January 11, 1927

In the half hour that Charles and Elsie had been in their bed, Charles huffed, let out an exasperated sigh, and punched his pillow as he shifted in bed.

Elsie had tried to be patient but her resolve was starting to wear thin, though she did find the whole thing rather amusing. Still, it wouldn't do to let him know that just yet, not while he was still upset. She had to try to soothe his nerves without upsetting him further.

"Would you like me to get you a glass of brandy or make some warm cocoa for you, love?" Her voice was soft, as soft as her fingertips which smoothed the hair back from his forehead, as soft as her lips that grazed his cheek.

"No. What I really want is my apple crumble, but I won't be having that, now, will I?" he grumbled, though his irritation was not directed at her or her suggestions.

She bit her lip and tried to stifle her amusement. "No, I dare say you won't. I do still have a few pieces of chocolate left from my stocking. Father Christmas was incredibly generous when he filled it," she whispered into his ear, her head resting on his shoulder while her hand smoothed over his chest. "He must have seen that I was a very good girl this past year."

Charles laughed softly. "Oh, I'm sure he was watching your every move, my darling girl. I'm told he sees all, hears all, and most importantly, appreciates every little thing about you … even down to the way you're trying to smooth things over tonight."

At this, she did laugh, her entire body shaking the bed and causing him to join her in her merriment. "You have to admit, Charles, it's rather funny. The only reason you're upset is because it was … "

"It was my apple crumble, Elsie. That's what it was. They had no right."

"Charles Carson! Are you seriously asking me to believe that those two kittens and that puppy ate your apple crumble on purpose, just to spite you?"

"Well, when you put it like that … no."

"Good! Because, honestly, I cannot wrap my mind around the pup convincing either of those kittens to jump up on the counter, choose the one plate that had your dessert on it, push it to the floor, and then all three of them sharing their rewards."

"You never know. It could happen," he challenged, trying to sound serious. "Who knows what those three get up to while we're at work most days? You just wait until they decide to steal something of yours. Then, we'll see how forgiving their mother is about losing her shortbread or those buttered potatoes that you enjoy so much."

She propped her chin on his chest and grinned. "You're forgetting one simple thing, love." He quirked an eyebrow at her in silent question so she continued. "I make sure my shortbread and the ginger biscuits are properly stored in the tins and the potatoes go into the icebox."

He huffed and shook his head. "Yes, yes, fair enough. I shouldn't have left it on the counter, but they shouldn't have been on there to begin with." His stomach gave a rather loud rumble, as if to voice its own opinion on the matter.

Elsie leaned up and kissed him hard on the lips before pulling back and sitting up, tossing back the blankets without any warning.

"Elsie, where on earth are you going? Get back in bed. It's freezing!"

She switched on her bedside lamp and gave him a warm smile. "You just keep my side of the bed warm. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Assuming she suddenly needed the facilities and knowing better than to question her when she had that look in her eyes, Charles obediently pulled the blankets back over her side of the bed before slipping out of the bed and stoking the fire.

Within a few minutes, Charles heard the creaking of the third step from the top of the landing and knew Elsie was returning. He quickly plumped her pillow and waited.

"Open the door, Charles, please," she called from the other side of the door.

Hurriedly, he jumped from bed, hissing as his feet once again hit the cold floorboards. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Elsie standing there with a small tray, two glasses, and the bottle of brandy. "What on earth is all of this?"

"This, my dear husband, is a midnight snack." With his attention directed towards her and the goodies on the tray, Charles didn't notice the dog and two kittens racing past them and leaping onto the bed. "Unbeknownst to you, I asked Beryl to send you an additional helping of the crumble. I hid it so you wouldn't eat it all in one sitting. I was saving it for your lunch tomorrow, but tonight seemed more appropriate."

He kissed her cheek and took the tray, stepping aside and letting her enter their warm bedroom. "Shall I serve milady in bed?" he joked, turning to see his nemeses … all three of them … settling themselves on the top of the quilt. "Well, now, who invited Laddie, Brody, and Shelley to the midnight feast?"

"They were cold so I told them they could sleep with us tonight," she announced without any hesitation. "I thought they could sleep on my side of the bed which means I get to curl up a little closer to their Papa. I didn't think you'd mind that bit,' she said, patting his bottom as she made her way to the bed, making a show of swaying her hips and leaning over to give him a lovely view of her backside as she crawled into their bed.

Charles groaned appreciatively as he watched his beautiful wife teasing him, knowing he had lost the battle before it had ever started. "Fair enough, but I'm not sharing my snacks with them. You can share yours," he declared, settling the tray over her lap before slipping into bed.

"I gave them a little bite to eat while I was gathering things for our treats. I don't think you'll have anything to worry about tonight, love. Now, scoot over a little. I need you to get me warm, then we'll see about taking care of that rumbling tummy of yours."

Charles slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close for a heated kiss, warming them both from head to toe. When his lips left hers, he trailed light kisses all along her jaw and up to her ear. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

She sighed softly and tilted her head to the side, giving him a little more freedom to lavish her with his caresses. "No, but you show me in so many ways that I never doubt your love," she replied.

He reached down and took a ginger biscuit from the tray and offered her a bite then popping the remainder into his mouth. As he began to pour the brandy into the glasses, Elsie forked a generous bite of his apple crumble and held it in front of him. He opened his mouth in anticipation of her feeding him the first bite of his sweet tooth's weakness. Instead, she slowly brought the fork to her own mouth, savoring the first bite of the dessert.

"Mmmm, perfection, as always," she hummed, watching Charles's face morph from one of shock to disbelief.

"I thought that was my bite, you little tease."

"And I thought that was my biscuit … until you ate over half of it in one bite. All's fair in love, war, and desserts, darling. I'll share mine but you have to share yours."

Suddenly, Charles turned very serious, handing her the glass of brandy. "Elsie, all that I have or ever hope to have, I share gladly with you. You are my everything and without you, I have nothing." His voice cracked a little as he finished his heartfelt sentiment.

She reached out and caressed his cheek tenderly. "And I gladly give you my all, Charles. You have made my life complete." She clinked her glass with his then took a sip of her brandy. "Now, let's enjoy our little midnight snack before these three little imps decide a second helping of crumble is too good to miss."

"I'll share my house, the love of my wife, the scraps from the table, even my bed … but I will not be sharing any more of my desserts with them. They can talk to Beryl about sending them their own portions from now on."

Elsie burst into a fit of laughter. "Eat your pudding, love, and tomorrow, we'll walk to the bakery and pick up a few sweets for us to share."

"Ohh, you do know the way to my heart, my darling girl."

She patted his chest then let her hand drift downwards until it slipped beneath the blankets, resting heavily on his lap. "I know a great many things … both savory and sweet … and all of them filling and satisfying."

Charles nearly choked as he swallowed hard. "Suddenly, I'm not very hungry … for food," he said, his mouth going very dry and his eyes darkening.

With the tray settled on the floor, Charles turned all of his attention on his wife, the love of his life, the keeper of his heart. He neither noticed nor cared that Laddie, Brody, and Shelley were enjoying the remnants of the midnight snack.

TBC …

A/N: Thank you all so much for continuing to read and support this story. I sincerely appreciate it. Only a few chapters left before we close the pages of this one. Hope you'll stick with me to the end.