This is a short chapter and I apologize ahead of time, but I wanted to build some suspense and see what you guys thought of where this is going! Please Review!
A week passed and the downstairs slipped into a new normal. Anna and Miss Baxter made time in their own schedules to watch Grace. She would dance for them and sing while they clapped along. Otherwise, she was Elsie's shadow. She found new games to play while making beds and touring the linen cupboard.
Grace was finally sleeping in her room all night. She knew her mummy and da were still near and not leaving her anymore. She would sometimes come into their room to cuddle in the early mornings. The three would talk and giggle about something Mr. Mosley or Mrs. Patmore said. Then they would all rise and ready themselves for the day.
On this particular early morning, Grace had not yet appeared. Charles and Elsie laid lazily in bed, waiting for dawn to break. They faced each other with eyes still closed. Their hands wandered each other slowly. Elsie scratched his visible chest at the top of his night shirt and Charles stroked her side. His hands drifted to her stomach and he stopped, opening his eyes.
"Elsie!"
Her eyes opened instantly. "What is it, love?"
He patted her stomach and looked down. "Look at you!"
She followed his eyes and saw her now slightly rounded stomach. She smiled back up at him. "He's popped."
Charles lifted his wide eyes to her face briefly and then returned them to baby. "Well he certainly has!"
Elsie rolled onto her back and pulled the covers down so they were able to see it more clearly. There was now no doubt that she was with child. Charles's hands continued to stroke baby.
"How are you feeling?"
"No different than yesterday. I am sure you noticed I've been eating like a horse, but obviously that has paid off." Her hand joined his.
"How are preparations for the house party coming?"
"They are coming along fine. There are only to be 5 rooms required and Mrs. Patmore is being very compliant with the dinner menus I give her." She smiled at the last statement.
"Are you getting tired? Because if you are you are surly entitled to a rest. The maids know what they are doing and I can take over any other duty."
She patted his hand. "Charles, I am fine." She exhaled. "But if I do need a rest, I promise I will not put up too much of a argument with you." He kissed her head as they sealed that promise, one that he expected to count on in the near future. She rolled her eyes. "How will I ever manage these next months with both you and Mrs. Patmore fussing?" She questioned playfully.
"I don't know," he answered seriously. "You had to manage without me last time."
The atmosphere turned melancholy. "Believe me, I much prefer your fussing than the alternative." She squeezed his hand and looked at his face. His eyes were downcast and pensive.
He started, slow and calculated. "I don't think I ever expressed to you how difficult those months were, away from you."
She turned facing him and brought her body directly along his. Her hand stroked his chest and the other stroked his arm. "If they were only half as tortuous as they were for me, I can understand how you felt."
He pulled her waist into him and rested his head against hers. They were silent for a moment.
"Please don't dwell on what we can't fix, Charlie. We did what we had to at the time." She brushed some hair from his forehead. "I still have the memory of you arriving at my cousin's house right before she was born. I think our stubborn girl was holding on until she knew her da was there."
Charles lip twitched. "You were so beautiful, my Elsie." His eyes met hers. "It was hard to comprehend that you were the same slip of a woman that left me all those months before."
"Well," Elsie paused. "Now you will see the process of how that slip of a woman became the fat cow you just described as beautiful."
They smiled at each other before leaning in for a kiss.
Grace appeared a few minutes later and they began the day. The morning and early afternoon flew by. Elsie and Charles met in his pantry shortly after lunch. Elsie sat in the chair by the fire with her papers in her lap. Charles looked over his accounts at his desk. Grace was on the floor by Elsie's feet having tea with her doll. She was feeding her doll some of the extra bread Mrs. Patmore gave her.
Charles noticed during their discussion, Elsie seemed far away and her eyes were heavy. He closed his books and moved to stand over her.
"Elsie," he broke her from her haze. "Here is what you are going to do. You will find Madge and give her your instructions for the rest of the day. Then you will hand me your book and I will finish the last menus and wine pairings. You and Grace will go up to our room and have a lie-down. Understand?"
She wanted to protest, but he did not leave much room for it. Before she could answer, he turned to Grace.
"Gracie girl, I have a job for you." Grace perked up and stood in front of her da. Charles bent to her level. "I want you to take mummy upstairs, tuck her into bed, and be sure she has a good rest. Can you do that?"
Grace was thrilled to have her own job, especially if it involved a lie-down with mummy. "Yes, da!" She turned to her mummy and grabbed her hand, pulling her from the seat.
"Slow down, my girl." Elsie cautioned. "Mummy doesn't move that fast." Charles helped her up the rest of the way and met her glare with a smile.
Grace dragged her into the room and to the bed. She pulled the covers down like mummy taught her and they both climbed in after removing their shoes. Grace giggled once they were settled facing each other.
"Alright darling, now that you accomplished da's task and I'm resting, you need to take a rest yourself." She pulled her fingers through Grace's hair.
"Okay mummy. Love you." She kissed her mummy before turning and curling around her blanket and doll.
Elsie kissed the back of her head. "I love you too, my darling."
When Elsie was sure Grace was asleep, she allowed her own eyes to close.
Grace woke half an hour later to her mummy's light breathing behind her head. She wanted to wake mummy so they could go back downstairs and play, but mummy needed her rest. Grace thought about what to do when she heard movement in the hall.
She heard high pitch voices and a few giggles. She slid herself from the bed and opened the door. The visitors were no longer in sight, but she heard them from around the corner. It sounded like children laughing. Bringing her doll and blanket with her, she followed the noise. She heard a door close as she rounded the corner. She reached for the knob and opened it a crack. Her eyes grew and she let out a squeal.
