Hey guys! Sorry this is so so so late! Real Life has been a pain lately. Thank you for all the reviews I got last time! it is soo encouraging to know you all are enjoying my story!=)
My Dearest Elsie,
If I had known how hard it would be to watch you drive off in the Dower's motor, I would have held onto you forever. I wish you were still by my side.
I know that I can never take the terrible words I have said to you back, but please know that if I could take them back I would. I was hurting, but I was too blind to see that you were hurting. Now I see that your hurt was even deeper than mine. All I had to do was pretend it never happened. You had to deal with proof that we had had a liaison, but also the proof of my blatant disregard of your feelings. I regret those months that I did not reach out to you. I know now that I should have confessed my love to you all those years ago. We could have been the family that you and our girl so deserve. I would have had the chance to see a younger version of you grow up. I could have seen you be the excellent mother that you could have been all along. We could have had it all, if not for my ignorance. I regret the turn our lives took after that afternoon.
Elsie I plan to make it up to you. I am going to make you happy, even if it takes my whole life to do so, I will.
Elspeth Rose Hughes, I love you, and I fear that I have always loved you. You captured my heart when I saw those blue eyes. When I heard the soft lilting of your voice I knew that I was lost forever.
Forever Elsie. I promise to prove it to you. I want you to see that I have always and continue to love you.
Forever Yours-
Charles
As Elsie finished the letter, tears poured from her eyes. She laid her head down upon her enfolded arms and cried. That seemed to be all that she could do. She had the same regrets as Charles. They would have been a lovely family. They could have had more children. It could have been wonderful. What could have been? She couldn't dwell on that anymore. It was time to look to the future, whatever may happen. She didn't know if everything would work out between herself and Charles. But even if it didn't they could repair their friendship for their daughter's sake.
-C&E-
Violet and Elinor rode in silence as they watched the Abbey grow bigger. As they pulled up Violet squeezed her hand and smiled. Ellie looked out and saw her Da standing at attention and longed to tell him about Evelyn. Although she knew her mother had probably told him. She flashed him a brilliant smile as she exited the motor and he inclined his head slightly at her. She started into the house when she heard the crunch of gravel under another motor's tires. She turned quickly and saw the person she had most wanted to see. She ran to him and threw her arms around him. He picked her up and spun her around only to see the unapproving gaze of her father land on them.
He sat her back on the ground and offered her his arm which she took readily. As Charles looked at them, he couldn't help but think of what a handsome couple they made. He watched as his daughter giggled at something Mr. Napier had said. Evelyn stopped just before the door and held a note out to Charles. They exchanged a brief nod and then Evelyn swept Ellie off into the Abbey. Charles put the note into his pocket. And then seeing as all the guests for the evening had arrived he went in to do his job.
As Ellie and Evelyn arrived in the drawing room, every turned to look at the couple. She smiled shyly and then noticed Sybil. She squeezed Evelyn's arm only to let it go so she could make her way over to Sybil, greeting all of the people who stood in between.
Sybil hugged her and they spoke quietly. Sybil asked how 'mama' was doing and Ellie gave the full report. Then Sybil looked over Ellie's shoulder only to see Mary staring daggers at the poor girl.
"Don't look now, but I believe my sister just found the reason why Evelyn has stopped all forms of communication! If looks killed you would be dead!" Sybil exclaimed quietly. "Although, Evelyn's look would probably revive you. He looks like a lovesick school boy!"
Ellie blushed furiously. "Oh Sybil. I am so afraid of what Mary will say when she finds out who I actually am. Hopefully by then Evelyn and I….."
"Evelyn and I will what? Oh my goodness! You are in love with him, and he you!" Sybil grinned. "That is terribly romantic. Love crossing the lines of status." She frowned. "Does he know who your real parents are?"
"Oh yes, of course he knows. I told him the second time we saw each other. He wants to meet my parents properly before we do anything major. He knows da, but he doesn't remember mama all that well." Ellie looked confused. "I don't understand that though. Mama said that while you were growing up you all came down stairs and usually with friends in tow!"
Sybil looked down and sighed. "He spent most of his time with Mary. Mary and Mrs. Hughes never got along. I guess it is partially my fault. I kind of staked a claim on your mama, similar to the one Mary did with Carson. But, anyway, Mary was horrendous to your mother when we were children. She played cruel jokes on the maids just to rile your mother. She always called your mother that Scottish Dragon. Then all the people downstairs would call her that. It was terrible. That was the first time I had ever heard your mama cry. She had just berated one of the girls for not doing something properly and the girl looked right at her and said 'No wonder you are an old spinster, you are nothing but a Scottish Dragon. No man could ever stand to be with you' I ran upstairs and got Carson when I saw Mrs. Hughes run into her sitting room. Mary always told Evelyn and all her friends that your mama was a cruel heartless person. Edith and I knew the truth but we never dared to correct Mary."
The story sparked a new dislike for the hateful young woman who was across the room. She scanned the room and locked eyes with Evelyn, who saw her distress. He excused himself from Robert and Matthew and made his way over. Just as he made it to her, dinner was ready and they had to walk through. He offered her his arm, and away they went.
As they sat down it felt strange to have her father serve her. She looked up at him and he kept his stoic face in place. She picked at her food and then she realized that Mary was staring at her.
"Miss Davenport, what do you do when you are home?" Mary asked.
"Well, I read and I love to ride. I take walks outside when the weather cooperates." Ellie said kindly.
"I heard you were a keen rider. One of the servants saw you and Evelyn riding the other day. Funny though, I'm surprised that you didn't ask us all to come along Evelyn." Mary raised an eyebrow.
Evelyn cleared his throat, "Well, I had enjoyed Elinor's company the night before and she had said she wanted to ride, so I thought why not."
"It still doesn't explain why you didn't ask any of us. You know Sybil likes to ride and we have ridden together countless times." She kept on the subject, forcing his hand.
"Well, I wanted to ask Elinor a question and thought it would be an appropriate time." He said tightly.
"Well, I think it is lovely that you took the time to ride with Miss Davenport, especially because she knows so little about Downton." Isobel interrupted Mary's rude and incessant questioning.
Mary, not one to be deterred, asked the question that both Ellie and Evelyn had been dreading. "What did you have to ask her that was so important?"
Evelyn looked nervously at Ellie, whose eyes were trained on her plate to avoid showing the sheer panic that was going through her mind. He risked a glance at Carson. Their eyes met and Carson gave a slight nod as if indicating that he was to go ahead.
"Well, I asked if it would be alright for me to properly court her. You see Elinor is quite a lovely person. The more I know about her, the more I want to know…"
Mary interjected "You know I thought I had heard of the Davenports, and I asked Aunt Rosamund to look into them for me. She didn't remember the grandmother. Turns out, there was an Alice Davenport who ran in your circles Granny. So I took the liberty of writing them. There is no Elinor Davenport. So I don't know who you really are. Why don't you enlighten us all? Granny, just who is this girl?" Mary looked expectantly at Violet.
Elinor panicked and Isobel grabbed her hand. Ellie turned her head to the woman, and then with tears in her eyes she looked to the Dowager. Violet had just risked a glance to see Elinor shook her head no. Violet looked over to her granddaughter who wore a look reminiscent to a cat who had gotten the cream. All of a sudden then heard a chair move and quickly a crying Elinor ran out the door. All the men jumped to their feet and Evelyn, after sparing a glare at Mary, ran after her. Carson faltered for a moment with what to do. He looked to Violet and she shook her head. His shoulder slumped for a moment then he put his butler façade back into place.
Evelyn made it out of the house, but Ellie had already made it to the end of the drive and kept running. He didn't know for certain where she was going but he was sure she would be alright. He sighed and looked back at the open door and saw a confused Robert and Matthew standing there. He straightened his coat and sighed. As he walked back into the house he held a hand up to deter the questions that were coming. He didn't have the patience for them at the moment. All he could do right now is worry about his Ellie.
-C&E-
The harder she cried the faster she ran. She ran, and ran, and ran. All she wanted was her mother's warm embrace and comforting words. As she neared the Dower house she ran harder. She made it to the servant's door and went right in, knocking into a maid on the way. She reached her mother's sitting room and burst through the door. Her mother looked up startled and watched as her daughter closed the door only to fling herself at her feet. The girl put her head into her mother's lap and sobbed. Elsie slid to the floor and arranged her daughter upon her lap. She rocked the girl back and forth as she listened to the broken and teary account of what Lady Mary had done. She hushed the girl, when suddenly she heard a quietly declared statement.
"I will leave soon. I cannot stay. You and Da have worked so hard to get where you are. I can't…won't ruin that. I have to leave…I can't…" She started to cry harder.
Elsie's heart broke, and then she lifted her daughters face to look at her. She held the girls gaze with two fingers under her chin, "You will not be going anywhere. This is not your fault and it was bound to come out sometime. But, you listen to me. It is your father and I's problem to deal with when it comes to that. But I will not let you go a second time. Do you understand me?" at the nod she received she continued, "Lady Mary has always been a jealous person. She cannot stand being outshone by anyone. And that Evelyn is in love with you and not her, then it proves she is not the do all end all. You won his heart by being the lovely young woman you are. She is a bitter soul, who would do well with a bit of kindness in her heart. You are not at fault. Now let's get you upstairs and changed for bed."
The mother and daughter made their way upstairs and got the girl ready for bed. As Elsie finished tucking her daughter into bed Ellie grabbed her hand. "Mama, stay with me tonight. Please?" Ellie pleaded with her mother.
Elsie smiled, "let me go get my nightgown and dressing gown and I'll be back. You snuggle in." She watched the girl nod and yawn.
She was making her way back to her daughter's room when the Dowager Countess got to the top of the stairs. "How is she?"
"Now, asleep. Earlier she was upset. As she should be. Your granddaughter was nasty it seems." Elsie said bluntly.
"Well nothing came out tonight. Evelyn came back in excused himself and went home, as did the rest of us really. You could hear Sybil yelling at Mary all the way in the Grand Room. Well I would like to speak to both of you in the morning, if you don't mind. I believe that Carson will be coming also. We need a plan as to where we go from here," Violet finished and nodded at the younger woman.
"Goodnight milady." Elsie bid the woman. She tiptoed into her daughter's room and saw that her daughter was blessedly sleeping. She changed and went over to the bed. She got into it and pulled her daughter close. The girl remained asleep but cuddled into her mother's embrace. Elsie smiled as she drifted into sleep.
Violet peeked into Elinor's room and smiled gently at what she saw. The young girl was cuddled into her housekeeper's arms. They looked so content. She closed the door and made a promise to herself to write Rosamund in the morning and ask her for an extended stay.
-C&E-
Charles sat in his pantry brooding. There was no other word for it. The way Lady Mary had acted tonight was abhorrent. Poor Ellie Kate never had a chance. She came into the situation blind. Evelyn had run after her like a man truly in love would do.
'Evelyn's note!' He thought to himself and pulled it out of his pocket. His eyes widened at the bold statement:
Mr. Carson- I would like to ask your permission to court your daughter. It is important to both her and me that I am granted this permission.
E. Napier
Charles closed his eyes and groaned. Then he went up to bed. He had to walk to the Dower house tomorrow and was dreading it.
Thank you SO so much for reading! as always reviews are love!
thanks-
Samantha
