This chapter is particularly T-rated. Mild violence and expletives employed, but I think you will find their use judicious and absolutely merited.
YOU GUYS ARE THE MOST AMAZING BEINGS ON THIS PLANET, by the way. Your kind words just blow me away. Thank you for sticking with me and these chickadees…
Her body ached. There wasn't a muscle in her legs, arms, abdomen, back, shoulders, or neck that didn't threaten to make her groan as she turned on her side to look at him, the sun illuminating his form as it shone through the window behind her. Yes, she hurt, but the pain was delicious as it reminded her of all that they had offered and received from one another the night before.
Elsie reached out, her fingers whispering over his skin so that she could feel the heat of his body on their tips. Holding her breath, she allowed herself to admit that he was hers; this incredible creature, all length of bone, and width of muscle in whom beat an extraordinarily kind and loving heart. There was no doubt in her mind that he not only adored, but worshipped her. Their delicate dance upon these very sheets were proof of that. How patient and tender he had been with her as their naked bodies had pressed, pushed, and enveloped one another. His sheer mass had frightened her at first, but Charles soon put her worries to rest as he masterfully moved, lifted and held her so that she felt completely cherished and safe.
Neither spoke of it at the time, there was too much exploration and pleasure occurring to permit such confessions, but each knew the other had had previous lovers. These ghosts, however, were soon banished from the bedroom as Elsie and Charles found themselves experiencing both emotional and physical connections they hereto with had never been privileged before.
"Are you alright?" His voice was soft, but deep as he turned his palm up to receive her hand which hovered over it.
Smiling as a deep blush settled on her cheeks, she flinched only slightly from the effort of pulling her body across the few inches so that she rested at his side, her thigh resting atop his as she kissed the soft skin where his shoulder met his collar bone. "Sore, but wonderfully so. How are you?"
"In love," he whispered as he drew his far arm across his body, his hand gently brushing over her hair and then caressing her face. Moving with great care so as not to jostle her, Charles was shifting down to kiss her lips when a loud knock issued on the front door.
"Beryl with more food?" he asked playfully, kissing her gently on the forehead before rolling from the bed to retrieve his dressing gown.
"God, I hope not," Elsie laughed. "We've still enough food in there to feed an army."
"Open up, Casanova! Uhhh….Jesus." The voice was muffled, but still loud enough for both Elsie and Charles to hear from the bedroom, not to mention Barley who had taken off like a shot, barking his head off in response to the commotion.
"I told them I would meet them!" Charles hissed as he looked at an alarmed Elsie, her hands quickly drawing the sheets up around her bare body.
"I…you can't…I can't meet them like this!"
Charles nodded with understanding, "Of course. I will send them back to the hotel and meet them there. Don't worry."
Elsie smiled with relief as she painfully pushed herself up from the bed to retrieve her own dressing gown, calling out to Barley, "Come here, boy! Come here, Barley! Shhh! Shhh! Come here, boy!"
Having scooped up a still agitated Barley and deposited him on the bed next to Elsie, Charles shut the bedroom door before making his way to the persistent knocking at the front of the flat. Opening the door, he found a pale, ailing Joseph and a blood-shot eyed Robert leaning on either side of the door frame.
"What are you doing here? I told you I would meet you at the hotel." Charles said in a hushed voice. "You've woken half the neighborhood.
"I want to meet her." Robert managed a mischievous smile.
"I told him we…" Joseph lifted the back of his hand to his mouth, turning and clutching the railing with his other before unceremoniously retching over the side.
"For God's sake! You look like hell and he is puking on my steps and you want to meet Elsie? Not on your life! Go back to the hotel and each drink a pot of black coffee. I will meet you there."
"Charles…" Elsie's voice was soft from the other side of the room. "Please let them in. I will put on some coffee, but Barley really needs to go out."
His heart swelling at the change of hers, he turned to give each of his friends a look of warning. "If you upset her…"
"Best behavior. I promise." Robert placed his hand over his heart as she stretched his neck in an effort to catch a glimpse of the woman with the melodic Scottish accent.
Having shown Robert and Joseph into the sitting room, Charles slipped into the bedroom to find Elsie pulling over her head a simple, but lovely dark violet colored dress Beryl had dropped over the day before. "Are you sure? I can still send them on their way," he offered, pulling on pants before slipping a vest over his head.
"It is fine, Charles. From the sound of it, I think I am in better shape than they are."
Charles grinned, crossing the room to kiss her temple. "They are good chaps. Robert only wants to see me happy and that is very much what I am."
"Good. Introduce me, please, and then take Barley out before he explodes, if you don't mind."
"Absolutely."
Her hair brushed and held back with a clip, Elsie was a vision with her gentle auburn curls, her fresh and freckled face offering a warm smile as she entered the sitting room.
Robert, Joseph, this is…this is my Elsie," Charles beamed.
With great effort, the two men pushed themselves up from the settee to find the Scottish beauty smiling at them. "Elsie. Robert Crawley," he announced as he offered his hand, "so very pleased to meet you."
"And you." Elsie offered as she took his hand.
"Charles told us of the terrible attack a few days ago. I hope you are feeling much better. I am so very sorry."
Elsie nodded, the man's kindness touching her. "Thank you. I have received excellent care as it happens," she turned and smiled at Charles, "…and am feeling much better."
"Joseph Molesley," the smaller man offered before lifting his hand to his mouth.
"In here." Elsie swiftly made her way around the settee before taking the green gilled man's arm and leading him to the loo.
"Care to take a short walk?" Charles asked Robert, a wiggling Barley under his arm.
"Lead on, MacDuff." Robert nodded, wincing in pain as the little dog let out a loud yip.
"She's beautiful." Robert offered as Charles set a lead-constricted Barley onto the pavement in front of the flat.
"Isn't she?" Charles face was filled with pride as he added, "But she is also very clever and possibly the funniest person I have ever met."
"Beauty, brains, and wit, you have quite hit the lottery, my friend. And in the bedroom?"
Charles frowned, shaking his head. "None of your business." He tried to maintain a stern look, but couldn't stifle a large smile which spread between either of his pinked cheeks.
"That good, eh?"
"That perfect." Charles quietly admitted as he followed Barley, the dog pulling on his lead in a wish to investigate something near Elsie's flat.
"So it was a happy birthday, I take it?"
"The happiest," Charles admitted just before Barley burst into a fit of riled barks. "Shh! Shhh! Chum, what is it?" Looking in the direction in which the dog was pulling, Charles spotted a figure coming around the corner from the side of Elsie's building. As the stranger moved closer Charles' entire being exploded into rage as he took in the sight of a squat, fat man with two black eyes on either side of a bandaged nose. "Take this." Charles shoved Barley's lead into Robert's hand.
"Get the hell away from here, you bastard." Charles nearly stumbled as he ran towards the man, his hip the only reason he hadn't charged the cretin to the ground.
"Now, now friend…" the man offered, stopping in fear, his arms lifted in surrender.
"I am not your bloody friend, you son of a bitch. How dare you show your face here?!"
Tufton swiftly pulled an envelope from his pocket. "I am only here to leave this. It is a reference and the pay due Elsie through the end of this week."
Having reached the man, Charles used every ounce of his restraint not to pummel him as he ripped the envelope from the fat hand, growling, "How dare you even say her name!"
"I know about Geneva and the five hundred pounds, but she is owed this is well…"
Charles grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, spitting into his face, "This absolves you of NOTHING. There is nothing you can do or say to make this right. Get out of here and don't you dare come within 100 yards of her again, do you hear me?"
"Yes, yes. I promise!" The pathetic man quaked under the towering figure of Charles, waddling away upon his release when Robert and Barley joined Charles.
"Is that…was it that man who attacked her?"
Charles nodded, heated anger coming off him in waves.
Robert thrust the lead into Charles' hand before taking off in a jog towards Tufton who was approaching a car on the far side of the street. "Excuse me," he politely called which resulted in Tufton turning back towards him. Grabbing the shorter man's lapel with his left hand, he delivered a crushing blow to his considerable gut which was followed by a groan inducing shove against the car door. "Now, you are lucky," Robert hissed, his mouth pressed next to the injured man's ear, "…because while my friend is bigger than I am, he is a gentleman. I, however, will not hesitate to fucking kill you if I ever hear that either of them so much as lay eyes on your sorry face again. Do you understand?"
The man whimpered "yes" prompting Robert to let go of him, a soaking of urine covering the front of his pants as his body slumped to the ground.
A spring in his step, Robert swiftly crossed the street, a bright smile on his face. "Well, that did me a world of good. Did I hear Elsie say something about coffee?"
Charles, Robert and Barley returned to the flat to find Joseph Molesley sitting in one of the dining room chairs just outside the kitchen, a damp flannel in his hand as he turned to them with a smile. Elsie stepped into view, a warm smile on her face as she began distributing mugs of coffee as she asked, "How was your walk?"
"Quite satisfying." Robert quickly answered.
Elsie looked inquisitively at Charles, but he simply nodded, reaching out and squeezing her hand after receiving his coffee.
The rest of the morning was spent with Robert and Joseph regaling Elsie with stories of Charles and their shared youth while the foursome ate Charles' leftover birthday cake.
"And you dove off the dock with all of your clothes on to retrieve Robert's sister's doll after he threw it in the middle of the pond?" Elsie looked at Charles, her eyes shining with surprise and admiration.
"I knew Robert would be skinned alive if Rosamunde didn't get her doll back." Charles quietly offered as he looked down into his cup.
"Only one of many, many times Charles came to my rescue, I assure you, Elsie."
"He once saved us from falling into a well." Joseph offered.
"Oh don't." Charles bristled.
"No, it's true," Robert quickly interrupted. "I had convinced JoMo to let me tie a rope around his waist so I could lower him into a wishing well to retrieve some of the coins from the bottom. He had dropped him about ten feet when I suddenly realized gravity and his weight were more than I could handle and soon I was heading ass over tea kettle behind him."
"Oh, my goodness!" Elsie squeaked.
"But I suddenly felt someone grab me and drag me back. It was Charles. He got me back over and grabbed the rope and he and I together managed to get JoMo out of the well. And then he chewed us up one side and down the other about even considering stealing coins from the well because those were people's wishes and we had no right to 'steal from peoples' hearts." Robert recited, shooting Charles a playful grin.
Elsie glanced over to find Charles blushing, his gaze firmly focused on the contents of his coffee cup.
"It sounds as though you are quite the hero, love." Elsie offered, patting Charles' knee.
"And of course you know about the battle for Caen…"
Charles quickly cut Robert off. "As much as I am enjoying this excruciating stroll down memory lane, I am afraid you two will miss your train if we don't set off for the station."
Elsie cocked her head with curiosity as she watched Charles suddenly rise and begin collecting the plates and coffee cups, unwilling to meet her inquisitive gaze.
Robert caught her eye and silently mouthed, "Ask him later."
Elsie and Barley walked with the men as far as the corner before stopping to wish them goodbye. "It has been so lovely to meet you both."
"The pleasure has been all ours, Elsie." Robert took her hand and leaned forward to kiss her cheek, pausing briefly to whisper in her ear, "Thank you for making him so happy."
Elsie gave him a sweet smile as she squeezed his hand before Joseph stepped up to offer his.
"We look forward to seeing you in London in December."
"And I you…"
"Call me JoMo, please."
"And I you, JoMo." Elsie replied with a kind and appreciative look.
Charles gave her a quick wink, turning to join the others as he suddenly remembered Tufton's envelope in his pocket. "Oh, here. This belongs to you."
Elsie looked at the envelope, a sick feeling coming over her as she recognized the hand in which her name was written.
"Don't worry, darling," Charles quickly assured her, "He will never bother you again. It has been seen to."
Elsie swallowed hard, nodding as Charles leaned down and kissed her.
"I love you. Be back soon."
Elsie kissed him back, "Hurry."
"If you don't stop snogging, we'll miss our train!" Robert cheekily called out.
Elsie was in the bath when Charles returned, a posy of violets in his hand and a bottle of red under his arm.
"I'm back." he called from outside the door.
"Come in."
Leaving the wine on the table, Charles opened the door to find a smiling Elsie looking over her shoulder up at him. "What have you there?" she nodded towards the flowers.
"I saw them in a stall at the train station and they reminded me of how pretty you looked this morning in your purple dress."
Elsie looked at him, feelings of love, gratitude and want issuing within her. "Thank you. Do you want to join me?"
Charles' breath caught in his chest, "I do, but I don't know if we will fit."
"I can curl up in front of you."
Hastily removing his clothes, Charles carefully lowered himself into the tub behind Elsie, his entire body rejoicing at the feel of her soft skin against his.
Allowing a few minutes of gentle caresses, Elsie took a deep breath before turning her head up towards Charles, asking, "He was here?"
Charles ran his hands over her arms in response to her shiver. "He was."
"What happened?"
Charles leaned down so that his chin rested on her shoulder. "I called him a few choice words and told him he was never to come in contact with you again and then I took the envelope."
"Good."
"Robert is the one who hit him."
"What?!" Elsie grabbed his hand.
"He asked me if he was the man who attacked you and I said yes and before I knew it, he was running across the street and gave him a hard punch in the gut. I don't know what he said after that, but the man wet his pants."
Elsie let out a huff of surprise. "Remind me to kiss Robert the next time I see him."
"I don't think I will. He thinks you are beautiful, by the way."
"That is lovely."
"Well, he has good taste."
While she basked in the knowledge of Robert's efforts on her behalf, she couldn't forget his urging her to ask Charles about the skirmish that had led to his injury. "Why did you stop Robert telling about the battle for Caen?" She bit her lip as she felt his previously relaxed body tense.
"Because it makes me remember things I don't want to."
"The pain from your injury?"
Charles shook his head. "That is the least of it."
"You don't have to tell me, but you know things about me, Charles. Things very few others do. If you ever feel like unburdening yourself to me, you know you can."
"Thomas." The name fell out of Charles' mouth in a whisper.
"Thomas?"
"The man I hated who also saved my life."
I know! What in the frickin' Kentucky Fried Chicken?! Will post more tomorrow! (and thanks for enduring the obligatory C and E in the bathtub scene)