Scottish people
"Mrs Crawley! I was looking for you…"
At that recall, the woman stopped her lonely walk and turned around with a surprised look. When she had decided to leave the Carsons' reception a bit earlier than the others, she hadn't expected someone to stop her, let alone that someone to be the bride herself! Instead now, against any predictions, the housekeeper of the Abbey was walking right in her direction with a warm smile on the face. Isobel could not help but think of how beautiful and younger she looked in that very moment; Mr Carson was certainly feeling like the "happiest and luckiest of men" as he had said before the toast, but his new wife clearly wasn't feeling any less, after all.
"Me? Is there something I can do for you, Mrs Carson?" the former nurse politely asked, as soon as the bride stopped in front of her.
Elsie's lips instictively curved into a proud smile hearing her new name, but a trace of uncertainty soon covered it, as she hesitated to speak for some moments. "Actually, maybe it is the other way around…" she chose to say eventually. Then, she just raised the bouquet in her hand and motioned to the other woman to take it, letting that act speak louder than words. "I just wanted to give you this…"
Isobel's surprise only grew and her now widened eyes confirmed it. "Are you sure? Why do you want to give that to me? There a lot of other currenlty unmarried women, I believe…"
"Of course there are" the housekeeper quickly agreeded, but also quickly added the required explanation. "But you see, I think that right now you are probably the most likely one to get married"
Mrs Crawley let out a somewhat bitter chuckle and slightly shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not" she pointed out with a sigh, "I appreciate your gesture, I really do… But the fact is there is no chance I will consider a marriage with Lord Merton again"
The exclamation showed a clear determination impossible to retort, but yet Elsie didn't seem to care at all. Quite the contrary, an unexpected and almost uncharatteristic smirk crossed her face and remained there for a long second. "Oh but I never said anything about Lord Merton, did I?" she rhetorically asked, daring to cast a knowing look. She was trying to fake nonchalance, but actually, that same smirk still standing on her lips totally betrayed her.
Without waiting for a reply, the housekeeper took a step more, in order to place the flowers in the other woman's hands. As if she had suddenly fallen in a state of trance, it was only by inertia that Isobel held them and managed to make a small but yet empty smile in return. She was still surprised by the gesture and now confused by the enigmatic words just said, but, according to Mrs Carson, that wasn't enough yet. Taking advantage of that confusion and of the unusual promixity, the bride decided in fact to give one last piece of advice.
"You know, Mrs Crawley, we Scottish people can be very stubborn… And we always find a way to obtain what we want in the end…" she said as if she were revealing a secret of state, lowering her voice in spite of the fact no one else was near enough to hear them anyway.
It was strange for a woman like Isobel to be left speechless and yet, during that short conversation, she was finding herself at total loss of words at least for the second time. She didn't speak, she didn't move and actually just remained still with the bouquet in hands, watching Elsie Hughes now Carson silently taking her leave. Only after several moments later, that confusion turned into pure embarassment and an inevitable blush appeared on her face, as realization finally hit her.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember that Richard Clarkson was Scottish indeed.
I have no idea why Elsie should ship so much Richobel, but I kinda like the broship between the two women. Yesterday's episode left me with conflicted feelings toward my OTP Richobel and a bursting heart for Chelsie, so this is what happened mixing the two things lol I hope you liked this short fanfic, reviews are always appreciated:)