A/N: Thank you for all of your lovely reviews and comments. It is very kind of you to stick with this fic. Also, thank you to the guest reviewers who I cannot thank personally. Here's another update for you- hope you enjoy x
Chapter 52
"Pa, make the pig noise again!" Charlie cheered, as he sat on the Butler's shoulders, his satchel over his shoulder as his Pa took him to school.
The Butler duly obliged, making the 'oink oink' noise that Charlie loved so much. Charlie responded with joyous laughter, as Mr Carson smiled. My, my life has changed, the Butler reflected.
Since Charlie had visited the Moulton Show with his Ma and Pa the previous week, he had developed a new appreciation and love for pigs. He'd never seen so many pigs before and his father's impression was very realistic.
The Family and Staff had enjoyed a lovely day at the livestock show and despite the panic that had threatened to overshadow the day when young Marigold had gone missing, the little girl had thankfully been found very speedily and the matter resolved, although the Butler wasn't altogether sure that he knew the full extent of that particular situation. He made a mental note to ask his wife, knowing she would undoubtedly know more than him.
"Almost at the Village now Charlie, time for you to come down," Mr Carson explained, lifting the little boy over his head and down to the ground.
Despite Charlie growing taller every day, his Pa could still easily carry him in this way. The Butler enjoyed indulging Charlie by carrying him part of the way to school, as the two headed down the tree-lined lane from the Cottage. However, he felt Charlie should be on his own two feet whilst the Father and son walked into the Village, with many villagers around. Therefore, his son now took his Pa's hand and skipped along beside him for the rest of the morning journey to school.
"Pa, why did Ma have to go to the House so early this morning?" Charlie asked. He knew that, more often than not, it was his Ma rather than his Pa that walked him to school.
"The Family are having a grand dinner tomorrow evening and so your Ma has lots to plan for that," the Butler explained.
"Can't they plan their own dinners?" Charlie asked innocently.
The Butler coughed a little to hide his slight discomfort at this question, all the while imagining his wife with a big smile on her face if she had heard Charlie's pertinent question.
"Well, they need a little help from time to time," the Butler responded measuredly.
"Well I think it's silly, Ma already has to plan our dinner and so it's not fair that she has to plan their dinner as well. Ma looks after everyone … me, you, the Family, Aunt Beryl, Mr Barrow, Daisy, Anna, Mr Molesley, Andy … she works too hard!" Charlie exclaimed, with a big exhale of breath, as he thought about everyone his Ma cared for at the House and at home.
The Butler stopped walking for a moment, looking downwards at his kind son. He reflected that he often failed to appreciate how much his wife did for her own family and friends, as well as the Granthams, and yet his five-year-old son seemed to appreciate this quite clearly.
"You are quite right Charlie. Your Ma does work too hard. What a thoughtful young man you are," the Butler responded proudly.
Charlie beamed with pride on hearing this compliment from his Pa.
"How about you and I make dinner tonight Charlie, as a nice surprise for your Ma?" Mr Carson asked.
"Ooh yes!" Charlie responded excitedly.
The young boy then thought a little further about this, scrunching his face in contemplation.
"Pa, can you cook because I'm only little and Ma says I am not allowed to touch the stove. It's too hot and I might burn my fingers," he added, repeating his Ma's warning to him.
Mr Carson laughed hollowly in response; realising to his shame that his son had never seen him make anything other than a sandwich or some toast and jam.
"Of course I can cook and I should do so more often," he declared.
"If you are sure Pa …" Charlie replied, with much uncertainty.
The Butler spluttered with nervous laughter at his son's wary response.
"We'll be fine," the Butler cheered, trying to convince himself as much as Charlie. The little boy raised his eyebrows towards his Pa.
"We can always have a sandwich Pa," Charlie deadpanned, as the two continued to walk across the Village Green.
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"And what are you two plotting?" the Housekeeper asked warmly, as she walked into the Butler's pantry.
It was late afternoon and she had left Charlie finishing some homework at the small desk they had placed in the corner of her husband's pantry. However, now he was sitting on his Pa's knee at the Butler's desk and they were both whispering about something.
"Nothing at all," Mr Carson replied, at the exact same time that Charlie lifted his small hands to cover his mouth, thus immediately giving away that they had some secret to keep.
"Ahh, I see. My two gentlemen are keeping something from me," Mrs Carson smiled knowingly.
Charlie left his hands covering his mouth and shook his head silently.
The Housekeeper bit her lip to withhold her laughter as Charlie looked at her guiltily with eyes wide open and her husband tried and failed to look nonchalant.
"Well, it a good job I have a magic way of getting secrets from little boys," she said, as she walked across to Charlie and began to tickle him.
He wriggled off his Pa's knee, giggling and shrieking as his Ma tickled him.
"Ma, Ma stop! I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" he laughed gloriously, as his Pa chucked at Charlie giving in so easily.
She stopped her tickles.
"Well?" she asked triumphantly, as she sat in the chair at the other side of her husband's desk. Charlie clambered up and onto her knee, snuggling back against his Ma as his breathing calmed.
She cuddled him to her and kissed his soft hair repeatedly, making the little chap smile further.
"Can I tell her Pa?" he asked sweetly, not wanting to upset his Father.
"Of course you can Charlie, otherwise your Ma might start to tickle me," he joked, much to Charlie's delight.
The little boy swivelled around on his Ma's knee.
"Me and Pa are making dinner for you tonight so that you can put your feet up and have a nice rest," Charlie explained, thrilled to see the happiness on his Ma's face.
"Oh my, now what did I do to deserve that?" she asked, catching her husband's eye and rewarding him with a glorious, soppy smile before kissing Charlie's hair again.
"You look after me and Pa all of the time and so it's our turn to look after you!" Charlie explained adorably, before planting a kiss to his Ma's cheek.
"Well now that is quite a lovely thought but please remember, it is my pleasure to look after my two handsome Charlies. I love you both very much," she said sincerely, cuddling her boy and gazing tenderly at the Butler.
"And we both love you very much Elsie but let us treat you this once, eh love? We were just finishing planning things. It will be simple, given my lack of ability in the kitchen, but hopefully tasty nonetheless," he explained modestly.
"Well I am certain that anything cooked by the fair hands of my husband and son will be delicious," she chimed.
"Even if Pa burns it?" Charlie asked seriously.
"Even then," the Housekeeper replied, stifling a chuckle as her husband raised his impressive eyebrows, shaking his head at his son's lack of faith in his cooking.
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Mrs Carson sat on the settee in their cottage, as instructed, listening to all sorts of noises from the kitchen as her two precious men made dinner; she didn't think she had ever heard so many clangs of pots and pans, interwoven with various squeals of excitement from Charlie. She could just imagine the antics of the two in the kitchen.
She sat with a glass of wine in her hand, provided by her husband, as she listened to some light jazz music. This truly was a treat. As she had this thought, the living room door swung open. Big Charlie and little Charlie walked into room, both looking very serious, straight-backed with their chins high in the air. She grinned as she spotted they both had tea towels hung over their arms.
"What do we say, Mr Parks Carson?" the Butler asked formally.
Charlie bit his lip to withhold his smile, a habit most certainly learned from his Ma.
"Dinner is served Milady," the young boy said in a loud voice, trying to imitate his Pa.
"Very good young man, now please escort the lovely lady to the dinner table," Mr Carson added, winking at his wife as he continued to stand at the side of the room.
Charlie nodded and stepped forward, offering his Ma his arm. Instead she took his little hand in hers and lowered her head to place several kisses to his cheek.
Charlie squealed joyfully, "Ma, I'm the Buteler! You can't kiss the Buteler," he said, still unable to pronounce this word properly.
"Not yet anyway," her husband flirted, reaching across to kiss her on the cheek as he whispered, out of earshot of Charlie, 'However, later, when we are alone …'
"Pa! She is a lady and we are the Butelers- you can't kiss Ma either!"
"I apologise profusely, young sir," Charles said, pretending to be reprimanded but with an undeniable smirk on his face.
His wife swatted him playfully.
"Come on then, Mr Butler, escort me to dinner," the Housekeeper said to Charlie, as he nodded and led his Ma through to the kitchen, followed by his Pa.
######
The three enjoyed a wonderful meal of roast chicken and vegetables, cooked perfectly by her husband and son, despite the Butler's fluster at times as he served the food. They even made her favourites, buttered carrots and roasted parsnips. Mrs Carson had complimented her two men throughout the meal, and they both flushed with pride every time they heard her kind words, so pleased at her obvious enjoyment and feeling that all of their efforts had very much been rewarded. When Mr Carson presented the ginger cake for dessert, freshly baked from the oven, Mrs Carson was in no doubt that a certain Aunt Beryl must have played an important role in this evening's preparations but nonetheless, her lovely men had done most of the hard work.
The Butler washed the dishes following the meal, insisting that his wife and Charlie relax in the sitting-room next door. As he eventually walked through to join them, he paused in the doorway, leaning on the door frame. He stood silently and happily, gazing with love at the most beautiful sight; Charlie and his Ma cuddled up together on the settee and fast asleep.
A/N: A review would be lovely if you have time x
