I posted chapter six just a couple days ago, make sure you're caught up on everything.
Reviews are always appreciated, and I love you guys.
Also a reminder that I don't own these characters, I just happen to love them.
Marriage had made a vast improvement upon the attitude of one butler, namely a Mr. Charles Carson.
He smiled easily and often, less apt to resort to biting sarcasm and dignified bluster when reprimanding an errant footman or hall boy, choosing instead to softly correct them with calm words and encouragements.
Joining in the conversations instead of loftily observing, Elsie was surprised more than once by her husband's deep tones in a discussion of literature and poetry with Mr. Bates, or debating a piece of history with Mr. Molesley.
Amused to no end with the obvious changes in Mr. Carson, Anna was the first to comment.
"It seems marriage suits Mr. Carson quite well, Mrs. Hughes." Anna said, sharing a private minute with Elsie as they passed on the back stairs. "He's in very good spirits."
Not sharing Anna's sense of private gentility, Beryl Patmore was blunt about the changes. "Thank goodness you two had me to negotiate," she said, catching Elsie off guard as they stood in the kitchen, "That's the nicest he's been in 25 years!"
"Mrs. Patmore!" Elsie sputtered, blushing down to her toes.
"No need to be embarrassed now," the little cook chuckled, turning her back on the stunned housekeeper to continue her work.
But while things were going swimmingly downstairs, the tension between the members of the Crawley family was growing.
Elsie wasn't concerned about the family's inner turmoil, not really, but Charles was feeling the strain more than he wanted to let on.
News that the Minister of Health was attending for dinner helped, as Elsie expected. Special occasions brought out the best in Charles, and he thrived under the pressure.
She had gotten over the hurt feelings of the past week, the condescension Charles had heaped upon her during the dinner incident fading with time.
It was Charles Carson she was dealing with, after all. His high-handed nature shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone, least of all her.
Elsie dismissed it as a fluke, knowing their marriage wouldn't all be wine and roses, and focused on making sure everything was prepared properly for the very special dinner.
ooo
That night, a burst ulcer nearly killed Robert Crawley.
Stumbling home, exhausted, shocked and shaken, a weary Charles and Elsie made their way silently down the dark path.
Elsie's mind was troubled, knowing Charles had been deeply affected by what had transpired, and kept replaying Mrs. Patmore's last words over and over in her head. Take care of him, Mrs. Hughes. He needs you.
Charles opened the cottage door and ushered her inside, the cool, dark interior a blessing after the too hot and busy chaos of the abbey downstairs.
Planning to run Charles a hot bath, then put the kettle on whilst he relaxed, Elsie distractedly put down her basket and took off her coat, anxious to get upstairs and settled.
Turning towards Charles, Elsie was startled by the size of his eyes in the darkness, the sheer brightness of the orbs alerting her that he was not himself. He had shed his coat and vest quickly without her noticing, and faced her now in just his shirtsleeves, seeming impossibly larger, darker, somehow.
Belatedly, Elsie knew that the plans she had made for Charles, the ones she had hoped to soothe and relax him, were not going to be of any use tonight.
He was on her quick, fingers tugging at her buttons, not stopping until all were unfastened, her housekeeper's uniform a black puddle at her feet, her corset on top like so much whipped cream atop a chocolate tart.
Surprisingly he didn't head for the bedroom, instead pushing her towards the sofa of the sitting room. Elsie was both intrigued and scandalized, feeling more than a little excited by this abrupt change of venue.
They had made love a few times since being home, soft touches and whispered words in the privacy of their own bed just as delicious as the interludes on their honeymoon. Charles was always exceedingly gentle, even when Elsie herself wasn't, her lack of experience making her impatient at times, clumsily racing towards release.
While Charles wasn't rough tonight, he was most definitely firm, taking both of her hands and placing them on the back of the sofa, pulling her bottom up, then arranging her knees on the seat, making sure they were spread apart.
Elsie did remember Anna vaguely telling her of such things, but as of yet the need for a new position hadn't arisen.
Charles rucked her shift up, exposing her knickers, which he untied.
Pressing himself against her back, he hotly kissed her neck, his left-hand skimming down her front until it plunged into her underpants, heading straight for the swollen little bud that he knew would give her the most pleasure, the quickest.
His left hand pleasuring her, his right hand wrapped across her chest, holding her firmly in place against him, Charles kept up his movements until Elsie felt she would die from the pleasure of it.
It was so close, her release, yet she couldn't get there, be it the exhaustion or the different scenery, and Elsie nearly sobbed in need.
Charles, who had never, even in the deepest throes of passion, said anything even remotely vulgar or risqué, leaned close to her ear, his hot breath brushing against her skin.
"Give it to me, love." He said, punctuating the earthy statement by gently biting her earlobe.
Coming completely unglued at hearing the words, Elsie did, unable to stifle herself as the orgasm tore through her, a gush of warmth flooding her center.
Her husband was prepared, though, having already loosened his trousers and freed himself in preparation for this moment. Not bothering with removing them, Charles simply slid her knickers to the side and pushed into her still clenching flesh, the moisture from her orgasm helping him slide in easily.
"Oh, Oh Elsie, my God." He said, keeping that arm across her chest like a steel beam, not allowing her to pull away from him in the slightest.
Elsie wasn't prepared for it at all, the raw and exotic feel of her husband making love to her in this position. It seemed so much deeper, so very primal, that she found herself gasping delightedly with each thrust.
"You feel so good," Charles said, the naughty words pouring out of his mouth and falling on her ears like a caress.
"So hot, so tight, so impossibly wet."
It was the word wet coming out of his mouth that did it, the eroticism of it all pushing Elsie over the edge. She moaned, barely recognizing herself as the completely wanton sound spilled out of her.
Charles thrust only two more times then held deep, letting her shivers pull his release from him, nearly losing himself with the heady power of it.
As soon as his legs would hold him Charles was moving, not sated in the least. Pulling Elsie off the couch he started for the stairs, not stopping until she had climbed them and was lying in bed.
He dashed off to the loo, returning only a moment later with a damp cloth, using it after properly untying and removing Elsie's knickers to wipe between her thighs, cleaning off the fluids he had just deposited there. Elsie lay quietly, a slight smile on her face, resigned to this common intimacy, when before she would have been mortified.
Shedding his trousers and undershirt, Charles came to her completely naked, refusing to lay down in the bed until he had helped her remove her shift and stockings.
Elsie expected him to gather her close, pull her body up against his and then lay an arm around her waist, possibly kissing her on the head before the pair of them drifted off to sleep.
He did lay down on the bed, but not beside of her, instead parting her knees and settling on his stomach between them.
Eyebrows raising in concern, Elsie barely had time to think 'he can't mean to…´ before he very much was, using his tongue to separate her, feasting upon her as a starving man would a banquet.
Hands buried in his hair, Elsie panted, trying to simultaneously pull Charles closer and push him away. His mouth was doing magical, positively decadent things to her overly sensitized flesh, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes, the feelings overwhelming her.
"Charlie," she whimpered, her tone nearly begging.
"Yes, my love?" he whispered back, hand sliding up to join his mouth, slowly pushing two fingers into her warmth.
She sobbed then, unable to find words to express herself.
"Let me have it, Elsie. Come for me, love." Charles murmured, his deep voice rumbling, the vibrations falling directly onto her skin and adding more stimulation.
Keening, unable to think or speak, Elsie turned her head helplessly into the pillow, her whole world dwindling down to the small area under Charles's mouth and hands, the immense pressure at last giving way, exploding, making her cry out in relieved exhaustion.
"Yessss," he hissed, gently nudging her, prolonging her release as long as he could.
"You're so beautiful, Elsie. So beautiful."
Unable to open her eyes or even respond, Elsie simply focused on breathing correctly, sleep capturing her just as Charles settled the sheet over her naked, perspiring body.
Dark and bloody dreams plagued Charles, and he only managed about two hours of slumber before his own shouts shook him awake.
Elsie was on him in a heartbeat, wrapping his shaking body in her strong embrace.
"Hush, love. Hush," she said, clasping his sweaty head to her breast.
While his behavior earlier in the night had masked it for a while, Charles had experienced an enormous shock to his system, and it had left quite a mark.
Elsie held him there, rocking his big body as best she was able in their bed, the light from the moon illuminating the room.
Charles partially awakened, aware of nothing more than the need that rode him. As if they had never stopped, the brief sleep just a momentary pause, Elsie automatically spread her legs to give him better access.
Breathing harshly, the need to be inside of Elsie making him lose all sense, Charles got to his knees, situating himself between his wife's thighs.
Elsie came fully awake as Charles entered her, hands coming up to grasp his biceps as they bulged with the effort of holding himself up.
Still aroused and from their bout of lovemaking hours before, it only took a few minutes of steady thrusting before they both collapsed, breathing hard and trying to recover from the waves of pleasure that swamped them.
They fell asleep again, tangled together, stealing another hour before it was time to rise.
Silencing the alarm with a sigh, Charles gently disentangled himself from Elsie and padded to the lavatory, the shame that he feared would be present riding on his shoulders.
Fully embarrassed, the shame nearly making him sick with disgust for himself, Charles made himself as small as possible as he performed his ablutions.
Afraid to look at her, fearing her reproach for the animal he had been, Charles continued to avoid her gaze as they moved around the cottage, washing, dressing, and preparing for the day.
The second trip Charles made past Elsie, carefully refraining from brushing against her, equally careful to avert his eyes from her face, had Elsie furrowing her brow in concern.
They were both exhausted, the stress and worry of the night visible in the dark rings under their eyes. Elsie wagered the whole staff and the family would look the same, something as frightening as their master and patriarch nearly dying not a sight that could be wiped away with a simple night's sleep.
Curious and confused, unwilling to let Charles withdraw, some perverted need to put him on the spot egging her on, Elsie followed him downstairs and past, not stopping until she stood in front of the cottage door.
Sighing, Charles glanced at the floor, bracing himself for the shameful accusations he knew were coming.
"Look at me, Charlie." Elsie said, her voice soft yet firm.
Trying, but unable to manage it, Charles cleared his throat and focused on a point right above her left shoulder.
Falling back to his old habit of stern bluster, Charles said sharply, "We need to go, there will be things at the house that need tending."
"Not just yet." Elsie said calmly while studying her husband, unable to discern the reasoning for his behavior.
"Charles Carson," she said, eyes widening with concern, his flushed face getting hotter under her scrutiny, "are you angry at me?"
"What?" he said, shock making him abandon his determination to be repentant for a moment.
"No, of course not. I, I was…I need to apologize, Elsie." His voice lowered to a whisper, and Elsie found herself stepping closer to him from habit.
"Why on earth would you need to apologize to me, Charlie?"
Closing his eyes in what looked to be intense pain, Elsie couldn't help but be amused watching her normally confident husband search for words.
"My behavior last night. I was very, ah, indelicate with you…"
Elsie came to him, not stopping until their bodies were touching, wrapping her arms around his neck and embracing him fully.
"I quite enjoyed it, you daft man. You have my permission to be indelicate with me any time you desire."
Charles harrumphed in surprise, not prepared for the kiss she placed on his lips before releasing him and turning towards the door.
"Well come on, Charlie, no dawdling. It's going to be a busy day."
ooo
Elsie made it through breakfast, putting on a good face while they ate. It was only in the privacy of her sitting room that she allowed the exhaustion to surface, taking a moment to lay her head down and close her eyes at her desk.
Cursing her age, she wondered how she managed all the late nights ten years ago, then stifled a chuckle as she realized that ten years ago she didn't have to factor an insatiable butler in the mix as well.
Managing a few minutes of blissful silence, Elsie felt a bit more refreshed as a tap came at her door. Anna's head appeared, her haggard appearance looking every bit as rough as Elsie felt.
Shutting the door behind her, the younger maid dropped artlessly in the chair in front of Elsie's with a sigh.
"Are you alright, lass?" Elsie asked, pushing a bowl of hard candy toward the blonde maid.
Fishing out a peppermint, Anna thanked Elsie and put the candy in her mouth.
"At the risk of being too familiar, Mrs. Hughes, I don't mind saying I'm exhausted. Mr. Bates was…ah, quite thankful for his healthlast night, and the lack of sleep is making the morning sickness worse."
"Oh, Lord." Elsie said, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth for a moment as her mind played back to her ravishment at the very skilled hands of her husband.
"Is that what that was?"
Anna giggled, the smile briefly lighting up her pale and drawn face.
"Aye. A woman's work is never done, Mrs. Hughes."
Before Anna could continue, another knock sounded, and Charles appeared in the doorway. Taking in the scene, he made to leave, apologizing for the interruption.
"Excuse me, I didn't realize you had company, Mrs. Hughes."
"No," Anna said, breaking in before he could retreat. "Please join us, Mr. Carson, I feel this is something you should be aware of as well."
Seating himself as the third angle of the triangle, Charles waited patiently for the younger woman to explain.
"Forgive me if this is improper, or seen as betraying my employer's confidence, but I find myself quite worried and in need of guidance. Lady Mary has been asking…questions. Very persistent, pointed questions about Miss Marigold."
It bothered Elsie, more than she admitted, that Mary was ferreting out information out of he maid. Not sharing her husband's love for the oldest of the Crawley children, she had no doubt the young miss was looking for answers in order to wield them as a weapon against her sister.
Saying so, though, was not Elsie's place.
Steepling his fingers, Charles sat silently, considering Anna's words. Elsie hadn't taken into consideration that her husband might not actually know the circumstances of Marigold's birth, just taking for granted that he would put two and two together.
When he didn't respond, Elsie had a moment of worry, knowing that his love for the Crawley family might possibly put blinders on him. She knew Anna had not meant to shock him with her words.
"Anna," Charles began, startling Elsie out of her daydreaming.
"Normally I would never recommend commenting on matters between the family members, but, be it right or wrong, it is no one's secret to tell but Lady Edith's, and we must do what we can to honor her wishes. I do understand your concern, though, as Lady Mary does not like to hear the word 'no.' If she tires of your stonewalling and tries to demand information from you, come find me immediately, and I will take care of it. I don't ever want any of my staff forced into an uncomfortable position, even for Lady Mary."
The relief on Anna's face was plain to see, and Elsie felt a small bursting of pride in her chest for her husband.
While he was stern at times, and Lord help anyone who got on his bad side, Charles Carson was one of the fairest and most honorable men she had ever known.
Standing to see Anna out, Charles settled back down in the chair with a sigh.
"I wasn't sure if you knew." Elsie said softly.
He cleared his throat. "I didn't for sure. I did suspect, though. You'll remember I was here when the girls were born, and the likeness can't be denied."
Touched by the look on his face, along with the heaviness of the love she had for him, Elsie couldn't resist standing up and walking over to his side just to be closer to him.
As tired as they both were, the lack of sleep and straining emotions of the past night simply wearing them out, Elsie had to fight the urge to crawl in her husband's lap and curl up like a small child.
Remembering where they were, she chose instead to settle with a kiss to his cheek before stretching and preparing to head off for the morning check of the bedrooms.
"I am feeling my age this morning." Charles rumbled, getting to his own feet and tugging his waistcoat in place. "I don't know the last time I felt this exhausted."
Feeling a spark of naughtiness, Elsie turned to him with a smirk, tossing the suggestive words over her shoulder as she exited the sitting room.
"I think you manage quite well for a man of your age, Charlie."
Elsie smiled to herself, Charles's 'harrumph' following her out the door.