A/N: Whoa! Thank you so much for all your reviews! They make me want to post faster, although the time it takes to write doesn't always jive with that desire. I am inching my way into the second busiest time of the year for my work but I think I found a way to make sure I continue to post fairly regularly if not always as quickly as I've been.
Reminder: this fic is rated M. There may or may not be a bit in here that's a tad NSFW. You've been warned.
Enjoy!
Part 2
24 January 2009
Anna's text had Elsie worried.
She sat on Charlie's sofa. Her laptop consumed her lap. She kept glancing at her phone on the coffee table, but as of the past ten minutes she saw no further updates from the young woman. She bit her lip.
Glancing back at her laptop and the edits she was supposed to be making, she jumped when her phone rang. She grabbed at it quickly, missing the number on the front.
"Anna?" She said.
"Eh, no, beg your pardon," a male voice said on the other line, "This is Richard, eh, Richard Grey. I am looking to speak with Elsie Burns."
"Speaking," She said, racking her brains as to recall who Richard Grey was and trying to quell the disappointment that it wasn't Anna. And then, it clicked, "Oh! Lord Merton."
"The very same," he chuckled.
"What can I do for you?" She asked.
"Oh, I am glad that this number worked. I hope you don't mind. I had luncheon with Robert earlier this week and he passed along your mobile number. We discussed your documentary - I remembered how fun it was to interview with you. He mentioned you were divorced and he did say what a lovely job you were doing with his family and the documentary." He spoke very fast.
Elsie nodded, unsure what any of that had to do with anything. She ignored his mention of her upcoming divorce and said simply, "Thank you for passing that along."
"You're very welcome."
Silence.
Elsie waited, "Was that why you called?"
He cleared his throat, "Dear me, I'm afraid I'm not too good at this sort of thing. It's just - you remember my wife, Ada?"
How could she forget? That wretched woman taught Elsie that she could work with anyone, even the most stubborn, disrespectful, and horrible upper class Baroness in England. Trial by fire that first documentary had been.
"Yes, I do," Elsie said, trying to keep the distaste from her voice.
"She passed three years ago." Lord Merton said, "Sad as that all is, one cannot dwell on these things. No, we must move forward in our endeavors…"
Elsie pulled the phone away to look at the clock. She wondered when Lord Merton would get to his point.
"Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner sometime this week, seeing as you're a free woman and all now." Lord Merton finished.
Her body stilled as his words washed over her. Richard Grey - Lord Merton - a bloody Baron was asking her out on a date! She shook her head trying to find the appropriate words.
"Lord Merton," she began.
"Please, call me Richie." He said.
"Richie," she conceded, "I - I don't know what to say."
"Oh, a simple 'yes' would do. You would make an old man quite happy."
"You're very kind," she swallowed, "but I'm not sure I'm truly as available as you think I am."
"No?" His voice cracked, "You're already seeing someone else, then?"
"No, no, not at all," Elsie moved to set her laptop on the coffee table, "It's just, the divorce isn't finalized and -"
"I can wait. All that pish-posh won't take all that long, now will it?"
"Listen," She said, trying to stop him from speaking, "I'm simply not ready. And I truly don't know when I will be. I hope you can understand."
He was silent again. She held her breath.
"My dear, of course I understand," he said.
She exhaled.
"I won't pester you," he continued, "just know Richie Grey is interested whenever you find yourself ready."
"Thank you, again, that is very kind." She tried very hard not to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Of course, have a wonderful afternoon."
"Yes, thank you. You as well." She nodded to herself and then pressed the end call button.
She threw her phone on the coffee table and fell back against the sofa pillows. Rubbing her face, she startled when she heard Charlie's voice.
"You look ready for a break." He said.
"Richard Grey just asked me out," she said, surprising herself with her own admission.
"Did he?" Charlie made his way to the sofa and sat perched on the edge next to her. A strange tension filled his body as he asked, "and did you accept?"
"What? No, of course not. I'm hardly ready for all that." She said. She wasn't entirely certain why she felt she had to be so insistent that she hadn't accepted Lord Merton's invitation.
"When was the last time you'd seen him, anyway?" Charlie wondered, tension easing from his body.
"He was at Robert and Cora's Christmas bash, wasn't he?" Elsie thought back, "and then, oh, he popped by Downton last week while we were filming. I don't think we even spoke, just waved hello."
She waved her hand as she spoke. Charlie mulled over her words.
"I suppose, if he's going on looks alone, he's chosen wisely." He said, "imagine if he discovered you were smart and charming as well."
Elsie rolled her eyes and tried to keep the blush from her checks, "oh hush."
"Anyway, I came in to see if you'd like a sandwich and some soup for lunch," he said, "Something warm on this rather dreary day."
Taking a glance out the window, Elsie noted the grey clouds casting a gloom across the sky. She nodded at Charlie's suggestion, "that would fit the bill rather nicely."
Her phone rang again. Elsie checked the caller this time, once again hoping for Anna. It was Beryl.
"You're quite the popular lady," Charlie chuckled.
"This might be a bit," she said, nodding to her phone, "hope you don't mind."
"Not at all, I'll keep your lunch warm for you whenever you're ready." He stood from the sofa and made his way into the kitchen.
Elsie answered Beryl's call with her usual, "Beryl?"
"As if you didn't know it was me," said the chef on the other end of the line, "calling you, love, to confirm the plant schedule."
"Yes, of course," Elsie stood and started wandering around Charlie's living room, "How long are you going to be gone for this time?"
"Just for a week. It'll be good for Daisy to get some warmth into her bones," Beryl said, "You won't need to come round too often, just Wednesday if you can. I've got a neighbor taking care of the mail."
"Aren't I a neighbor?" Elsie teased.
"Yes, but this neighbor happens to be right next door and home all the time," Beryl ignored Elsie's teasing.
"Right then, do I need to do anything special with the plants?" Elsie ran her hand along one of the stem's of Charlie' plants. She had a green thumb but not much cause to use it in recent years.
"No, you just water 'em, - oh, Bert's telling me to tell you to talk to them," Beryl said, then shouted, "Why in heaven's does she have to talk to them?"
Elsie laughed at her friend. Smiling, she could easily see Beryl standing in the kitchen shouting down the long hallway to the garage where Bert would be.
"Anyway, talk to them or don't, I don't think he'll know if you did," Beryl finished.
"Right," Elsie agreed.
"How are you holding up, love?" Beryl asked, "I hate leaving when I know you'll be needing some friends around."
"Italy will be wonderful, don't you fret about me!" Elsie said, "I'm doing - well, I'm doing alright."
"Yeah?"
"Yes and no," Elsie sighed, "We met with the lawyer. Joe's giving me the house, and our finances have always been separate, so he'll keep what's his and I'll keep what's mine. If I'm honest I don't really want the house, just going to sell it."
"You only have one lawyer?" Beryl said, her annoyance palpable.
"Yes. We only have one lawyer." Elsie tried to keep her voice even, "Neither of us wants a big fuss. This lady knows what she's on about. We've signed all the papers, and now we just wait for the judge to finalize it all."
"I'm glad she didn't make you wait it out - six months or whatever."
"Me too. But Joe confessed to the adultery - so technically we have grounds for a speedy ending." Elsie sighed, "Speedy beginning, speedy ending, and nothing but memories in between."
"Oh, Elsie, you mustn't talk like that! He's the biggest jerk in the world and we both know it!"
Elsie smiled at the word 'jerk', her friend had used much more colorful language in the past. She began to walk towards the staircase, feeling her emotions gathering speed. She didn't want Charlie to walk out of the kitchen to find her crying on the phone.
"You've got to start moving on, Els," Beryl continued, "start finding other things to keep your mind off it. Unless, of course, you've found something to keep your mind off it."
"I should tell you - Lord Merton just called and asked me to dinner." Elsie smiled, glad to move away from discussion of Joe.
"No! He didn't! Well, I'll be. And did you say yes?" Beryl asked.
"No, but I suppose -"
"Ah, course," Beryl said, "You wouldn't want to do that, not when you're shagging Charlie."
"I beg your pardon?" Elsie paused at the bottom of the staircase, not quite believing what she had heard.
"You know full well what I said."
"Beryl, I don't know where you get these ideas from but I -"
"Oh come off it, Elsie. He's a handsome man - perfectly single. You're a beautiful woman - who's now single. How are you two not shagging? You live under the same roof!"
"I am not shagging Charlie!" Elsie cried.
The subject of their conversation poked his head out of the doorway of the kitchen, his brows raised into his hairline. Elsie felt her cheeks flush. Mouthing the word 'sorry', she ran up the stairs.
She whispered, "I am not shagging Charlie."
"This is one of those 'doth protest too much' moments, isn't it?" Beryl continued.
"No, it is not!" Elsie shut the door behind her, and leaned against it, glad to be secluded in her own room, "First of all, I'm not even ready to start dating yet - much less ready for - for - for that!"
"I just imagined you were! Didn't you say you rushed to him the night you found out about Joe? Didn't you say he comforted you? What was I supposed to think?"
"That he was being kind and nothing else!" Elsie ran her hand over her face, laughter starting, "I can't believe you thought we've been - that you thought Charlie and I were - this whole time!"
"Well maybe you should, might perk you up a bit."
Elsie rolled her eyes, "I don't think it works that way - not with friends, not when you're in the middle of a divorce, and certainly not with our dear Charlie."
"Then this Lord Merton fellow. You deserve a good shag, Els," Beryl's kind smile was apparent in her voice. Elsie jumped when her friend then started shouting, "Bloody hell Bert! What is that smell?!"
"I think I'll let you go," said Elsie as she imagined Beryl barreling down the hallway only to find Bert having done something to their car.
"What? Yes, we'll talk more when I get back," Beryl said, her voice rushed.
Hitting the end call button on her phone, Elsie slid onto her bed, sitting perched on the edge as she stared at her hands. Shag Charlie. She chuckled. The entire conversation had left her warm - a familiar warmth she was beginning to associate with being old.
Sighing, she twisted round cracking her back and gritting her teeth at the sweat on her body. Boob sweat. She hated that. The thought of taking lunch with Charlie while she was sweating from her tits felt far from being a good house guest. Quickly she stripped off her clothes and headed to her shower, hoping to make it quick and that her soup would still be warm.
She smiled. It would be warm. Charlie would see to that.
Stepping over the edge of the tub, she hissed as the cool water hit her feet. She wanted it cool. Feeling warm was getting old. As her body gradually got used to the cascading water, she let her thoughts drift.
You're shagging Charlie. She shook her head. She could remember the last time she and Joe had sex. It had been sometime in October. They had used the last of her lube. She realized she hadn't ever gone off to buy more.
Had she known?
Two months without sex, and it hadn't bothered her. Had some intuitive part of her known they were coming to an end? She shook her head again. Ridiculous. She had just been busy. Getting Downton, going to different award ceremonies, her sister visiting, everything had happened at once. Yes, she thought, she had been too busy.
Too busy to realize her marriage was failing.
How morose.
Perhaps Beryl was right, maybe she did need a good shag - perk her up.
Shagging Charlie. She laughed again.
She hesitated. She had meant for it to be a quick shower, but now as her thoughts progressed she considered a different idea. One she hadn't had in many years.
If she wasn't going to shag anyone, then why not pleasure herself? It would just be about getting the fantasy right. And while as a young teenager she'd had quite an imagination, it had been a long time since she had bothered taking herself there.
Closing her eyes she tried to think about Joe. Naked Joe. He could get her off so easily. He knew all the buttons to press and in what order to have her moaning. She imagined his hands creeping up her body, the light tickle against her abdomen and then his hands cupping her breasts.
She sighed. No. The warmth spreading from her core was there, but his face was now tied up with other things: Marla, divorce, pure anger.
Still, her body pushed her to continue. She moved her own hand up past her stomach. Joe's hands turned into Charlie's. Charlie's hands cupped her breast, stroking gently at the sides, messaging.
She moaned. Yes, this fantasy would do nicely.
Letting her other hand drop to her middle, she worked her way down, teasing herself. Her top hand trailed across her chest, landing on her other breast. She kneaded herself -
Her eyes flew open.
No.
She pressed again. Fear flooded her body, cold taking over her heat.
No.
Moving her fingers around, she used a different angle. Tenderly, she pressed her breast again.
She shivered.
She had found a lump.
A/N: I know! I know! Leave a review and tell me about it...
For those who are overly worried, Mrs. Hughes' cancer arch ends the same way that Elsie's will, so don't worry too much.