A/N: Short Chapter, but it's here anyways ;-)

The ball began, as usual the first dance Elsie shared with Lord Grantham and Charles shared with Lady Grantham. Elsie couldn't shake her nerves, she had no further plans to dance the rest of the evening but it seemed she had a trickle of men asking her. After the fourth dance she made her excuses and took a moment to sit down with a glass of punch.

She met his gaze across the room, he had been watching her nearly the entire time. Even while he danced with his Lady Mary. What had gotten into that man? And now Lord Grantham had approached him and they were talking...but his eyes never left hers. A drink was pressed into his hand by their employer of all people and he drank it down in one gulp before nodding and making his way to where she was sitting.

"May I have this dance Mrs. Hughes?"

She blinked slowly, they rarely shared a dance at the ball. One or both of them always seemed to be busy. With a mental shrug she set her glass down and stood. "I'd like that Mr. Carson."

The moment he led her back out onto the dance floor the song that had been going ended and another began. A slow dance, last year she would have ran afraid to betray her feelings to him. Now though, he knew and she didn't quite find the ability to care if anyone else did or not. At the moment she was precisely where she wanted to be. Wrapped in his arms and happy.

They began to dance, his hand slid down to the small of her back pulling her closer. She lost himself in his eyes, unaware that both Robert and Cora were quietly pulling couples off the dance floor around them. As they came to the middle of the floor Charles stopped moving and took a half step back. "Elsie..."

"What is it? What's wrong? Did I step on your toes?" She still hadn't moved her eyes from his face...at least not until he slowly knelt down in front of her. Suddenly it all clicked into place, her heart was threatening to beat its way out of her chest.

"Elsie...would you do me the honor of marrying me?" His nerves were running wild, his hand shook ever so slightly as he held hers, he produced a ring from his pocket as he dared to glance up at her. Most everyone in the house knew and had helped him to make this as perfect as possible for her.

"Oh..." She didn't fight to hold the tears back, her fingers pressed against her lips. Something she never thought she'd have. Something she didn't dare to think of for fear of wanting it too badly. Quickly she glanced to where the family was sitting, a panic setting in. Their smiles and clasped hands told her everything she needed to know. "Yes. Yes of course I will..."

He slipped the ring onto her finger before standing and capturing her lips with his own, large hands framing her face. "Don't be angry with me for all of this...please."

Her hands found their way to his chest and she just smiled. "I'm not."

They had barely remembered where they were when they heard the applause and then felt the family descending upon them. Mary kissed her beloved Carson on the cheek and shockingly enough did the same to Elsie.

"I'm glad you two have finally decided to accept a bit of happiness." Mary smiled at the both of them

"Thank you M'Lady" Elsie finally forced out, she was still shocked and rooted to the spot in the middle of the dance floor. It took Robert and Cora both to lead the pair off to the side where even the Dowager Countess wore a smile.

"My it rather took the two of you long enough. I had wondered when I'd be forced to make the decision for either this house to run smoothly or for the housekeeper and the butler to be allowed to marry..."

Their moments of quiet were short lived, the ball was back in full swing and work to be done. It was early yet but there were empty trays on the table that needed refilled, and she needed to do something...anything...that required her to think of something other than Charles. If she wasn't careful she'd be dragging him into her sitting room without a care in the world, and that just wouldn't do. At least not for the moment.

A/N: I'm trying to decide if I should end this here or give it another chapter (at least one anyways). Let me know what you think!