A/N: Back to our AU for a bit. Plus, I am skipping ahead in the alphabet as I will not be able to finish all 26 letters by Christmas. This is Christmas 1898. And a different take on Jim Carter's favorite scene (the one with Carson and Mrs. Hughes discussing the story of Lady Mary wishing to run away, steal the silver, and the six pence) If you do not remember the AU, go back to Chapter 3, "Children."

Three weeks before Christmas 1898

For Elsie Carson Christmastime at Downton's village post office was busy. She found herself twice as busy as usual dealing with extra parcels, letters, and Christmas cards. The children of the village posted letters to Father Christmas and their parents sent extra letters to their families and friends. The servants who worked at the Abbey all sent letters home to parents and relatives and the Abbey received dozens of extra parcels and Christmas cards during the season. Though she was extremely busy, she was very happy. As she sorted the post and filled the cubbies, she smiled. She looked over her shoulder to find her daughter sleeping quietly in the cot beside her desk. Pink complexion, sparse dark hair, dark eyelashes, a dimple in her chin like her father, Elsie was smitten with her little bairn. The daughter that she thought they would never have. She often found herself staring at the child, watching her breathe, mesmerized that God had entrusted Charles and her with such a precious gift. And Charles. Never had a man been more taken with a child than Charles Carson was with his daughter. At first afraid of holding her, he soon brought her to their bed every chance he could, laid her in between them. He held them both close; called them his girls. Elsie was so in her lost in her thoughts that she failed to hear the bell on counter behind her ringing.

Then the bell rang louder, shaking Elsie from her thoughts. She turned to find a young, well-dressed girl standing in before her. "How may I help?"

"I need to post these letters, please," a little raven-haired girl an imperious voice said matter-of-factly.

Elsie immediately recognized the girl but was surprised to find her in the village, much less in the post office. "And where is your mother, miss?" she asked.

Ignoring the question, the little girl pressed on with her case. "You are Mrs. Carson, the Post Mistress? Can you help me? I need to post these letters. One is to my Grandmamma in America. I am running away from home and I wish to tell her that I am coming. The other is to Father Christmas so that he knows where I may be found," the little girl, who could have been no more than six or seven years old, said defiantly.

Elsie bit her lip to keep from reprimanding the girl for her impertinence but it would not do to reprimand this young lady. "Yes, I am Mrs. Carson. Let me see your letters." The girl passed her letters to Elsie and immediately Elsie realized that there were no envelopes. "Well, you will need envelopes. Why don't you come behind the desk? I will get envelopes and you can fill them out." The girl did as Elsie instructed her and Elsie sat her at the desk and placed two envelopes in front of her. She indicated that Father Christmas and the North Pole was sufficient address and assured the girl that it would arrive in time for Christmas. Mary wrote 'Grandmamma' and 'America' on the other.

"And why have you decided to run away from home?" Elsie asked as she placed the letters into the envelopes and sealed them.

The little girl set her jaw, lifting it slightly. "Because my parents do not pay attention to me and I hate my sister."

Elsie nodded as she placed the letters in the stack with all of the others. She turned back to the girl who looked a little less confident than a moment earlier. "Now why would you say that?"

"Is this your baby?" the girl asked, again ignoring a question that she did not wish to answer.

"Yes, she is."

"What is her name?"

"Mary Elspeth."

"Mary, like me," the little girl surmised as a smile passed across her lips. "She is very beautiful." The elder Mary looked to Elsie, a question in her eyes. With a nod of approval, Elsie lifted the baby and carefully placed her into the child's eager arms. Mary cradled the baby close, careful to hold her tightly, fully aware of the trust that Mrs. Carson had placed in her. "She's very little," Mary said quietly as she smoothed her hand across the top of the baby's head.

"Yes. She was born last May."

"This is her first Christmas," Mary said, more than asked. Elsie answered with a hum. Mary thought for a moment. "Mama and Papa have forgotten about me. Sybil is very pretty and very sweet and she is the baby. Though not as little a baby as this Mary. Sybil is three. Everyone loves her. And Edith, well, she is very mean and we hate each other." Mary looked down at the little baby in her arms, and then placed a kiss to her forehead.

"So, you're feeling left out?" Elsie asked sympathetically.

"They won't miss me if I am gone," Mary said rebelliously. She then turned a steely gaze on Elsie. "So, if you could help me, please."

xxxxx

"Mr. Carson, this is Lady Mary Crawley," Elsie began "she is setting out on her own and will need some supplies. She is traveling to America. She tells me that her Grandmamma lives there." She dared a wink over Lady Mary's shoulder. "She hasn't any money but she does have a couple of silver candlesticks in her bag that she is willing to trade for the things that she needs."

Charles rubbed the back of his neck, thought for a moment, and finally replied, "Well, let us see them."

Mary reached into her bag and tugged out first one and then a second elaborate silver candlestick. She handed them both to Charles who placed them on the counter in front of them. He looked them over very carefully, considering the intricateness of design and the weight of them. He pursed his lips in contemplation and then looked to Lady Mary who though trying very hard to appear confident, seemed worried. Charles then looked to Elsie who nodded and smiled slightly.

"What items do you require for your journey?" Charles asked seriously, as he took a notepad and pencil from his shirt pocket and prepared to make a list of the items she requested.

The little girl smiled, relieved that the tall, imposing shopkeeper was willing to help her. She squared her shoulders and began to rattle off her list. For her train ride, she would require: peppermint sticks, a blanket, a teddy bear, and a tin of chocolate biscuits Elsie reminded Charles that Lady Mary would need a valise, at least three dresses, two pairs of shoes, some undergarments, and a hat. Of course, she would need help purchasing a train ticket to London, another to Liverpool, and then a passage aboard a ship bound for America. She also needed cash for food and other things that might come up. Mary's smile widened with glee that Mr. and Mrs. Carson were so willing to help her escape Downton for America.

Charles made to gather all of the items that Mary required and placed them on the counter near a very large looking machine. Mary had not seen a machine like it before. She inquired what it was and was told that it was a cash register that added the cost of her purchases. Once Charles added all of the items on the counter, he frowned. He looked to Elsie and shook his head.

"I'm sorry milady," he said shifting his gaze to Mary, "it seems that there will not be enough money left for your train fare nor your ship passage."

Elsie saw the girl's shoulders sag and her smile fade. She reached down and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. Charles moved from behind the counter and knelt down in front of her. He took her tiny hands in his giant ones. He watched as her eyes filled with tears that she refused to let fall.

"Milady, you are very courageous but not quite ready to start out on your own. One day you will be ready and I have every confidence that you will do very well for yourself. Now, if you were my little girl, I would be very sad if you ran away. Especially at Christmastime. Just as I love my Mary very much, your Mama and Papa love you. What say I walk you home?" Mary sniffed back her tears and Charles gave her a hug. Elsie wrapped up the candlesticks and placed them in Mary's bag. She placed several peppermint sticks in a paper sack and handed them to girl, giving her a hug. Mary thanked Elsie and asked if she could give the baby a hug, which she did.

xxxxx

Charles walked Lady Mary Crawley back to the Abbey that day returning her to the safe embrace of her mother. Mrs. Crawley thanked Mr. Carson for his trouble and before he left, Mary gave him one final embrace. On Christmas Eve, a footman from the Abbey arrived at the shop with a delivery addressed to the Carson family. Charles and Elsie opened the package to find a Christmas card addressed to them from Robert and Cora Crawley and an engraved silver baby rattle for Mary that read: from Mary Crawley to Mary Carson Happy First Christmas.

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