Probably heading into my own personal alternate universe after this chapter. I will stay true to the rest of Series 1, but probably will be non-compliant with Series 2 based on the press pack. Again, I still reserve the right to refuse their reality and substitute my own. Also, I just couldn't fit the rest of this into the 30 chapters I planned. It's looking like maybe 2-3 more chapters and an epilogue. I have a couple of ideas for my next fics, but they're a little too angsty. I think I need to do some humor before I tackle that again. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to suggest them.
Smiling at him over the rim of her teacup, she saw that for someone who was not hungry, he was putting an impressive amount of food away. "I thought you weren't hungry, Charles."
He paused, chewing his last bite with relish, "No, love, just a different hunger was winning out at the moment. I want to be sure I am ready for the day to come. I have a feeling that it will be busy."
"I think I am beginning to have that same feeling," she said with a light in her eyes.
"Now, Elsie, don't-," he said plaintively, "let us have some dessert first, at least."
"Charles, I'm not that eager!" she said, a little offended, "Well, not quite that eager."
He wisely chose to not comment and instead looked around for the waiter so that they could have that dessert.
After dessert, she waited while he settled the bill and walked over to the innkeeper.
"You didn't want the sandwiches last night, sir?"
"No, I mean, yes, we did want them. We just, er, forgot," Charles replied, blushing just a little.
The innkeeper chuckled and looked past Charles' shoulder to Elsie, "Well, that's understandable sir. Would you like me to send some up tonight?"
"Yes, thank you; that would be very good."
As they approached their door, Charles was seized by a sudden desire to do something. He quickly checked to make sure the hallway was clear as he unlocked their door. Instead of stepping back to let her enter, he turned to kiss her. After he kissed her, he scooped her in his arms. He stepped quickly through the door with her before she could object and kicked it shut with his heel.
Laughing, Elsie asked, "Charles, whatever possessed you?"
"I didn't carry you over the threshold before," he replied, "I thought every woman deserves to have that happen at least one time in her life."
"Thank you, Charles, but now that you have me, what are you going to do with me?"
His smile turned a little wolfish, and he carried her over to the bed. He lay down beside her and pulled her to him for several delightful kisses. He stroked her back lingering at her bottom as his kisses became more heated. She pulled back a little, "Charles, at the risk of being horribly unromantic, shouldn't you lock the door?"
Grunting in agreement, he reluctantly pulled away and walked to the door to lock it. When he turned back to the bed, he saw that Elsie had gone to the wardrobe and was working to remove her dress. "Was that just a ploy so that I wouldn't wrinkle your dress?" he asked with a half smile.
"Well, I suppose that we could have just tossed our clothes all over the room, but you know that the untidiness would probably have driven me to distraction."
Pulling his coat off as he approached the wardrobe, he asked, "So I should just drop my tie on the floor to frustrate you?"
"If you think you're actually capable of such a thing. You've been in service longer than me."
"Well, at least you won't have to worry about picking up after me in our old age," he replied as he bent to kiss her forehead.
His kiss landed on her hair instead as she dropped her head suddenly, and he heard a small sniff.
"What is it Elsie? Surely it doesn't bother you to think of us as old, does it?"
"No, no, it's not thinking of us as old. It's-, I rather like the idea of us growing old together, that's all."
He placed one arm around her shoulders and used his other to lift her chin so that he could look into her eyes, "I like the idea of that, too." And he kissed her with a great deal of tenderness and not a little love.
She pulled back slowly and wiped her eyes, "While I want to grow old with you, I don't want to do it here waiting to get undressed." Matching her words, she placed her hands on his waistcoat and began working at the buttons.
He chuckled and began to work loose the rest of the buttons on her dress.
After the delightfully prolonged exercise of undressing each other was complete, they lay together facing each other on the bed. Elsie stroked his shoulders while his hand resumed its previous caresses from back to waist. Somehow, the thought of growing old with Charles made every touch and every kiss seem sweeter. "Charles, I do love you, you dear sweet man," she whispered against his lips.
In answer, he kissed his way down to her breasts, spending only a short time on each before moving lower. As he kissed his way down her abdomen, realization dawned and Elsie thought, "Surely he's not—we're much too old for that, aren't we?" As he reached his intended target, she moaned and thought "Apparently not," before all thought fled.
After bringing her to her release, he continued to tease her with his tongue bringing her to the edge again. He entered her then and pushed her over the edge with slow, deep thrusts. She found herself again, not floating slowly back to earth, but rising to an even higher peak. Fireworks exploded behind her eyes. As the sound of blood rushing in her ears receded, she heard his moan as he collapsed against her.
After she recovered her breath and senses, she said, "Charles, I don't know if you're trying to kill me or to drive me insane, but please don't ever stop."
He laughed breathlessly and said, "I'm just trying to make up for lost time."
She curled around him in answer and laid her head on his chest. He traced lazy circles on her shoulder with his thumb as he fell asleep to the sound of her purring.
Waking later, he felt her breath brushing the hairs on his chest as he listened to her soft snores. He looked toward the window to see that the last traces of sunlight were fading. He resumed his gentle exploration of her shoulders while he tried to decide if he was hungry enough to walk to the door and check for the sandwiches. Elsie stirred a little then, murmuring his name as she tightened her hold on his abdomen and curled closer. Deciding that the sandwiches could wait, he contented himself with his current position. As he held her, the conviction he'd had while he was in London began to increase. The more he considered it, the more sure he was. Now he would just have to convince Elsie.
Elsie woke slowly enjoying her nice, warm, moving pillow. She felt a gentle touch on her shoulders that tightened a little as she stirred. She lifted her head to look at Charles, noticing that it was now nearly dark. He smiled down at her and asked, "Hungry?" Her stomach growled at his question, and he laughed, "I'll take that as a yes. If you'll let me up, I'll go check the door for the sandwiches." She pulled her arm and leg back and sat up to let him roll out of the bed. Pulling on his robe he crossed to the door to find the sandwiches on a small cart with two bottles of beer.
Walking back to the bed with the sandwiches and beer, he smiled appreciatively at Elsie sitting with her back against the headboard, nude to the waist. She really did have lovely breasts, a very nice view for his supper. "Charles, that smile is a little wicked to just be for the sandwiches."
"I was just thinking that I am going to have a nice dinner show," he said smile broadening as he noticed a blush spreading down to those very lovely breasts.
She started to lift the sheets, and he pleaded, "Now, Elsie, I'll stop teasing. Let me enjoy the view. I'd think you'd be past modesty with me by now."
She smiled at him, and more importantly stopped pulling up the sheets. "I suppose I should be flattered that you still find me so attractive," she said as he set the tray down on the bed.
"I can't ever imagine a time when you'll not be attractive to me," he said seriously.
"You once told me that you weren't very good at this sort of thing. I have yet to see that that is the case," she said as she took a sandwich and bottle of beer.
"I am not very good at romance," he insisted as he took her bottle back from her to uncork it, "Everything I say to you is just honesty, pure and simple. My attraction won't ever lessen because I am attracted to you, not just your parts. Although the parts are quite lovely, I might add," he finished with a leer as he handed her bottle back to her.
Smiling at him, she said, "I rather like your parts, too." She had the pleasure of seeing him blush as he took his first bite of sandwich.
Having finished off the sandwiches and safely stowing the cart back in the hall, Charles returned to the bed to wrap himself around Elsie. He pulled her back against his chest with an arm draped over her breasts and placed a kiss on her shoulder. She tilted her head to the side to encourage his kisses as he worked his way from her shoulder up her neck to the spot behind her ear where he spent a considerable amount of time. She turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. Meeting his lips with her own, she leaned into the kisses which had a kind of languid quality that was mesmerizing. He sucked a little at her tongue and lower lip as she pulled her lips from his. She kissed him again with her tongue tracing his lips. He murmured appreciatively and drew her closer to him. She felt that he was very ready for her and surprised herself with the realization that she was very ready for him as well. She pushed herself closer to him, and he gripped her hip to push her up the bed just a little, letting his hand trail down her thigh to her knee. He lifted her knee over his hip and pushed into her. She grasped his back and began the slow rhythm that would bring release while he raised his hand to caress her breast. She continued to kiss him then and suckled the tongue he pushed into her mouth. Finding their release together, she collapsed against his chest while listening to his ragged breaths.
"I love you, Charles Carson, pure and simple."
"And I love you, Elsie Hughes, pure and simple."
The morning light woke them entangled in each other's arms. Elsie realized that she was holding Charles' hand and looking down couldn't realize where his ended and hers began. She thought for a moment how wonderful it would be to wake like this every day. She could think of nothing better than to end and begin her days with Charles. Shaking her head a little she thought, "Remember Elsie, there's a price for everything. You have to be willing to pay it." He squeezed her hand lightly, and she looked up into his eyes. He smiled at her with such sleepy adoration that she thought if she didn't kiss him, she would die so she drew his head toward her for a kiss. "Make love to me Charles," she whispered against his lips.
Pushing her back against the cushions, he made love to her as thoroughly as he could imagine and more thoroughly than she ever had.
Later, as they finished dressing, Charles placed his hands on her waist and said, "I'm sorry that we have to return to reality so soon."
"Soon or late, we have to return. No need to be sad about it," she said briskly with a half smile as she straightened his tie.
Tilting her head back so that he could look in her eyes, he said seriously, "I am sad about it, and you are a little too or I don't know you as well as I think."
"Yes, I am sad. It is wonderful to sleep in your arms. I feel cherished and protected. It's even better to wake up with you. I will miss this closeness," she wrapped her arms around him to emphasize her point.
"Elsie, I have to admit that I do dread going our separate ways each night," he began hesitantly.
She agreed, "Yes, leaving you each night is the hardest thing. These past two nights have been wonderful because we haven't had to separate."
"Then, why don't we stop separating. Marry me, Elsie and we'll spend the rest of our nights and mornings together."
She looked at him closely, trying to ascertain his seriousness. She saw no teasing smile, only a breathless hopefulness that made her very happy.
"Charles, you've offered this before and…," she began.
Stopping her, he said, "I'm not offering it this time, Elsie. I'm asking. Will you please marry me?"
"Yes, dear man, I'll marry you," she answered, "but one of us will have to be practical, and I thought up to this moment it was you. What will we do so that we'll be able to have a bed to go to at night and food to eat on all those mornings?"
Picking her up to hug her to him at her affirmative answer, he kissed her soundly on the mouth to end her questions.
Pulling back, he said, "We'll ask his Lordship's permission to marry and stay in service. If he refuses, we'll find a shop to run. I am still the practical one, love. This is not a spur of the moment question. I've been thinking about it for awhile. Elsie, if this was just about making love, we could go on like we have, but I want to be able to sleep with you every night and wake with you every morning."
She pulled him to her for another kiss, which became two as joy overtook her.
"I should also point out that we promised to love, honor and cherish each other in this very room seven years ago, and I told you I didn't need a piece of paper to prove our commitment," she said with a smile.
"I still feel that way, despite our estrangement, I have never stopped loving and cherishing you. In the interest of practicality, however, that piece of paper can come in pretty handy. It will allow us to sleep and wake together without fear of being caught, it will allow you to inherit what little bit of money I have saved, and it will allow us to see each other if we're ever unfortunate enough to go to the hospital. In the eyes of the rest of the world that piece of paper is very important."
"I can certainly see your point, although if you were ever in hospital, I would pity the person who tried to keep me from you. Charles, in the interest of practicality, could you wait to say anything to his Lordship until after the garden party. We'll have to stay until after that regardless, and I'd rather not cause any additional stress."
He laughed a little at that and said, "I can give them a few more weeks. I'll have you the rest of my life."
"I only hope you don't want to throw me back. You don't know all my bad habits yet."
"No, just the purring, temper, and complete intolerance for untidiness."
"I do not purr. I hum."
"Yes, love," he murmured as he drew her to him for another kiss.
The train ride to Downton village was pleasant although they had to share their compartment this time. Trains were too crowded right now for even Charles' glares to ensure them privacy. His great looming presence was comforting though, and he easily stowed their bags overhead. She was reminded again just why a 6'2" giant was handy to have on trips. They sat quietly; his hand gripping hers where it rested on his knee, watching the countryside go by. As they approached Downton village, he gave her hand a light squeeze which she returned. They departed the train not knowing that a pair of observant Irish eyes was trained on them.
