IF YOU WANT ME YOU CAN HAVE ME-PART 31
Hello everyone. I hope you are still all safe and healthy. The situation is really serious now and we all have to do our best to get through this nightmare. My escape from the horrible reality is writing and that's why I'm back with another chapter. As usual recently, I will post one today and one tomorrow. Today's will not be very long, because I don't have much time, but I promise that I will write a longer one tomorrow.
Elsie and Charles are trying to cope with the idea of the twins and Beryl has a little talk with Elsie.
It was still very early when Elsie woke up the next morning. It was dawning, the birds has just started their everyday concert on the tree outside the window. Elsie rolled to the other side, looking at her peacefully sleeping husband and she smiled warmly, which she always did, every morning as soon as she saw him. She placed her hand on her belly and her thoughts drifted to the news that she received yesterday from Dr Clarkson. That was something totally unexpected for her and apparently for Charles also. The fact that he fainted when he heard the news speak for itself. Elsie wondered how on earth are they going to manage twins. Having one baby was enough challenge even for younger people, but in their case, the difficulty seemed to be doubled. But then again, the happiness was doubled too. Elsie suddenly remembered, that one year ago, she was a lonely woman, in love with a man, whose feelings she wasn't quite sure, convinced that she will die being a spinster, serving the Crawley family and now? She had her own house, her beloved husband by her side and a baby on the way, two babies if Dr Clarkson was not mistaken. Who could have predict that? Even though she realized that it's going to be bloody difficult, somehow she felt that they were truly blessed by this turn of events. She sighed deeply and she felt a sudden wave of warmth, when she felt Charles's arms surrounding her and drawing her into his embrace.
"Good morning my lovely. How did you sleep?"
"Good morning love. Too short. I woke up rather early."
"Is everything all right sweetie? You are not feeling well?"
"Calm down Charles. I'm fine. I woke up and I was thinking about our baby or rather our babies."
"Our babies. I still can't believe that this might be true. Twins. Two babies."
"I know Charles. This is unbelievable. Who could have predict that?"
"I wouldn't. Oh Els, I'm so sorry..."
"For what Charles?"
"For the way I behave yesterday. There you came, carrying this wonderful news to us, expecting my joy and support most of all and I fainted. This is not what a true man should do in such situation."
"Honey...Even a true man can't always control his body reactions. Don't blame yourself."
"But you wanted my support and instead you've got..Oh Els, didn't you feel a little scared when the doctor told you?"
"A little. In few first moments I did. But then I thought that this is another miracle that we are getting. Not only did we got one miracle, what's given our age is rather unexpected, but we will probably get two miracles instead."
"Elsie, you are so strong. So sensible. Aren't you a little bit scared that we might not make it?"
"We are going to make it Charles, I promise. It won't be easy, it won't be nice, there will be days and nights when we will want to run away from all this, but we will make it."
"Elsie, you are still young, but what about me? I'm 57. What if I won't make it till our babies will be grown ups? Sometimes, I'm so scared and I think about stuff like that..."
"Charles...Shhh..Come here darling, let me hold you..."
Elsie embraced Charles tightly, while he put his head on her breasts. She wrapped his arms around his back, massaging the base of his neck lightly and she placed few kisses onto his hair.
"It will be all right darling. You will see. We will make it somehow. You are a strong, healthy man. Strong as an ox. Don't you ever forget it. And there is no way, that you won't make it till our babies will be grown ups. Think about this that way. God has given us our babies, as an expression of our love and because our love is so strong, we got two of them."
"That is beautiful thought Elsie. You always can find the right words and the appropriate solution to every problem. You are going to be a wonderful mother. I can feel it..."
"Well there is a great chance for that Charles, after all I have mastered in that area during all this years as a housekeeper. Looking after all my maids and your footmen."
"Nobody could have done this better than you."
"Thank you sweetheart. That's so nice..I just want to get safely through the end of the pregnancy and gave birth to healthy babies. I do not wish for anything more."
"You will do that Elsie. I know you will. I don't know any stronger woman than you. Besides I will be here to help you."
"Oh no, you won't Charles Carson. You won't be anywhere near me during the labor. If you fainted yesterday, after the news I gave you, I'm afraid to even think what would you do during the labor. So sorry love, but you can be in the next room and that's all. I will need to focus on giving birth to our babies and I don't want to worry about you too."
"As you wish Elsie. But are you sure you don't want me to help you, to be with you, to support you?"
"Yes Charles. I'm sure. Giving birth is not a pretty sight and I don't want you to see me in this moment. You will come to hold our babies, once they will be born."
"I can't wait for that Els."
"Me too love. Me too. Now, let's get up. We can have some quiet breakfast in our cottage, instead of rushing into the Abbey."
"Yes My Lady. I will prepare the breakfast for us, whilst you can have a nice bath."
"Excellent idea. See you downstairs."
Later, at the Abbey...
It was a really hectic day at the Abbey. The work seemed to be endless. When it was finally tea time, Elsie nestled into her armchair, in her sitting room, with a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and rubbed her belly, trying to ease the tension of the day.
"Look at you, so worn out, are you sure you should be doing this? Isn't it time to finally have some rest?" Beryl was really worried, seeing her friend in such state.
"I'm all right Beryl. Really. It's just that this day was a little too crazy. Too many things happened at once."
"How long do you think you will be able to keep up like this?"
"Not long, I suppose. Maybe few more weeks and I will have to think about staying home. It's not easy to carry two babies, all I can tell you."
"I imagine it isn't. Did you accepted the idea of twins? Because Charles rather had a small problem with it" Beryl grinned from joy, looking at Elsie.
"He is slowly getting use to the idea, although I won't say that he doesn't have some doubts. We were truly blessed, but given our age, it will be extremely difficult to manage two babies."
"Oh come on Elsie, you will manage. You are both strong, hard working people. You already know what it's like to be on your feet all day long. You are familiar with the idea. Besides, you will always have fun aunt Beryl around to help. Oh, by the way, I was meaning to ask-now that you are expecting twins, what have you decided about God parents? I know I was promised one baby, but not two."
"I was thinking about it. I want you and Bill to be God parents for one and I will ask Anna and Mr Bates to be God parents for the other one. What do you think about it?"
"Fantastic idea. Oh, Bill will be so happy to be a God father. He adores children and it will be a while before Daisy and Andy will finally decide to get married and have kids."
"Oh, but they will, you'll see. And they will live in a farm with you, so you will have plenty to do in the future."
"By that time, I will probably retire, but don't worry I will not forget my God child. He will be well protected by his aunt Beryl."
"You still think it's a he, or at least one of them?"
"I'm sure of that. So in case you will have a boy and a girl, I would like to be the boy's God mother."
"Ok Beryl, I can promise you that, we will leave a girl to the Bates's.."
They both laughed heartily.
"They should be very happy. They yet don't have a little girl, but I believe it's all a matter of time."
"In some time, we will have a little kindergarten here, in the Abbey. Can't imagine that Lord Grantham will be happy about it." Elsie joked with Beryl. "Maybe he will change all his staff, thinking that it's not worth the effort."
"I'm sure he won't, because he is a kind man and besides, when will he ever find such a group of wonderful people as we are? It's highly unlikely Elsie.."
"I won't deny Beryl, I won't deny.."
Elsie and Beryl laughed again, feeling that they needed this moment of pure joy, facing all the challenges that were still ahead of them...
That's all for today. Sorry about a short chapter, but I have a tight schedule. I know it's not the best chapter, but my mind is really focused on all this terrible things that are going on right now. I promise that it will get better tomorrow. I hope. I also hope that you will like this chapter a bit at least. If you do please let me know. Take care of yourself and your families and see you tomorrow!
