When Henry returned, Elsie was still sat on the bed with her daughter, but the mood between them was much lighter than it had been in his absence, as if a great weight had been lifted from them. Elsie did still feel a little heavy hearted and particularly nervous about the prospect of leaving; but she knew now what she needed to do.
'I shall leave you to rest my girl; you might be on the mend, but that doesn't mean you don't need your rest.' Elsie said. 'Goodnight.' She added as she kissed her daughter.
'Goodnight Mam; I hope you sleep well.' Ella whispered as she kissed her mam back.
'Elsie,' Henry added as he nodded his head at his mother-in-law in form of goodnight.
Once they were alone, Henry began to undress, feeling absolutely exhausted and looking forward to getting into bed and to spending some time with his beautiful wife. He kept glancing at her and smiling, which made her smile back with confusion.
'What are you smirking at Doctor Forbes?' She asked after a while.
'Am I not allowed to look at my wife and smile? You would think me awful if I looked at you with a frown.' He replied happily.
'Well that's true, but you seem especially jovial tonight; what is it that has got you in such a good mood?'
'I had a meeting with Doctor Clarkson today and he gave me some really good news.' Henry began to explain as he climbed into bed next to Ella and waited until she had shuffled herself into his embrace before he continued. 'He's been petitioning for more funds for the hospital for some time now, since the war, to create an out patients clinic and to expand the hospital. He's also very pleased with the work that I've been doing and he wants to involve me more in the running of the hospital. He has yet to speak to the Chairwoman of the Board, but since that is Isobel, I don't see that as a problem, but he wants me to invest in the hospital and effectively become a partner.' He explained with excited delight, which was reciprocated by his wife.
'Henry that's fantastic news! Oh I am so thrilled for you!' She said with genuine joy as she hugged him and then kissed him soundly.
'It is my love, it really is. It's brought me back to the reasons I became a doctor in the first place; to look at new treatments and to further people's health. Things aren't like they were before the war, more people are taking an interest in their health and their welfare and I know, that with the right equipment and technology, there's so much more good I can do.' He enthused, much to Ella's amusement. It delighted her to see her husband so ecstatically happy.
'And I know that you will do a great deal of good.' She said as she kissed him again.
Elsewhere, Elsie ventured downstairs into the servants' hall and found Charlie in his pantry, cleaning the silver, something he did quite often when he was irritated or worked up and she knew that it was her, on this occasion, who had upset him.
'Might I come in?' She asked tentatively as she knocked on his open door.
'Since when have you needed my permission?'
'Since I've hurt you; I know now that it is never going to be easy for me to be separated from my daughter…'
'…but you don't need to be. I have been a fool to think that you could be and selfish to have tried to make you leave her. However, I hope you won't tell me that we can't find our happiness together after all…'
'Charlie, do you really think I have come to tell you that we're over before we've really begun? You silly, sweet man. I do love you, I do want to be with you and I do want us to move into our cottage together.' Elsie said with a watery smile and her words surprised her husband.
'You don't mean that and I can't ask it of you when I know how much it will hurt you to be separated from her.' He replied as he took a hold of her hand.
'But I do mean it; like I said, it is never going to be easy for me to be separated from her. However, I know that I will always have your love and support to help me in my times of doubt and I know that I have her support too, so that when I am yearning for her, she will always be with me in a heartbeat.'
'Are you sure about this?'
'Yes and no, but that's what makes Ella's suggestion so perfect. How would you feel about spending a couple of nights a week at our cottage, so that I can get used to it?' She asked.
'Would that make you happy?' He replied as he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked lovingly into her blue eyes, which were filled with such pain and yet so much hope.
'Yes, I think it would make me very happy.'
'I will do whatever you want, I hope you always know that and I will let you decide when we go and when we stay.' He whispered as he embraced her.
'Is it too late to walk down tonight?' She whispered back and he felt a little startled at the prospect of their leaving so soon.
'We don't have to do it tonight if you don't feel comfortable.'
'But we must, otherwise I will find an excuse not to and another and probably another one after that. I need to take the plunge.' She replied as she held tightly onto him.
They stood together for a short while, with Elsie wrapped tightly in Charlie's embrace, until he finally grabbed her coat from the hook in her sitting room. She tied her scarf around her neck, pulled on her gloves and nervously shivered into her coat. Her heart was thumping as she prepared herself to leave her daughter, but she kept the conversation going in her head, that it was just for one night, they were only a couple of miles down the road and that she would see her child again in the morning.
As she had the conversation with herself in her head, she suddenly felt her husband's hand clasping hers, offering her comfort and support and helping her to feel steady as she took those first few steps towards the door.