AN: I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews, for you guys inspire me to keep writing. Also, I'd like to apologize for the delayed upload of Chapter 4. I loved this idea, but I wanted to make sure that it was perfect. Not to fear, we're not done yet! More to come! Please, keep the support coming! Enjoy! :)
"Oh, come on, Carson, you never go out with the others," Lord Grantham scoffed, "Won't you take a break for just this once and go have a good time?"
"Absolutely not, m'lord. I refuse to partake in the same menial activities as the others. It's just not my cup of tea, so to speak," he replied. They were in the library, arguing over the upcoming fair in Thirsk that coming Saturday. The other servants had of course begged Mr. Carson for permission to go, and he had reluctantly offered his consideration on the matter. Now they stood in the library debating about whether Carson should go out as well.
"Carson, you have served here dutifully for many years now, and I am afraid I must convey my concerns for your health. It seems that you have a tendency to overwork yourself, and I fear that you are going to succumb to the stress one of these days." He walked over to the other man and placed his hand on his shoulder, "You are invaluable to me, dear chap. I am asking you, not as your superior, but your friend. Please, go with the others and have a good time."
"M'lord, I just do not have the desire to be surrounded by the others as they make complete fools of themselves. I have too much respect for myself to stoop to that level."
Lord Grantham rolled his eyes and turned away for a moment, the gears in his mind hatching a plan, and he turned back with a serious expression. "Well, Carson, after what happened the last time the others went to a fair without you, I'm afraid that I can't allow them to go unless you agree to go, too, and I don't think you want to be the one to break that news to them. Downton can run without you for one night." Carson opened his mouth to protest, but he was silenced once more, "I mean it, Carson."
"Very well, m'lord. I suppose this is a battle that I cannot hope to win, so I guess you'll have your way," he grumbled and turned to leave. As he marched for the stairs irritably, he didn't see Mrs. Hughes standing outside the door. She stepped into the library to find His Lordship grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Ah, Mrs. Hughes. The deed is done, but I can't say that he's very happy about it," he smiled, "But thank you for taking such concern in him."
"Thank you, m'lord. He just never allows himself to relax, and I knew that I had no chance of getting him out of this house unless it was under order from you," she offered a smile in return, "I just hope that he doesn't pout and spoil everyone's mood."
"Well, he can pout all he likes, but the point is moot. He needs a break, and if he refuses to take one by choice, he'll just have to take one by command," he replied, "But I'm certain that you can lighten his spirits, Mrs. Hughes."
She blushed at the implied meaning, but she kept her composure long enough to thank him once more and bid him ado. As she stepped into the hall, she felt positively giddy at the prospect of spending a night out with Mr. Carson's company, and she was certain that even if he didn't enjoy himself, she would simply enjoy his company.
On Saturday, they readied for their outing, everyone packing into the cars to go, chattering excitedly about the outing. Everyone but Carson, that is. He stared out the window, extremely displeased with this venture. Carson, Bates and Anna had packed into one car while the others had got into the other. Jimmy rode up front with Mr. Branson who had once more offered to drive one of the cars. The last one to climb into the car was Mrs. Hughes, and she gasped as she realized that the only available seat was next to Mr. Carson. The space was cramped, but she managed to slide in beside him. His body stiffened as he realized what was going on, and he immediately became uncomfortable. He'd never had Mrs. Hughes so close to him, and as the car began its journey, the rock of the vehicle against the road caused their arms to subtly rub against each other, causing Carson to blush due to her close proximity. He tried to keep his thoughts clean, and he focused hard on the scenery rushing past. His concentration quickly dissipated as the breeze caused the scent of her perfume to waft into his nostrils, and he had to fight a silent battle with himself to avoid doing something stupid. He wanted so badly to pull her onto his lap and hold her small body against his large frame. It was a constant dream for him to bury his nose in her hair to allow her scent to be committed to memory. The awkward silence was broken by Anna, whose fingers were currently interlocked with her husband's, and she commented on how Carson had finally decided to go with them on an outing. He grunted, but did not admit that he had been bullied into going. Mrs. Hughes fought the urge to smile at her own handiwork, and they all kept rather quiet until they had reached their destination. Once the vehicles had been properly parked, they clambered out and began the walk to the grounds. It was a beautiful fall day, and the colors of the trees surrounding the area seemed to accent the festivities. They all agreed to stay out of trouble, and Mr. Carson was led in the direction of the food stalls by Mrs. Hughes. He seemed to pout the entire time she excitedly talked about the quality of certain spices, and she began to find his surly mood to be quite annoying. She was ready to say something to him, but she realized that he really did look rather uncomfortable and troubled. "Whatever is the matter, Mr. Carson," she asked with true concern.
"As I've said before, I am not suited for these kinds of events," he sighed, hating himself for not sharing the real reason he despised these fairs. He waited for her to finish looking at the spices, then fixed his hat. "Do you mind if we grab a table to sit at, I really am uncomfortable?"
"Of course, you poor thing. Let us find some seats," she answered with a sympathetic smile. He loved the way that her Scottish accent caressed his senses when she said "poor", and he often wished he could tell her such things. As they reached their table and took their seats, Carson pushing in her chair for her like a true gentleman, she watched his expressions and finally asked, "Mr. Carson, I do not wish to pry, but I really do wish that you would share with me why you never wish to attend these events."
He froze, looking down at his hands, and at first she thought that he hadn't heard her. Finally, he looked up at her and, the look on his face broke her heart. "The reason, Mrs. Hughes, is that my first date took place at a fair, and the memory of it causes me great distress."
"Oh, Mr. Carson, we've all had something like that, but there's no reason to be ashamed," she said encouragingly.
He shook his head, "Mrs. Hughes, it's not that I harbor bad memories from the date, it's just the memory of the person I shared it with."
The look on his face told her everything, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Alice." His expression flickered with grief, and he nodded slowly. "You really loved her, then?"
"That I did, Mrs. Hughes, but it hardly matters now, for she is gone. Although it does help to have some closure, I suppose." Mrs. Hughes smiled sadly at the man before her, and tried to think of a way to comfort him. It was painful to see him this upset, and without thinking, she reached over and rested her hand on top of his. He jumped at the sudden contact, and they both blushed, but they stared into each other's eyes, neither one of them moving nor speaking.
A few tables away, Anna and Bates sat, happily chatting with each other, smiles on their faces, when suddenly Bates whispered, "Good lord, I never thought I would see that." Anna turned to see what had caught her husband's attention, and she mirrored his reaction as she saw the two of them holding hands and lost in their own private moment. They chuckled softly, and Bates nodded his approval, "Well, it took them long enough."
Charles did not expect her to reach out to him like that, but he had to say that he really liked it. It had been so long since he had felt such a simple touch, and it began to switch his mood completely around. They finally broke the contact, Carson blushing timidly, and Mrs. Hughes smiled at his sudden shyness.
"Would you like to walk around a bit, Mrs. Hughes? I do not wish for my sulking to spoil your good time," he said shakily.
"I'd love to. Where shall we head to," she asked with a grin.
He looked around, then looked over at some of the games and souvenir stands. "Oh, I'm sure we'll find something." He stood and offered her his hand to help her up, and ever so slightly ran the pad of his thumb across her knuckles with a lopsided smile. Her heart squeezed as she noted how his mood had lightened, but she asked herself if this should be considered a date. There had definitely been some tension between them moments ago, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. He walked with his hands behind his back, and she clutched her purse in front of her. They simply walked along, having a chat about trivial matters as they looked over the different stalls. They reached a ring toss game, and on a whim he bought a go at it, and on his final toss he won, collecting a medium-sized bear. He turned to Mrs. Hughes with a hearty chuckle and handed it to her with a satisfied grin. She hadn't seen him laugh like this in a long time, and neither had she, but they both seemed to feel so much younger in this moment, and they were enjoying it. As their laughter was interrupted by the growling of stomachs, they walked over to a stall selling food. "It's on me, I insist, Mrs. Hughes."
"No, that's alright, I can buy, Mr. Carson," she tried to argue, but he reached into his wallet, pulling out the necessary amount and handing it to the vendor.
"I am trying to be a gentleman, Mrs. Hughes, and it is only fair that I offer such chivalry after my dark and unfair behavior earlier, so please, just accept it."
As they wandered over to eat, Ivy, Daisy, and Jimmy noticed them walking together. "Ooh, look, they're on a date," Ivy exclaimed.
"I highly doubt it, they seem as though they're just sitting together, not 'together'," Daisy replied.
"I think they should get together, maybe they'd be more tolerable, and not as barking all the bloody time," Jimmy grumbled.
"Oh, you're just mad because Mr. Carson doesn't like you," Daisy scoffed. Jimmy glared at her, and they continued to walk off.
Carson and Mrs. Hughes ate their meal, then once more began to explore. He noticed a structure that had music playing from it, and he led her to it, much to her surprise, he pulled her onto the dance floor, and led her all around it, surprising her even further with how good of a dancer he was. They glided around the dance floor until they were both laughing too hard to stand. The sun was beginning to set, and the lights all around them began to flicker on. Carson found himself wondering if she was considering this a date, but he certainly was. It had been too long, and he was managing to be carefree for once. His heart beating fast, he grabbed her hand and looped it through his arm as they made their way around to a few more stalls. She looked up at him, astonished at how bold he was being, and she smiled even wider.
It was finally time to meet up with the others, and they made their way back, shocking everyone with their laughs and smiles, for they were used to seeing the all-business Carson and Hughes that made the house operate smoothly. As they climbed back into the cars, Mrs. Hughes began to shiver in the chilly evening breeze. Feeling her shiver beside him, Carson removed his coat to wrap around her shoulders, not wanting her to catch cold. As he wrapped it around her, she immediately felt the warmth from him having worn it, and even better, she could really smell his cologne. She subtly sidled up against him a bit closer, and he made room for her. It grew dark on the way back to Downton, and Bates and Anna shared knowing looks as they regarded the two across from them. Upon arrival, Carson checked in to make sure everyone from upstairs was in bed. He thanked Mr. Branson, and then ushered the others off to bed as well. Finally, he found himself standing alone in the Servant's Hall with Mrs. Hughes.
"Well, it's awfully late, and we really must retire, for I'm certain there will be much to catch up on tomorrow," she remarked.
He took a few steps forward and looked into her eyes, "I want to thank you, Mrs. Hughes, for being so persistent. Without your constant prodding, I may never have had the chance to experience such a great day. I feel as though a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and I owe my gratitude to you."
Without speaking, she smiled and leaned up to place a sudden but gentle kiss on his cheek. She marveled at the instantaneous shade of red that his face turned. A lovable timid smile spread across his lips, and she whispered, "Good night, Mr. Carson."
He stared after her as she left the room, his hand instinctively reaching up to touch the place where her lips had been, and he couldn't believe his luck. He was in love with Elsie Hughes, and he realized it now more than ever. The only problem was figuring out where to go from here.
