Many thanks to Pixie for all her help and kindness.

Here is a little story full of sweetness. I hope you like it.

Just one dance

1910

The servants' ball at Downton Abbey was a major event for the village and the servants. All were invited to the great house in the presence of the Crawley family.

Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes were on constant alert, making sure that the young servants behaved properly and did the family proud and that the guests were not lacking for anything. Mr. Carson had been opening the ball with Cora Crawley for two years now and Mrs. Hughes was dancing with Robert Crawley Earl of Grantham.

Carson did not allow himself any more dancing, preferring to make the rounds around the dance floor and the drinks tables to make sure that no trouble was caused.

He wished he had the courage or just the right to ask Mrs. Hughes to dance, but he never did.

Mrs. Hughes allowed herself two or three more dances, she would happily share a waltz with the young valets of the house, taking the opportunity to talk to them and thus build up trust. She would stop after these few dances and resume her role as housekeeper, making sure that the tables were always full, that no one was missing anything and that her employers were satisfied.

She would have loved to share a dance with Mr. Carson, she always looked enviously at him when he twirled Lady Grantham around, but he never invited her.

A few hours before they had had a strange conversation, in which they had listed the things they liked about each other. She had told him about the sense of security that emanated from him, about his sense of duty and honour, and she had allowed herself to dare to speak to him of his voice. She had blushed, he had stared at her, his eyebrows raised and his eyes strangely shining.

He had told her about her motherly way of dealing with the female staff, about her listening and caring, about her sense of humour, even if it sometimes shocked him a little, and he had mumbled something about the movements of her dress as she walked briskly, which she had not quite understood, but the blush that had taken possession of Carson's cheeks had confused her.

The ball continued, the couples twirling to the rhythm of waltzes, foxtrots, tangos, ragtime... The orchestra played non-stop and Elsie dreamed of sharing a slow waltz with the butler.

They had never danced together, yet they had been working side by side for fifteen years. She understood that he had not invited her when she was head housemaid. Charles Carson was a man who placed convention above all else, and dancing with one of his subordinates was not conventional by his standards. But she had been a housekeeper for twelve years now and he had never asked her to dance. Perhaps she should take the lead? But she didn't think he would like that. He was proud and haughty and a woman who asked a man to dance would certainly be seen as a tease by the very pompous Charles Carson. And yet she dreamed of twirling in his arms and getting close to his scent.

"If you don't go, I'll invite him. Just to see the look on his face." laughed Mrs. Patmore.

Elsie looked at her, pretending not to understand the cook.

"What are you talking about, Mrs. Patmore? "

"Oh, don't bother with your act, if you think I don't notice the looks you both give each other when your backs are turned, you're really naive. You are quite funny to watch. Do you want to dance with him? What's stopping you from asking him? "

"Oh stop it, Mrs. Patmore, you're raving mad! "

And Elsie walked away from Beryl, somewhat annoyed at having been so easily found out.

Then she saw the cook approach Mr. Carson to speak to him. She saw the butler pause for a moment, take a step back and look around, as if he were looking for a way out. She saw him think for a few seconds before he held out his arm to Mrs. Patmore to lead her onto the dance floor and start a foxtrot and Elsie felt very angry with the cook. She caught her eye and Mrs. Patmore seemed to say "I told you so" or "You see it's not so difficult to ask someone to dance" Elsie was not good at reading lips.

She was interrupted by the young Anna, newly appointed head housemaid, whom Elsie had taken under her wing, thinking that one day she would become a housekeeper herself.

Anna, who had assisted Mrs. Hughes in the preparation of the ball and throughout its duration, had seen her working hard. Her generous nature had led her to approach Mrs. Hughes and tell her that she would be happy to take her place for the rest of the evening if she wished to take a rest. But the housekeeper, though touched by Anna's kindness, refused to give up her post and lose sight of the cook, who was smiling a little too much at the butler, who looked more taciturn than ever as he bounced his partner around the dancefloor.

Anna told her that she would at least organise everything downstairs, so that the housekeeper could go straight to bed without going through the basement. Elsie thanked her and resumed her rounds. She shooed away a young farm boy who was being a little too forward with a young kitchen maid, and called on the valets and hall boys to start clearing away the empty dishes and glasses that were lying all over the great hall.

A few hours later, the guests gradually began to leave, the family had gone to bed. Mr. Carson had run away from Mrs Patmore as soon as the fox trot was over and had since pretended to help clear some of the tables to avoid any discussion.

Mrs. Hughes eventually sent the footmen, maids and young helpers to bed. They would need all their strength in just a few hours to clean everything from top to bottom. She would do a minimum of clearing up, thank the musicians, make a final round to make sure all the exterior doors were locked and go to bed, frustrated that she didn't get her dance, as she did every year.

"Hmph," coughed someone behind her. She turned towards the source of the incongruous noise thinking that a farmer who had overindulged in punch needed help finding his way out, but instead she found herself face to face with a large torso dressed in an immaculate shirt, an equally white bow tie and all belonging to the butler. She was forced to look up to get a better look at him and ask him what he wanted.

"Mrs. Hughes, the musicians are about to stop and I was wondering...well if you want to. Um...may I have this dance, Mrs. Hughes?"

Elsie could hardly tell herself that she was not dreaming, that he was right there beside her, waiting for her answer with a deeply worried look on his face, as if he was already expecting her refusal. She gave him her best smile and replied with her heart racing:

"With pleasure, Mr. Carson. "

And she let herself be led onto the now empty dance floor.

They looked at each other at first, both uncomfortable with the closeness that the dance demanded. He held out his right hand, which she took with some eagerness, and he placed his other hand on the small of her back. Their first dance steps seemed awkward, Elsie was disappointed, she had imagined so much, fantasised about this moment, that to find that they could not synchronise was heartbreaking.

"Mrs. Hughes, if you fight me so hard, I'll run over your feet. Let yourself go, I can lead the dance."

The blush that clothed the housekeeper's cheeks, made her heart twirl. She apologised in a whisper, but she still couldn't let go. Then she realised that even when she had been dancing with the young footmen, she had been the one leading the dance. She was mortified, she was so used to managing everything for herself and for others that letting someone else lead was difficult. She felt Charles' hand tighten behind her back and heard him sigh. She looked up at him with sorry eyes, he looked at her with a slight shake of his head, he had a mocking look on his face that might have annoyed her if she hadn't found him so charming.

"I must say Mrs. Hughes, I had not imagined our first dance to be like this. "

"Nor did I, Mr. Carson... Forgive me, I feel awfully awkward. I can't let myself be led. "

"I can understand that. But don't you think you've earned the right to let someone else lead the way? Just once? So let me make you let go."

He tightened his grip on her back, pulling her closer to him.

"Look at me, Mrs. Hughes."

She complied, blushing.

They looked into each other's eyes and began to move again. He could still feel her tense against him, but it was already better. Then he said to her, hoping to encourage her to relax further:

"That's better Mrs .Hughes, everything's fine, your work is done for today, you just have to enjoy the dance. "

She nodded, looking away.

"Why now, Mr. Carson? You've never asked me before, why tonight? "

"Mrs. Patmore asked me... "

"Oh..." The disappointed tone with which she replied gave him the impetus to add:

"Well, she rather encouraged me to invite you. "

"Oh? You didn't dare? "

"No, you... I'm impressed with you, Mrs. Hughes. Dancing with Mrs. Patmore doesn't thrill me, it's more like an obligation. Dancing with you is... different. "

"Different? I don't know what you mean. "

"Well, for a start, you find it hard to let me lead, and in a waltz it's the man who has to lead the dance. Secondly, I don't know..."

She felt him sigh against her hair.

"You look very beautiful tonight, Mrs. Hughes."

Elsie stared at Charles' shoulder, feeling confident enough now to let herself go against him. They had moved closer together, Charles had brought their joined hands back between their two bodies and Elsie had laid her head against the butler's shoulder.

"Thank you, Mr. Carson. I shouldn't encourage you to speak to me in this way, but tonight I'll just say I appreciate it. I've been hoping for an invitation to dance from you for a long time, I'm glad you finally asked me. And... you look very handsome tonight, Mr. Carson."

They had slowed their steps, content to sway in place, as if rocking each other.

"Um, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Carson? Forgive me, but what are you doing? "

"Isn't it obvious, Anna? We're dancing." replied Mr. Carson, who had tightened his grip on the woman who lay in his arms.

"I can see that, Mr. Carson, but the music has stopped... and the musicians have packed up their instruments and are ready to leave. "

Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes stopped swaying, they stood still and it seemed to Anna that they had even stopped breathing.

It was Mrs. Hughes who broke contact first by moving away from him, refusing to look at him. She was back in her housekeeper's mask in a flash, which encouraged Mr. Carson to put on his butler's mask again.

"Ah, yes, very good, thank you, Anna. I'll thank them, and Mr. Carson will see them to the door, you can go to bed."

Anna didn't need it repeated a second time, and hurried off to her bed, smiling to herself as she thought of those two stubborn people denying the truth that was obvious to everyone.

"Well, thank you, Mr. Carson, that was a very nice dance, very, very nice."

She smiled tenderly and took his hand.

"I bid you goodnight."

She turned, ready to walk away, but was held back by Charles who had kept her hand in his. She turned to him again, questioning him with her eyes. He then brought her little hand to his lips and placed the softest of kisses on it before letting go.

"Good night, Elsie."

He watched her walk away with a sigh, feelings mixing in his head and body. But he made a promise to himself that he would make her dance every chance he got, even if it meant creating those chances himself. And Mr. Carson was a man who kept his promises.

FIN

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