Thank you for your patience!
Elsie awoke to a grey day. It was the middle of January, but not quite cold enough for snow, and the damp chill in the air and the sound of a drizzle outside, not to mention the kitten sleeping at her feet, made the bed seem particularly comfortable. She lay on her side, facing away from Charles, so she had to twist her neck to see if he were still asleep. Fortunately he was, and Elsie tried to get up as quickly and quietly as possible. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Her movement woke Charles.
"Good morning, Elsie."
"Good morning, Charles," she murmured.
"Let me make breakfast, my darling." Elsie sat still and didn't speak. "Are you all right, Elsie?"
"Yes. Just thinking."
"What about?"
Elsie was silent for a few moments, but at last she sighed and allowed herself to slide back under the covers, this time on her side so she faced Charles. "You can make breakfast, love," she answered. "I'm giving up that fight."
He smiled a little and reached out to caress her face. "You just rest, then, and I'll take care of everything."
"All right, I will." Charles started to get out of bed, but Elsie held him back. "But kiss me first?"
"Of course," he agreed with a smile. He kissed her soundly on the lips, then gently on the cheek. "Now just relax and I'll go make us breakfast." Charles quickly dressed and went to the kitchen.
Elsie closed her eyes and burrowed more deeply under the warm blankets. She would get up and get dressed in a few minutes, but she savored a few moments in the warmth of her bed. Under normal circumstances, she might have fallen back asleep, but the discomfort that had led her to allow her husband to cook breakfast also prevented extra time in bed from being particularly restful. Elsie sat up slowly again, this time rising from the bed and making her way to the wardrobe. She pulled out everything she would need, so she could dress quickly and avoid the chill. Oliver followed her around the room, rubbing against her ankles whenever she stood still. She didn't bother with shoes yet. She had swallowed her pride, just after Christmas, and let Charles buckle her shoes every day. Elsie didn't like to be idle or to neglect what she saw as her own responsibilities, but her aching back and swollen feet swept away these concerns. She was sure a time would come when she could repay her husband in kind for every little thing he did to make her life easier, but for the next month or so she decided to simply be thankful that she was so well and tenderly cared for. He probably felt it was his right - his responsibility, even - as her husband. Elsie dressed as quickly as she could and went to the kitchen, shoes in hand, followed closely by the kitten. She would have been surprised a month ago at Oliver's not immediately following Charles to the kitchen, but the small cat seemed to have recently taken on the role of guardian to Elsie. He went where she went and he sniffed at every visitor to the house, as though making sure their friends were all acceptable company for her. This behavior by such a tiny animal was both amusing and endearing and Elsie complimented her husband on his choice of Oliver to be their companion.
Charles smiled when he saw her and laughed softly when he noticed that she was wearing a pair of his bulky wool socks over her stockings.
"Are you laughing at my socks, Charles?" she challenged him.
"I'm laughing very affectionately," he told her, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "The socks look adorable. I may just have to hide your shoes so you can walk around in those all day."
Elsie hid her shoes behind her back, smiling back at him. "I'd like to see you try," she teased.
"If I wasn't in the middle of cooking your breakfast, I would have no trouble nicking them. Lucky for you, I'm too busy to try."
A knock sounded on the front door. "Who could that be?" Elsie wondered.
"You'll have to answer it, love," Charles told her. "If I leave the stove now, breakfast will be ruined."
Elsie shrugged and moved toward the door, dropping her shoes near the settee. There wasn't time to put them on and buckle them. Whoever was at the door would see her in her husband's socks, but she didn't much care. "Sarah!" she exclaimed when she had swung open the door. "Come in, dear. What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong and I won't stay," Sarah replied.
"Then…?" Elsie waited for an explanation.
"Someone came to my house looking for you." Sarah turned to one side and a diminutive woman stepped into sight from behind the high shrubbery just beside the door.
"Molly!" Elsie exclaimed, embracing her sister. "What are you doing here? We didn't expect you until tomorrow."
"Is that all you have to say to your sister, then?" Molly questioned. "If you prefer it, I can put up at an inn until tomorrow."
Elsie laughed and squeezed her more tightly. "Don't be daft. You surprised me is all."
By this time, Charles had heard the commotion and peeked out from the kitchen. Though curious about her early arrival, he knew exactly who stood on his doorstep, embracing his wife. Sarah stepped quietly around the pair to set Molly's bag just inside the door. When she saw Charles, she approached and spoke to him.
"She was lost and by pure luck knocked on my door to ask directions," Sarah explained.
Charles nodded, then laughed softly. "It looks like Oliver approves of Mrs. Smith." The cat was in the doorway with the two women, running around excitedly and stopping every few seconds to rub against the legs of one or the other of them.
Sarah smiled. "I'm not surprised. But I suggest you call her Molly. I'm a complete stranger to her and she scolded me thoroughly for calling her Mrs. Smith."
Charles sniffed the air. "Oh dear, I must get back to my cooking. Thank you, Mrs. White." And he retreated to the kitchen. Sarah nodded and slipped out the front door.
"My, my, Elsie, you really are glowing!" Molly was saying. "That husband of yours wasn't exaggerating."
"It's probably just from the cold air," Elsie replied, realizing that they were still standing on the doorstep. "Let's go in now and you can get warm. I see Sarah has brought your things in already."
Molly followed her younger sister inside and closed the door behind her. "Speaking of your man, where is he?"
"He's making breakfast."
"I'm impressed already!"
Elsie took her sister by the hand and led her to the kitchen.
"Charles! We have a visitor!"
He turned to meet his sister-in-law for the first time. The resemblance between the two women was striking. Molly was slightly shorter and had a little more grey hair, but they had the same eyes and the same smile. "Welcome, Mrs. Smith," he greeted her. "I'll shake your hand properly in a moment, once I've finished here."
"Of course," Molly replied. "But I'll have none of this 'Mrs. Smith' business. Do call me Molly."
"Very well," Charles agreed with a smile, turning back to the stove. He had known, of course, that she would insist on being called by her Christian name, but his own sense of propriety would not allow him to do so until she had told him herself how she preferred to be addressed. The two women sat down at the kitchen table.
"Who's your little friend?" Molly asked, indicating the kitten that was sitting by Elsie's feet.
"His name's Oliver. He's my little protector. And it appears you've passed inspection."
"I'm glad! I'm sure I wouldn't want to provoke the wrath of such a fearful creature." The sisters laughed together and Charles was struck again by how similar they were.
"Breakfast is served, ladies," he announced, when he was finished cooking.
"I've already eaten, so just a cup of tea for me," Molly commented.
Elsie's brow furrowed. "How do you come to be here so early?" she wanted to know. "Is there really a train so early in the morning from Lytham St Annes?"
"No, but there's a very late train. I arrived last night and stayed the night in Ripon before I happened upon your friend Sarah White."
"But why did you not come here?" Charles asked.
"As I said, it was very late, and I was afraid I would wake Elsie."
"That's all very well, but you're not due until tomorrow," Elsie pointed out.
"Oh that?" Molly waved her hand. "I wanted to surprise you."
Elsie was fairly satisfied with this explanation. The hows and whys didn't matter much at this point, and she was thrilled to see her sister at last, and to introduce her to her husband.
After breakfast, the three of them spent several cheerful hours just chatting easily in the sitting room. Elsie was glad to see her husband and sister getting on so well and the other two were simply pleased to see Elsie happy.
#####
Elsie fussed with the buttons of Charles's coat as he prepared to leave for work. "We'll see you in the morning, dear."
He kissed the top of her head. "Molly, you can take my spot in bed and I'll sleep on the cot out here."
Molly scoffed. "No, Charles, I'll take the cot."
"But you're our guest," he argued. "It's only right that I should give you the better place."
"Then you will let me sleep on that cot. The honor of sleeping with an uncomfortable, heavily pregnant woman belongs always to the man who's responsible for getting her in such a condition."
Charles blushed and Elsie giggled. "Very well," he agreed. "I will see you both in the morning." He kissed Elsie once more and departed.
As soon as the door was shut behind him, Molly headed for the kitchen. Elsie and Oliver followed her.
"Tea?" Elsie guessed.
"Yes. I want to hear everything, Elsie, and I don't want your throat to get dry."
"I knew this moment would come, when I'd have to confess everything to my big sister."
"Don't you want to tell me your madly romantic tale?"
Elsie laughed. "Well, yes, I suppose I do."
"Then here's your chance." Once Molly had made the tea, the sisters sat down together. Oliver jumped up on Molly's lap and Elsie began.
"Do you remember when I wrote that I'd been ill and had to spend a few days in hospital?" She paused. "No, it was earlier than that. I'm sure you remember when Joe came to Downton and proposed again."
"But that was almost two years ago!"
"Not quite that long, but yes. I was just coming to realize that I loved Charles when Joe came round and I had to make a decision. Even if I hadn't been in love with someone else, I believe I still would have turned Joe down. I belonged at Downton. I know you thought me mad."
"Not mad, Elsie, but it's true I didn't understand you."
"Well, I think Joe's proposal forced me to recognize what was in my heart. I couldn't leave Charles, but I had no idea that he loved me. I planned to stay by his side for years to come, because it seemed the best I could hope for. And it was almost enough. He was always a good friend, and I felt valued and cared for."
"Almost enough? What happened?"
"When I was ill, Charles came to see me every day. The last day I was there we talked a little and he told me, quite by accident, that he loved me."
"By accident?"
"He didn't think I returned his feelings and had never intended to tell me."
"So if it weren't for your illness, you two might have gone on for decades without ever knowing each other's hearts!"
"I've wondered about that myself," Elsie admitted. "But I think we would have found our way to each other sooner than that."
"But that was still some time ago, Elsie. What happened between then and now?"
"I'm afraid I might shock you."
"Go ahead and shock me."
To be continued…
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