Each member of the family reacted quite differently when Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes had shared their news. Lady Mary smiled and congratulated them both, surprising herself by welling up when she took Carson's hand. Tom shook Mr. Carson's hand and then took both of Mrs. Hughes hands in his and warmly wished her every happiness. Lady Grantham did not hide her shock, but regained her composure enough to shake both their hands and immediately ask how long it would take to have their successors in place. Lord Grantham was unnervingly quiet until he shocked everyone with his outburst at Carson, "You're telling Mama!" storming out of the room.
Dismissed and somewhat shaken by their reception, Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes returned to her parlor to take a much needed seat.
They sat in silence until Mrs. Hughes let out a loud "Ha!" and repeated Lord Grantham's "You're telling Mama!" She began laughing and couldn't stop. Mr. Carson fought to maintain a more serious demeanor, but found he, too, couldn't help but acknowledge the ridiculousness of the Lord's outburst; he joined in Mrs. Hughes hysterics.
"I can't breathe!" Mrs. Hughes cried.
Mrs. Patmore stuck her head in the door. "What happened? Did you tell them?"
Neither could stop laughing long enough to give her an answer.
"I'll bring you some tea and maybe then you can calm down and tell me."
Members of the staff began to congregate around the door to listen to the housekeeper and the butler giggling like a clan of hyenas.
Anna stepped into the parlor. "Mrs. Hughes? Mr. Carson? Are you all right?"
Carson wiped his eyes and managed to catch enough breath to ask, "Anna, would please tell everyone to be prompt for lunch today. Mrs. Hughes and I have an announcement."
Daisy, Anna and Mrs. Baxter cried. Mosley applauded. Mr. Barrow spilled his water. Mr. Bates shook Mr. Carson's hand. Mrs. Patmore brought in special little cakes she had made in honor of the occasion. Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes beamed.
That evening, having been informed by Mr. Carson as Mrs. Hughes stood by, the Dowager reached out and took one of both of their hands and said, "About time, too." Lord Grantham looked on in shock. His outburst had been for naught.
Lord Grantham later apologized to Mr. Carson for his initial reaction and offered them their choice from among three lovely cottages, as well as a selection of furniture from that stored in the attic of the abbey. They chose the Rose Cottage complete with indoor plumbing, a Ruud gas water heater, and built-in book shelves. From the attic they chose an overstuffed couch and matching chair. Mrs. Hughes was allowed to take the table and chairs from her parlor. Their bedroom suit included a large bed with matching dresser and chest of drawers.
One week after Mr. Carson had pretended to be sick, he asked Mrs. Hughes to join him on an evening walk. Lantern in hand, he led her to the dock of the small pond near the house. Candles lined the small wooden platform and reflected off the water. Having made their way to the center of the dock, Mr. Carson sank to one knee and pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and officially asked Mrs. Hughes to be his bride. She whispered, "Yes, oh yes," and brushed the side of his face with her left hand. He placed the delicate gold band that featured a small square sapphire on her finger and kissed the inside of her palm.
Mr. Barrow left Downton Abbey for good when he was passed over as the replacement for Mr. Carson. Mr. Carson was unable to justify recommending him after all of the misdeeds and unkindness Thomas had perpetrated over the years. Mr. Mosley was moved into Thomas' place as under butler and an experienced butler from London was hired. He was respectful of Mr. Carson, which, in turn, quickly gained him the respect of the rest of the staff.
Mrs. Hughes tried to convince Anna to take her place, but Anna was unwilling. The demand of being housekeeper of such a large house would, she felt, stand in the way of expanding the family she and Mr. Bates might want someday. Mrs. Hughes understood and Mrs. Bute was summoned from London.
Lord and Lady Grantham would have preferred Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes to stay at Downton until they were no longer able to walk the halls, but they were pleased with how smoothly the transition was managed.
Training the new staff pushed the wedding date back by a few weeks, but within two months, Elsie Hughes became Elsie Carson.
The wedding was held on a brisk Sunday afternoon in November. The bride carried her bible, adorned with a few sprigs of heather and wore a deep blue suit that beautifully set off her eyes. The groom wore a new dark suit that was tailored to perfection. They had chosen to have the wedding in the small chapel adjacent to the larger sanctuary. It was a tight fit, the attending included all of the members of staff, the entire Crawley family, Dr. Clarkson, as well as several villagers who had known and admired both butler and housekeeper for many years.
Mr. Carson surprised Mrs. Hughes by sending her sister and brother-in-law train fare, as well as renting a room for them at the Grantham Arms. While he could have given her no greater gift than this, she returned the gift with the a look of surprise that quickly altered to bliss when she noticed her sister on the aisle. The two Scottish beauties briefly squeezed hands as the bride made her way to her awaiting groom.
"You look beautiful." Mr. Carson whispered as he took her hand. Mrs. Hughes blinked away tears, "So do you."
The service was simple and the kiss sweet as Mr. Travis announced them man and wife.
A small reception was held in the church hall. The couple was toasted with Mrs. Patmore's ginger punch many times over, many hugs were exchanged and tears shed.
Mr. Branson, had volunteered to drive the new couple home in the finest car in the Crawley fleet. Just before the car left, Lady Mary took joined Tom in the front of the car. The bride and groom both smiled and waved as they were driven away. As the church disappeared from view, they both turned and rested their heads against the seat, smiling as they held hands.
The sun had just begun to set when they arrived at the cottage. As Tom opened the door for Mr. and Mrs. Carson, Lady Mary pulled a bottle of Lord Grantham's finest champagne and a box containing two glasses out from under her seat. "For a private toast."
Mr. Carson was thunderstruck. "This is the Baccarat crystal, milady."
"Now it is your Baccarat crystal, Mr. Carson. Congratulations and many, many happy returns." Lady Mary kissed Carson on the cheek and quickly returned to the car before either of them could become too emotional.
Mr. Branson kissed Mrs. Carson on the cheek and whispered into her ear, "Sybil would be so pleased." He dashed away before either he or Mrs. Carson could become too emotional.
Charles looked at the sad smile on Elsie's face. "What did he say, love?"
She took his arm, "Tell you later."
They watched the car drive out of view before walking up to their front door. Charles handed her the champagne bottle and glasses, unlocked and pushed open the door, and, before she could protest, swung Elsie up into his arms and kissed her. "Welcome home."
He gently put her on her feet as they stood inside the parlor of the cottage. The room was cozy and inviting. The wood work and walls were bright and cheerful in white. Shades of blue and muted reds and pinks covered the soft furnishings in the room. The bookshelves were mostly filled with volumes they had each collected over the years, as well as a few from Lord Grantham's library that he knew they each particularly loved.
Charles knelt to build a fire in the fireplace as Elsie carried the champagne and glasses into the kitchen. She placed the champagne in the ice box and then removed the glasses from their box and placed them on a high shelf knowing how precious they were to Charles.
She returned to the parlor and stood next to where he knelt in front of the hearth and ran her fingers through his hair, "Mr. Carson."
"Mrs. Carson." He reach over and too her hand and kissed the sapphire ring, along with the simple gold band he had added to her finger only hours before.
Elsie sighed and thought of the night of their formal engagement when they had returned to Downton from the dock. She had looked at the sapphire in the light and thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, much less ever been given.
"It is so, so lovely, Charles, but it is too much. A simple gold band is all I need…"
He let her fuss for a moment and then simply said:
"She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes."
Overwhelmed, a teary Elsie had placed her arms around Charles and held him tight. He whispered, "I saw it and I thought of your beautiful blue eyes and knew there was no other choice."
Pulling herself back into the moment, Elsie helped Charles stand. He put an arm around her waist and drew her to him. He kissed her brow and the end of her nose before moving to her mouth. They continued to kiss and caress one until the sun had completely gone down and the only light in the room was provided by the fireplace flames.
"Charles?"
"Yes, love?" He stepped back, holding her hand.
"I think I would like to take a bath before bed."
Charles swallowed, "Very good. I can build a fire in the bedroom and then take a quick bath myself when you are finished."
She leaned against him. "Perfect."
Elsie retrieved a white box she had hidden in the bottom dresser drawer and made her way to the bathroom. Charles had turned on the taps while she was in the bedroom and steam began to fill the room. He gave her a quick kiss before moving into the bedroom and closing the door. Elsie opened the bathroom window a few inches to release some of the steam.
Undressing quickly, she hung her new suit on an empty hanger she had placed on the back of the bathroom door leading into the bedroom and stacked her corset, shift, stockings and shoes on top of the wicker hamper. She added some lavender bath oil to the water and gently lowered herself into the tub.
Charles had gone into the back garden to retrieve extra wood when he heard a contented Elsie sigh. He couldn't refrain from peeking into the partly opened window. The position of the tub in relation to the window allowed him to see Elsie's head leaning back against the edge of the tub. He was enjoying the sight of the soft tendrils of hair that curled around her peaceful, smiling face and was just about to turn away when Elsie eased her body into an upright position to reach for the cloth lying over the side of the tub. The upper portion of her wet, naked body was suddenly in view. Charles gasped. Her breasts were beautiful, full and firm. He quickly ducked out of sight. Heat flushed his face and chest. He had to rest against the side of the cottage for a moment to regain his composure and nearly forgot to take firewood in with him as he made his way back into the cottage.
Elsie fought the urge to rush through the bath. She went over each limb with the warm soapy cloth and blushed as she ran the cloth between her legs, a nervous flutter filling her stomach. Reaching for the towel hanging from the rack, she carefully stepped out of the tub and onto the white and blue rag rug Daisy had made and given them as a wedding gift. She thoroughly dried her entire body and pulled the stopper from the tub. She put on her dressing gown after applying lavender scented cream, a gift from Mrs. Baxter, to her legs, arms, abdomen and breasts. She rubbed her trusty Cyclax lotion over her face and down her neck. She opened the small cabinet above the sink and smiled at the sight of her toothbrush next to Charles'.
Body soft and supple and teeth cleaned, Elsie removed the pins from her hair and ran her hair brush through her long chestnut mane. She loosely braided the hair, leaving a few soft strands framing her face.
She took a deep breath, removed her dressing gown and opened the white box. Gently pulling back the folds of tissue paper, she lifted the cream colored silk gown from the box. A band of delicately embroidered blue flowers created an empire waist. Two lengths of blue silk ribbon synched in the waistline and created a sash in the back. A small series of blue cloth covered buttons was located under the arm on one side of the gown. A loose split sleeve draped from each shoulder to just above the elbow. Elsie carefully unbuttoned the gown and pulled it over her head, letting the cool fabric slide down her body. She buttoned the gown and tied the sash before walking to the looking glass that hung on the back of the door leading to the corridor. She smiled, feeling her cheeks warm as she took in her reflection. The effect of the empire waist and low-cut bodice was more daring than any garment Elsie had ever worn. She took a very deep breath and bit her bottom lip; she had never been so nervous in her whole life.
Charles sat on the edge of the sofa with an open book in his hands. He had read the same paragraph four times. What was taking her so long? He jumped to his feet when he heard the bath taps begin to run. He picked up his pyjamas and a clean pair of shorts from the sofa and timidly made his way down the corridor.
"Elsie?" He stood outside the bathroom door, but it was the bedroom door that creaked.
She had opened the door a few inches and he could only make out her face in the dim corridor.
"Sorry I took so long. "
"You didn't," he reassured her.
She gave him a warm smile. "I am running you a fresh bath and there is a towel on the rack. I hung your dressing gown on the back of the door and your slippers are in there. Oh, and your toothbrush is in the cabinet."
She had thought of everything. "Thank you." He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss.
Charles was thorough, but quick with his bath. He splashed on some cologne, cleaned his teeth and ran his brush over his hair before stepping into his shorts and pyjamas and putting on his dressing gown. He put his hand on the door knob to the bedroom but wasn't sure how to proceed. Should he knock? Should he take more time so he doesn't seem too eager? He had just lifted his fist to gently knock only to have Elsie call out to him, "Come in whenever you are ready." His other hand still on the door knob, he took a deep breath and opened the door.
Elsie was wearing her dressing gown as she stood at the dresser. An engraved silver tray, presented to Mr. Carson by the Dowager Countess on his retirement, was lined with a thick doily and contained the bottle of champagne and the two Baccarat flutes.
She turned to him with a playful smile, "Don't worry. I didn't carry the tray in loaded. I made three trips."
He laughed as he crossed the room to her. Her skin glowed in the firelight. He inhaled her light lavender scent and kissed the top of her head.
"I will let you do the honors, Mr. Carson."
He expertly took hold of the bottle and popped the cork with nary a drop escaping. He poured them each a glass and handed one to her.
He looked down at her face in the firelight and said, "To a life full of good days with my beautiful wife." She smiled up at him, "To my wonderful husband." They gently clanked the glasses and took a sip. The champagne was delicious, but the nerves of the newlyweds didn't allow them to fully enjoy it. They both nursed their glasses as the reality of what was about to happen weighed upon them.
"Would you…" Charles didn't know how to finish the sentence.
Elsie laughed, "Oh finish your champagne, Charles."
Elsie downed hers quickly and placed the glass back on the tray. Charles took the last few swallows in his glass and set it next to Elsie's. He replaced the stopper in the champagne bottle and turned to look at her. She smiled at him tenderly and offered her hand.
Leading him across the room, she then untied his dressing gown and helped him out of it. Elsie beckoned him to take a seat on the bed and once he was seated, she took his hands and placed them on the tie of her dressing gown. He slowly pulled the knot loose and placed his hands just inside the opening near her shoulders. Elsie drew her shoulders back and let the dressing gown slide to the floor.
Charles gasped as he took in the silk landscape in front of him. The silk gown clung to every curve and swell of her soft, warm body. He looked up into her face. "Oh, Elsie."
"Will I do, Mr. Carson?"
"I should say. You are beautiful."
She let out a small sigh of relief and stroked his cheek. He pulled her to him, the side of his face pressed against her bosom, while his hands slid down the sides of her waist and over her bum. She lightly moaned with pleasure from his touch.
Running her hands up and down his back, she then leaned slightly away from him, taking his face in her hands and kissed him ever so lightly on the lips. She slowly unbuttoned his pyjama top and let her hands slide over the warm plane of his chest. Her hands explored the thick hair that covered his chest and stomach. Charles returned her touch, sliding his hands up the sides of her breasts and then let his thumbs stroke her nipples in gentle circle motions. Elsie let out a series of soft sighs as the sensation of Charles' touch traveled from her sensitive nipples to deep between her legs.
She leaned down and kissed him with a surprising voraciousness. Charles wrapped his arms around her, leaned back pulling her on top of his body.
Elsie pushed herself up with one hand, looking at him, "I'm too heavy."
"You're perfect," he whispered as he pulled her back down to him. Elsie smiled, but slid to his left so they were both on their sides facing one another. Their hands continued to explore one another's bodies as they exchanged kisses.
Elsie finally pulled back her head, nearly breathless from the exquisite activity of the last few minutes. "Can we pull back the bedclothes?"