Hi, all! Sorry for the long delay in posting. I won't go into a rambling explanation, but I will tell you that there will only be a few more chapters of this story and I hope to finish posting within the next few weeks. Happy New Year!
Charles was there to answer the door when the expected knock came, fairly early in the morning. He greeted the young woman standing outside.
"Do come in," he invited her. "You must be Mrs. White."
She smiled and gave a brief nod as she came inside. Charles took her coat. "I'm very pleased to finally meet you, Mr. Carson."
"And I, you," he replied. "Mrs. Carson is sleeping. Normally she would have risen and made breakfast by this time, but I thought it would be nice to let her sleep."
"I quite agree. Let me make breakfast. Have you eaten yourself, Mr. Carson, or shall I cook for the both of you?"
Charles was taken a little by surprise. "Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that."
"You didn't ask. I'm volunteering for the job." She tried to smile reassuringly. "Mrs. Carson did ask me here to help you move house, I believe?"
"Yes, that's true."
"And I doubt you were planning to ask your wife or me to carry any heavy crates today."
"Certainly not! I've asked a few men to join me. Mrs. Carson and I don't have many possessions, so it shouldn't take long."
"Then my help will consist primarily of keeping her from overexerting herself without making her feel she's being treated like she's too fragile to do anything."
Charles looked sheepish. "I don't suppose she's mentioned that I have a tendency to-"
"To be overprotective of her?" Sarah supplied. "Yes, she has, once or twice. But she knows it's only because you love her, so she tries to be patient."
"Well, I..." Charles was a little embarrassed to be discussing his private feelings with a woman he had just met and wasn't sure what to say.
Sarah took pity on him. "But never mind all that. You and I have the same goals here, Mr. Carson. I'll be in the kitchen. Do let me know if she tries to push herself too far and I'll take care of it." And she bustled away from him. Recognizing a dismissal when he received one, Charles went to the bedroom for a peek at Elsie and was glad to find her still sleeping peacefully. Once the smell of breakfast wafted in from the kitchen, however, she stirred. Charles sat down on the bed and watched her stretch and yawn.
"You've made breakfast?" she murmured.
"No, I haven't," he replied. "Your friend Mrs. White is here."
Elsie propped herself up on her elbows. "It must be very late!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you wake me?"
Charles kissed her hair. "You looked so comfortable that I couldn't bear to disturb you."
"Well, I'll get up now. I'm hungry and that food smells delicious." Elsie got out of bed and dressed herself. She was having rather an awkward time of buckling her shoes with her stomach in the way. She would have managed, but Charles sat her down on the bed and buckled them for her. "You spoil me terribly, Charles."
"I do nothing of the sort," he replied firmly. "All I do is keep my wedding vows. I wouldn't call this 'sickness,' precisely, but you need my help and I am bound to give it to you."
"Well, in any case, it's time for breakfast," Elsie pointed out. "I won't have my friend thinking I just lie in bed all day."
Charles scoffed lightly. "I seriously doubt she thinks that. But you're right about breakfast. We'd better fortify ourselves for the day ahead."
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Sarah was as good as her word. It would have been impossible to keep Elsie from doing anything, but she made sure her friend was mostly occupied with tasks that kept her off her feet, and when that was not possible, she managed to put her off of anything very taxing. Wrapping knickknacks in tissue paper was acceptable work. If Elsie noticed that Sarah was purposefully dawdling and asking a lot of odd questions as they packed these items, she never mentioned it.
"Mr. Carson says he's almost finished taking the trunks to the new cottage," Sarah said as she and Elsie prepared tea in the kitchen. "Hopefully he'll be back in time for tea."
"I think he will. He knows I bought some chocolate biscuits for today's tea."
Sarah laughed. "I like your husband, Mrs. Carson. He might have been a brute, as large as he is, but nothing could be further from the truth."
"No, he's the very opposite of a brute. But don't get any ideas, my dear. He's mine," Elsie teased.
Sarah scoffed. "As if he'd ever even look at another woman! No, he's quite devoted to you."
"It's true. I'm very lucky."
"How are you lucky, Elsie?" Charles asked, strolling into the room.
"I'm lucky that I've got you for a husband, darling."
He flushed, mildly embarrassed by Elsie's speaking to him in such a way when company was present, but all the same he was pleased. Sarah smiled, but she didn't seem uncomfortable or shocked at her friend's speech. Such a conversation would have been unthinkable at Downton Abbey, but it was different here. They lived like an ordinary working class couple, and Charles could see the charm of this life that was absent from life in a grand house. They each had their advantages and disadvantages, but at this moment he didn't wish to be anywhere other than right where he was - standing in their kitchen, smiling at Elsie.
Sarah finished boiling the kettle while the Carsons were in wordless conversation and she prepared three cups of tea in silence. Once all was ready, she began to think she could leave the house, unnoticed, but at last her two companions remembered her presence and they drank their tea and enjoyed their chocolate biscuits.
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That night Charles and Elsie were curled up in bed together, tired but satisfied with all they had accomplished.
"I think I'll have some sore muscles in the morning," Charles remarked.
"Don't worry, darling," Elsie replied. "We can both stay in bed tomorrow as late as we like."
"After church, you mean."
"If you wish. But if you are very sore when you wake up I like to think God will forgive you for staying at home."
"And you for taking care of me, I suppose?" he guessed.
"I hope so."
"So. How do you like your new home?"
"I like our new home very much," Elsie returned. "It's charming."
"Especially with you in it."
Elsie laughed. "Flirt."
"And what if I am? As long as I restrict my flirting to my wife."
"True." She kissed his cheek and tucked herself closer to his side.
Charles turned on his side to face her. He reached under the sheets and placed his hand on her belly. "Are you excited?" he whispered.
"Excited, and a whole host of other emotions," she answered. "I wonder what it will be like and I worry that I won't be a good mother."
Charles scoffed. "You're already a good mother - to children born to other people. It's just now that you're going to be both birthing and raising a child."
"But will watching out for maids and footmen really prepare me for all of this?" she wanted to know.
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Maybe, maybe not."
Elsie sighed, but soon brightened up a bit, her usual practicality returning. "Well, there's nothing to be done about it now, is there? I suppose we'll just have to stumble through it all together."
Charles smiled. "Quite right. Now go to sleep."
"Only if you do."
"I will have no difficulty acceding to that request."
Elsie yawned as they both settled in for the night.
To be continued…
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