The Grantham Arms was fairly lively when Charles and Elsie arrived, but once their presence was made known, the pub seemed to vibrate with cheers and good wishes as the beer began to flow and whiskey was poured to toast them.

Elsie was surprised by all the attention, but did her best to warmly accept all of the well wishes. Charles, on the other hand, was overwhelmed and quite embarrassed. He had certainly taken a few meals at the pub and had shared an odd pint with various members of the male staff over the years, but to be the center of attention was quite disconcerting.

Elsie suddenly felt Charles' hand lock around hers'. His body was rigid with tension and she looked up to find him red faced and sweaty. Never losing her smile, she continued to hold his hand and led him towards a recently vacated table in the back of the room. They were stopped several times by well-meaning villagers who wanted to offer their personal congratulations. Elsie somehow managed to issue words of thanks and keep Charles moving.

She had just planted him in the chair that faced away from the rest of the patrons when she heard a familiar voice calling from across the room, "Elsie! Elsie!"

Elsie placed a half pint of bitter one of the well-wishers had thrust in her hand in front of Charles and waved at her sister and brother in-law. She leaned down to his ear, "Are you alright, darling?"

He looked up, gave her a very unconvincing nod and downed the contents of the glass. Elsie watched in surprise at this uncharacteristic move and couldn't help but laugh when Mr. Carson of the wine cellar and crystal decanters took a breath and belched. He immediately put his hand over his mouth and looked up for what he assumed would be a look of reproach. He was relieved to see nothing but shining eyes full of love and amusement.

"Seems you are the talk of the town, Mrs. Carson!"

Elsie turned and threw her arms around her smiling sister. Maggie Fraser leaned back and took a look at the new bride. "Oh, my. You must have had quite a wedding night, my darling. You are glowing."

Elsie burned a dark crimson but couldn't keep a wide grin from spreading across her face. "It was quite a night."

Her sister pulled her back into a hug. "I couldn't be happier for you, love."

Upon the Fraser's arrival at the table, Charles had quickly stood and offered his hand to Henry, a small man with a red mustache and twinkly eyes. "Mr. Fraser, so very nice to see you again."

"Please, call me Henry," the freckled imp implored.

"And call me Charles."

"Very good." Henry noted Charles' empty glass and smiled, "Next round is mine." Before Charles could explain from where the drink had originated, the little man had disappeared.

Taking Elsie's hand, Maggie leaned around her to a get a look at Charles. "Married life treating you well, Mr. Carson?"

"Charles, please, and well doesn't begin to cover it." He couldn't help but smile at the plumper, grayer version of Elsie that was her sister.

Maggie gave him a big smile and held out her other hand to him. She looked back and forth between the bride and husband. "He'll do."

"That he will," Elsie assured her.

Henry suddenly appeared, followed by a barman bearing two full pints of bitter, two empty wine glasses and a bottle of claret.

Charles held out a chair for Maggie and then Elsie before moving to the far side of the table as the drinks were passed.

Henry remained standing and raised his glass,

"Wishing you always walls for the wind,

A roof for the rain,

Tea beside the fire,

And the love and laughter of those you hold dear."

Charles nodded at Henry in appreciation and turned to look at Elsie. She was smiling with tears in her eyes. Maggie killed the sentimentality of the moment by turning to her husband, "That's awful fancy talk, Mr. Fraser. Are you going to recite Shakespeare next?"

Henry gave his wife the fish eye, and then puffed out his chest, "Verra well, lass. How about 'Lang may yer lum reek'?"

Charles, quite confused, turned to Elsie. She blushed and explained, "It means 'May you never be without fuel for your fire'."

"Ah…oh…" The double meaning of the phrase struck him and he retreated into his pint. Charles had just taken a drink when his sister-in-law responded to her husband, "That is rich coming from the man who runs behind our milk man's horse with a bucket every morning in order to keep our hearth warm."

Charles choked on his beer as Henry hid behind his.

Elsie jumped up and began patting Charles' back while giving her sister a look of reproach.

"I am sorry, Charles. I suppose Elsie didn't tell you what you were in for?"

Charles, regaining his breath, smiled. "Well, whatever I am in for, I am fairly certain I am going to enjoy it."

Elsie looked down at him in happy surprise. "Charles!"

He looked up to find his wife smiling brightly.

"I think marriage suits you, Mr. Carson." Maggie noted as she leaned back in her chair.

Letting the happiness of the moment and the headiness of his beer get the better of him, Charles rose from his seat and took Elsie's hand. She looked at him expectantly. Taking a deep breath, he began reciting in his rich, loud baritone:

"She is a winsome wee thing,

She is a handsome wee thing,

She is a bonny wee thing,

This sweet wee wife o' mine.

I never saw a fairer,

I never loved a dearer,

And next my heart I will wear her,

For fear my jewel be lost."

The entire pub fell silent and looked at the towering figure in the back of the room.

Elsie was stunned by Charles' wonderful but certainly unexpected gesture. She quickly gathered her wits, however, fearful of how he would react when the reality of the moment hit him. She very calmly reached up and took Charles' face in her hands and kissed him as she had never kissed a man in public.

The entire room erupted in cheers and whistles.

Charles froze for a moment, but threw caution to the wind by wrapping his arms around his wife and leaning her back until she was almost parallel to the floor as he returned her kiss.

Henry nudged Maggie, "Did you ever?"

Maggie dryly replied, "You know I never. You would've dropped me."

Charles carefully pulled Elsie upright and whispered in her ear, "You can never, never know how very much I love you."

Elsie placed her hand on his cheek. "And I you, love. And I you."

Charles was relieved that the cheers and laughter dissipated as he and Elsie took their seats. Their very public display garnered them several rounds of drinks which were delivered by the barman with a wink to Charles.

The two couples relaxed into a most congenial evening and were very merry by the time they had eaten some shepherd's pie and finished the last of the drinks which had been bestowed upon them.

Standing outside the pub in the cool night, the couples agreed to meet for breakfast before Henry and Maggie departed for home on the 9:05 train. Elsie kissed Henry and embraced her sister, whispering, "So you approve?'

"Approve? I want to take him home and have him read me poetry." The sisters laughed as Maggie took Elsie's hand, adding, "He is wonderful, Elsie."

Elsie swayed a little as she turned her head to look at Charles. "I know. He truly is."

Charles shook Henry's hand and clapped him on the shoulder.

Henry craned his neck to look up at his new brother-in-law, "Welcome to the family, Charles."

Charles smiled warmly at the little man and fought a liquor fueled compulsion to pick him up and squeeze him like a doll. "Thank you, Henry. I am very happy to be a part of this family."

Charles leaned down and kissed Maggie on the cheek. She took his face in her hands, "Be good to her and love her fiercely."

Charles took in the woman's serious words. "I don't think I could love her any other way."

"Good man. Now take her home and make her happy."

Charles smiled and kissed Maggie's other cheek.

Having watched Maggie and Henry return to the Grantham Arms, Charles turned to Elsie and pulled her into an embrace.

Elsie looked up at him, "Well, tell me the truth."

"They are warm, kind people and I am quite proud to call them family, Mrs. Carson."

Elsie tightened her arms around him. "Oh, I am so very glad to hear it, Charles."

Charles leaned down and kissed her head. "And now, if you will take your rather inebriated husband home, he would like to take all of the clothes from your body and make you happy."

Elsie looked up at him and smiled, "Make me happy, eh?"

Charles shook his head with a playful helplessness. "It is what your sister told me to do."

"Well, we wouldn't want to cross my sister."

They were almost out of the village square when Charles turned to Elsie and quite seriously admitted, "He is so small. I wanted to pick him up and swing him around."

"Oh my, Mr. Carson," she laughed, "I think you will have quite a sore head in the morning."

"May I pick you up and swing you around?"

"I think you would have a sore back to go with your sore head."

"All right." They walked a few more feet before Charles stopped, "Tell me if you change your mind."

"Home, Carson." Elsie took his hand and smiled at her good fortune.