CHARLES'S CHRISTMAS CAROL-30
Hello my dearest friends. I'm back to writing our happy, Chelsie family...This is the 30th chapter already and I have led us to the starting point of the story-where it all began. It would be a great opportunity to end this story, closing it in the moment where we started, however I'm still not sure what to do about that. With Elsie being fourth time pregnant, it might be fun to keep it going...I will have to think it through...This chapter will be all about loving, tender emotions-friendship, love and joy. Recently, I really need to write some positive stuff. Hope you will like it. This chapter will be very long -I hope you don't mind.
December 1905
Even with all the usual pre Christmas hustle and bustle, Elsie felt really happy recently. After the terrible scare of Charlotte's illness, her beloved daughter has now fully recovered and all the three children were extremely well. They loved the school and when Elsie came back from her work routine to the cottage, she gladly listened to their everyday stories about what happened at school today. All three of them liked to talk over one another and even though it was sometimes tiring, Elsie was so proud of her children.
Charles was so overworked recently, that when he came back to the cottage, in late evenings, he barely managed to exchange few sentences with Elsie and he went to sleep immediately. Elsie was worrying about him..He adored his job, that was sure, but he missed so many things, so many daily joys, so many precious moments, that he could spent with her and the children...She knew that he was depressed about that too...
Every night, after dinner, when they lied to bed, he put his head on her shoulder, stroking tenderly her systematically growing pregnant belly, he barely managed to listen to her stories, about the events of the day and he fell asleep at once...Elsie kissed his hair and covered him tightly with the duvet and she sighed heavily, thinking that there was really not a good solution to that...To keep his job, Charles had to sacrifice the happy moments with his family...The only recompensation were Sundays, which they all spent together, having as much fun as the family could possibly have at one day. Elsie was smiling widely, seeing how the children competed to get some of their father's attention. Usually the girls won this match, because Charlie spent much more time with Charles at the Abbey, during the week, helping him or playing with Lady Sybil, but the girls were craving the daddy's attention.
Sunday nights were dedicated for Charles and Elsie. They usually tried to put the children to sleep early, in spite of their loud protests, as they didn't want to split with their beloved daddy, but Charles and Elsie were intransigent about that. To keep their marriage going, they also needed some time for themselves and they both loved the moments on Sunday nights, when the children were happpily nestled in their beds and they could allow themselves to lock their bedroom doors and spent some unforgettable, intimate moments together...Even now, when Elsie was already five months pregnant, neither of them were willing to stop their love making...They both needed it very much and this was the only time of the week ,that they could spent being alone...
Elsie was feeling fine and her fourth pregnancy was so far the one with the least number of vexing symptoms. She was expanding quickly and that was the only thing that worried her, because she didn't like to see her body getting fat all the time, but Charles never stopped in his efforts of convincing her how much he loved her and how much he still desired her, especially during their Sunday nights love sessions..She actually had tears in her eyes, when he once told her, that her body is the most beautiful sight in the world for him, because she is carrying their another child, the fruit and the loveliest proof of their love...After hearing such confession, Elsie stopped worrying about her expanding size and focused totally on her well being, hers and the baby of course...She still had a feeling, that it was going to be a boy, Charles wished for that, but also she wanted it herself and even though she hasn't mentioned it to Charles yet, she has already picked a name for their son-Logan, traditional Scottish name, as oppose to all the other names of their children, which were through and trough British.
She was talking over this issue with Mrs Patmore, on one, frosty Saturday afternoon, in her sitting room.
"I really need a break..I'm so fed up with all the Christmas preparations...I just need to get out of this kitchen, even for a while, otherwise I will go mad...Would you mind if I drink my tea in your sitting room?"-Mrs Patmore asked, entering Elsie's room.
"Of course I don't mind...I was about to ask you here myself. Mrs Brown went to the village to buy some personal things and I'm all alone here. Come in and sit down in my comfortable chair..."
"Thank you...You are so kind..."-Mrs Patmore sat in Elsie's chair, which was faced to the window and back to the door. She sighed with relief... "You are the one that should be sitting here, you must be tired yourself.."
"I'm fine...I'm pregnant, not ill."
"But you've been on your feet all day...You shouldn't do that to yourself..."
"Really Mrs Patmore...I'm all right.."-Elsie got up from the chair and she came to the shelve, putting some papers in there and trying to sort them. Mrs Patmore looked at her with admiration in her eyes...
"Oh my, you are really getting big now...Is it difficult for you to carry?"
"No more than the last two times..I'm sort of used to that state by now..."
"I should think so...Thanks to your husband activity in that area..."
"Mrs Patmore! You never stop...Besides, it's not only his activity..."-Elsie smiled in a conniving way..
"Well, you both certainly can't keep your hands off each other and you have three living proofs of that..."
"Soon to be four..."-Elsie smiled again, but this time her smile was warm and full of love..She touched her belly with reverence...
"So how do you think? A boy or a girl this time?"
"Definitely a boy..."
"Why definitely?"
"Because I feel it's a boy and Charles wants another boy..."
"And what if it's a girl? You are going to keep on trying?"
"I ask you! How long can I possibly get pregnant? You seem to be forgetting that I'm 43 already...It's definitely my last pregnancy.."
"If our dear grumpy butler will still be so active in that area, I would say you have pretty good chances.."
"It's definitely our last...In fact, Dr Clarkson was rather surprised that I've managed to get pregnant..."
"He wouldn't be surprised if he knew..."
"Mrs Patmore! One more word and I will ask you to go back to the kitchen"-Elsie bursted with laughter and Mrs Patmore followed her example...She was so used to her witty remarks about her love life. They both knew that Beryl must say those things and that Elsie must seem like she is offended, even though she truly wasn't...
"All right! All right! One way or another you will give your husband a beautiful gift for your tenth wedding anniversary..."
"Well, not exactly...I'm due on April and our anniversary is in March...But still...I don't know how we are going to make it through another time of crying baby...We almost forgot how that is..."
"It should be easier this time...You already know the drill and I'm sure that your happy bunch will help you.."
"The girls are so excited about it...They are already planning which one of them will take care of the baby...Charlie is a little less excited...He is afraid that a brother will discredit his position of the only boy in the house..."
"He is the oldest...And Mr Carson is so proud of him...He is teaching him everything and little Charlie already knows how to replace him and how to command the footmen"
"I hope that he is not a nuissance here, but a help.."
"He is a great help and Mr Carson is so happy when he sees his boy doing so well."
"I believe you...Charlie was not even walking and talking yet, when Charles already tried to taught him about the kind of cutlery"
"I wish I could see that...Must have been fun...Tell me, are you plannning to spent Christmas Day here or in the cottage?"
"Only partly...Charles has to work on Christmas Eve day and he will be home on the late afternoon. We are planning to have a big dinner that night in the cottage and we wish to spent the most of the Christmas Day with the kids...We will come here at night, to eat the dinner with the rest of you on Christmas Day."
"I see...You wish to spent some of the time with children.."
"Yes, very much...Charles doesn't see a lot of them and we really need that time together, as the family..."-Elsie rose from the chair and started to sort out the papers on the shelve, near the door again, while Beryl was still enjoying her cup of tea, looking at the window... Suddenly, Charles entered Elsie's sitting room, unexpectedly, he didn't notice Beryl's presence, because she was still sitting in the armchair facing the window.
He got to the room, closed the door and took Elsie in his arms, kissing her with an enormous dose of sweetness. When they parted, he said to her:
"I'm so glad it's Sunday tomorrow...In less than a day, we will finally have some time to ourselves...Although I would eagerly like to take my beautiful wife to the cottage now and spend the rest of the day in bed with her..."
"Charles..We are not..."-Elsie wanted to warn Charles about Beryl's presence in the room, but before she managed to say anything, he was already kissing her once more, humming with satisfaction against her lips...
Beryl smiled wickedly, turned around in the chair and commented:
"I think we are all aware, that this is exactly what you would want to do Mr Carson, especially judging by the number of your children..."
"Mrs Patmore! I've never realized that you were here..."-Charles was red as a beet...He was so preoccupied and so eager to kiss Elsie and let her know about his hidden desires, that he failed to notice Beryl's presence in the room...
"I'm sure you haven't...I will go now and let you love birds have a quiet moment, but please remember Mr Carson that you need to give your poor wife some rest, otherwise she will be pregnant for the rest of her life..."-Beryl was having a great fun, teasing Charles and Elsie has wag her finger on her, Beryl left the room, in an excellent mood, with a new energy to carry on her kitchen work...Charles closed the door behind her...
"You could have warned me that we are not alone Elsie..I made a fool of myself..."
"I was going to warn you, but you have made it quite impossible for me Charles...Your kisses has effectively shut me.."
"Can't help it Elsie...I want to kiss you whenever I see you...Mmm...My love..."-Charles put his lips on her temples and he kissed it few times..."How is our dear baby today?"-he touched her belly...
"He is fine...Very fine...Growing, alive and kicking...And he is hungry all the time...Undoubtedly your son.."
"I'm glad...Are you not tired love? You should go back to the cottage now, have some rest...You've done enough work for one day..."
"I will just sort these papers and I'm coming home...I just need to fetch Charlie and the girls...Will you be home for dinner?"
"Hopefully...I spoke with His Lordship about Christmas and he agreed that we should spent Christmas Day in the cottage, we can come here for dinner at night, but he said that we don't need to..."
"Will think about it...We still have couple more days...I'm so happy and excited...Finally, we will have some time for each other and the children...They will be over the moon that they will have their daddy around..."
"And I will be even more happy...I still feel guilty that I almost have no time for them...I miss them..I have Charlie here all the time, but the girls? My sweet angels...I can't wait to be with them and all of you...We are going to have a wonderful Christmas..All five of us..."
"I think you meant to say all six of us...Because you forgot about your son and he is protesting, that he was left out..See what I mean.."-Elsie took Charles's hand and she put it on her belly..The baby was kicking in a very energetic way..
"He is kicking...What a fierce little scamp! He has his mommy's character..."
"No doubt about that...Hopefully he will also be as handsome as his daddy.."-Elsie climbed on her tiptoes and she kissed Charles tenderly...He put his arms around her and cuddled her, still holding the belly, with their newest miracle, who was impatient to mark his presence even before he was born...
I thought that I will squash it all in one chapter, but as usual, I had much more to say than I initially planned, so the plan has changed-I'm going to divide this chapter into two subsections. The next one will be all focused on Christmas Day with the Carson family. Hope you liked it a bit, your comments and kind remarks keep me going and make me want to continue this story. Stay safe and see you soon.