Ch 1- Once Upon A Time At Downton Abbey, Part I

December 1919

"Dashing away with the smoothing iron she stole my heart away." Carson hummed softly.

It was late in the evening and rested by the fire, rocking his young daughter gently as the snow blanketed the ground outside. Four-year-old Charlotte clung to his shirt almost desperately as she started to nod off. The little one was frustrated and fighting sleep. Charlie looked down at his little girl, smiling bittersweetly. She was his treasure, the thing Elsie had given him that most made his life worth living, his precious girl, his baby Elsie.

"Da-da." She mumbled.

"Shuuuu my girl. It's time to go to sleep."

"No…" She protested, settling deeper into his arms. "Story."

Charlie laughed at her protests, his warm chuckle resonating deeply inside the child's soul. It was a sound she'd been familiar with since her time in her mother's womb. All her life, she would remember it and have the gift of it ringing through her ears whenever she found something to be joyful about… even after her father was long gone. Her father's laugh was the happiest, most soothing of sounds in Charlotte Carson's life.

"Shuuu. Charlotte. It's time for sleep. But, did you know you stole my heart away too?" He smiled and she mumbled, still half asleep.

"She did, did she?" Elsie smiled, coming down the stairs.

She'd been listening for several moments and was completely endeared by the way her husband treasured their long awaited, miracle of a child. Charlotte had been born rather unexpectedly several years ago, which had led to an unexpected upheaval in their lives. Charlie and Elsie had had a wild, whirlwind romance. It was quite story really, one of trial, tribulation and most of all forbidden love. It had been the kind of thing that smacked of a scandal and secret…and a secret it had been until Elsie had become pregnant and Charlotte had brought them out of the shadows.

"Yes she did, Mrs. Carson." He smiled, continuing to hum once more in an effort to put the child to sleep. "Dashing away with the smoothing iron, she stole my heart away!"

"Story…" The little auburn haired girl mumbled. Her eyes were shut tightly, but she just couldn't seem to make that final leap to dreamland.

"You heard her, a story Charlie." Elsie laughed, pouring some tea from the kettle on the stove.

"Alright then. But." He yawned. He was tired too. "Only if Mummy helps to tell it."

"I think that sounds perfect, and I know just what story we should tell Charlotte."

"Oh?" He asked.

"Yes." Elsie whispered, kissing her daughter on the head as she walked by. She went and settled into his big armchair by the fire. It was large enough for the two of them to sit side-by-side. Often the three would sit there as a family and spend the evening reading or talking or a combination thereof. It was late and Carson was surprised his wife hadn't picked up one of their daughter's storybooks. He thought it was far too late in the evening to tell her a real story.

"Mummy story." Charlotte mumbled, indicating that she was still wide-awake. Carson joined his wife on the chair, his little girl still in his arms.

"What did you have in mind, Mrs. Hughes?" He teased her, using her maiden name.

She smiled bright, leaning in to kiss him squarely on the lips. He replied in kind, kissing her deeply and she sighed, tilting her head. Charlotte, who laid half in her mother's arms now and half in her father's, squinted up from her place in their embrace. She was half asleep but curious about the kiss and struggled intently to watch their lip lock. She sighed in reassurance of their love, not for each other, but for her and nestled deeper into her mother's chest.

"Story." She reminded. Somewhere inside, she understood that it would be just the thing to take her little mind from the present moment and put her to sleep. Charlotte thought, though that it would be just the thing to keep her wide-awake so she wouldn't miss anything.

"Charlie I want to tell our girl the most important of stories."

"Oh?"

"I think you know the one." She giggled, rubbing her nose against his.

"Which one would that be, Mrs. Hughes?"

"How she and I came to steal Daddy's heart away." Elsie giggled.

"Oh yes, that's a very good one. Very well, we shall tell her that…"

"It has ta begin, 'once upon a time.'" Charlotte reiterated.

Carson cleared his throat and Elsie giggled once more at her girl's words, kissing her on top of her head.

"Very well Charlotte, once upon a time at Downton Abbey…"