CHELSIE'S OLD AND NEW ERA
Hello everyone. After seeing the new movie three times and a suggestion from one of my readers, I decided to write a story referring to the new movie. It will have few chapters, as many as my brain will be able to produce and it will describe the events concerning Chelsie, which we've seen in the movie, but much more developed, with my own ideas for them. The title of the story means, that it will tell about the present times, but they we will also go back to the past, reminiscing old events and indicating how their decisions influenced their current life. This time, I will not limit myself only to Charles and Elsie, other characters will be present in the story too, (mostly the downstairs ones), but of course the main focus is always on Chelsie.
The description seems to be complicated, but believe me, it will be more fun than it looks ;-) At least I hope it will be. Every chapter refers to one event from the movie. I hope you will like it.
Legal note: I do not own any of DA characters, I just like to give them more fun adventures.
Chapter 1- Tom and Lucy's wedding
Elsie was observing Charles discretly during the ceremony. Her attention was divided between the wedding and watching her husband's reactions. He was stift, dignified and very focused, but other than that, there were no signs of joy in him about the event.
Elsie compared his behavior with other weddings, that they both participated and there were quite a lot of them over the years- two weddings of Lady Mary, two weddings of Lady Edith, Andy and Daisy's wedding. She saw a clear difference in him during those weddings and today.
She was wondering, what caused that. He was never particularly fond of Tom Branson, but he seemed to like him and respect him more, than many years ago, when Tom was a cause of a great scandal.
It was certainly not Lucy's fault either, she was such a kind woman and although they didn't know her very much, as most of the meetings between today's newlyweds took place at Brompton, whenever Lucy and her mother visited the Abbey, Lucy seemed kind and sympathetic for the servants.
Elsie watched with joy, as the long time of mourning after Lady Sybil's death has finally ended for Tom. She really liked him and she always thought about him as the bridge, who was connecting the upstairs with the downstairs. Maybe he wasn't too likeable as the young and revolutionary socialist, but he really grew since those days and the Crawley's owe him a lot.
Elsie was happy, that he finally found someone to share his life with and the fact that Lucy was the heiress, was an additional bonus. Elsie noticed, that Lucy had a great bond with miss Sybbie and ever since she found that out, she was calm about the happy future for the beloved couple.
It was so nice to take part in another beautiful wedding. It's been over a year since Daisy and Andy got married and Elsie had to admit to herself, that she missed celebrating such occasion.
The wedding was simple, but elegant. Lucy was beaming with joy and looked radiantly in her wedding dress and Tom acted like he won a lottery.
After the ceremony ended in the church, Elsie and Charles stood up in the long queue, to congratulate the newlyweds and then, in another queqe to take a picture. Before the photographer captured them, Elsie found a way to straighten his jacket, just that Charles would look his possible best on the photo, just a simple and caring gesture of a loving wife.
After taking the picture, they both chatted with Anna for a while and Elsie made a remark to Charles, which expressed the lack of emotions that she noticed in his behavior:
"I haven't noticed any congratulations on your lips."
His answer was very short and concrete:
"I wish the boy well. I do."
Elsie knew her husband well enough by now, to understand that he was not especially willing to develop this subject in the presence of Anna and little Johnny. So she gave up and started to participate in conversations with Beryl, Daisy, Anna and all the other of the Downton staff..
Before they realized, the party was over and it was time to go back to their cottage.
Charles offered Elsie his hand and they were walking silently towards home. Elsie was still smiling, enjoying the happinness of Tom, who was in her mind a very decent young man fully deserving to be happy. She looked at Charles few times and she saw, that his face was expressing totally different emotions than her own.
He rather looked like he was coming back from the funeral, than the wedding and as soon as they got back to the house, Elsie proposed a cup of tea to her husband, as an encouragement for the conversation that she intended to have with him.
He gladly agreed and pretty soon they were both sitting on their sofa, relaxing after the eventful day.
"That was quite a day, wasn't it Charlie? I'm very happy that Tom found his long awaited happiness at last."
"I guess you are right Elsie. He was a widower for a longer time, so it's a good thing that he remarried."
"You don't sound very enthusiastic Charlie...I noticed, that this wedding did not thrill you especially.."
"Well, I'm happy, but let's not exaggerate..."
"You certainly were more cheerful during other weddings Charlie, especially when it was about Lady Mary..."
"Elsie, that's different...You can't compare Tom Branson to Lady Mary...She is so much special than..."
"Yes, yes, I know...She the most important person in your life Charlie...How can I not know that after so many years that I spent with you..."
"Elsie, you know that it's not true...You are both special to me and I don't understand why you are so enthusiastic about today's event..."
"I'm simply happy for Tom...He is a good man, regardless of what you may think of him. He helped to save Downton and even His Lordship would admit that, he is a wonderful father to miss Sybbie and it seems, that he made a right choice for a wife. New Mrs Branson is kind and she cares about Sybbie..Plus she is an heiress, so they won't have to worry about having a place to live.."
"It's kind of funny, isn't it Elsie? Remember how revolutionary he was when he came to Downton? And then he married two great ladies...I think that Tom Branson from 1913, would not recognize Tom Branson from 1929"
"There is some truth in that, but I do believe, that that is not the reason he married Lucy. They seem genuinly in love, at least that's how I see it..."
"Then you are probably right Elsie...I wish them well, it's just that..."
"What is it Charlie? I can see that something is bothering you...Something that will not let you enjoy this day as much as you should...Tell me, what is it?"
"Oh Elsie...It's difficult to talk about it..."
"I am your wife, remember? You can share all your thoughts with me, even the most difficult ones..I'm listening.."
Charles looked at his wife and he saw the same blue eyes, full of wisdom and understanding...He hesitated for a little longer and finally he decided to confess to her, what was troubling him...
"You see Elsie...Today's wedding was joyful and so it should be, but I couldn't stop thinking about Lady Sybil...She was such a wonderful child and amazing young woman...I knew her all my life and today, when Tom and Lucy got married, I couldn't help to think about her and it was so sad...She would have been so proud of what Tom achieved and how wonderfully miss Sybbie is developing, they would probably have more children by now, she adored children and she is gone...That thought couldn't leave me in peace..."
"Oh Charlie...I understand now...I'm really sorry...We all miss her...I always say, that she was the sweetest spirit under this roof and she was, but I never realized, that you are missing her so much...I always thought, that your heart belonged only to Lady Mary..."
"Lady Mary was and still is my favorite, I can't deny that, but there was something so special about Lady Sybil...She used to hide under my desk, in my pantry, when she was little and she always asked me if I have some candies hidden for her, which I did...She was a sweet, little child, that brought joy downstairs...She always preferred to spend time with us, rather than with her family upstairs..."
"Yes and she transferred it to her adult life, without a doubt...I miss her too...Such a perfect girl.."
"She was and whenever I looked at her, my heart was clenching, because I was thinking..."
Charles didn't finish the sentence, but Elsie instinctively knew what he meant...
"You were thinking that you would like to have a daughter of your own, is that right Charlie? A sweet, little girl like her?"
"Yes Elsie...That's exactly what I was thinking about...This was always my dream-to have such sweet little girl, who I could love and spoil, but it was never meant to be for me..."
Elsie stroke his cheek tenderly and moved closer to him...It was certainly the topic that they were both trying to avoid, just not to open the wounds, because what was the point? It was something which was beyond their reach anyway now, so neither of them spoke about that, but here, now, on this evening, when Charles confessed this to Elsie, she wanted to tell him, that she fully shared his feelings...
"Charles...It was the same with me...Always...When Sybil was there with me, in my sitting room and I watched her playing with her dolls, or drawing, I always wished, that she was my little girl...Sometimes I even imagined, that she was there, waiting for me to finish my work and come back to the cottage with me, by the end of the day..."
"Elsie...When you had those dreams back then, who was the father of your child? Was it me or someone else?..."
He impatiently waited for her answer...
"How do you think my old booby? Of course it was you...I never dreamt about any other father for my children but you...Always you..."
"Oh Els...If we...If we went another way, if we..."
"Shh...I know Charlie...That's why I asked you about it back then, do you remember?"
"Of course that I do...I was so surprised and I wasn't vain enough to pressume, that you meant me, when you said that you would want to go another way..."
"But I meant you...Although when I was asking that question, it was already too late for both of us, at least for me...You could have been a father back then, but with some younger woman..."
"No Elsie...I would never want any other woman to be the mother of my children..Only you...I'm sorry Elsie, so sorry that because of my obsessesive attachement to the Abbey, I deprived both of us of the most beautiful thing in this world..."
"What's done is done Charlie...It just took you a little bit too long to realize, that we are perfect for each other and by the time you realized it, it was too late for other things, but I'm very glad, that we got there in the end...Can you imagine us being apart now?"
"I certainly can't Elsie...I thank God everyday for marrying you..."
"So do I Charlie, so do I..."
Elsie put her head on Charles's shoulder and they both watched the setting sun, thinking about wasted and gained chances...
That's all for chapter one...Of course I intended to write shorter chapters, but as always, when I start to write about these two, I simply can't stop...I hope that you liked it a bit, because I definitely intend to continue this story. In the next chapter, Charles will have to deal with the shocking news of making a movie at Downton ;-) If you have free time, please leave me a review and I will be happy. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful weekend!
