitely could not give up her rest, but how to say no to him? It was impossible. Charlie had only to look at her and everything suddenly softened. Not everything, her. Her personal barriers were reduced to powder and let she let herself get involved with the laughter and dimples from that baby. It was easy, so frighteningly easy.

"Be good." Said Ethel giving a kiss on the boy's forehead.

She wished Ethel good luck and took the child in her arms, cradling him gently to her chest, keeping him properly covered and protected from the cold breeze that swept the land that time of night. Watched as Ethel climbed on her bike and pedaled back to the village, making Charlie wave to his mother. Maybe she should be more affectionate with her, she thought for a moment, after all, the poor girl was leading a hard life to compensate her own mistakes. She knew Ethel needed support, but was she able to do that for her? Elsie didn't know.

But all her feelings and weights were forgotten the moment Elsie sat in her chair in the pantry, with Charlie bouncing gently on her knees. The boy's laughter filled the air, tearing her tender smiles. It was somewhat rewarding to take care of him and allow herself to be completely maternal one time or another.

"You like it, don't you?" She smiled at the boy as he stretched his arms towards her, totally babbling incoherent words.

"Mrs. Hughes, what ..." Charles Carson stopped between the door and the chair where she was when he saw the child. It was late, most servants had retired and the family had gone to London to look for the wedding dresses, taking O'Brien, Anna and Thomas with them. She saw no problem in her taking care of the child for a few nights.

However, Charles Carson looked at her in surprise, blinking a few times. The boy, in the woman's lap, stretched his back to watch him with curiosity.

"Whatis this doing here?"

"Him, Mr. Carson, not this." She corrected him seriously before looking back at the boy with a smile.

"Whatever. What is he doing here, Mrs. Hughes?"

"I'll take care of him for a few nights until Ethel finds someone who can stay with him during the night."

"So I assume she got a job, am I right?" Charles recovered from the initial shock and sat in the chair in front of her, making Charlie squirm even more in the hands of Elsie to be able to observe him.

"Yes, you are, she will clean the pub at night. Although this is not the most suitable job, it pays better than some cleanings do."

They exchanged a meaningful glance. An employment in the pub couldn't be compared with the job she once possessed in Downton, and if she had been prudent and respectable, worked hard and diligently, she would one day evolve. But the desperate situation in which Ethel had been found, there were not many alternatives. At least at the pub she would earn enough to support herself and Charlie with a minimum of dignity.

"Lady Grantham knows about it?" His eyebrow arched, and he studied her attentively with his intense gaze. Elsie had lied once trying to protect Ethel, might as well do it a second time for the boy.

He knew how she had clung to the child and mother, even though she hadn't known it herself. The maternal side was instinctive in women, part of their essence, and for women like her, with no children, it tended to arise with certain people. Anna, William, Ethel and now the baby had the privilege of being beneath the protective wings of Elsie Hughes.

Charles smiled at the thought, but she did not even notice; Elsie had eyes only for the baby and kept talking while she rocked him on her knees, making him laugh again, oblivious of everything else.

"I do not see why she needs to know, it will be just for a few days and she was so busy the last time I saw her that I saw no reason to tell about it. By the time the family is back from London Ethel will have already found someone else to take care of him. You don't need to make this a big deal, Mr. Carson. "

"And until then you will have many sleepless nights."

Elsie rolled her eyes, allowing a soft chuckle to escape her lips. How dull could Charles be sometimes! She wondered if he had really taken care of Lady Mary as a child and wondered about his abilities, a few years before she came to Downton.

"Mr. Carson, he will sleep most of the night, as will I, do not worry."

"And where will he stay?"

"I made a temporary crib and put it in my room. Any more questions?" She asked with the most patient tone as possible, with a tinge of mockery only to tease him, as she returned her gaze to him briefly.

Charles furrowed his brow, making his eyebrows come together and once again Elsie felt like laughing, but this time caught herself and smiled kindly, leaving him even more intrigued. Well yes, it was a mystery to him why she would have agreed to provide such assistance with all the tasks she already carried.

"Are you, by any chance, concerned with the fact that we'll have a gentleman sleeping in the women's hallway for a few days?" Elsie continued provoking, with a slight smile curling her lips in derision.

"The gentleman in question cannot do any damage to the ladies, though." Not the harm I could cause you if I had the chance. He thought before he could stop himself.

The baby was sick of stretching to study Charles and Elsie and appeared not to enjoy having her attention drawn to the other gentleman, starting just to grumble in his own language.

"What is it? Are you hungry?" She looked at the clock on the wall opposite was past ten and very much beyond the time for him to be in bed.

Charlie stretched his arms toward her, agreeing with his almost unintelligible language, only to tear a new smile from her. Cradling the child to her chest and kissing his forehead, Elsie roused from her chair, not realizing that the older man carefully studied her again under a sweet look. Would it be like that if she had had her own children? He wondered while admiring her. Certainly yes, and he could only imagine that her children were also his, in a fantasy, in his wildest dreams, while letting go with the tenderness of the moment and the feeling of welcome that those fantasies brought him until she addressed him again.

"Can you help me for a moment, Mr. Carson?"

"With that, Mrs. Hughes?"

While it seemed to him a mystery, a smile sprouted on Elsie's lips, combining perfectly with her bright eyes, and causing him to regret that very moment.

One more to go.