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Lights
by imnotokaywiththerunning
Elsie lightly walked up the servant's stairs to the main hall. She kept her footsteps quiet, not to sneak, but to keep the air of solemnity that had permeated the great house.
They had spent all morning bringing Downton Abbey into the Christmas season. Pine garlands graced the banisters and beautiful poinsettias lined the tables. But the main centerpiece that Elsie was most proud of was the enormous Christmas tree that resided in the main hall.
Its boughs were packed with ornaments and ribbons and bows and fairy lights. It was a sight to behold in the daylight with all of its sparkling silver globes. But Elsie's favorite part was going to see the tree the night after its arrival. When the family had gone to bed but before the servants had turned out the lights. The glow that surrounded the tree was pure magic and it always sent Elsie hurtling headfirst into Christmas.
She walked out of the servants' door ready for the warm glow of the tree and instead stepped into darkness. She stopped, looking around at the shadows accusingly. Someone had beaten her to the tree. She sighed.
"Mrs. Hughes?"
She jumped as a shadowy figure approached her, stepping into the light spilling out from the door behind her to reveal Mr. Carson. He stopped beside her, concern writ loud across his face.
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no," she said, still staring wistfully at the unlit tree. "I was just hoping to catch a glimpse of the tree before the lights were turned off for the night, but I supposed you beat me to it."
She grinned at him to take the sting out of her words. It wasn't his fault, truly. She had thought he was still in his pantry when she'd walked by. No matter. There was always tomorrow.
Mr. Carson looked from her to the tree. "I'm sorry. I just turned them off, but it's no trouble to turn them back on."
Before she could protest, he had flicked a switch on the wall to cast them in a soft glow and moved over to the tree. The massive tree dwarfed him as he moved behind it, rustling a few branches as he went.
"Mr. Carson, this really isn't necessary," she began but broke off as the tree came alive with hundreds of tiny lights. She gasped.
A brilliant glow enveloped the grand hall with the tree at its center. It was truly a sight to behold. The ornaments sparkled, reflecting the fairy lights and making it look twice as bright. The light from the tree spilled out around the hall to illuminate the pine garlands lining the staircase. It transformed the hall into something ethereal. Elsie almost expected Father Christmas to make a snow-covered entrance.
"It really is quite beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, entranced by the magical scene.
"Yes, I believe it is," Mr. Carson said softly.
Elsie smiled over at him to see that his eyes were not on the tree but on her. She looked away feeling her cheeks heat with a blush. She hoped the room was too dim for Mr. Carson to notice. She cleared her throat and turned back to him with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Mr. Carson. That was lovely." The lines around his eyes crinkled with his smile. "I'll bid you a goodnight now. No doubt we'll see each other in the morning."
Mr. Carson nodded as she turned and made her way up to her room. She'd gotten to see Downton's Christmas lights. And maybe she'd seen something a little more as well.