Hey guys! I am so sorry for the delay. Real life seems to not want me to write. It is a busy busy time right now. So thank you all who reviewed this last time. You all are the best! and a special thank you to Happyheart2, who has encouraged me in more ways than one!
As always i own absolutely nothing!
Elsie was sitting at her desk when the young maid who had been assigned to her daughter knocked on her door. She had asked the young girl to let her know when her daughter rang. She let the young girl know that she would attend to her daughter this morning. No matter how busy she was she needed to be secure in the knowledge that her daughter thought Evelyn was worth the struggle that would come with their relationship.
As she made her way up the stairs the Dowager's Lady's Maid stopped met her on the hallway. "Her ladyship said to remind you of the meeting at 3." She said fleetingly. Mrs. Hughes smiled at the woman and bid her thanks.
As she entered her daughter's room she went straight for the curtains on the first window and pulled them open. She looked at the bed only to see that her daughter, after pulling the service bell, had fallen back asleep. She smiled and went over to the bed. She sat down gingerly on the edge and stroked her daughter's hair lovingly. She was greeted with a smile and the slow opening of the big brown eyes she loved most. Ellie grabbed her mother's hand to pull her down. Elsie shook her head, gave in and cuddled with her daughter quietly for a few moments.
Elsie sighed, hating to break the silence but knowing it was inevitable. "So young lady, tell me about Mr. Napier."
Ellie looked up into the kind eyes of her mother, "Mama, he is the kindest person I know. He doesn't care about our class difference. He genuinely likes me for me. Not because of who you and da are."
Elsie looked at her daughter, who seemed to glow when she spoke of the Napier boy. "You are in love with him aren't you lass?" She watched as her daughter blushed prettily and nodded.
"Yes, I guess so. I hadn't really thought about it like that. I just know that he is my first thought in the morning, and the last thought before I go to bed. I can't wait for you and da to meet him properly, I mean I know da has met him before, but that was when he was Lady Mary's suitor. Now he is mine, He has to meet him from the father perspective. I am sure you will love him though." Ellie rushed through.
Elsie smiled reassuringly, "Well if he captured your heart, then I am sure I will like him. As long as he is good to you, I really can't, not like him. All I ever want is for you to be happy. I hope you see that everything I do, I do out of love."
Ellie put her head back down on her mother's chest and held tightly. She was so much happier now that she knew that she had her mama's blessing and support. "Oh mama, I love you."
Elsie pressed a kiss to the girls head, and smiled "I love you too lass. You will always be me darling bonnie lass. But I am afraid it is time for you to get up and get ready, and for me to get to work."
Elsie helped Ellie get ready for the day then, she set about her rounds. She was glad that her daughter was happy and that she could now focus on her work for a bit. She made her way to her new sitting room and on the center of her desk was a crisp white envelope. She stared at the familiar handwriting, which she knew to be Charles's.
-
Violet and Isobel looked up as Ellie came into the room, they watched as she stopped dead in her tracks as she spotted Isobel. Violet's lips curled into a small smile at the look of utter bewilderment that passed over the face of the younger woman.
"Elinor, this is Isobel Crawley, Matthew's mother." Violet watched the realization dawn on the girls face.
"How do you do ma'am," Ellie looked at the pretty woman. She was less intimidating than Violet and had a kind smile that made you want to hug her. Ellie smiled shyly at the woman who looked to be about her mother's age give or take a few years.
"Hello Elinor. Lady Violet has been telling me all about you. I daresay you are just as beautiful as she said." Isobel looked at the young woman. All she could really see was a younger version of Elsie. Speaking of Elsie, she really had to get this story from her. But she would get to that later, now she was studying the off spring of the housekeeper. She noticed little things at first. The color of her hair was the same as Elsie's. The girl had a small dusting of freckles across her nose that she could imagine the housekeeper did at one time. She had the same nose as her mother, and her stature was about the same. Those eyes though, they were the tell of the father. The girl had the same dark chocolate brown pools for eyes as a certain butler. It was no wonder young Napier boy had fallen for her, and if she had any of her mother's wit, then he was a goner for sure. She could see the twinkle in the girl's eyes and how the corners of her mouth seemed to naturally be upturned into a permanent smile.
"This came for you today Elinor," Lady Violet broke the silence at last. She held out an envelope to Ellie who practically skipped over to her and smiled as she saw the writing. It was from Evelyn and she couldn't wait to see what it said, however her hopes of reading it right then were quickly dashed. "I am taking you shopping in Ripon today. So go get your coat and hat. And let us depart soon."
Isobel excused herself after watching the girl sigh dejectedly and leave the room. She made her way down the stairs earning her curious glances from the staff. She glanced into the first door in the servant's hall, noting that the room had a masculine touch and must be the butler's room. She went a door down and saw the boot room. Finally she came to the door that housed the Housekeeper's sitting room. She knocked lightly and upon hearing the call to come in, went in and shut the door behind her. She looked around the room and saw that Elsie was almost unpacked and it looked quite similar to her room back at Downton.
"Isobel! What on earth are you doing down here?" Elsie asked, genuine surprise lacing her voice.
"Well, Elsie, when I hear you have gone off to work for, what do you call her…the old bat, I am generally allowed to be curious and to wonder why you haven't told me of the beautiful young girl upstairs." Isobel shot out. She watched as Elsie dropped her head and let out a sigh.
"Isobel, with all due respect, let's not refer to her as the old bat anymore, out of fear for losing my job, and the fact that she has been so gracious to Ellie Kate, and continues to be. And to be fair you are not the last person to know of Ellie, Charles only found out a week or two ago, and the only part of the family at the big house that knows is Lady Sybil."
"Elsie, you could have come to me! I would have given you a job! I just cannot believe you went to Violet. I want the story, Elsie. We claim to be friends, and as friends we should be able to tell each other secrets." Isobel's eyes pleaded with Elsie. "Don't you trust me?"
Elsie looked at Mrs. Crawley, Isobel. They were separated by the fact Matthew was the heir, but if not for that they probably would have been friends anyway because they complimented each other in the way that friends do. And to be completely honest before Isobel, Beryl had been her only friend of the same gender. Usually she found woman to be catty and selfish. But Isobel had held fast and been a strong willed, intelligent, and lovely woman. She knew that she should tell Isobel.
"Well, then. Sit down and settle in." Elsie motioned for the chair across from her. Then she told her friend of how Ellie Kate had come about.
As she drew the story to a close she wiped the tear that threatened to fall, and looked at Isobel. What she saw shocked her.
"Well Elsie. I'm not going to say that I am shocked about you and Carson. It would have surprised me more if it was anyone else. And while what he did was wrong…I am going to be frank, you were not necessarily in the right either." Isobel sighed when she saw the hurt flash across the blue eyes of the housekeeper. "I'm not saying that you didn't do what you thought was right, I might have done the same thing. But Elsie I just think that if you would have told Charles, he might have surprised you. And I know you were young and hindsight is 20/20. But I will say that he had no right to say the things he did to you. That was absolutely awful."
Elsie sighed. Isobel was right. Hindsight is 20/20, but she believed she had done the right thing for Ellie. "Well, I don't know. I just think I did the right thing for Ellie."
"I think you know better than I. I am just trying to give you and outsiders perspective…Oh my look at the time, I have to stop by the hospital before I go home to change for dinner at the big house. Is Ellie going?"
Elsie shook her head. "Yes, I just hope Mary isn't nasty to her. This whole Evelyn thing has got my stomach tied up in knots. Watch over her would you?"
"Of course! Ta darling." Isobel went out the door. She hoped that everything would work out for the Butler and Housekeeper. They would be lovely together.
-C&E-
Ellie was positively glowing as she made her way back into the house. Violet had bought her so many clothes. And not just everyday clothes, some were nice dinner clothes and there were a few party dresses too. The colors were rich and she couldn't wait to shoe her mother! Suddenly she turned to Violet and threw her arms around her. She whispered thank you to the old woman.
Violet was shocked, she never got hugs, only from Sybil occasionally. Not even when her children had grown up had she gotten hugs from them. Now she was getting hugged by this young girl that wasn't even relation. Her eyes had widened but then she wrapped her arms around the girl and allowed the moment of impropriety to last a minute longer.
Ellie pulled back and kissed the woman on the cheek and smiled brightly as the bounded up the stairs calling for the butler to let her mother know she was back and needed to talk to her in her room. That was when she remembered the letter from Evelyn and rushed to her room to read it before her mother came. She tore open the envelope and read:
My Dearest Ellie Kate,
I have missed you and it has only been two days! I have been invited to Downton for dinner tonight and I hope you will be there too. I intend to tell Mary that I will no longer be her suitor, and that someone else has captured my heart. Lady Violet has told me to come in two weeks' time, for your father has his half-day and will be coming to the Dower House to see you. I cannot wait to meet your parents Ellie. They may not have raised you but I am sure they will rectify that situation presently. Well, I will close with fondest hope of seeing you tonight.
Yours,
Evelyn Napier
She let out a happy sigh and giggled as she re-read the letter. She heard the slight knock on her door and called out for them to enter. She smiled at her mother and put down her letter only to flounce over to her wardrobe and threw open the doors to reveal the dresses the dowager had spoiled her with. She heard her mother's sharp intake of breath and she turned to look at her mama. She saw tears in her eyes, and was confused. "Mama, mama what is wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong Elinor. Now, we need to get you changed for dinner at the big house." Elsie's tone brooked no argument. Ellie stood there shocked. And then made her way over to the dressing table and sat down. Her mother pulled out a purple dinner dress to wear and then set to work on her hair. Elsie noticed the letter and then the fact that she still had not read her letter hit her like a ton of bricks. She fumbled with the hair and quickly picked it back up again, hoping that Ellie hadn't noticed. But the girl had, and was utterly confused as to what was wrong with her mother. As she finally finished with her hair she slipped on the dress, donned her gloves bade her mother goodnight and was off to the big house to see her love and her da.
-C&E-
Elsie made her way back down the stairs and headed into her sitting room. She sat at her desk and with a weary sigh picked up the envelope and opened it. As she pulled the letter out she noticed the familiar script and began to read…
Thanks to all who have stuck with me! Please review!
Samantha=)
