13
Charles' life, dictated first by his own natural reserve and then by his position, had been lonely. An only child who'd been compelled to leave the village school sooner than most, he'd found it difficult to form friendships. His mother, a gentle soul whose life had been marred by the painful consequences of a disastrous marriage*, had cautioned him to keep himself to himself, and he'd followed her advice since he was a young boy. Work. Hard work was all there could be to life, until he'd met Grigg, that is, and been seduced by the promise of easy living filled with camaraderie and, he could admit it now, women.
He must have been a contemptibly easy mark for such an experienced con man. He had often wondered what it was about him that had attracted Griggs' notice, finally deciding it had been Charles' integrity. Grigg needed a partner whose general behavior was above reproach. Though he regretted his few liaisons, he'd avoided additional regrets of dishonesty and thievery.
He had indulged in the pleasures of the flesh, at least until he met Alice Neale. To have devoted himself entirely to her happiness only to be thrown over for a man such as Grigg had been the final nail that sealed his heart inside its coffin.
He'd thought himself incapable of loving another woman and instead devoted himself to the family who had rejoiced at his return, if not quite in the style of the prodigal son, at least in the sincerity of it.
He'd thought to die in harness and haunt the halls ever after. He hadn't planned for the sleeping woman in his arms, whose fiery hair and sharp tongue had imperceptibly woken his sleeping heart. His heart was filled with such love (and passion) for her that it was impossible to contain. He simply had to brook being happier than he deserved.
A/N: One of my favorite head canons of Charles Carson is from Chelsie Dagger's marvelous fic Wading into the Unknown. I don't want to spoil it for you if you've not read it. Who am I kidding? We shippers have read ALL the Chelsie fics. Anyway, I love how she creates elements from his past that contribute to the lovely, sometimes stubborn man our Elsie fell in love with. The last line is adapted from a favorite novel, Persuasion by Jane Austen, another work I suspect most Chelsie fanatics are familiar with. You guys are the best.