A/N: Sorry for the brief delay. I was having such trouble with this chapter, for a variety of reasons that I won't go into here. Thanks to a lot of help and listening on the part of my lovely friends, I'm better now. I hope it continues!
My eternal thanks go out to brenna-louise, who has agreed to keep at this story with me by beta reading and providing good support and feedback despite the fact that she's on holiday.
And now … Easter Sunday.
xx,
CSotA
Elsie woke slowly on Easter morning. She kept her eyes closed at first, able to tell without even looking that the sun had not yet fully risen. As she came into a state of fuller consciousness, she recalled exactly how it was that she'd spent the previous night, and she smiled. She could feel the warm, solid presence at her side, could hear the deep breathing that meant she wasn't the only one who'd had a wonderful night's sleep.
She stretched gingerly, not wanting to wake Charles quite this early. The animals wouldn't need tending for a while yet, and Elsie hoped to catch at least another hour's sleep before she'd be forced to get up and start the preparations for their Easter dinner. Much to her happiness, everyone whom they'd invited (minus Mary and Richard, whom they'd not really expected) had accepted. They were expecting ten guests, making thirteen with her, Charles, and Daisy.
Lucky thirteen, Elsie thought.
She managed to shift a bit and felt a slight movement by her side; hoping to not waken him, she reached over slowly in search of his hand.
Wait a minute …
"Excuse me, Mister. Just what are you doing up here?"
Max picked up his head and yawned widely. He stood carefully, walked a tight circle by her side, and promptly balled himself up against her body once again, resting his head on her hip and looking up at her with sleepy eyes.
Elsie reached over and scratched his head, shaking hers a bit as she laughed softly. "What awful habits Daisy is teaching you, creeping into the bed," she said. "I know you've not been here all night, though. Where's your big mate, hm? Where's your Charlie?"
"I'm right here," Charles said from his spot in the doorway. He'd been watching her awaken, had discovered that he couldn't take his eyes off of her as she stretched; he rather enjoyed watching her discover that her bedmate was Max.
"Good morning," she said with a smile, appreciating how wonderful he looked clad only in his pajama pants, his hands stuffed into the pockets as he leaned against the doorjamb.
"Good morning, love."
"Why in the world are you up so early? Come back to bed with me."
Charles moved over to the bedside and ordered Max out, then climbed in and took his spot.
Max looked up and whimpered, clearly not amused. Elsie pointed toward the door and snapped her fingers, though, and he grudgingly headed out of the room and back to his own bed.
Charles leaned over and kissed Elsie sweetly, smoothing her hair away from her forehead as she hummed against his lips.
"Couldn't sleep," he said. "Woke up about an hour ago, wide awake." He lay down beside her, and she turned her head toward him.
"And here I thought you'd have been rather exhausted," she teased, placing a kiss to his chest, the soft hair that peppered it tickling her nose a bit and making her smile.
"I slept like the dead beforehand," he chuckled. "But then I woke up, and all the things we had to do started running through my head."
"Hmm. And where are you in your preparations now?" she murmured, her lips still touching his chest but slowly kissing their way across it.
The vibration of her words against his heart caused him to shudder a bit, and he trailed a hand up and down her still-nude torso. "Actually, I think we're all set, except for the actual cooking." He propped himself up on his arms, leaning over her and dipping his head to place a soft, warm kiss to her shoulder, smiling against her skin as she moaned softly. "How do you feel this morning, love?" he whispered, trailing his lips and the tip of his tongue across her collarbone and the swell of her breast.
She ran her hand down his stomach and slipped her fingers underneath the waistband of his pajamas, raising her eyebrows at him as she squeezed him gently, before reaching her fingers even further down and caressing that tender, more sensitive area. "Pretty well - but not as nice as I think you feel."
He gave a low growl, causing the familiar surge of pleasure deep in her abdomen, and she smiled. He backed away from her, though, and she was forced to withdraw her hand as he put his own body out of her reach in order to give hers his undivided attention.
Elsie hummed her approval as he pushed the blankets aside; she reveled in every kiss, each caress, all the words of love he was whispering, things she knew she'd never tire of hearing; she relished the feel of his mouth on her hips, her stomach, her breasts, her neck.
He parted her legs and trailed his fingers up the inside of her thigh, gently pressing into her hot softness and massaging her as she purred beneath him; when she was almost at the brink, Elsie pushed him away and slowly raised herself to a kneeling position before reaching to tug at his pajama pants, her meaning clear.
"You're alright?" he asked, needing reassurance, and she nodded quickly, watching him hungrily as he disposed of the pajamas and sat up to face her.
"I am," she insisted, reaching her leg over to sit astride him. She took him inside with one swift movement, moaning loudly at the sensation and surprising him with her forcefulness.
"Els?"
"I'm fine. But please, love ... I need more of you," she almost begged him. "Now."
He readjusted his position, sitting forward more and reaching down for her bottom, supporting almost all of her weight himself. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, using the leverage to raise herself up and help move her body; he moved his legs apart a little and she sank down impossibly further as he increased his pace, splaying his hands around her waist in order to lift her a bit with every gentle rock of his hips, taking all of the pressure off of the places where she'd been injured.
"Like this?" he panted after a moment, and she nodded, her fingernails digging into his back and causing him to shout out in the quiet of their room.
"Just like that," she whimpered. "Oh … oh, my God, Charlie …"
Two hours later ...
Elsie came out into the kitchen, her dress open in the back as she sought Charles out to help her with the zipper. She realized he must still be outside with the animals, however, and so she headed over to examine the table; it was - of course, she thought - already set for dinner.
Elsie had asked Charles to take care of everything having to do with the table setting while she prepared the menu and spoke to people about what they were bringing. She couldn't really get out of the house yet, and she'd seen his eyes light up last week when they'd discussed it all. She had teased him mercilessly about his being a perfectionist, but she had been secretly pleased that he would put so much joyful attention into presenting a lovely table and meal for their closest friends and family.
And, as she had expected, everything before her eyes right now was, indeed, perfect.
Charles had borrowed a banquet table from Edith and Bertie and had set it almost end-to-end with the dining table, leaving a small space between them for people to pass through. The tablecloths were plaid, pastel in color, and the napkins (cloth, of course, never paper for his table) were in solid colors that matched the tones of the plaid: pink, baby blue, pale yellow, peach, mint green. As she looked more closely at the tablecloth, she realized there were little bunny rabbits in each square of the plaid.
Adorable, she thought as she fingered the stitching for one of the bunnies. He chose something absolutely adorable.
Her eyes took in the dishes next - he had used her good china, which was white with gold edging, for the adults, but he had also purchased a set of pale blue plates that matched the table covering. They were some sort of thin material - Corelle, her mind told her - and she knew instantly that he'd not wanted to demean the children (or his own sensibilities) by having cheap paper products for them. He'd also managed to get gold chargers for underneath the plates (where he got those she had no clue), and they gave the entire place setting a more formal look, albeit one that still went beautifully with the levity of the linens. She shook her head as she considered measuring the distances between each charger; she was convinced they would be spaced apart identically on each side of the table.
Picking up one of the napkins, Elsie examined the ring around it, chuckling when she realized it had a little Easter basket charm. She noticed that the stemware was from her hutch, but Charles had somehow managed to procure plastic "stemware" for the children that was clear but looked like crystal; she actually flicked a nail against it to verify that it was, indeed, plastic. Flatware was the one thing she had in abundance, having purchased two matching sets years ago, and she noted with a sense of growing pride that he'd taken into consideration the various courses they'd be serving and had laid the pieces out accordingly.
She stood there smiling, and then moved to pull a small crease from the corner of one of the tablecloths, chuckling at how he'd missed it. Nodding to herself that it was now fixed, she turned to head back into the bathroom when something shiny caught her eye.
What on Earth? she thought, crossing into the living room area and over to the television set. She reached behind it and pulled out a small, foil-wrapped egg, shaking her head and laughing.
Charles came up the stairs from being outside and she turned to smile at him. "What's this?" she asked, holding it up as she bit down on her lip in amusement.
"What does it look like? It is Easter, you know. One does hide chocolate eggs on Easter when one has children coming over."
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his chin. "Or when one is a big child oneself," she teased.
"Funny," he said, glancing at the clock. "Alright, we've half an hour to get in the car to be at church on time. The vegetables are peeled and chopped and in baggies, ready to go; both hams are scored, cloves are in, and they're in the baking dishes and covered. Anna's bringing the salad and Beryl the dessert. If we're home by noon, everything should be ready by dinnertime. I'm so glad you told everyone four o'clock, I will say that."
"You're a godsend, Charlie, honestly. Can you do my zipper?" Elsie asked, turning her back to Charles.
"Of course," he said, sliding the pull up. "All set," he added, and she turned back around.
"I didn't even feel your hands, Charles. How do you do that?"
He just winked at her, and she smiled.
"I love you, you know," he sighed, drawing her into his arms. "So very, very much."
Elsie looked up at him and kissed him softly. "I love you, too. Do you think we should get married?" she asked, cocking her head playfully.
"I do, and the sooner the better," he said seriously.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling his cologne and reveling in the weight of his arms encircling her. "Mm, I know. We don't have to wait, you know. We could just nip down to the Town Hall."
"Sorry, but we do need to wait," he said. "I refuse to take the quick way out. We live together now; in my eyes, we're already a family. The ceremony and reception will make it public for everyone else, and it will be lovely when you're up and about and ready for that type of celebration. But I don't mind waiting for that, because I already have all I need. The rest is just details - lovely, lovely details."
Elsie was speechless. She just stared at him, her eyes welling up, and shook her head.
"You are one amazing man, Charles Carson, do you know that?"
"I'm only amazing because of you," he whispered, kissing her tears. "I'm a completely different man now that I have you - you don't see it because you didn't know me before, but everyone else does."
"How did I ever manage to find you?" she marveled.
"We've been through this before, don't you remember?" he asked, his voice wavering as the corner of his mouth turned upward in a smirk. "Beautiful nurse, listening to Beethoven, charmed my daughter in seconds flat. Five minutes after meeting you, it was a lost cause for my poor heart."
Her lip quivered at his powerful declaration; she wiped at her eyes and moved out of his embrace, taking his hand and leading him toward the bedroom so that he could change his clothes for church.
"We need to stop this conversation if I'm to pull myself together in half an hour, Charlie."
"Agreed," he murmured, kissing her nose before turning away and selecting a shirt from her - our, he reminded himself - closet.
She stood and watched him for a moment, then shook her head.
"What?" he asked, noticing her staring at him before he moved on to select a tie.
"Nothing … Just, if I'd ever had any doubts, I certainly don't now," she said.
He turned abruptly. "You had doubts?"
But she just smiled sweetly. "No, not yet. So behave, you," she winked.
His rumbling laughter followed her into the bathroom as she went to apply her makeup and put the finishing touches on her hair.
The morning was sunny and clear, with billowy white clouds in the sky and a warmth that promised spring had arrived at last. Charles managed to secure a parking spot near to the front entrance of the church, for which Elsie was thankful. He got out of the car and rushed over to open her door, helping her out with one hand as she leaned on her cane.
"Don't forget the cushion," she said.
"Ah, right," he said, snapping his fingers. He reached into the back seat and grabbed it, then reached for her unoccupied hand. "Ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," she mumbled. "I feel like a society girl coming out for the Season. They'll all be watching me, seeing how I'm doing."
"It's because they care," he reminded her gently. "And, for what it's worth, you look fantastic."
"You're supposed to say that," she teased. "You'd never say if I looked awful."
He stopped short, gently tugging on her hand as he pulled her to the side of the walkway. "I would," he insisted. "Not in so many words, perhaps," he admitted sheepishly, "but still … if you asked, I'd tell you."
She smiled at him. "Well, there is something to be said for honesty, it's true. And you are a terrible liar."
He reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "There. Now you're perfect. How about we go and see if Daisy's here?" He picked up their clasped hands and kissed the back of hers, his lips touching upon the engagement ring that sat proudly on her finger.
"Sounds good."
As they made their way in, Elsie was greeted by several of the townspeople. Easter Sunday was the most highly-attended church service all year, something about which Elsie was silently rather cynical. But it was a nice chance to see everyone, to catch up on the goings-on of the town. The beautiful weather today produced an even higher turnout than normal, and it took about fifteen minutes for them to say hello to all who greeted them before they finally made it inside.
"Papa!" Daisy called, before clamping her hand over her mouth and blushing as she realized how loud she'd been.
Charles looked up toward the front of the sanctuary to see Daisy kneeling on one of the pews and waving furiously at him.
"There she is," he said quietly to Elsie, pointing to where his daughter stood.
Elsie chuckled. "You don't say," she quipped.
When they reached the spot where Daisy had been saving seats, Elsie let go of Charles's hand and watched fondly as he bent to hug his girl and receive a kiss on the cheek.
"Happy Easter, petal," he said. "Did the Easter Bunny find you?"
"He did!" she almost squealed, nodding furiously. "He brought me creme eggs and a new friend for Fred," she added, holding up a soft, black stuffed horse.
"My, my," Elsie said, "that looks very nice. Happy Easter, Daisy."
"Happy Easter," Daisy said, moving over to hug Elsie gently. "You look pretty."
"Aw, thank you, dear. It is nice to be able to get out of the house and see everyone. How did the egg hunt go?"
Charles placed the cushion they'd brought on the pew and Elsie sat gingerly, already a bit sore from the car ride, he knew. But the back of the bench was sturdy and straight, and when she sat up and back a bit her relief was written all over her face. Daisy scooted in beside her, and Charles gratefully took the seat closest to the aisle, affording him a bit more leg room should he need it.
"Marigold and I both found twenty," Daisy said. "Uncle Bertie said that was fair."
"It does seem so," Elsie nodded. "I do believe, however, that the Bunny visited our house last night, too. I found this behind the television set," she said, withdrawing the chocolate egg from the pocket of her cardigan and handing it to Daisy.
"May I eat it now?" Daisy asked, and Elsie nodded.
"Why not?"
Charles reached his arm behind Daisy and she snuggled into his side; his fingers reached Elsie's arm and he gave her a light squeeze before resting his hand behind her shoulder.
At that moment, the organist began to play the prelude music for the service. People's voices turned to whispered hushes as everyone settled into their seats, and Daisy glanced around with her eyes wide as she noted an extremely full church. There were more people than there had been on Christmas Eve, that was certain, and she was rather grateful that she had no part in this particular service beyond sitting with her Papa and Elsie and paying attention to what was being said.
Other than remaining seated during the hymns, which she'd normally never have done, Elsie felt quite a bit like her old self as the service progressed. She loved the Easter service, the readings reminiscent of her childhood, the message about peace and hope. She wasn't sure how she felt about the salvation bit, to be perfectly honest, but she liked the idea that with each springtime, opportunities for rebirth and renewal were present. She glanced down at Daisy and over at Charles, and her spirit soared as she realized that all three of them had experienced a rebirth over the past year. Their experiences were different, but the overall endgame was the same: they'd gone through a year of strife and agony, only to become a family at the end of it all.
Charles felt Elsie's eyes on him and turned his head to smile at her.
I love you, he mouthed.
I love you, too, she replied silently. As she smiled, she felt Daisy reach over for her hand, which Elsie gave willingly along with a little squeeze.
Everyone was milling about the fellowship hall at the close of the service. Charles had suggested they simply slip away and head home, but Elsie had refused.
"There's a lift," she said calmly. "I'll take that instead of all the stairs, but I don't want to just slink away."
He tilted his head in agreement, and the three of them rode down one floor to join their friends.
"There you are!" Beryl exclaimed when they emerged from the lift. She wrapped Elsie in a gentle hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you out and about! How are you?"
Elsie nodded as Charles excused himself and Daisy so that they could grab a snack, and turned back to her friend and whispered in her ear, "So very, very much better after some proper sex, I can tell you!"
"Elsie Hughes!" Beryl whispered, astonished, giving her friend a playful smack on the arm. "In church, no less! On Easter Sunday!"
"Well it's not like we did it in church," Elsie replied cheekily. "To really answer your question, though, I am a bit sore after the car ride and all that time sitting in the pew, but I don't even care; it is so nice to just be off of my own property for a few hours!"
"I'll bet. I noticed you're using the cane, though."
Elsie nodded. "Yes, that will be another week or two I think. I'm to use it when out for more than just a short walk, and it helps on the stairs, too. But I shouldn't need it when I return to work."
"Huh," Beryl said, clearly distracted by something happening elsewhere in the room.
"What is it?" Elsie turned to see what Beryl was watching so intently. "Oh, well, isn't that interesting?"
Across the room, Richard Carlisle and Sarah O'Brien seemed to be involved in a heated discussion. Elsie couldn't make out what they were saying over the din of all the conversation in the room, but she did find it curious that the pair were tucked behind a pillar, as though trying to hide as much as possible. After a moment, she realized that it appeared to be Richard who was on the receiving end of Sarah's antagonism, and not the other way around as Elsie had first suspected.
Elsie and Beryl watched with interest as Mary approached her husband from across the room. The look on the young woman's face was indescribable; if Elsie were forced to put a name on it, she'd call it suspicion mixed with rage. She looked on as Mary gently laid her hand on her husband's back, startling him. Mary said something brief to Sarah, who turned in a huff and walked away, saying goodbye to no one - not even the pastor - before leaving the church.
"Well, I'll be," Beryl mused. "Something's rotten there, that's for certain."
Elsie turned to her curiously.
"Come on, Elsie. Those two are suspicious enough on their own, but together? How the hell do they even know each other? That O'Brien woman is never in town unless she's at the school, and he's holed away in his office all the damn time. It's weird, isn't it? And then there's the precious 'Lady Mary,' who's too good for any of us lot. I dunno, it just smells of something bad."
"Yes, well, I have to agree with you about most of that," Elsie allowed. She hadn't told Beryl about the files Charles had seen at the Carlisles' place or about Becky's trouble from years past, and she was now a bit nervous by her friend's overly-perceptive nature. "Charles adores Mary, and that fact has forced me to reconsider my opinion of her somewhat." She sighed, and glanced across the room at the Carlisles once again, noting that they were now engaged in what seemed to be stiff conversation with Charles. "And I will say this: it cannot be easy living with that man. He's truly horrid."
"Oh, yes, you've had the pleasure, haven't you? On that holiday in England?"
Elsie almost shuddered, but managed to keep her expression placid. "Yes, but we didn't spend a great deal of time with them." She was hesitant to say anything more, knowing she could trust Beryl if need be but that she could never say anything with so many people milling about. "Come on," she settled for in the end, "let's fetch our families."
Beryl beamed at her friend. "Ah, yes - our families." She sighed soppily, making Elsie shake her head and chuckle. "Don't you laugh at me, Elsie. I've never seen you so happy, and there's no shame in saying or admitting it."
"I know," Elsie replied softly, her eyes meeting Charles's across the room. She took a deep breath and tore her gaze away to give Beryl her attention once more. "Let's go."
At a quarter to four in the afternoon, Charles pulled the hams out of the oven. Max was dancing around his feet, hoping for a snack of some sort to come falling from above, but Elsie shooed him out of the kitchen and told him to go play with Daisy instead.
"Come on, Max!" Daisy called, squeezing his fetch ball and making it squeak. Max's ears perked up and he yipped, then tore off out of the kitchen and through the living room, barreling out the door that Daisy was holding open.
"Why don't you bring him out?" Elsie joked, making Daisy laugh.
"Yes, I thought I should," the girl replied, still chuckling as she made her way outside.
"Like peas in a pod," Charles muttered, a broad smile on his face. He turned and found Elsie staring off into the distance, out the window, but not really focused. "Elsie?"
She didn't appear to hear him, but jumped when he reached for her hand. "Oh! Sorry … woolgathering, I suppose." She gave him a half-hearted smile, but knew it was no good.
"Tell me. Are you alright? Was the morning too much for you. Are you in pain?" He rubbed his hands up and down her arms lightly and kissed the top of her her head.
"No, actually I feel really well - I think getting out did me some good. I'm a bit sore, but nothing more than usual. No …"
"Then … what is it?"
She bit down hard on her lip as she contemplated whether or not to even bring it up, but knew he'd never let it drop until she did.
"This morning, after church, Beryl and I witnessed something rather odd."
His brow furrowed immediately. "Such as?"
Sigh. "It was Richard - with Sarah O'Brien, believe it or not."
His eyebrows shot straight up. "In some kind of ... indecent situation?"
"Oh! No, not at all …" She stopped abruptly, considering that thought for a moment. "At least, I don't think so. No. No, that's not what it looked like," she mused, her gaze focused inward again as she recalled the scene at the church. "Although, if it were ending … but, no …"
"Elsie, you're not making any sense. What, precisely, did you see?"
"Well," she began, "Beryl noticed it first, called my attention to it. The two of them were behind one of those huge pillars - you know, by the sink? And they were arguing, rather quietly I must say as I didn't hear a word really, but it was definitely heated. The odd thing is, I think Richard was bearing the brunt of it. Sarah was positively seething. I've never seen her like that and, believe me, I've seen her pretty upset before."
"I bet you have. But you've no idea what they were discussing?" he pressed.
She shook her head. "No, but Mary came upon them then. I wouldn't say she was sneaking, but she definitely approached slowly and she startled Richard when he noticed her presence. I don't think Sarah saw her coming near them at all, either, because Mary came at them from the other side of the pillar. Anyhow, Mary said something to them and Sarah turned on her heels and stormed out."
"That is odd," Charles muttered, and he breathed a deep sigh. "I don't suppose Beryl knew anything?"
"No," Elsie replied. "I've not even told her about that file he had on me, thought it best not to until we figure it all out - if we ever figure it all out."
"There were a ton of those files, Elsie, enough for there to be dirt on half the town or more." He paused, and she could see he was debating telling her something.
"Charlie," she said, "what is it?"
"So many names, Elsie," he murmured, shaking his head. "Names I recognized, and I've not even been here a full year." He looked down at her, and she could see it in his eyes before he even spoke the words.
"I'm terrified for Mary," he admitted, his eyes misting. "If he harms her, or worse …"
"Shh - Charles, don't." She wiped at his eyes with her fingertips. "Your niece has more fire in her than I think even you recognize. She won't let him get away with anything like that."
"But she refused to go to the police," he told her. "I said that I'd report him myself if need be, but I'm not sure she believed me. And I don't want to place her in harm's way; he's clearly a very dangerous man!"
"She refused? But why?"
Charles looked down at the floor. "I can't say," he whispered. "She made me swear to secrecy. I'm sorry, Els."
"No," she soothed him, lifting his chin again so that she could look into his eyes. "Don't be."
"I hate keeping anything from you, particularly something important. I had enough of that sort of thing when I was married to Alice."
She pursed her lips, remembering his distress the night he showed her the photos from her own file, how upset he was not to be able to confide in her everything he had learned.
"Charles, you are a man of integrity and honor, and I love you for it. I don't need to know everything; I rather appreciate that you can keep a secret, if you must know."
"But we're getting married, Elsie," he said, taking her hands in his and caressing the tops of hers with his thumbs. "We're supposed to tell each other our secrets."
"Oh, you lovely man," she whispered, standing on tiptoes to place a kiss to his lips. "This one's not your secret, is it? It's hers. And the entire town knows there's no love lost between your niece and myself. No, this one you keep - until she decides otherwise."
He nodded, and then jumped as the doorbell sounded.
"Hello?" came Anna's voice from the doorway. "Happy Easter!"
Charles gave Elsie a quick, but searing, kiss. "I love you more every day, woman. Thank you."
Speechless, Elsie just shook her head and turned toward the doorway.
"Anna! John, Fiona - welcome! So glad you could make it!" she smiled.
There was so much food that Elsie worried for the safety of the borrowed table: two hams, sliced; dishes of potatoes, green beans, carrots, turnips; a pineapple stuffing casserole that John's mother had brought, which was gone in a matter of minutes (and to which Elsie had secured the recipe already)*; fresh rolls from Beryl. On the counter were the desserts, which no one could even fathom being able to eat.
Charles had made little place cards for everyone, and Elsie smiled as she looked around her table; friends and family, strategically placed to make conversation flow smoothly. Elsie and Charles sat at each end of the array, and the Masons and Pelhams were mixed in with the Bateses and Anna. To Elsie's immediate left was Fiona, and Bertie was seated to Elsie's right. Charles had put himself beside Anna, to whom he rarely had a chance to speak, and William, who was currently asking Charles questions related to going into the field of law. Beryl and Bill sat in the middle, directly across from one another, flanked by Marigold, John, Ivy, Daisy, and Edith. She knew Charles was annoyed by the uneven number of seats, but he'd just placed more children on the side with the extra person; it worked beautifully.
Elsie was thrilled to have a chance to speak with John's mum, but she noticed the woman seemed preoccupied, glancing at Anna and John surreptitiously when she thought no one would notice.
"Fiona?" Elsie asked quietly, reaching to touch her arm. "What is it? Is everything alright?"
"Oh! Yes," Fiona replied, flushing slightly as she nodded. "Sorry, I was miles away."
"I noticed," Elsie smirked. "You're sure everything's alright - with John?"
Fiona glanced down at her son again, then across to Bertie, who was currently deep in discussion with Daisy about something or other. Satisfied that she wouldn't be overheard, she turned back to her hostess.
"I'm not sure, Elsie. I feel as though he's keeping something from me, but I can't put my finger on it." She shook her head minutely. "They never stop being your babies, I can tell you that. Thirty-eight years old and he's still my little boy," she murmured, her eyes full of love.
"Well," Elsie said quietly, "if Anna's behavior is any indication, they're doing just fine. She's been positively thrilled this week, but swears nothing's new. Still …" Elsie's voice drifted off, something clicking in her mind.
No, she thought. That can't possibly be it. Only …
John's eyes met hers then, as though he could pluck the very thoughts out of her mind. Elsie cocked her head a bit and raised an eyebrow, flicking her eyes in Fiona's direction before looking back at Anna and then, once again, at John. He returned her look with a tiny smile, and gave her a slight nod.
Oh, my goodness - they did!
John knew the secret was out and, although he did trust Elsie to keep it, he felt badly that his mum didn't know. He rose from his seat and went over to where Anna was, then whispered something in her ear.
"You're sure?" she asked softly, and he nodded, reaching for her hand and pulling her up.
"Alright, everyone, it seems we have a little announcement to make," he said, clearing his throat and smiling broadly at Anna as she looked up at him.
"Oh, my God," Fiona said loudly. "You're engaged, aren't you? I knew something was up with you two!"
"No," Anna said hesitantly, looking to John for reassurance and shooting him a look that smacked of an I told you so!
"No, Mum, we're not engaged." He took a deep breath before adding, "Because we're already married."
"What?" Beryl shouted. "When? Where?" She looked down at Elsie. "Did you know?"
But Elsie just shook her head. "No, I did not. I will say this, though … I am so very happy for you!" She stood with some effort and made her way over to the happy couple, kissing them each on the cheek before giving John her undivided attention.
She rested her palm on his cheek lovingly and asked him quite seriously, "You will take very, very good care of her, won't you? Because she's almost like my own girl, you know, and if you don't …"
The rest of the threat went unspoken, and Anna swallowed a lump in her throat. Elsie had long been the only mother figure in Anna's life, something which Anna appreciated perhaps now more than ever.
"I swear," John said quietly, his eyes reassuring her of the truth.
Fiona joined them and wrapped her son in a huge hug before backing away and pinching his cheek lovingly - but hard.
"John Bates," she said, shaking her head. "You're more like your father than you know." She turned to Anna and explained, "John's Da and I eloped, you see, after my parents refused to let us marry."
"I know," Anna giggled. "That's where he got the idea."
"And you've robbed me of a wedding," Fiona continued, a sparkle in her eye. "You will pay for that when and if any babies come along and a shower is needed, you do realize?"
Everyone laughed, and Fiona blushed as she realized everyone was watching them. She turned back to Anna and opened her arms, drawing the young woman into a tight hug.
"Welcome to the family, love," she whispered in Anna's ear, and Anna nodded as a couple of tears fell from the corners of her eyes.
Charles stood and raised his wine glass, the others following suit as Bertie passed Elsie's and Fiona's over to them.
"To Anna and John Bates - may they have so very many years of unbridled happiness."
"To Anna and John!" everyone echoed, raising their glasses. As Elsie sipped hers, she glanced over at Charles, only to find him staring at her intently.
We're next, his eyes said, and she nodded.
The sound of the phone ringing startled Elsie from a deep sleep. Her mind foggy, she couldn't quite place what the noise was until it rang three more times.
"Charlie," she said, her voice thick with sleep, "Charlie? Can you get that?"
"Hmm?" he mumbled. "What?"
The phone stopped ringing then, but started anew moments later.
"The phone, Charlie - it's ringing off the hook!"
He opened his eyes, hearing it at last and glancing at the clock as he got out of bed. "Bloody three in the morning," he grumbled. "Who on Earth …"
He stumbled out into the hallway and grabbed the phone off the wall. "Hullo?" he mumbled into the mouthpiece.
Elsie sat up gingerly, a bad feeling settling in the pit of her stomach as she put her slippers on and went out to join him.
Not Becky, she prayed. God, no … Please, just don't let it be Becky.
It wasn't.
"What?" Charles demanded. "Slow down, man, I can't make out what you're saying."
Elsie laid her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. "Who is it?" she asked softly, but he just shook his head.
"What? That's impossible," he was saying. "A fire? Where did you say?"
A pause.
"Bloody hell," he whispered, and the fear in his voice made Elsie's hair stand on end, her skin now covered in gooseflesh.
"And they don't know who …" he was asking. "Alright. Yes, yes, I'll be right there. Yes, thank you." He pressed the button to end the call and replaced the phone in its holder on the wall before turning to Elsie.
"What the hell was that?" Elsie asked fearfully. "A fire, Charlie?"
He nodded, and she opened her arms and drew him in.
"Yes," he said. "The newspaper building; it burned completely to the ground about an hour ago."
"Oh, my God, Charles!" Elsie exclaimed. "Are Mary and Richard alright?"
"They don't know," he said, his face crumpling as he began to cry. "They've found two bodies, but they can't identify who they are. They can't ... Elsie, they can't reach Richard or Mary, and want me to come down to the police station. I'm supposed to ... to give them any places or numbers where she or Richard might be reached."
"Wait - was her car gone?" Elsie demanded. "Surely that would tell them something?"
"I don't know," he said helplessly. "I didn't even think to ask that. But I have to go. Can you stay with Daisy?"
"Of course," she said, kissing his chest. "Come on, you'll need some clothes. Go splash some cold water on your face and I'll get you some things."
She led him down the hall and pulled out some clean clothes for him, laying them on the bed for when he got out of the bathroom. She then headed back to the kitchen to put on some water for tea.
Seven minutes later, Charles emerged from the bedroom. He'd managed to quickly shave and brush his teeth, and his hair was tamed into some semblance of propriety.
Elsie heard him behind her just as she snapped the lid onto a travel mug.
"Here," she said softly, turning and handing it to him, "I've made you some tea. You're going to need it."
He nodded mutely, and she pulled him down for a loving kiss.
"Call me as soon as you can," she said. "Don't worry about waking me - there's no way in hell I'll be sleeping again tonight."
"Alright," he said, grabbing his keys and dropping one more kiss to her head before heading for the door.
"I love you, Elsie," he said as he donned his coat, and she nodded.
"I know," she answered, smiling at him as she stood in her nightshirt and slippers. "I love you, too."
She watched from the living room window as he got in the car and drove away, her eyes on the tail lights until they disappeared around the corner and into the darkness of the night.
"Elsie?" came Daisy's sleepy voice, and Elsie turned swiftly. "Whassa matter? Where's Papa?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
Elsie swallowed and took a deep, steadying breath before heading over to where Daisy stood. She reached out and took Daisy's hand, then led her back to her bed.
"He's just had to run out, Daisy. Nothing to worry about."
"Now?" the little girl asked, but she was already half asleep again.
"Yes, but he'll be here when you wake up in the morning," Elsie replied, bending gingerly to tuck Daisy's sheets back around her and handing her the two stuffed horses. "What's this one's name?" she asked. "Fred's friend?"
"Beauty," Daisy murmured, slipping away into her dreams again.
Of course, Elsie thought with a smile.
"'Night," Daisy mumbled. "Luff you."
"Luff you too, petal," Elsie whispered, brushing Daisy's bangs out of her eyes.
Hurry home, Charlie, she thought. And please, please let Mary be alright.
*Pineapple stuffing is a real thing, and it's amazing. Our friend brings it to our house every Easter! If you have a moment, I'd love to hear what you think!