Chapter 8
C*E*C*E*C*E
Charles woke suddenly as a loud clap of thunder rumbled through the sky and rattled the large window nearby. He opened his eyes and was slightly confused by his surroundings, until he felt movement against him. Immediately, he remembered where he was, and why. A smile broke across his lips as he turned his head to the left and looked down at Elsie.
She was curled against his side, her arm draped across his waist, her head pillowed on his chest. She sighed softly as Charles moved, and she shifted in her sleep to get closer to him. Elsie's face was relaxed in blissful rest, her lips slightly parted, her face smooth from a lack of worries and cares.
He lightly brushed the back of his hand across her cheek, reveling in the feel and softness of her skin. She mumbled something unintelligible and he laughed softly. "What was that, love? I didn't understand," he asked quietly so as not to fully wake her, not just yet anyway.
"I love you," she replied, stretching her legs a little and draping one leg over his, drawing herself even closer to him.
Charles felt his body begin to react, and as delicious as it felt, he would not take advantage of the situation. "I love you, too, sweetheart." He cupped her cheek in his hand and rubbed his thumb across her lips, slightly parting them.
"Mmmm, Charles," she said, running her hand across his chest and over his shoulder, pressing her body against his. "It's early enough. We have time," she purred.
Now he was confused. Was Elsie awake and teasing him or was she honestly still asleep and telling him of some fantasy she was experiencing.
"Time for what, love? It's early in the morning and we need to get back to our rooms."
"Don't make me wait, please."
She began to move against him, leaving him no doubts as to what sort of images her mind was creating in her dreams. He'd have several experiences with those kinds of dreams in the past as well, and even more since returning to Downton and courting her.
"Elsie, love, you need to wake up, please." He placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her onto her back, his upper body hovering over hers.
Lazily, she opened her eyes and a seductive smile curled about her lips. "I wasn't dreaming, then? You are here and you do want me."
Charles stared down at her, looking intently into her eyes. "Elsie Hughes, are you fully awake or still talking in your sleep?"
"Who said I was asleep?" She tried to contain her laughter but it was to no avail.
"You sneaky little minx! I couldn't tell if you were awake or if you were talking through some dream you were having."
Elsie leaned up and closed the distance between them, capturing his lips with hers for a passionate morning kiss. "Who says the two are exclusive. I think about you when I'm awake. I dream of you when I'm sleeping. And now that we're courting, I have even more reasons to dream of you, Charles Carson." She kissed the tip of his nose and brushed the errant curl back from his forehead before cupping his cheek. "Can you not say the same of me?"
He propped himself up on his elbow and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips. "Even before we were courting, you were always the woman in my dreams. Even when I had the odd dream of Alice, she looked and sounded exactly like you, but each time when she turned to leave, she looked like herself." He inwardly cursed himself for bringing up Alice during a perfectly lovely moment with Elsie. "I'm sorry. That was out of line."
Elsie ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him until he looked at her again. "It's not out of line. I am very flattered that the woman you loved looked like me and the woman who broke your heart, the woman foolish enough to let you go looked like her. It sounds as if you knew, even back then, what your heart wanted and was trying to tell you."
"How is it that, even when I make a colossal mistake and ruin a perfectly beautiful moment with you, you always turn it around and create something wonderful?"
"Maybe, that's because the moments you think are ruined aren't actually spoiled at all. You speak from your heart, Charles, but you think too much about your words." He looked at her in confusion, so she went on to explain. "Take, for instance, our dinner in the garden the other night." They both smiled warmly at the memory of that lovely evening. "I thoroughly enjoyed that. It was romantic and quiet, and I could easily tell you'd put in a lot of time planning every last detail. It was one of the most special things ever done for me. You did all of that from your heart."
"I did it because I love you, and I wanted to have a quiet evening alone with you. I thought you'd enjoy being away from everyone."
She smiled. "Exactly. And yet when you mentioned Joe taking me into the village for dinner, you began to second-guess your perfect idea." She tapped his forehead lightly. "You started thinking with your head and not your heart," she said, finishing with a tapping of her hand over his heart. "And what you must remember is that your heart and my heart speak the same language, while our thoughts can sometimes be a wee bit at odds."
At that moment, Charles knew there were no words needed, either from his head or his heart. All he needed to do was act. Slowly, he closed the distance between them and brushed his lips across hers. He nibbled her lips, teasing her, gently coaxing them apart with his tongue while his hand settled comfortably on her hip. His thumb began tracing lazy circles, lighting little fires beneath her layers of clothing.
She moaned happily, wrapping both arms around his neck, drawing him deeper into her embrace. She parted her lips, allowing his tongue to sensually caress hers while she slipped a hand down his back, lightly scratching him through his shirt. A deep moan rumbled from his chest, giving them both a thrill of delight.
A flash of lightning illuminated the entire room, and had anyone been standing in the doorway, the sight they saw would have been rather shocking. The serious butler and stern housekeeper of the Abbey were locked in a passionate embrace, one fueled by years of love and desire, longing and hope, attraction and need.
It wasn't until a particularly loud burst of thunder sounded that Charles finally came to his senses and pulled back a little from the heat of the moment "Not here, Elsie. Not like this," he panted. "I love you, and by all the stars above, I swear I cannot deny that I want you, but not here. You deserve to be cherished and respected, loved and adored." He kissed the tip of her nose then rubbed it with his own. "One day, soon, we will have our time together, and it will be so much better than a fumbled, rushed adventure on the chaise longue. I swear to you, if you'll just be patient."
Elsie's eyes were closed as she tried to rein in her heartbeat and emotions. She knew Charles was right. There was no doubt about that. She'd warned all her girls about the dangers of getting carried away, losing the ability to think in the passion of the moment. Finally, she opened her eyes and stared up into his face. She could clearly see his worry and anxiety about halting their progress. "I understand, Charles, my love. I understand, and we will wait." She pulled him back down to her and cradled his head to her breast, holding him tightly. "But, just remember, a little bit of heated kissing and caressing doesn't spoil the fun of future activities." She pressed her lips to his forehead. "If fact, it might enhance them with the anticipation of more to come,' she teased. "Though if you ever tell any of my girls I said that, I will make you pay and pay dearly," she threatened with a soft laugh, hoping to put his mind at some ease.
"Mr. Carson, all women need someone to show a bit of interest every now and then, preferably in a manner that is not entirely proper."
The words of Beryl Patmore were back and this time, he truly believed her understood them. "As long as you realize that I am more than a little interested in a future with you, Elsie. In fact, it's all I can think about these days. It's the reason I am here and not in London. I want to do right by you, but Lord, woman you make it so difficult to maintain a proper sense of propriety."
Elsie laughed softly and held him a little tighter to her. "Good! That means our courtship is progressing nicely by all accounts." She kissed the top of his head and sighed softly as she rested her cheek there. "Part of me wants to be reckless with you. That's the young lass in me. Another part of me knows that's not proper and allowed, so I try to restrain myself, but, as you said, it's hard. And the last bit of me … that part of me knows that there's no need to rush. Everything will happen in good time, and I'm truly enjoying this courtship of ours." Her hand stroked his back, rubbing soothing circles across it. "So, in our own good time … our time, no one else's mind you … well will move forward."
Charles shifted in her arms and raised his head to meet hers. "I don't know what I ever did in this life to deserve your love, Elsie, but I'm so glad I did." He brushed his lips against hers in a sweet kiss. "I love you, more than I've ever loved anyone in my life."
With some difficulty, he extracted himself from her arms and sat on the side of the chaise longue, then helped her into a sitting position as well. "We should really tidy up in here and head to bed before someone catches us."
She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, nodding silently in agreement. "I will never think of a thunderstorm in the same way, now, though. Thank you for that."
"Can't say that I will, either, to be honest. And one night, there's going to be a thunderstorm, and we will curl up together in our nice, cozy, bed and fall asleep together listening to it outside our window in our very own cottage."
"And will you still read poems to me, Charles? That was just as beautiful and enjoyable as the rest of the evening."
"You need only ask, Elsie," he said, helping her stand. He hugged her to him for a long moment, then reached down and took her hand in his, guiding her back through the house and up the stairs to the door separating them. "Until tomorrow, love." He kissed both of her cheeks, then her hands, and finally her lips. "Sweet dreams."
"I was having a rather nice one until you woke me. With some luck, I might revisit it and find out how it ends." She winked at him, gave him a swift peck on the lips, then turned and slipped across the threshold to the women's corridor.
Just like all the other mornings, Charles made his way downstairs before Elsie made her appearance and left her a note hidden in her ledger for her to find later, most likely when she was hard at work. It gave him a sense of happiness and pride to know that she found the hidden messages exciting and wonderful and made sure to tell him so whenever they had a quiet moment alone. She had even started to leave him little messages, too. It had become something of a game between them, one they each enjoyed.
This morning, Charles's message was very simple:
With you by my side, I could weather any storm.
All my love, Charles xxxx
By the time she arrived downstairs for breakfast, Charles was already hard at work, looking as if he hadn't a care in the world and had slept a full eight hours. Elsie smirked, knowing nothing could be further from the truth. She stepped into his pantry just as he ended his phone call.
"Everything going well in London?" she asked, stepping deeper into his office and sitting down in the chair opposite his desk.
"I would assume so, or I would have had a call from Mrs. Butte. In fact, I should probably phone the house and check in, just to make sure Thomas hasn't totally managed to bring the house down upon our ears," he chuckled.
"Yes, that might be a good idea. With Thomas, one never knows what to expect. I assumed that's who the call was from. I'm sorry if I interrupted something personal."
Charles could read Elsie like a book. That was her subtle way of trying to find out the details of his phone call, and he had to smirk a little. "It was a personal call, to be truthful, but I was just finishing up." He let the comment hang in the air for a long moment, desperate to see if she would rise to the bait.
"Nothing upsetting, I hope."
"No, nothing at all of the sort. I don't look or seem upset, do I? Goodness knows, I certainly don't mean to given what I just discovered." He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together, letting them rest on his stomach, a look of deep pride and satisfaction on his face.
"I see. Well, then, that is good news," Elsie admitted, her mind working furiously to find a way to get him to talk. "The sommelier in London must have given you some very good news, then. Did he manage to secure a few cases of the wine from the royal vineyards?"
Oh my, but she was desperate, appealing to his well-known love for wine and the royal family. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk, his chin resting on his laced fingers. "We wouldn't be curious, now would we, my dear?"
She scoffed and shook her head. "Whatever gave you that impression, Charles? I was simply making polite conversation with you? If you don't wish to tell me about your phone call this morning, I wouldn't dream of prying." She tried to sound more innocent than she actually felt, and she knew he could see right through her words.
He stared at her for a long moment, letting her simmer just a bit before he finally gave in and answered her. "Well, Mrs. Hughes, can you keep a secret?"
In an instant, she was out of her chair and closing the office door, returning to his side and slipping into his lap. It was something she had never done before, but after their time on the settee in the wee hours of the morning, she felt it was a liberty she could take.
He wrapped his arms around her, happy to see her so confident and comfortable. He dropped a light kiss to the underside of her jaw before urging her to lower her lips to his for a brief kiss. "Hmm, I seem to remember that I was going to tell you something, but a beautiful lass just stole the words from my very lips."
She swatted his chest playfully then leaned down to whisper into his ear. "Then allow the beautiful lass to whisper them back into your ear so you can share the details," she said in a silky tone before nipping lightly at his earlobe.
Charles groaned, both in desire and frustration, knowing he had already lost the game. "It would seem that a friend of mine in York has a table reserved for us at The Nightingale this very evening. And, I just happened to have purchased tickets to the York Theatre Company's production of A Comedy of Errors. I thought we might have a night out on the town this evening. I was going to ask you after breakfast this morning, but you seem to have tipped my hand, as it were."
Elsie threw her arms around Charles and hugged him tightly. "The Nightingale? Oh Charles, that's much too expensive! And theatre tickets, too? You really don't have to spend all that money on me."
"Nonsense! That is, I mean, unless you don't want to go," he added hastily. "I thought it would be nice to get away for an evening, somewhere away from Downton. I could properly wine and dine you, so to speak." He brought her hand up to his lips and brushed a kiss across the back of it. "I know it's not a London theatre group, just the local actors in York, and the restaurant isn't as upscale as some there, but I thought we'd have a nicer time if we were both comfortable in our surroundings."
"It's perfect, Charles, absolutely perfect!" She peppered his face with tiny kisses, all the while laughing and showing her excitement. "What time do we need to leave for our reservations?"
"I was just about to work that out when you stepped into the office." He closed his eyes and thought aloud. "The reservations are for six. The play starts at eight. The train from the village to York leaves at … hmm, I think it's half past four." He opened his eyes and found blue eyes staring intently into his. "We should leave the house around four. We'll get to York with plenty of time to visit a few shops before our reservations. That way, we won't feel so rushed. How's that sound, Mrs. Hughes?"
"Positively delightful, Mr. Carson!" She kissed him soundly on the lips. "I'll need to make certain the girls are working hard this morning so I can slip off after lunch for a bath and to work out what to wear."
"I'm sure you'll look beautiful regardless of what you're wearing. But I will ask one thing, if you don't mind."
"What's that? A particular color or certain dress?"
"No, I'll leave that up to you and Mrs. Patmore," he teased. "No, I was going to ask if you'd wear some of that perfume you wore the other morning for our breakfast. It smelled lovely, and I know you said you only wear it on special occasions. I'd be honored if you'd wear it for me again tonight."
"You needn't ask, love. I'll make sure to wear it just for you." She caressed his cheek with her fingertips, marveling at how lucky she was to be courted by such a thoughtful and generous man. "I'll see you at breakfast." With one last lingering kiss, she eased off his lap and left him sitting behind his desk with a soppy grin on his face.
The rest of the day passed much too slowly for either Charles or Elsie's liking. While trying to keep busy, though, Charles did manage to stumble across a particularly lovely note, hidden in his wine ledger. The feminine handwriting gave away the sender immediately.
Your lips are sweeter than any wine. Your kisses are like silk and velvet beautifully blended together. But most of all, you and your kisses belong to me. I love you!
Elsie xoxo
With the note held firmly in his hand, he made his way to her sitting room. He was amused to learn that she had just discovered his note in her ledger. "Such a romantic note," she said softly, holding it close to her heart.
"I could say the same about the note I found in my wine ledger. I'm happy to say that I am, indeed, completely yours." He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Everything all ready for this evening?"
"Yes, I just need to finish up here then dress for the night out. Mrs. Patmore helped me decide on a suitable outfit, and I'm going to wear my hair a little differently this evening. What about you? Are you all ready?"
"Yes, I believe so. A quick dash upstairs to change my clothes, one last check of the staff to make sure they're all doing as they've been told, and then I'm escorting the most beautiful woman I know to dinner and the theatre this evening." He puffed out his chest and beamed with pride. "Sounds like a truly enjoyable evening ahead, if you ask me."
"I'm not going to ask you anything. I'm going to let you show me, Charles. You do so well with the style and show," she said teasingly. "Now, you'd best let me finish these last notations or I'll never be ready on time."
He dropped a kiss to her cheek then left her to make his rounds before preparing for their evening out.
By the time they were set to depart, Charles was more than ready to escape the confines of the house and spend some time alone with Elsie. Images and memories from their previous evening together filled his mind, making him long for the moment to be Charles to her Elsie enjoying a night out on the town.
Elsie appeared in the servant's hall precisely at four, ready and excited to be going to dinner and the theatre with Charles. When she arrived, Charles was busy speaking to Mrs. Patmore about their evening, his enthusiasm evident in his words and movements.
"Just go and have a good time. Don't worry about the rest of us. We'll muddle through, and remember to compliment her on her looks," Beryl warned.
"Mrs. Patmore! That is something Mr. Carson does all the time. You needn't remind him to do anything. He's got matters well under control where I am concerned, and I've no complaints. "
Charles and Beryl whirled around as soon as Elsie started speaking. Charles, however, lost his ability to form a complete sentence as soon as he saw his date for the evening. She was wearing a pretty deep purple skirt with a lavender colored blouse. Her hair was pulled back, though in an elegant twist, the likes of which Charles has never seen. With a not so gentle nudge on his back from Mrs. Patmore, he took a step forward towards Elsie.
"You look like a vision, Mrs. Hughes. I am going to be the envy of every man that sees you this evening."
Elsie smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, and turned to look at her friend. "See! I told you he doesn't need any help charming the birds from the trees." She reached out and took Charles's hand in hers. "Shall we be off, Mr. Carson? We wouldn't want to miss our train."
"No, we wouldn't, Mrs. Hughes." He kissed the back of her hand then tucked it safely in the crook of his arms. "Goodnight, Mrs. Patmore. Please, don't wait up for us. The play and the train back will likely keep us out past your bedtime," he joked.
Charles and Elsie arrived in York with plenty of time to spare before their reservations. Together, arm and arm, they walked the busy streets, taking in the sights and sounds of the merchants and shoppers. Charles stopped at the first flower vendor he saw and purchased a pretty red rose for Elsie.
O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As he finished reciting the first line of the poem, Charles leaned down and kissed Elsie's cheek, softly and sweetly. "A beautiful red, red rose for my Love," he whispered, wrapping his arm around her and guiding her to their restaurant.
After their delicious meal, they took a leisurely stroll along the River Ouse towards their theater destination. More than once, Charles stopped to steal a kiss from Elsie beneath the moonlight, by the river. He realized, more than ever, that he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life making Elsie happy, doing whatever it took to keep a smile on her face.
The production of A Comedy of Errors was one of the best he had ever seen outside of London. The classic play had Elsie in peals of laughter from the first act to the last. At intermission, he escorted her outside for a breath of fresh air.
Elsie leaned against Charles who was resting against the building. She wrapped her arms around him and nestled her head on his chest. "Thank you for a perfect evening, Charles." She burrowed into his arms and released a contented sigh. "I love you, and I hope you know how happy I am."
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her loosely in his embrace. "I love you, too, Elsie. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I want you to know that I will never stop courting you. I've done all these things to let you know how I feel, but I will not stop wooing you until I draw my last breath." He placed his fingers beneath her chin, tilting her head back. "I am, as you've probably guessed by now, a romantic at heart. And while I won't always be able to take you places as we've done since I've been home, I will always find ways to remind you of my love for you."
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips. "And that is more than I ever dared dream of. I've said it before but it bears repeating. I don't need to be wined and dined. I get just as much happiness from a hidden love note and a flower you've picked from the garden than I do an expensive meal, theatre tickets, or anything else money can buy. All I need is you."
He kissed her lightly on the lips, a kiss which was designed to leave her wanting more, and then pulled back just a little to see the look of utter bliss on her face. "We'd better head back inside before the play resumes. If we're lucky, we might be able to have a cuddle on the bench by the river before we have to catch the last train home."
"I'd like that very much, but even if we don't, there's always our bench or the lake. I wouldn't mind taking a detour there, if it means extending our night out for a bit longer."
Charles smiled. "Beryl Patmore would certainly have my head if I had you back at Downton at a decent, respectable hour, wouldn't she? We must do something a bit daring so you'll have some news to share with her tomorrow," he teased.
"You leave that to me, Charles Carson. You've planned enough for one evening. I have a whole second half of the play to think of something risqué." Her laughter rang through the air as she guided him back into the theater, her mind already swirling with ideas on the perfect way to end their night out on the town.
A/N: Once again, I sincerely thank you for sticking with the story, for leaving me such lovely reviews, and for all of your encouragement and support. You guys are the absolute BEST!
