Be My Valentine Kiss
It was Saint Valentine's Day, and Elsie Hughes woke with a smile on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she had a particular reason to be excited or even a little intrigued by this particular date on the calendar. As she stretched and pondered what the day might hold for her … and for her Charlie … her mind drifted back to an earlier time, a time when his heart was wounded and hers had no reason to believe the impossible could happen, especially at their time of life.
"I'm not a complete stranger to romance, Mrs. Hughes, if that's what you're implying. Maybe I am now, but I wasn't always." His heart had been hardened, made so by the betrayal of his best friend and the woman he loved. He'd kept to himself and protected his heart, until Elsie Hughes had slowly managed to break through and to show him that not all women were the same, not all friends were traitors. Single-handedly she had healed his open wounds, helped him make peace with the past, and by so doing, had reawakened the romantic side of him.
As she dressed for the day, she took a little extra time with her appearance, wanting to look especially tidy for Charles this morning. Most likely, he wouldn't notice, but at least she would greet him knowing she looked her absolute best. Since his marriage proposal on Christmas Eve, she had discovered a softer, gentler side of him, one she felt honored and blessed to witness. With each touch of his hand to hers, the softness in his eyes, the sweetness of every endearment, she fell deeper and deeper in love with him. But, it wasn't all about her and her feelings. Elsie made certain to show him just as much love and affection, in her own ways, to reassure him of her true feelings and the lengths she would go to for his happiness.
Downstairs there was already a flurry of activity, a certain electric current charging the air and making even the feisty cook hum a happy little tune as she prepared the upstairs breakfast trays. Mr. Carson, as she referred to him in the presence of the staff and the family, was already busy handing out little envelopes, putting a smile on the faces of their charges. Knowing how embarrassed he might feel with such an open display of affection in the form of a valentine, Elsie had decided to deliver his in private.
"Good morning, Mr. Carson," she said sweetly to him as she brushed passed him on the way to her office.
"A very good morning, indeed, Mrs. Hughes," he replied with a smile and a simple touch of his hand to her lower back as he followed her to her sitting room. "I trust you slept well?" He closed the door behind him and opened his arms to her, hoping she would grant him permission to hug her for a moment.
She readily stepped in to his arms and wrapped hers around him, squeezing him tightly. "I slept very well, thank you. And how are you this morning?" She closed her eyes and listened for his reply, loving the way his voice rumbled in his chest.
"I had a little trouble falling asleep but otherwise, I slept well. My mind was busy with so many thoughts that I couldn't seem to settle." He pulled back a little and gripped her upper arms gently. "But, once I did fall asleep, it was peaceful and filled with dreams of our life together," he answered somewhat shyly, "if that's not too bold of me to say."
She reached up and cupped his cheek. "Not too bold at all, especially today of all days."
He cleared his throat and tugged on his coat. "I hope you don't think I have forgotten the day or the importance of it. I did not want to send you a card like all the others I've delivered this morning. I do, however, have something to give you but it won't be until later this evening."
"I'm happy to wait patiently for my surprise, and I do have a little something for you, too. I thought we might have a little wine to close out the day." She had come very close to revealing part of her surprise for him but had thankfully caught herself in time.
"I shall look forward to that, Mrs. Hughes … Elsie." He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek and watched as her eyes slipped shut at the warmth of his fingers. "We should probably head in to breakfast or there will be gossip in the corridors later."
"As if the maids and footmen need more reasons to procrastinate. Based on the laughter and humming I heard when I came downstairs, I can tell it's already going to be an uphill battle today." She smoothed her hands down his chest and brushed away an invisible piece of lint from his lapel. "Would you be opposed to giving them an extra hour this evening, delaying some of their tasks until tomorrow? It might encourage them to focus more on their chores if they had a reward at the end of a long day."
He considered her proposal for a moment before agreeing with her. "I think you're right. I'll make the announcement at breakfast, remind them that they must focus on getting as much done as possible, and hopefully the extra hour will be enough incentive to have the desired effect."
She nodded and opened the door, stepping out in to the hallway. "Only one way to find out, Mr. Carson. Let's see how this day goes."
There was much excitement and whispering at the breakfast table after Mr. Carson made the unexpected announcement. And, surprisingly, throughout the day, the maids and footmen seemed to be working harder than they had in weeks. Several of the maids had stopped by Mrs. Hughes's sitting room to thank her, and by extension Mr. Carson, for the additional hour. By the same token, Mr. Carson stumbled upon one of the senior footmen coaching a lad a few years his junior on the proper way to polish the silver as he worked vigorously on completing the task before him. It made the butler proud to see the young lad taking a keen interest and the older one willing to share his knowledge.
While making his rounds through the upstairs quarters, Mr. Carson stopped by the nursery. He thought it might be a nice gesture of good will to see if the nanny might like to take a few minutes to herself or if the children required anything. He was not expecting to be greeted at the door with a very excited Miss Sybbie.
"Mr. Carson!" she jumped up from the table and ran to him, crashing in to his legs before he could bend down and open his arms to the loving child. "I was hoping I would see you today, though Nanny said it wasn't very likely."
He gave her nose a little tweak and winked. "Just goes to show you that you never know what might happen, Miss Sybbie. Was there something you needed that I might be of some assistance?"
"Oh, yes! I asked earlier if I could go downstairs to see you and Mrs. Hughes, but Nanny said I had to stay here since the others didn't want to go with me. I don't think that's very fair since I have to play games and do things with them that I don't always like."
Charles looked over at the woman in charge of the nursery for more clarification. If he learned she had mistreated any of these children, she would be out on her ear before the hour was up.
"Mr. Carson, I can assure you that the children are being well tended. Miss Sybbie wanted to come downstairs to visit with you and Mrs. Hughes. I simply told her that you were both quite busy since it was early this morning, typically your busiest time since the house is just starting to stir."
"True, we are rather rushed some mornings. But, what of the other business … being forced to do things she doesn't want to do?"
"Children being children, I'm afraid. Master George is going through a phase where all he wants to play with are trains. Miss Marigold would rather play quietly with the dollhouse. Miss Sybbie, on the other hand, would love it if we were outside from dawn till dusk, crafting something with paper and colored pencils, reading books, or playing dress up. Quite the little independent streak in that one," she laughed softly. "But, they are all given the chance to express themselves, I can promise you that."
Mr. Carson nodded, remembering quite well the differences in Ladies Mary, Edith, and Sybil in this very nursery when they were younger. "It just so happens that I know for a fact that Mrs. Hughes takes a tea break around this time every day. Miss Sybbie, would you like to accompany me downstairs to surprise her? I'm quite sure she would love a visit from you today, and it would give you a bit of an adventure since the others aren't as interested in leaving the nursery today."
Sybbie began bouncing up and down excitedly. "Yes, please. I can't wait to see her and to give her my present," she said, running back to the little table where there were bits of colored paper and glue scattered about. When she returned to his side, she tugged on his hand, forcing him to kneel down in front of her. "I made one for you, too." She kissed his cheek and handed him a little paper heart. In her own childlike script, she had written his name and decorated it with little flowers.
"Is this for me? It's very beautiful and the first valentine I've received today. Thank you very much. I shall cherish it always." He took her little hand and pressed a light kiss to the back of it causing her to giggle.
"I made something for Mrs. Hughes, too. That's why I wanted to see her. I'm so glad you stopped by today. May we leave now before she finishes her tea? I'd hate to miss that."
The butler couldn't help but laugh as he made eye contact with the nanny. "I'm certain there will be a few extra biscuits in the kitchen. In fact, why don't we stop and ask Mrs. Patmore to send up some for everyone here? Wouldn't that be a nice gesture?"
"Yes, but if there are only a few chocolate biscuits, can we send up something else and leave those for me? I like the butter biscuits but the chocolate ones are my favorites."
"Mine, too," he whispered loudly. "But, I have it on good authority," he said, tapping the side of his extremely large nose, "that Mrs. Patmore was baking a fresh batch of chocolate ones just this morning. You see … the nose knows these things," he added with a wiggle of his eyebrows that caused the little girl to dissolve in a fit of giggles.
"You're very funny, Mr. Carson!" She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him towards the door. "Let's to see Mrs. Hughes, please, so I can deliver my valentine to her."
"How could I refuse such a sweet offer?" He turned to the nanny and reminded her that he would be sending up a sweet treat for her and the children and that either he or Mrs. Hughes would see Miss Sybbie safely back to the nursery. "Now, shall we venture below stairs and surprise our housekeeper?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
Mrs. Hughes was sitting at her desk, her mind drifting between work and the evening ahead. She had managed to slip away from the house for a quick errand while Mr. Carson was overseeing the upstairs breakfast. She had timed everything perfectly so he had no inclination that she had been to the village bakery for his tasty surprise. With the gift carefully hidden in her sitting room, she eagerly called out for him to enter when she heard his knock on the door.
Slowly, the door opened but instead of seeing her beloved, Mrs. Hughes was greeted with the little dark haired girl who had a large piece of her heart. "Goodness, to what do I owe this pleasure," she asked, opening her arms to the little girl.
"It's Valentine's Day, and I had to come and see you. I made something especially for you," she said, producing a colorful flower made completely from paper. The center of the flower was an imperfect circle made from white paper and the child had used her pencils to color it a light shade of pink. For the petals, Miss Sybbie had used paper hearts and glued them around the edges of the circle. She had made a little green stem and signed the back of the flower with her name and a series of x's and o's.
"This is very beautiful and I'm going to place it right here on my desk where I can see it every day. Thank you so very much."
"I'm so glad you like it. I made one for Mr. Carson, too, but his looks different. It's okay if he's your valentine and mine and you're mine and his. Did he give you a card today?"
She looked over the child's head and gave him a little grin. "No, he hasn't, but the day isn't over quite yet. And, you know, it's not necessary to give someone something just to show them your love. You can do that in many different ways, sometimes simply by saying it or doing something especially nice."
"Like sharing tea and biscuits sometimes?" she asked with a little giggle.
"Something like that, yes, love. As a matter of fact, would you care to join me for a little snack before you have to head back upstairs? Mr. Carson might like to join us, if he has a few minutes to spare."
"He's supposed to send some up to the nursery for everyone else, but it wouldn't mind if he came back and had tea with us. We might want to ask Mrs. Patmore for a few extra biscuits, though. I'm a little hungry and Mr. Carson looks like he could eat a handful, too."
"Between you and Mr. Carson, I would like to have a least one chocolate sweet. Perhaps I should have Daisy or Mrs. Patmore plate them separately for us so we each get a fair amount," she teased, tickling the little girl until she was laughing.
"You ladies stay here, and I'll speak with the kitchen staff. One pot of tea with two cups, one large glass of milk, and enough treats to feed one butler, one housekeeper, and one little lady with an incredibly large sweet tooth."
Having hosted a successful tea party, which Miss Sybbie and Mr. Carson both seemed to thoroughly enjoy, Mrs. Hughes escorted the little girl back upstairs to the nursery. As she turned to leave, Sybbie gave her a rather large hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you're one of my valentine's, Mrs. Hughes. I had so much fun with you today."
A little flustered with the display of affection, the housekeeper bent down and returned the hug and kiss. "Thank you for choosing me, and Mr. Carson, too." She leaned in and whispered softly so that only Sybbie could hear her next words. "Might you find it in your heart to give Nanny a hug, too? She takes such good care of you and the others, and I'm sure she could use a little love, too."
"Do you think she'd like a yellow heart? I have one or two left from this morning that I could give her."
"I think she'd be thrilled. Why don't you spend some time decorating it and making it look really pretty and then you can give it to her when you take your supper."
"Thank you, Mrs. Hughes. You're so special, and I love you."
"I love you, too, lass." She watched as the child skipped off to her craft table and set her mind to making the yellow hearts look extra special. As she left the nursery, she heard Sybbie singing loudly to herself, a made up song about hearts, flowers, and biscuits.
The remainder of the day passed quickly. The time spent entertaining Miss Sybbie had been a welcomed distraction for both Charles and Elsie. Now, as the afternoon stretched into the evening hours, they focused their attentions on forgotten paperwork, double checking that the staff had upheld their end of the bargain struck over breakfast, and prepared for the evening meal.
"Everything settled for this evening?" he asked, peeking his head into her office.
"Yes, I believe so. A quick dinner for the staff, and then most of them are planning to go in to the village for a late movie or down to the Grantham Arms for a pint. I've given them strict instructions about the curfew, and I don't anticipate any problems. Mrs. Patmore is allowing the kitchen maids to go, and she's planning to have an early night."
"I'm looking forward to having a quiet evening with you, just knowing that we will have some time to ourselves without the threat of interruptions."
She laughed softly. "A special, unintentional gift from the staff to us. What a lovely way to end the day."
"Have you truly had a good day, Elsie?"
"I have, thanks to you and the unexpected visit from Miss Sybbie … and her flower. That was very sweet of her and reminds me so much of her mother. Mr. Branson is doing well raising her to be a part of both worlds, upstairs and downstairs."
He nodded and offered her his arm. "Shall we join the others for dinner? I have decanted a special wine for us this evening, and I wouldn't want it to sit unattended for too long."
"Goodness. You make it sound like the bottle will get up to no good and create some sort of mischief if we don't watch over it."
As always, she could make him laugh so easily and with only a few well-chosen words. "I'm sure we shouldn't test your theory. Besides, the sooner we have our dinner, the sooner I can give you your gift."
"And you can receive yours. I've nearly given it away twice today so I'm rather proud of myself for keeping it a secret this long. Mind you, it's not terribly expensive or important, but a gift I hope you'll enjoy."
"I don't need expensive things, Elsie. I simply need you by my side, always on my side, and then every day is Valentine's Day."
"Get away with you! Stop your flannelling and escort me to the table or we'll set tongues wagging with our tardiness."
The evening meal for the staff was delivered quickly and efficiently, everyone seemingly working together to expedite the process so they could enjoy as much of their time away from the house and work as possible. While conversation at the table was animated, it was also very limited, something neither Mr. Carson or Mrs. Hughes minded in the least.
With the last housemaid closing the door behind her, Charles and Elsie breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the rest of the evening was theirs to enjoy together.
"Alone again at least," he said softly, his warm tone making her heart flutter a little in her chest.
"Finally. Let's go in to my sitting room and get comfortable." For some reason, a nervous ball of energy settled in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't accustomed to having these sorts of feelings but there was something special about the day and the atmosphere surrounding it.
"I'll just be a moment. I need to get the wine and your gift."
While she waited on Charles to return, Elsie checked her hair in the mirror, making sure she looked her best for him, pulled the chairs a little closer together so they could be near one another, and placed his gift and the sweet surprise on the nearby table. She was surveying her display when he returned.
"This looks impressive," he said as he looked down at the table, "but not as impressive as you." He watched with some bit of pride as her cheeks tinged pink from a pretty blush.
"Look at you, you handsome flatterer," she countered, rolling her eyes in a very loving way. They settled down to a comfortable conversation, sharing laughs and wine as they made their way through most of the decanted offering. "While you were busy with the upstairs breakfast this morning, I popped in to the village for this," she said, handing Charles a neatly wrapped brown box with a bright blue tie.
"Heavens, you've been busy today. What it is?" She waved her hand to indicate that he should open it to reveal the contents. "Chocolates? These look delicious. Did you get them from Bakewell's?"
She nodded happily. "I spoke with her last week about creating some special chocolates just for you. I told her the flavors you loved from some of her other sweets, and she assured me she could make bite sized pieces for you." She reached over and touched his hand, letting her fingertips linger upon his skin. "I would have liked to have made them myself but I'm afraid my attempts would have failed, and this was too important for a first try."
He turned his hand over beneath hers and laced their fingers together. "Nonsense. I'm sure if you'd tried, you would have succeeded. I've never known Elsie Hughes to fail at anything she wanted to put her mind to. Maybe, when you're feeling up to the challenge, you'll try it … just for me?" His voice was filled with so much hope and enthusiasm, she found herself readily agreeing to try … just once. "Thank you for these, and for the ones you'll try to make for me in the future." He kissed the back of her hand softly, sweetly.
She gave his hand a squeeze. "Don't thank me before you taste them," she teased before pushing a smaller package across the table to him. "This is a more personal gift which I hope you'll like. More of a practical one, I should say." The little package was wrapped in white tissue but bore a same blue tie to the chocolates but it was obvious that she had taken the same amount of care with it as she had the other gift.
Charles slowly unwrapped the item, gently untying the bow and setting it aside so he could keep it as a memento of their first official Valentine's Day together as a couple. When he pulled back the tissue, tears welled in his eyes. Inside the wrapping were three men's handkerchiefs, but what made the gift so special was the embroidery in the bottom corner. With black thread, Elsie had stitched his initials on to the bits of cloth, adding a few embellishments to give them a distinct flare without being too over the top.
"These are lovely, Elsie, truly. I'll cherish them always." He ran his index finger over the stitching, committing the feel of it to memory. "I cannot imagine how long it must have taken you to sew these, but I shall take excellent care of them. They'll be my new Sunday handkerchiefs."
She averted her gaze from his, lest he see the tears of relief and happiness in her eyes. "I worked on them when I had spare time or after I had retired for the evening to my room. Once we are married, if you'd like, I could sew your initials on a few of your white dress shirts or on the cuffs," she offered.
"How did I ever get so lucky to win your affections? I truly do not deserve you, Elsie Hughes."
She covered his hand with hers and gave it an affection pat. "The feeling is mutual, Charlie. I never would have imagined one year ago that we'd be sitting here, now, celebrating tonight. Funny how life can change so quickly and at our age."
"None of this age, business. I'm grateful for every day we have together and look forward to building our life together, away from Downton," he said, surprising even himself with the conviction of his statement. Not for the first time since his proposal to her, Charles found himself looking forward to having a life outside of the hallowed halls he once thought he'd haunt even after his passing.
"It will certainly be a different life for us, especially at first, when we're balancing our new roles with the old ones. But, I'm sure it's nothing we can't navigate together. Soon, we'll have to start planning our wedding. I'm sure we're bound to disagree on at least one or two things so that will be our first test at compromise," she teased.
He had already heard rumblings upstairs from Lady Mary about his marriage to the housekeeper and how things "ought" to be done for "Carson's wedding." However, he wasn't quite ready to share those details with Elsie until it was absolutely necessary, just in case their ideas happened to coincide or Lady Mary lost interest. "I will be happy when it's all said and done and I can call you my wife. It will make the happiest of men." Before she could reply, he reached into his pocket and retrieved an envelope, her name written in his familiar handwriting. "It's not chocolates or pretty handkerchiefs but I hope you'll appreciate the gift."
She gave him a loving smile and carefully slipped open the envelope, using her nail to break the seal on the back. Inside, there was a very pretty card, one he must have purchased in the village. Her heart leapt to her throat as an image of a flustered Charles standing in the general store perusing the offering of sweetheart cards flashed across her mind. It made her love him all the more for making the effort. "It's a beautiful card. The hyacinth's on the front look almost real."
"The color of them reminded me of your eyes, if I'm honest. That was one of the reasons I was so drawn to it."
"Really? And what was the other reason," she asked before even opening the card further, eager to hear his reply.
"It was blank on the inside so I could write my own sentiment. I felt it was personal that way instead of one of the fabricated messages that could apply to anyone. You … you don't have to read it now, if you'd like. I don't mind if you'd prefer to read it in private."
She bridged the distance between them and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. "I will do whatever makes you most comfortable, Charlie, though I do hope you know that you can say and share anything with me. We are, after all, going to be sharing much more than words in the very near future." Once again her cheeks burned with a slight blush and from the look of the tips of his ears, his mind followed hers down the garden path.
"It's your card and whether or not you read it here in front of me or later in your own room, the words won't change nor will the love behind them. I stand by each and every one."
Carefully, she opened the card and was surprised to see a little slip of paper with the name of a well- known theatre in Ripon printed on the top. Upon further inspection, she realized that he had gifted her tickets to a night at the theatre. "Charlie! I can't believe you remembered," she gasped, holding the paper to her chest. "I mentioned this in passing weeks ago, and I had no idea you even heard me when I mentioned how much I'd love to see this performance."
"Ah, the key to being a good husband is listening … or at least one of the keys," he amended. "I made a few phone calls and secured us seats for an evening next week. The family will be away so it won't affect your schedule or mine, and we can take our half day together … make a true date of it, if you'd like."
"Oh Charlie, I'd love it. Thank you so much." She had to fight the urge to throw her arms around him and kiss him senseless from the wonderful, thoughtful gesture. "Why don't you try your chocolates while I read this lovely note inside the card?"
He took a rather large drink of his wine and made a detailed study of each and every chocolate in his box, trying desperately not to watch her facial expressions as she read his heartfelt words penned inside the card.
My dearest Elsie,
I could not let the day pass by without acknowledging just how much you mean to me, and what better day to express those feelings than Saint Valentine' Day.
I once told you I was no stranger to romance, and I hope to prove to you that I have not lost those feelings or inspirations. With time, I intend to prove myself worthy of your love, your friendship, and your hand in marriage. I vow to be the most attentive and considerate husband, one you are proud to call your own, one you will love and cherish as much as I love and cherish you.
Yours is the first face I long to see each morning, the first voice I want to hear, and the last image I want to remember before drifting off to sleep. All the moments throughout the day are made better, brighter, simply because I know you are nearby, ready to hold my hand and to keep my heart safe. While I may be an old curmudgeon from time to time, please never doubt my love for you or how proud I am of the woman you are in your own right.
Please be patient with me as I stumble from time to time. Always remember that I love you and cherish you above all others … yes, even the family upstairs … and I shall endeavor to be the best husband, friend, and partner to you for all the years that remain to us on this earth.
With love and adoration,
Your Charles
Elsie wiped away the tears streaming down her cheek and neatly returned the card to its envelope for safe keeping. Without a single word, she closed the distance between them and stood looking down in to his face, his eyes questioning her. As his hands settled firmly on her hips, she wrapped her arms around his neck and lowered her face to his.
The kiss they shared was nothing like any they had shared before. There was passion, love, adoration, and so much more expressed between the two of them in that one heated moment. While Charles and Elsie both respected the boundaries of propriety, there was no denying that this was a marriage based on love and friendship, not convenience. When their lips parted, Elsie rested her forehead against his but kept her eyes closed, savoring the moment and the feel of her racing heart pounding in her chest.
"Charlie Carson, I love you and cannot wait to become your wife. If that beautiful card is any indication of the romantic side of you, then I am truly a blessed woman and sure to be the envy of every woman that has ever known you."
"And if that kiss is any indication of the depths of your feelings for me, I believe we should speak with Reverend Travis tomorrow about the banns and setting a wedding date."
She cupped his cheek and caressed his lips with the pad of her thumb. "How does a May wedding sound to you?"
"Kiss me like that again and I'll agree to anything you desire, my Elsie."
And that was exactly what she did, though it had nothing to do with striking a bargain and more about the love she felt for Charlie Carson, the romantic butler of Downton Abbey.
A/N: It's been a while since we visited this kiss prompt series and, when inspiration struck my muse, I didn't waste any time … lest the plot bunny escape! Hope you're still enjoying these little peeks in to the lives of Charles and Elsie! If so, I would love to hear from you! Chelsie on! xoxo