Ch 4- The Summer of 1896

October 1914

"Charlie I'll be fine." She insisted. "It's only a couple of hours away, I'll be back around dinner I promise."

"Yes but…"

"I'll be on the train. I won't walk much, it won't be too stressful." She promised.

"But it's Becky."

"Yes: it's Becky."

"And she… stresses you."

She sighed. "Yes, yes she does, but I have to go and see her. It's been months Charlie and now's my last chance for a little while. I can't do it when I get any bigger…"

"Alright, alright. I just wish you'd let me come with you, or take Anna."

"No, ya know Becky is someone I have ta see on my own."

"Yes." He paused. He'd been married to Elsie nearly two decades and had only met her sister a handful of times. "Come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me." He smiled, extending his hand to her. "I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" She asked.

It was late in the evening, just before sunset and he was in her sitting room with her, watching as she packed a bag for the day trip she was going to take tomorrow.

"A surprise." He smiled, leading her out into the kitchen.

"Here you are love birds, all packed."Mrs. Patmore enthused, handing Carson a picnic basket she'd just packed.

"What's this all about?" Elsie asked, surprised.

"I'll tell you when we get there." Carson kissed the side of her head.

….

"W-where are we?" She asked when they finally stopped.

The two walked for a while after leaving the abbey and finally paused atop a little hill just as it was starting to get dark. The sunset cast a perfect shadow on this beautiful little stone house below, just as the fireflies were coming out for the night to play.

"Come on, you'll see." He said, keeping his arm locked with hers as he led her toward the house.

"Who lives here?" She inquired, wondering if they were visiting someone.

He said nothing and opened the door. The house was dark and Elsie's eyes lit up when she saw dozens upon dozens of lit candles lining a small, dining room table. Charlie pulled out a chair for her, helping her to sit and placed the picnic basket on the table.

"Charlie where are we?"

"Home." He smiled, taking her hands.

"Home?" She asked hopefully.

"Welcome home my love."

Elsie stared back in amazement.

"Oh Charlie really?" Her eyes sparkled.

"Really."

"I-I knew we were getting one but… but this is…"

"Lord Grantham made it a wedding present. It's ours."

"It's what…"

"It's ours."

Elsie's eyes widened. "W…"

"I know." He said. "I needed a while to process it too."

"That's so kind." She smiled, tears in her eyes.

"He said it was the least he could do for the years we've spent running his house…. and I'm sorry it's so dark, the electricity's not back on yet."

"E-electricity!"

"Yes. Elsie by the time our child is a teenager it'll be 1930, can you believe that: 1930… wouldn't it seem much to not have electricity by 1930?"

"I suppose." She said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "My Charlie this is a wonderful surprise." He beamed.

Carson felt a little upset that he had received the house rather than paid for it when he could've afforded to, but his wife's joy and surprise made it worth it to him.

"I'd hoped you'd think so." He smiled.

"Oh I do."

"I know I should've brought you here in daylight when…"

"No. No Charlie this: this is perfect!"

Carson was glad of that, and thought his heart was about to burst when he saw her smile deeply.

"Elsie Hughes?"

"Hummm?" She looked up suddenly.

"I'm so glad you snuck away with me."

"What!? Oh!" She gasped. "Oh Charlie, I'm so glad I snuck away with you too."

It was a private thing of theirs, an inside joke, if you will, about their marriage. It'd all happened very quickly back in the summer of 1896. In some way, Elsie still couldn't tell you how it all came together like that, only that she was glad that it had. At the time, she was the new maid at Downton and even from her first moments there it'd been obvious to her that Carson, the butler, had noticed her. Elsie could remember being very flattered at the thought. She had had very few romantic interludes in her life, save the proposal she'd received from Joe Burns only several weeks before.

Elsie had not been interested in Joe, at least not as more than a friend. But she found that simply being around Mr. Carson gave her butterflies in her stomach and made her heart start to beat rapidly. She couldn't help but smile when he walked into a room, and worse, blush when he spoke to her, which was quite often. The worst part was that she was clumsy when he was around and would make the worst of mistakes. All these things were very unlike her, and worse extremely embarrassing. She'd never experienced anything like it before in her life and hated that they all gave her away: she liked him and he knew it.

When Carson reflected on their first few weeks of knowing each other, he recalled he had been nervous as humanly possible and that part of him didn't want to pursue her, too afraid of what he thought would be inevitable rejection. And then there was another part of him, one that resided deep inside and never rested, it ate at his psyche and even his soul, compelling him to engage with her whatever the costs. In hindsight there'd been moments when he'd felt like every breath depended on contact with Elsie Hughes.

By late July, Elsie had been at Downton just shy of a month. The family was away and most of the servants save the valets and ladies maids had stayed behind and were having a party, one that was a bit wild for Carson's standards. After all, he is Carson. Instead of calling everything to order, he watched Elsie who sat on in the corner watching everyone dance and drink and make a general fool of themselves. Carson though of asking her to dance but quickly changed his mind.

"Would you like to sneak away with me?" He asked quietly extending his hand to her.

She looked up wide-eyed and surprised, suddenly smiling as she took his hand.

The two left Downton together that night for what they thought would be an evening stroll, which turned into an evening out, and then a make out session Elsie had not expected. Elsie smiled at the thought. It happened after they'd gone to dinner somewhere she couldn't even remember where. It didn't matter they were too transfixed on each other that night to care about that kind of thing. Wherever it was, it'd been late when they finally left the restaurant and he found himself finally brave enough to kiss her. He'd done it just once simply and he was thrilled it'd made her smile.

They snuck away under the cover of night, finding the most private spot they could before continuing the kiss. Elsie looked back on that night with fondness for so many reasons, one was that she'd had never really been kissed before, not like that. Her pulse raced as they pursued each other, it was only then she realized how much she must really like…or maybe even love him. But it was her realization about Carson, who was ever the proper man, that'd really made her heart flutter. Those were very different times than now, a man and a woman sitting out in a field, kissing in the middle of the night would've been considered very risqué. There would've been scandal had they ever been found out. She knew Carson would have to have known this and yet he didn't care. By the end of it they found themselves three towns over (completely sober, mind you) and in a courthouse getting married.

"I can't live without you." He'd said, pulling away from her, but leaning his forehead against hers.

She sighed, still in a little bit of a daze. Her eyes were closed and she sat there with him, relishing the feel of having him so close as the warm July breeze floated through her hair. She paused, wondering if it would be right to confess that she loved him.

"A-and." He paused, nervous now, wondering if he was really about to do this. She sighed happily and in a moment he knew he had to follow his heart. "And I would love it if you would marry me."

He'd never been so nervous or felt so venerable in his life as he did in those moments between his 'marry me' and her 'yes.' For a moment he even wondered why he was asking this girl who made him do crazy things like kiss her in a field in the middle of the night, to marry him. But then he realized he was right, he hadn't just said it to say it: he didn't think he could live without her.

She stared back, completely shocked when she heard him ask this. Marriage? A mix of emotions ran through her head. For a moment she was flattered and then awed, then scared… and suddenly she started to laugh softly, finding it funny she'd experienced so much trepidation with regard to Joe's proposal and that with Charlie her answer had been almost instant.

"W-what's wrong?" He asked, his eyes growing obviously sad.

"Oh yes, yes of course I'll marry you, my Charlie!" She cried, throwing her arms around him and beginning to kiss him again.

He felt such love and relief wash over him the moment he heard her reply. In hindsight, he didn't know if he'd ever been so elated before or since, or if anything in the world could ever match the joy he'd experienced when she said yes.

In total, Charlie and Elsie spent a day and a half away from Downton, not returning until very early the morning the family was due back at the house. No one noticed they'd been gone, save Mrs. Patmore who'd never said a thing to them about it, and as the years went on totally forgot about the incident until the day she learned they were married.

Elsie remembered helping her new husband greet the family as they returned from the social season in London, Lady Grantham obviously pregnant now. It was then that Elsie decided she wanted a child: soon. They'd talked about it during their brief honeymoon and figured it would happen anyway, maybe in a year, or a year and a half…

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Carson asked. Elsie jumped, returning from her daydream.

For a moment it had been 1896 again and while Elsie had been remembering the joy of her engagement, her mind had started to drift toward the sorrow of barrenness. It'd pained her for years and had been a sorrow she couldn't describe even to Charlie. She smiled down at her middle, brushing her side softly before she spoke.

"Yes." She smiled. "Charlotte and I will be just fine when we go see Becky."

"Who is Charlotte?" He raised an eyebrow.

"The baby. She's going to be Charlotte… if she's a girl." She said. "I want to name her after you: Charlie and Charlotte."

"That's funny, I wanted the same thing, to call her Elspeth."

"Elspeth. Charlie you wanted to name her after me?" She smiled, touched by his suggestion.

"Yes." He laughed. "I suppose we don't think that differently, do we?"

"No one's called me Elspeth in years…you never have." She observed.

"No, but it's your name and I think its perfect."

She blushed, tears in her eyes. "Charlie that's so sweet...you never tire of being sweet to me, but that…"

"You don't like it?"

"It's a very Scottish name." She confessed, wanting to ask him why he thought she went by Elsie instead. Well, it was a reason she went by Elsie.

"What's wrong with that?" He asked. "You're Scottish."

"She'll be English." She reminded. "Like you."

"That's true…"

"We shouldn't decide yet… dance with me."

"Humm?"

"I never told you I…it's silly."

"What?"

"I knew we'd have a home of our own someday…and when we did I always just…well I wanted do dance with you the first night."

Charlie smiled at the thought, thinking it sounded very sweet. He stood and offered her his hand. "Well then." He said. "May I have this dance?"

Elsie was exhausted when she got on the train. She closed her eyes, allowing her head to hit the back of the seat. Visiting Becky was always a chore if nothing else, and doing it while even this pregnant (Elsie was five months now), had been one of the most tiresome experiences of her life. Seeing Becky always made her sad, and at the same time, made her so happy she had Charlie to go home to.

She'd tried hard to get Becky to understand the concept that she was going to be an aunt. For most of the visit the idea simply passed the woman by, the obvious change in her older sister an afterthought to her. It wasn't until the end of her visit that she suddenly understood…and got excited.

Elsie had been relieved by this, but that didn't mean she didn't come away still heartsick that her sister was the way she was: it'd been forty-three years since they figured out that Becky wasn't quite right in the head, and still somehow it made Elsie sad.

Elsie gasped, her eyes opening wide, horrified at the sudden thought that perhaps whatever it was that was wrong with her sister could be… inherited.

"No, no that'd be much too much. Besides. The baby's not all me: he's half Charlie half me…." She whispered, trying to reason with herself.

But for a few moments the fear gripped her. What if something was wrong, what if it was why she and Charlie had been unable to have a child until now… Elsie, who sat alone in a private compartment on the train car, let her mind runaway with her for a few moments.

"Oh! Ohh."

She was almost starting to panic when suddenly she felt something in her side. It didn't really hurt but it was strange and she winced from the uncomfortable feeling. She paused for a moment, panicked now because she wondered what it was and she hadn't a clue. It came again and suddenly she smiled, bringing her hand to that spot.

"Oh. Hello my darling." She whispered tears coming to her eyes, when she realized it was simply the baby moving.

Without another thought the fear faded away and she was consumed with the feel of her child's kicks. She was overwhelmed; this whole thing suddenly becoming very real in a whole knew way, like the child was something more than just imagined now. He or she was slowly becoming less of an enigma all the time but this was the biggest milestone they'd reached together so far. Elsie knew instantaneously that everything was fine and she'd been petrified without cause. She couldn't wait to get home and share her news with Charlie.

…..

Elsie had been wrong about arriving in time for dinner and was quite a bit late. Carson found himself worried to death about his wife and because there was nothing else he could do about it went to work polishing silver that did not need to be polished. He found himself even more anxious than before when he finished, realizing she still was not home. He came out into the hall, with a frantic mind and a heavy heart, prepared to go out and start looking for her. He stopped suddenly, sighing with relief when he saw her standing there, smiling brightly.

"Oh, Elsie!" He hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry I was a little late." She said as he took her hand and began to lead her to the kitchen.

"It's alright love I'm just glad you're here. Come on, I have a surprise for you."

"And I have one for you."

"Oh?" He asked pleasantly, very shocked by the idea she had a surprise for him too.

He helped her to sit at the kitchen table and told her to close her eyes. Elise placed her hands back on the baby, whose kicks had gradually grown stronger throughout the afternoon. She thought she was a bit obsessed now, but loved the idea of connecting with her child.

"Open." He said and she did.

"Strawberry ice cream! Oh Charlie that was so thoughtful!" She said, beginning to eat without hesitation.

"Don't thank me." He laughed, taking a small spoonful for himself. "It's Mrs. Patmore, she thought you'd want a treat when you came back."

"She was right." She smiled.

"H-how did it go?"

Elsie shrugged. "Bad at first, it ended alright. You know how she is. It took her forever to understand about the baby but when I left she was happy about it. You know." Elsie said, preparing to change the subject. "I don't even like strawberries or strawberry ice cream very much." She whispered.

"I know that, which is why this is a bit suspicious."

"I think the baby must really, really adore it though." She speculated.

Strawberries had been the thing Elsie'd been craving most all these months. It was something she didn't understand and was a bit disgusted by. She usually didn't like them, but now she couldn't get enough of them.

"Elsie."

"Yes."

"Elsie I've been thinking, Charlotte's a lovely name if you like it and I approve."

"Charlie I'd been thinking the same of Elspeth, its lovely, especially you like it." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"I think now I love them both." He laughed. "Don't worry we'll decide soon enough."

"Alright, but tomorrow, let's be sure to disagree on boy's names, alright?" She teased and he laughed.

"That sounds wonderful."

"Oh-ooh." She winced, her hand going to her side. That kick had hurt.

"What's wrong?" He asked, alarmed.

She quickly grabbed his hand and pressed it flat against her abdomen, watching as his eyes filled with wonder.

"Is that…?"

She smiled, her eyes bright. "It's exactly what you think it is Daddy."

"That's amazing…it makes her so very…"

"Real?" She asked.

"Yes. Incredibly real."

A few moments passed and she just watched him. He didn't remove his hand from her stomach he just waited there.

"You know what I was thinking earlier, when I first felt it?"

"No."

"I was thinking that I didn't care anymore that I had to wait eighteen years for this, because I can already tell I've been waiting for someone very special."

"Now that I could not agree with more. I love you, Mrs. Hughes."

"I love you more Mr. Carson, I promise." She kissed him very gently.

"I'll never ever be able to thank you enough." He said. "For sneaking away with me."

"Nor I for your asking." She whispered, leaning in to kiss him again.