Disclaimer: These Characters do not belong to me but if they did this is what I would have liked to happen.
Thank you Mona Love and GeordieLass for being the best buddies I could ever ask for and encouraging me to try and write something for once. Sorry to disappoint you though they do not emerge from the woods all dishevled with grass stains on their clothes and twigs and dirt all over them... I'm not Naughty like you two are. This is for you both :-). XXXX
"Mr Carson, shall we walk back together?" She stepped quickly over to him and asked desperately hoping his answer would be yes. He did not respond to her but he
waited for her to join him as she walked over towards the station wall. They walked in silence for a while making their way back to Downton Abbey. To the place they
called home. Elsie wondered what their last words to each other were before Mr. Griggs boarded the train. It looked as though they had some closure by the
handshake that was shared. "Why does Charles look so pensive, why won't he just open up a bit and talk about it?" Elsie pondered. They walked slowly together side
by side in rhythm with each other. It's what they did. They were like a well oiled machined. They worked so well together. They were perfect together. You couldn't run
Downton with one and not the other.. He finally broke the silence… "She died Mrs. Hughes." Mrs. Hughes looked over at him and saw the sadness in his eyes as they
continued to walk slowly down the wooded path. She heard Charles take a deep breath and sigh loudly "Five years ago he said. They were together and separated
and five years ago Grigg went to visit her and she told him I was the better man Mrs. Hughes and that she always loved me." Mrs. Hughes took in a deep breath and
processed what she had just heard. Alice loved him and felt she chose the wrong man. Of course she chose the wrong man. Charles Carson is perfect, to me. She was
a fool to let him go, but thank goodness Alice did because if I can't be with him the way I want to be I will take working side by side with him as long as I can be near
him, Elsie thought to herself trying to hide her emotions from Charles. Mrs. Hughes slowed her steps and put her hand on his arm to make him stop. He
turned to face her. He could see she was struggling with her words and thoughts. She kept her hand there on his arm while starring at his shoes. She said in a quiet
calm voice" One thing is for certain , if she did choose you she would have made the best decision of her life. She would have been very happy with you."
Charles took her hand in his; they stood there in silence for a moment. Elsie had surprised herself by saying what she said. She didn't know what came over her but
she felt he needed to know. She wanted him to know he was special, at least to her. He raised her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it gently. Elsie looked up
into his eyes and noticed they were moist and tears were threatening to fall. He whispered to her "because she didn't choose me Mrs. Hughes she made the best
decision of my life for me, I wouldn't have found you." He placed her hand on his arm and they proceeded to walk slowly to Downton together in silence.