CHELSIE'S OLD AND NEW ERA-6
Hello dear people. Thank you very much for all your wonderful reviews, after yesterday's chapter. I'm glad to know, that you liked a little bit of passion between our Chelsie. The kind of passion, that we wanted to see in the movie, but we didn't. Today's chapter is going to be sad one, because Chelsie will be dealing with the Dowager's death. I get very emotional writing about the death of the character that I love, so it will not be easy..I hope that in spite of the heavy topic, you will like this chapter.
Chapter 6- The Dowager's death
After their wonderful night together, in the cottage, both Elsie and Charles were very contended, as this was something that they were missing, but afraid to talk about it and they felt like some heavy thing fell of their heart and made them function better in their every day duties.
And there was so much going on, the film crew was still hanging around the castle, causing a lot of commotion and Elsie was counting the days, when they will finish their job and finally go away.
All the upstairs people, were busy trying to figure out some secret, that they've brought from France and everyone were rather tensed.
By the very end of the movie adventure, something unexpected has happened. The movie people needed extras, to film the last scene and facing the lack of the actors, they've asked the staff to fill in.
Everyone were so extremely excited about the fact. Elsie was hesitant at first, but very soon, she just joined the general fun and decided to play in the film, with the others. She also managed to convience Charles to do that.
At first, he was so outraged about this proposal, that he didn't even want to think about it, but when Elsie came back to the cottage and whispered a few convincing words to his ear, telling him what kind of gratification can he receive from her, if he will agree, he immediately changed his mind...
The atmosphere downstairs was extremely enjoyable, especially in that moment when they all got dressed in their costumes. It was such fun to change the roles, even for few moments.
Charles was particularly fond of playing Lord and he simply couldn't keep his eyes of Elsie in her blue dress, which revealed so much of her beautiful body, that none of her usual dresses did.
Elsie was trying to hide a smile, when she caught Charles staring at her breasts, in the manner that was not entirely proper...
They made this scene and the additional reason for joy, was Molesley's proposal to Miss Baxter. That poor champ, has finally gathered some courage, to confess his feelings and everyone congratulated both of them heartily, because it was a long awaited proposal...
The joy was even greater, because the very same day, Mrs Patmore confessed Elsie, that she and Mr Mason decided to built a happy future together and it was such a wonderful news for Elsie.
She strongly believed, that nobody deserved a happy future so much as Mrs Patmore. Her dear, red hair friend, who had such a kind heart. Elsie was always aware, of the great friendship, that connected the two of them, but she also knew, that Mrs Patmore was a tad jealous, about her marriage with Charles and not because she fancied Charles, but because she wanted her own fairytale. Now, her own fairytale was about to come true at last and Elsie couldn't been more happy about it.
After a night full of fun, Charles and Elsie came back to the cottage and Elsie couldn't stop laughing, about her husband's excitement, as he whispered to her ear, on their way back to the cottage, how her sight in the blue dress has affected all his senses and when they came back home, he certainly proved to her his enormous excitement.
Unfortunately, as it often happens in life, great joy is mixing with great sadness and this was one of those times...
When the film crew was heading to the exit, the sad news came from upstairs, that Violet-Lady Grantham, was saying goodbye to this world...
They all expected that, they knew that it was inevitable, but in spite of that, Elsie felt a lump in her throat, when she had to pass this news downstairs. Anna, Daisy and Albert were immediately sent to work, in case anybody needed something, but Charles's face showed such pain, when Elsie brought this news, that she felt like her heart broke...He fell onto the chair, in the servants hall and being in the state of great shock, started to quote Shakespeare's King Lear:
"Blow winds and crack your cheeks. Rage blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes!
Has the moment of her leaving come at last? That so great a lady should go..."
He closed his eyes and the pain on his face told Elsie, what he was going through in that moment...If anyone else knew, how much the old lady Grantham meant to him, it was Elsie.. She couldn't stand Charlie's pain and she neared him and squeezed his hand gently, caressing his cheek. He raised his eyes to her, eyes so full of pain and questions-Why? Already? How can we survive this?
Elsie wanted to pour some of her strength to him, to hold him and tell him, that she understands his feelings, but it was not a proper place and time...
Very soon, others joined them in the servants hall and they were all sitting by the table, helding their heads low, not saying even one word to each other...Waiting for the sad news...Thomas didn't even mind, that Charles was stitting at the top of the table, on his place. It was not important in this moment.. They all knew and admired Lady Grantham...Each one of them knew her from the moment they started to work here, she was like a permanent thing, something that was suppose to be here forever, the essential part of the Abbey, without her, what would the Abbey be?
Lady Grantham was motive power of this place...
Each one of them thought, about their interactions with Lady Grantham...They were still hoping, that maybe it's just a temporary state, that in a moment, they will hear that the Dowager has survived another crisis and intends to live for quite a while.
However that was not meant to be..When they heard crying Denker, coming downstairs, they knew what has happened...
Mrs Patmore was crying openly, Daisy did too...Elsie was fighting tears herself, but she didn't want to cry, because she knew, that it would be too much for Charles...Then he would have to cry too and Elsie was aware, that he would consider that a great embarrassement...
So she held on and her strength was suppose to make him stronger...
When they finally left the Abbey that night, neither of them has said a word coming back home... As soon as they got there and closed the door behind them, Elsie knew, that she was the one who had to be stronger that night...She helped him take off the coat and his hat and she watched, as Charles fell to the sofa, in their living room, unable to do anything...
Elsie hung their coats and hats and she sat near him...
He looked at her, with the same sad eyes as at the Abbey and she opened her arms, inviting him to nestle into her, to seek for comfort and love, that he needed so much tonight...
"Oh Elsie...Elsie...I don't know how I am going to go through this..."-he put his head on her breasts and embraced her tightly and very soon, she felt wetness on her dress, indictaing, that the long held tears, that he was so desperately trying to hide in front of others at the Abbey, has finally fell freely... Here, in their cottage, the only place where he felt safe enough to reveal his true feelings.
She let him nestle into her totally and she kept on kissing his hair, whispering calming words:
"It's all right Charlie, just let it go...I'm here, with you...We will go through this together...I love you..."
She expected that her words will calm him down, but instead, he fell into pieces completely, crying even more, but Elsie understood his pain and she knew, that she had to let him cry...She, herself, had tears in her eyes too, but her pain was not so important here...She had to focus on comforting him...And that was exactly what she did...
They were sitting on the sofa for a very long time..Until Elsie gently offered, that they should go and lie down for the night...She left Charles in the bedroom and went to take a bath, remembering all her mutual memories with the Dowager..
It was true, that they didn't have a lot of in common with each other, because when Elsie came to work to Downton, as a housekeeper, Violet was no longer the lady of the house, but Elsie always had a feeling, that old lady Grantham had a very high opinion of her.
The best proof of that, was that she came to ask for her help, when she needed to convience Isobel, that it was a better choice to send Ethel work somewhere else, rather than stay at Downton..
In the same time, Charles was lying in the bed, thinking about how much Lady Grantham meant for him...When he came to work to Downton, as a young boy, he was so afraid of her. She seemed very severe and strict, but he soon found out, that she also had a great sense of humour and that her sarcasm was meant only for those who deserved it.
When she saw a good, faithful servant, she appreciated him. After he became a butler, she treated him differently and Charles always felt, that they had a very good communication...Unspoken agreement, that existed only between them.
They survived so many different situations together-happy, sad, but always united in one goal- to maintain the greatness of the Abbey.
Charles knew, that he will miss her tremendously and he couldn't imagine his life without her.
When Elsie came back from the bathroom and joined him in bed, he once again was looking for her closeness...
For this one time, he felt like a little boy, in the loving arms of his mother, who understood his pain and wanted to ease it, as much as she could..
Elsie was holding her beloved Charlie, planting loving, soft kisses to his hair and temples...
"Charlie, my love...Tell me honestly...How do you feel? I want to know..."
"I have never felt that awful Elsie...Maybe only on this night when Lady Sybil died...It's like loosing a member of the family, although they are not our family, as you once said..."
"They are not, but we have been living with them under the same roof for such a long time...It's natural to feel that way...Oh Charlie, if I could only help to ease your pain somehow..."
"You are Elsie...I can't even imagine to go through this without you...My heart would break by now, if I didn't have you near me..."
"We can't let that happen Charlie...I need your whole heart my sweetheart...Although I'm aware, that it's not entirely mine...A part of your heart belongs to Lady Mary..."
"Yes, but only a small one, most of my heart belongs to you Elsie...And that's how it always will be...At least as long as I will live, but who know how long it will be..."
"Why are you even saying that Charles? Are you going somewhere?"
"Elsie...I'm next one in line, you know that...I'm close to the age of the Dowager..."
"Not that close Charles...There was a certain age difference between you two..."
"But not that much...I suppose that I will be next.."
"I don't even want to hear that Charlie! Do you remember, what I told you, when we were fighting about where to held our wedding reception?"
"Not really, what did you tell me then?"
"I told you, that it's going to be your way for the next thirty years and I intend to keep that promise.. We are only married for four years, so as you can see, we have plenty more years ahead of us...Plenty of happiness...Plenty of love to give to each other..."
She kissed his lips sweetly and he put his hand into her hair, touching it so gently, that it stroke a chord in her...If there was something that they both needed tonight, was simple gestures, full of love, expressing how much they meant for each other and that was exactly what they were doing now...
"Elsie, I have no idea what would I do without you..."
"I hope that you will never have to find that out my love, because I intend to live for quite a while...And enjoy you...You think that I have waited patiently for your proposal for thirty years, just so I can loose you quickly? No way Charlie...Scottish women are stubborn and if we make some decision, we are sticking to it...So be aware, that you are going to have to bear your obnoxious wife for a long time..."
"If you mean my most beloved wife, than I have absolutely nothing against that...Elsie, thank you for being the greatest joy of my life..And let me say, that I'm the biggest fool in this world, to wait thirty years for such treasure as you..."
"Well, I don't want to seem rude, so I will not deny it Charlie..."-Elsie smiled faintly to her husband and he answered with the same kind of smile..The first smile on this very sad night...
Three days later...
Elsie and Charles were getting ready for the Dowager's funeral...She handed him the black hat, prepared for this sad occasion...He looked her in the eyes, again asking a silent question, the same question, that he had been asking three days ago, when the Dowager has passed..How are they going to get through this ceremony...And again, as three days earlier, Elsie replied, without saying a word, just gently squeezing his baig hand, which got a little shaky, as a result of the great stress...
They were both walking in line, with the others, dressed in black, in the sad procession, on the lawn of the Abbey, looking for the caravan, who was taking the old lady, in her coffin, away from the place that was the essence of her life...
Elsie was holding Charles's hand and whenever she felt, that it started to shake, she was caressing him, with a soothing motions, helping him to go through this difficult moment...
On this day, all the residents of the Abbey, the current and the former ones, the one who lived upstairs and the one who lived downstairs, the one who were rich and important and the one whose life contained of the hard work, has all joined, to say goodbye to the person who was the centre of the Abbey.
They were all aware, that this was the end of an era, an era which will never go back again...The world has changedo so much and the Dowager was the last link between the Victorian past and the modern times...
Today, was the day that meant to celebrate her life and to show how much she meant for all of them...The amount of tears and dispair, has shown, that Violet's life mattered much and even though they knew, that they will have to go on without her, today was the last moment to reminisce the good, old days...
Oh my...That was a difficult task...As a very emotional person, I had a hard time writing it..Believe me...In this chapter, I mostly wanted to add all the things, that were missed in the movie, because frankly, I believe, that the moment of the Dowager's death, was the best opportunity to show a little affection between Chelsie...When he was sitting by that table, quoting King Lear, I was sure, that Elsie will come to him and made a loving gesture, but unfortunately Julian Fellowes saw it another way, or he was advised to see it another way, by you know who...I have my own theory, about who is responsible for the lack of tender Chelsie moments, but because I was blasted for saying that, I will not say it again ;-) Anyway, I hope you liked this sad and emotional chapter...If you did, your opinions mean a lot to me. Thank you for reading and have a great week!
