Elsie got up from the couch and looked at the paper he was holding up

"Its a job offer from Carlise"

"When did you receive it?" He asked

"This morning after court, while you were talking to Griggs" she explained, attempting to take it from him but he refused to let go "Charles what on earth is the matter?"

"You told me, when I asked what he wanted, that it was nothing." He said with clenched teeth.

"It is nothing!" She insisted, getting more and more bewildered at his reaction

"It most certainly is NOT nothing! I can't believe you could do this Elsie, to even consider it!" He shouted, striding past her and downing the remainder of his drink

"I wasn't considering-"

"Do you know what the most shocking thing is?" He asked

"Charles I swear-"

"The most shocking thing is that even after all the derogatory things you've ever said about that man and his firm, you're prepared to jump ship all for the sake of a larger pay check!" He spoke over her in a bitter tone

"Charles Carson you listen to me!" She finally managed to get a word in edge ways "Carlise gave that this morning! I didn't ask him for it! I cannot believe that you would dare accuse me of leaving for a bigger pay check!" She shouted, snatching up her bag from where he'd dropped it and tucking it under her arm

"Oh so its not because of the money then? Did he also notice the new clothes? Gods I'm such a fool!" He growled before whirling round to face her again "you disappoint me. I never thought of you as a woman with no standards, especially after your past"

"My past?" She said icily "I have worked myself to the bone for this company, you of all people should know that!"

"I wasn't talking about your past in the firm! You'd think that after all you went through in your childhood you wouldn't be so eager so throw everything away!"

"How dare you?" She asked in a dangerously calm voice as she walked towards him "you don't know me. You don't know what I've had go through to get where I am. And then you dare to accuse me of throwing everything away?"

"Perhaps if you'd shared things about you I might understand your thinking. Although I highly doubt it." He said, pulling himself up to his full height and towering over her. Though it wasn't quite high enough as she still managed deliver a stinging slap to his cheek before grabbing the offer and leaving, slamming the door behind her.

"Mrs Hughes are you alright?" Asked Anna as they passed one another in the hall. She shook her head before starting to run towards her room. She fumbled with the lock before finally managing to barge through the door and slam it behind her. She dropped her bag on the floor before collapsing onto the sofa and allowing herself to succumb to the sobs that she'd been fighting during her mad dash.

She woke up a couple of hours later still curled up on the couch, though now shivering with cold. She retrieved the blanket that was draped over a chair and wrapped it around her shoulders then wandered over to her bag which had somehow managed to over turn when she'd dropped it. She knelt down and began picking up all the things that had fallen out, throwing them back into their respective pockets before moving it onto the coffee table. The only thing left on the ground was Carlise's proposal which she left there for the time being. She lit the fire before wandering into her bedroom and changing into her night gown. She then poured herself a whiskey before grabbing the offending piece of paper and sitting down, on floor, next to the fireplace. She re read his proposal while sipping on her drink. He was offering a lot and she could do a lot of things that she'd always do such as travel or spend a lot more time with Daisy and Beryl or go and visit her sister. But she could never work for a man like that, who was condescending and manipulative, who had no honor or integrity and would never see her as a person the same way the Crawley's did. So she grabbed a pair of tongs and held the paper into the flames where it slowly disintegrated.

'A bit like my relationship' she thought bitterly. She had sworn she would never love another man after Jack had died and like a fool she'd gone back on her word. Now she was paying for it, with her heart broken into two once again all because she had dared to put all her trust in one person. If there was one thing life had taught her was to never trust anyone but herself yet she'd made the same mistake yet again because apparently she never learned. She sighed and pulled her briefcase towards her, there was no way she was going to get any sleep tonight so she might as well do something useful.

This was how Anna found her the next morning when she brought in a cup of coffee

"Mrs Hughes! Have you been there all night?" The girl exclaimed when she caught sight of Elsie curled up next to a now dying fire surrounded by files. Elsie looked up from her paperwork

"Couldn't sleep." She said by way of an explanation.

"Good heavens!" The young woman said before ordering her into bed and putting a 'do not disturb' sign on the door

Charles' head hurt. He supposed it was to be expected when one drank a bottle of whiskey all on ones own. He just wanted to dull the pain but now he had a headache as well as a heart ache. He'd been so afraid of losing her and now all he'd done was give her another reason to go. Why did he have to shout at her? Why didn't he listen to her reasoning? His cheek still stung from where she'd slapped him. Thinking back, he realized he'd deserved it in every way. What the bloody hell had he been thinking bringing up her past? It was the lowest of low blows yet he'd dished it out with out hesitation.

"She must hate me" he said aloud. She should hate him. God knows he despised himself for every word that had left his mouth last night. He'd turned back into the man he'd been when he and Griggs had been pals...a man he'd sworn he'd never become again. A jealous self righteous more-holier-than-thou kind of man. He'd pushed Alice away like that, straight into the arms of Griggs and now he'd pushed Elsie into the clutches of Carlise. He'd hurt the woman who he loved with every fiber of his being by becoming the person he feared becoming the most.

"Mr Carson, I've brought your tea" called Thomas from the sitting room area and each word felt like a brick landing on his head. Thomas heard a vague groan in response and glanced towards the coffee table to find the decanter of whiskey nearly empty. He put a bottle of aspirins next to the cup before leaving as quietly as possible.

*ducks deadly things that are probably being thrown at me* forgive me I beg! Chelsie Dagger kinda inspired Elsie here as she said earlier that people who persevere don't dwell on things and I've tried to capture that. I've also attempted to give Charles a reason for being that nasty as he'd never be that bad without good reason. Please please review!