Hello dear readers.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

I forgot to mention the person without whom I would never have dared to publish my stories in English, the one and only PIXIE! Thanks a lot to you.

Thanks to you, for the welcome you gave to the first chapter.

This chapter has a slightly lemony scene, so I changed the rating to M.

Chapter 2

England at last! If he had been alone, Charles would have been on his knees kissing the Yorkshire soil when he got off the train. He wore his hat bought in France to make sure Elsie saw it, he couldn't wait to tell her about his mishap in the shop, he was sure she would laugh.

The short journey to Downton Abbey seemed to take forever. But finally the car entered the driveway and the house appeared around a bend and Charles smiled happily. He was home at last.

The servants who had stayed at Downton Abbey had all come out to greet Lord and Lady Grantham and their family. Elsie stood upright beside Mr. Barrow.

When the family had returned through the front door, the servants headed for the servants' entrance and Charles and Elsie stood alone for a few seconds looking at each other with smiles on their faces.

"Mrs. Carson." He greeted her, lifting his Panama hat and eyebrows.

"Mr. Carson." She replied with a slight bow.

Finally Charles looked around, then assured that they were out of sight, he approached Elsie to place a light kiss on her cheek. He wouldn't allow himself anything more, but the little touch did them both good.

"It's good to have you home again, Charlie. I've arranged to finish my shift early tonight. We'll go home for dinner and then you can tell me all about your time in France while we have our bath."

The mention of a good English meal and a bath for two made him raise his eyebrows again equivocally and his smile widened.

"A votre service Madame," he replied in French with a thick English accent.

"Nice hat" and she took his hand and together they walked back into the house.

oOo

Elsie listened to her husband tell how he had "trained" the French servants to serve properly and with dignity. He was so proud of himself, and handsome, and she had really missed him. She couldn't wait to get back to their cottage and be against him, skin to skin.

He finished his story to the laughter of the servants, very pleased with himself.

"Go and get your jacket," ordered Elsie in her authoritative tone.

Charles did not have to be told twice, he rushed into the hall followed by his wife who had said goodbye to Mrs. Patmore. And they both went back to their cosy nest for the night.

Charles had made a point of washing up before going to the table, he still had all the dust from the trip to wash off and a bath with his wife would certainly help to relax his aching muscles.

They were sitting in the bathtub, which Elsie had taken care to fill with water heated to the perfect temperature. Charles was leaning against the edge, Elsie between his legs, leaning back against her husband's chest, they were cuddling gently, he kissing her shoulder, her neck, she massaging his arms, his hands, all the while telling each other how happy they were to be together.

Then Charles's stomach began to rumble, and Elsie got out of the bath first, laughing as she handed her husband a towel.

Mrs Patmore's specially prepared meal for the big butler's return consisted of an assortment of almost all of Charles's favourites, and she had made sure that there were leftovers.

Charles was so busy enjoying his meal that he didn't even notice his wife was stroking his leg with her footunder the table. When he had finished eating his huge slice of treacle tart, he got up from the table and sat down on their sofa, massaging his stomach, while Elsie cleared away and put the dishes to soak for the night. Once this was done, she told Charles of her need to go to the privy.

Charles was anxiously awaiting Elsie's return. He wanted to resume cuddling in the bathtub before going into the bedroom and making love to her.

But she didn't come back.

"Elsie? Love, are you all right?"

No answer.

He got up from the couch, making his knees buckle. The journey had tired him more than he would ever admit to himself.

He walked to the door of the utility room, it was wide open, and Elsie was not there.

"Elsie?"

He was about to return to the living room and as he passed the door to their room he saw light under the gap. He opened it and stood in awe of the sight.

He cleared his throat to regain his composure. Elsie was sitting cross-legged on the bed, leaning back slightly on her hands, breasts forward, completely naked with Charles' new hat on her loose hair.

"Nice hat ma'am" was all he could think to say to her.

He approached her, but she stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"You are much too overdressed for this room, Charlie. "

"Oh but I'm not complaining, I can stand here and just enjoy the view."

"Oh really? How disappointing. You mean you don't want to do... this?"

She moved her left hand up her belly and brushed her fingertips across her nipple.

"Are you still enjoying the view Mr. Carson?" She asked as she continued to caress herself.

"The view is..." He swallowed. "The view is perfect Mrs. Hughes."

"Good." She moved her right hand up to capture her other breast. She tilted her head back and let out a soft moan.

Charles began to undress without taking his eyes off Elsie. She spread her legs, giving him a perfect view of the hair between her legs and he grunted in anticipation. He tried to remove his clothes as quickly as possible, while Elsie had now started to run her fingers over her sex.

"Oh my love, I thought of you when you were away. I couldn't stop touching myself as I imagined your hands on me. "

Charles was getting tangled up in all his layers of clothing. Finally he managed to take off his shirt, ripping off the last five buttons, the knot of his tie refusing, for no reason to loosen, to hang around his neck, as he removed his skin knit.

The braces had been hastily removed and the trousers had followed with the shoes and socks.

All that was left was his underwear and tie and he was now approaching Elsie determined to devour her with kisses wherever she would allow him.

She stood up, closing the small distance between them, pulled on his tie bringing Charles' face to hers, kissed him voraciously and he returned the kiss with equal vigour.

She loosened the knot of his tie to remove it more easily, and her hands ended up in Charles' pants and began to caress him, making him moan with pleasure.

"Oh God," he let out as she worked her heart out.

"Charlie?"

"Mmm mmm..."

"Let's go to bed so you can make love to me."

He had no intention of disobeying her.

So he did as she asked with some impatience, but not without taking off his underwear.

When he was lying down she dropped her hat and sat on top of him, her thighs wrapped around his hips and they resumed their kissing, sometimes whispering "I love you" "I've missed you".

He flipped her over and ran his mouth from her lips to her breasts, savouring her. He moved lower, kissing her belly, her navel. When she felt him go lower she asked him:

"What are you doing? "

"I'm going downstairs, my love. "

And for the first time in their marriage Elsie discovered that Charles knew how to use his tongue in ways other than tasting good wine.

She had never been so vocal. When she came Charles had to hold her hips against the mattress as her body arched with pleasure.

He let her come back to herself, he sprinkled kisses on her body, he hovered over her, admiring her reddened breasts and the loving, fulfilled smile she was showing.

What he had done to her had increased her desire for him, once she had recovered she felt her center throb with desire and she demanded a kiss, making her tongue dance with his. Then Charles stopped the kiss to anchor his gaze in Elsie's and he entered her without taking his eyes off hers.

They moved together, both bringing each other to a wonderful orgasm.

She had taken a firm grip on her husband's buttocks, urging him to go harder. Then her hands were on Charles' back, clutching at him as her pleasure increased.

Elsie came again followed closely by Charles, who collapsed on his side, shuddering.

"God, I've missed you my love."

"I've missed you too, darling. Welcome home Charlie."

"I like the way you welcome me home."

" And I like the way you come back home. "

Charles came close and placed his face on Elsie's chest.

He was so happy to be home, to be back with her. She stroked his hair, he listened as her heart returned to a normal rhythm.

"Was it easier before?" He didn't know if he was right to start talking about what had been making him feel guilty for a few days now. But the first question was asked, he would continue.

"Was What easier my love?"

"Before we got married, was it easier for you to see me go?"

She sighed.

"No it wasn't easier, it was different."

"Different ? How?"

"I didn't know you like I know you now. We may have known each other for a long time, but our intimacy only really came with the wedding. I missed you, I missed you a very much. But not in the same way I've missed you these past few weeks."

"How long did you have to suffer that absence?"

She still didn't understand why he wanted to talk about this now when they had just found each other again and could just cuddle and fall asleep in each other's arms.

"What exactly are you asking me?"

She felt him breathe against her skin.

"Do you remember when I proposed?"

"Of course I remember, it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life, your proposal and our wedding day."

"Do you remember what you said to me?"

"I said something like, of course I'll marry you old booby, and we both cried a little."

"Yes, you did say that, but you said something else as well. You said, "I thought you'd never ask."

"That's true." The memory made her smile.

"How long have you been waiting for me Elsie?"

"Excuse me? Charlie, I don't understand what you're asking."

He had resumed his place in the bed on the right side, and Elsie had shivered at the loss of Charles' warmth. She had then pulled the blanket up over them before turning to her husband.

"Charlie? What is it?" She stroked the crease between his eyebrows that showed how upset he was.

"It's that I'm an idiot, and that Mr. Molesley is a triple idiot."

"Mr. Molesley? What's he got to do with this conversation?"

"He should ask Miss Baxter to marry him."

"Yes, he should. And?"

"And I should have asked you to marry me thirty years ago."

"Oh dear! Charlie, if you'd asked me to marry you thirty years ago, I'd certainly have said no."

He stood up with a look of vexation on his face.

"Would you have said no? Really? "

"Of course I would have said no! I had just arrived here, you didn't love me, not yet, and I didn't love you either. I had just turned down Joe's proposal so I could gain my independence and be able to send some money to my mother, so I wasn't going to say yes to a butler I had met a few days before."

"Well... Maybe not thirty years ago, but twenty years ago? If I had asked twenty years ago, would you have said yes?"

"Ah twenty years ago, maybe. I don't know, Charlie. Why are we talking about this now? "

"You see, I'm a fool. You've been waiting for me for twenty years, and I was too stupid or too stubborn or too cowardly or all of the above to tell you that I loved you. "

"Jesus, Charlie explain to me..."

He huffed before speaking again.

"One of the last nights in France Miss Baxter was talking to Mr. Bates, she was explaining that she had already met her true love and was waiting for him to decide. I asked her if it was Mr. Molesley. She confirmed with a smile. I asked her if she wasn't considering someone else? After all, if she wants to get married, why wait for that oddball... I can't remember what she said exactly, but I took it to mean this: She doesn't want someone else, she wants him, so she'll wait for him until he decides. And if Molesley never makes up his mind, then she'll accept it and go on loving him from afar."

"Ah... And that made you think of us?"

"How could it not? Can you imagine how much more time we would have had together? Extra time with you ! And I didn't say anything because I was too wrapped up in my work, in the family, but I already loved you Elsie, I just didn't realise it. Can you imagine? We would have had twenty more years together!"

"Oh my love. I love you. Yes I have loved you for a long time, but I don't regret it."

"In the end it was Mr. Bates who did well. He didn't wait thirty bloody years for it. I want to go and find that bloody Molesley, pull him by the ears if I have to, and bring him before Miss Baxter and force him to declare himself. "

Elsie let out a laugh as she imagined her husband pulling poor Joseph by one ear and whispering a proposal of marriage to Miss Baxter.

"Charlie, you know it was Anna who asked Mr. Bates to marry her?"

"What?"

"You heard me right, it was Anna who proposed."

"But... why didn't you ask me to marry you? Elsie, you know I'm slow, but you... you're brave, more so than I am."

"Brave enough to ask you to marry me? Come on Charlie, how would you have reacted if I had got down on one knee and said, Mr. Carson, will you marry me?"

"Mmpf"

"Exactly!"

"But we would have been twenty years younger!"

"No, my darling. If I had asked you to marry me you would have been scandalized that a woman would propose, and if you had asked twenty years ago... I don't know what I would have said. It would have involved a lot of things."

"Children?"

"Children."

"And you wouldn't have wanted to bear my children?"

"Idiot! I certainly would have loved them more than anything. But, my love, twenty years ago I was already financing Becky's centre. I wouldn't have agreed to marry you and have my sister and I depend on you for so much time. I had nothing to offer you except a disabled sister who costs me everything I earn."

"You offered me so much when you agreed to marry me, Elsie... I wish I had met your mother. Do you think she would have approved?"

"Oh you bet she would! But she would have wanted to see your worth first. If you're a worker, if you're able to offer me security, to provide for me... That kind of thing. And she would have quickly realised what a great man you are and she would have given us her blessing and welcomed you as her son. "

"My mother would have loved you right away. She would have taught you to cook. Aoutch!"

She had just hit him on the arm with a laugh.

"How many little Carson babies do you think you would have carried?"

"Ah! Two, maybe three. A girl first. Although Lady Mary would have died of jealousy. Then two boys."

"A girl... She would have had your eyes, and I hope your nose and my hair."

"The boys would have inherited your hair too and your build."

"What would you have called them?"

"mmm... let's see. Violet, Charles and Robert?"

He broke into a fit of giggles.

"Oh my God, Elsie! Do you really think we would have named our children Violet and Robert? " He wiped the tears from his eyes as he laughed.

"I see them enough at work, I respect them a lot and I have a lot of affection for them. But... Oh dear," and he burst out laughing, causing the mattress to shake and Elsie to be delighted to hear him laugh.

Elsie had come to snuggle up to him. After all those days apart she needed to touch him. Of course he had opened his arms to her with great pleasure once his giggles had subsided.

"What would you have liked to call them then, my love?"

"Charlotte for the girl. My first born would have worn my name proudly. And for the boys, I have a soft spot for Reginald and Edward. "

"Charlotte, Elsie, Hughes-Carson?"

"Charlotte, Mary, Elsie Carson-Hughes!"

"Oh, you're just a..." She straightened up and threw a pillow in his face, laughing as Charles pulled her against him again, kissing her forehead.

"Don't regret anything Charlie, we had a good life and now we have a beautiful life, and I intend to enjoy it as long as God gives us the chance." She began to kiss his chest, sliding her hand lower.

"Elsie, don't think I don't appreciate your... your ardour, but I don't think I have the strength to do it again."

She smiled at him, and withdrew her hand and returned to cradle her head against his heart, sighing an "I love you so much."

"And I love you so much too. I don't regret it. I don't regret it that much. I'm happy with my life and proud of who I am, and even more proud to be your husband. It's just... It's silly to wait. And Molesley should know."

"He will propose. He'll propose to Miss Baxter when he sees fit."

"I suppose you're right."

"I'm always right, Charlie."

"You are. And it's annoying."

"Good night Charlie."

He didn't answer, Elsie thought he was already asleep, she reached out to turn off the lamp on Charles' side. Then she turned to the other side and let herself fall asleep.

"And what do you think about Mary Charlotte Carson? "

He was kicked in the leg with her heel and heard Elsie laugh again.

"You're just a muffle!"

"But you love me?"

"But I love you."

What an adorable daft man.

TBC…

See you soon for chapter 3 !

PS: Chapter 3 of "coming to you" is posted and chapter four will arrive soon.