Mr. Carson paced nervously in front of Mrs. Hughes closed sitting room door. It was now or never he told himself, though in reality he'd been telling himself that at various times over the previous few months. But this was it, well and truly he decided.
That morning when he had risen he knew this was his golden chance. With so few staff around and the family gone they had privacy they so rarely experienced.
He's originally intended to broach the subject the previous evening but the wind had come out of his sails a bit when he'd been told that Mrs. Patmore was going to prepare a nice dinner for the senior staff. Instead of having a private moment with the woman he loved, he ended up spending the entire evening listening to Mrs. Patmore and Daisy drone on about this and that until both himself and the housekeeper were so tired they could barely keep their eyes open.
This would be the night, he thought to himself. Briefly he had considered trying to convince her to join him down at the local, though upon further reflection he had to admit that the ambiance would have been lacking there a bit.
So now he stood pacing in front of her door. He'd been there for almost ten minutes, wishing the door to open on its own, and the friendly spirit inside to graciously ask him in.
"Mr. Carson," called the voice from inside, "If you are going to pace there all night long could you please put quieter shoes on?"
He froze in his place at the sound of his voice. Oh God, he thought, does she know how long I've been standing here?!
He began to contemplate retreating when the door swung open.
"Of course, Mr. Carson, you are more then welcome to come in. What you are not welcome to do is stand in front of my door pacing endlessly all night long."
"Oh yes, well…um, sorry." He stuttered, thrown off balance.
"Well come in then." She said ushering him into the room and closing the door firmly behind them.
"Is there something on your mind Mr. Carson?" She asked, sitting down in the old wooden chair beside her table.
"Um…well no, not really." He said sitting down across from her. He couldn't help but smile when he noticed a small container of what he could only presume was cider and two crystal glasses.
"Hmm, I've rarely known you to pace outside my office if there wasn't something on your mind." She said and began pouring the light amber liquid into both glasses.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked, taking the glass from her with a soft smile.
"After twenty years together I'd be a very poor housekeeper if I couldn't recognize the step of the butler." She said with a giggle.
"Ah!" He said raising his eyebrows at her and sipping at his drink. "This is lovely." He said looking at the liquid in his glass.
"Yes it is." She said looking longingly at his face. When his eyes turned to her he saw for a brief moment the expression she'd had on her face before he'd caught her. Suddenly he realized that she wasn't talking about the drinks.
"Actually, I did have something on my mind Mrs. Hughes." He said drawing a long breath. "Something very important."
"Oh really, well go on then." She said, the corners of her lips turning up.
"Well…um…this is all rather difficult but, do you recall when I asked if you were interested in investing in a property together?" He asked, pausing for her answer and to also take a large gulp of the liquid in his glass.
"Yes, I do." She nodded, a pretty blush flushing her cheeks as she looked down at the tablecloth.
"What I had said about it being an investment…that is to say, or rather." He paused taking in a deep breath and berating himself for stumbling so. "It would be good to rent it out until we retire, then I thought perhaps it could be a home of sorts." He paused momentarily, watching her face for signs of understanding, "For us, together."
Her smile widened at the thought, us. It was the one word she had always dreamed of him saying and now it was the one word that left her shy and speechless.
"But of course, there is quite a ways between retirement and such. But perhaps one day it could be our home."
"A home where we would no longer be butler and housekeeper?" She asked, risking a glance up at him.
Oh dear, she thought, he's rather red in the face now.
"Yes, a place where we could just be ourselves."
"That sounds lovely but…well I'm afraid Mr. Carson, I've not encountered two adults of different genders living together in such circumstances, as just themselves." She said, trying to guide him into the question that lingered in the air.
"Yes, well that is the part of the plan that I could, well we could, begin working on now. Retirement may be far off but perhaps I could begin to court you, formally court you that is, so that when the time comes to retire we would be ready to…begin our lives together, in a proper state."
"A proper state?" She said, raising one eyebrow at him.
"You know what I mean." He said, wishing the ground would swallow him up for making such a mess of things.
"Mr. Carson, what would you say the purpose of courting is?" She asked. "I would say that courting is a way for two people to get to know each other, to learn things about the other no one else in the world knows, and to see if, perhaps they would get along well and decide to build a life together."
"Then Mr. Carson, would you say that you and I know each other?"
"Yes, I believe so." He said nodding.
"Would you say that there are things you know about me that no one else in the world knows?"
"Yes, and I'm sure there are things you know about me no one else knows either."
"And do you think we get along well?"
"Yes, of course!"
"Well then it seems as though we have accomplished all the goals of courting." She said firmly, leaving him a bit speechless as he considered how she had gotten him into his current predicament.
Does she not want to court? He thought nervously.
"And I'm glad we have, it seems Mr. Carson that you and I have been unknowingly courting for the last twenty years." She said laughing and reaching across to take his hand.
"And what is it, Mr. Carson, that couples do when they have courted for long enough?" She said, grinning from ear to ear.
"They get married." He said, squeezing her handle gently.
"Do they?" she asked, feigning surprise.
"They do." He said with confidence.
"Well then." She said removing her hand from his.
Suddenly he got up to leave.
"Wait!" She said jumping up after him.
"Yes?" he said turning back to her.
"I thought you were going to ask me something." She said, worrying that her pushing had ruined the moment.
"I was, that is to say I am but I realize that I've forgotten something." He said turning back to the door.
"Charles Edward Carson! You cannot get this close to a proposal and then turn and run to fetch something! Ask me whatever it is you came in here to ask me this minute!" she said trying to control her frustration.
He turned back to her and stepped closer. Taking in a deep breath his eyes softened as he spoke. "I'm asking you to marry me."
Her eyes began to water as a smile broke out across her face, suddenly it felt like every memory of frowning had been erased from her face and she would forever only smile.
"Yes." She said stepping forward and taking his hands in hers.
"Yes?" He asked, trying to be doubly sure as he squeezed her hands.
"Yes I will marry you." She said laughing at how joyous those words sounded.
"Please wait here, I really must fetch something. I will be right back." He said, squeezing her hands tightly, leaning forward slightly, intending at first to kiss her forehead then changing his mind and retreating.
Elsie sat at her desk, her breathing coming heavy as the realization began to set in.
He had done it, he had finally, finally, finally done it. She loved him, and she knew in her heart of hearts that he loved her, but tonight she had finally seen it all come to fruition. They were going to be married, and they were going to live happily ever after.
Her thoughts of happily ever after began to wane after twenty minutes, after half an hour she was beginning to truly get nervous and by forty five minutes she began to seethe with indignation.
It only took ten minutes to climb to the attics and back down, perhaps less considering the happy state in which he had left her sitting room. Now with so much time passing Elsie began to think he'd changed his mind, that he had regretted it.
Well after twenty years of waiting she decided he wasn't going to get away with such behavior. She was going to give him a piece of her mind! She thought as she stood up and stormed up to the attics.
She'd been to his room a dozen or more times throughout their time at Downton, whenever he was sick there was only ever one nurse he wanted to care for him. Last time I bloodly well take care of him, she thought.
"Charles Edward Carson," she shouted as she pushed her way into his bedroom, "If you think you can ask me to marry you then-" she stopped abruptly at the sight before her. Sitting on his bed was Charles, holding an old ring box in his hand looking very sadly down at the ring it held.
"Charles, what on earth?" she asked, coming to sit beside him. Quickly the anger drained from her.
"I'm sorry I've been so long Mrs. Hughes, its just. I was so excited until I saw the ring then it all sort of hit me."
"What hit you?" she asked, tentatively resting her hand on his arm.
"That I'm an old pathetic man." He said, snapping the ring box shut.
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever-"
"Its true, what sort of man asks a woman to marry him without even having a proper ring?"
"But you have a ring…" Elsie said, feeling as though things were spiraling out of control quickly.
"Yes but not a proper ring. This was my mothers," he said opening the box to show her, "I'd forgotten how tarnished and old it is, and plain, just like me."
"Mr. Carson, you are not tarnished or old or plain!" she said, beginning to get very upset with her maudlin man.
"I am, I am old and out of date. Mrs. Hughes, you are a wonderful woman and you deserve the very best. This ring is second rate, anyone can see that and frankly so is this man, you deserve the very best and I want you to have that even if it means we wont be together."
"Charles Carson!" She shouted, hoping that no one was in the corridor, "I have never heard such a silly bit of rubbish in all my life. You are not old, you are older," He made to open his mouth but she quickly pushed on, "and before you can argue with me there is a difference between the two. You are not out of date either, you have old fashion ideas, I tend to have modern ones, I think we balance each other very well. Without me to drag you into this century you'd still be hitching the horse and cart to head to town, and without you to slow me down and pull me back I might miss all the wonderful things our life together has given us."
"I love you Charles, I always have. Nothing in this world would give me more joy then to wear your mothers ring."
"Truly?" Charles asked, a smile beginning to play at the corners of his mouth.
"Truly." She said giving him a brilliant smile, leaving him in no doubt of her sincerity.
For several moments they sat quietly just gazing into each others eyes. She gently let go of his hand and brought one of hers to rest of the side of his face.
"This is the part, I believe, where you place the ring on my finger." She whispered softly, holding out her left hand to him.
Chuckling slightly he slipped the ring onto her finger and marveled at how what he had seen as tarnished just moments ago looked newly bright.
"Now I believe is the part where you are supposed to kiss me Charles." She said her eyes never leaving his.
Leaning forward gently he pressed his lips softly to hers.
Though she had been bold by asking for her kiss, she know found herself wholly without knowledge of what to do next. Luckily for her, he had gotten a bit of practice in regards to kissing during his days on the stage, though he knew it would never do to tell her of that. Putting one arm around her waist, slowly drawing her closer he continued to press his lips to hers, gently he eased them apart and what had been a sweet simple kiss to declare love quickly turned into a passionate embrace which foretold of the marital joys that would lay ahead of them. Needed breath he pulled back to gaze into her heavy lidded eyes. Delighting in the slight blush in her cheeks he took both her hands in his, kissing them each in turn.
"How do you feel Elsie?" He asked, hoping he hadn't overwhelmed her with the passion even he was surprised by.
"How I always feel when we are together," she said taking a deep breath, "Steady, and deliriously happy."