"Do you ever wish you'd gone another way?" She remains much the same, staring that the gravestone, thoughtful.
He opens his mouth to speak only to close it again as she continues, "Worked in a shop or a factory? Never had a wife and children?"
"Do you?"
"I don't know," Elsie turns to him now, a small sad smile on her face, "Maybe. Sometimes."
There were a lot of things they could've done differently. One night, thirteen years ago, changed their lives entirely. Everything had been so rushed. Hesitantly, they had waded into unknown waters without any certainty that things would be alright. This went unspoken between them for many years. Elsie often wondered whether he was content in their happy little home, for many days he'd wandered in with a melancholic way about him.
"What's brought this on Els?" He grabs her hand, squeezing it lightly.
"My uncle was the oldest in my family, Charlie." She shrugs out of his grasp, "The others have long gone to the grave. My parents, cousins… they're all gone. I'm next to knock on death's door."
He sighs, "You're wrong. If anything, I'm next."
"No. No, I can't bear the thought of you leaving me." Her bright blue eyes have begun to tear up and Charles doesn't know what to do, "It would break me."
She's bordering on hysteria now, and people are looking.
"This isn't the place Elsie, let's get home." His voice is strong and harsh, every bit a butler.
Elsie nods, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles her dress, "You're quite right Mr Carson. I don't know what came over me."
They walk silently back to their cottage, hand in hand. Elsie has since calmed down, the train ride lulled her to sleep and has her in a haze still. She leans into her husband for balance.
Checking his pocket watch, Charles speaks first, "I do hope we haven't kept Mrs Patmore, it's later than I thought."
"She won't mind."
He opens the door to the sound of snoring and the kettle hissing loudly. Somewhere in the kitchen they hear someone taking it off the stove, opening a cupboard and the clink of cups being set upon the countertop.
Mrs Carson sets her bag on a table, walking into the sitting room to find Mrs Patmore fast asleep.
"She fell asleep awhile ago, I didn't have the heart to wake her." Davina whispers from the doorway, moving near her mother.
"Did you girls tire her out?" Elsie smiles, wrapping an arm around her daughter.
The girl shakes her head, "Not really. Alison was unusually well behaved, she even helped us bake a cake."
"Did she now?"
"We left you some if you'd like, I've prepared some tea- "
Elsie pats her shoulder, "Not tonight dearest, we have an early start tomorrow. Best be getting to bed."
"G'night Ma," Davina says, walking out and saying the same to her father.
"Goodnight," he calls out after her.
With Mrs Patmore now awake, and on her way back to the abbey, the Carson's convene around the kitchen table.
"What a long day," Elsie rubs her eyes.
"You should go to bed."
"And who will clean the dishes?"
"They can always wait till tomorrow." He says, suppressing a yawn himself.
She looks at him incredulously, "I doubt that."
"Davina will do them in the morning before school."
She'd like to tell him that she would need to do them again after her but it's late and the thought of having to clean at this time of night is dreadful. Instead, she concedes and slowly, they head to bed.
Fitfully, Charles wakes up in the middle of the night.
I can't bear the thought of you leaving me.
It would break me.
So that's Chapter One (a very short one but a chapter nevertheless), please let me know what you think. It's been a while since I've written anything so please excuse any grammatical errors. I'll try my best to upload Chapter Two next week.
Anyways, hope you guys have a nice day,
J xx