THE POWER OF PERSUASION-3
Hello again. As I promised, I'm here to start where we left off. I know that I ended the last chapter in the best moment, so now I'm back to finish the story. Elsie decided that she must help Mrs Patmore, no matter what and that is what she intends to do...
Thank you for all the reviews and I would just like to add, that this site-FF net is doing some crazy things to the texts. It cuts off words, leaving sentences unfinished. I'm very angry at that, but there is pretty nothing I can do about it. I know that it often looks like I can't form a correct sentence, but this is not my fault, it's the page errors. Anyhow, I hope you won't be disappointed.
Elsie made her decision. She was determined to help Mrs Patmore and she knew that there was nothing else to do, but to go on with her crazy plan. It was crazy, it was bold, brazen even. But she wanted to do it anyway. From two reasons-to help her dear friend in this difficult situation and to take a test. What she intended to do, was indeed a test-if she would have failed it, it would mean the end of everything. The end of this beautiful and extraordinary feelings that were developing between her and Mr Carson. But on the other hand, if she was to succeed, that would bring only benefits for them. It would help her and him to make another step in their relationship, that was going on for quite a while now. So without any hesitation, Elsie spent her evening preparing for the talk with Charles. To be sure that it would work, she had to take care of few things first. Most of all, she had to make sure that there won't be any interruptions and that's where Mrs Patmore's help was essential. She explained to her the importance of a moment of peace and a need of spending the evening without someone from the staff storming on to her sitting room. Mrs Patmore was so involved, that she made a solemn promise to Elsie, that she won't let anyone from the staff to interrupt them. She didn't ask any questions, which was totally not like her.
Second of all, Elsie made sure that she looked as best as she could tonight. She might not have been the woman of the world, but she was not blind for Mr Carson's glances, every time that she wore a particularly enticing dress or had a new hair style. So during the upstairs dinner, she went to her room, changed into one of her favorite evening gowns-black one with the lace insets around her neck. She combed her hair in the style that she knew suited her the best-with gentle waves of curls on one side of her head and she did something that she usually didn't do-she used a small amount of lipstick, to made her lips more alluring. She also sprayed herself with her favorite perfume, she used more of that than usually, just to make sure that he will feel her scent...
When she was ready, she went back down to her sitting room and prepared his favorite wine and two glasses. She knew that he should drink much more than usual, if she wanted to have a desired effect. When she prepared all of those things, there was nothing more to do than to wait for him. She was hoping that it won't take long tonight, as there were no guests in the house, so the dinner should end at a civil hour. After a while, she heard his footstep downstairs and she straighten herself up, waiting for him to come to her. And he did...
Ever since their last conversation, that didn't end very well, he felt rather uncertain in her company. Their usual causality seemed to be lost now, yet somehow, as the time passed and she poured him another drink, their conversation was slowly coming back to the usual level of familiarity.
Charles was getting more and more relaxed with each passing moment, he didn't even realize that this might have been the effect of the quantity of wine that he already had. He felt a nice, warm feeling inside his body and a spreading feeling of happiness, that his beloved woman forgave him for refusing her favor, however that was not the case here.
Elsie was observing Charles were carefully, she wanted to sense the right moment to start to incorporate her plan into actions. When she saw that he was truly relaxed, she started some innocent talk about the beauty of the moon this night and she maneuvered him into coming into the window, under the pretext of looking at the stars. She knew that he will be intrigued by that and she wanted to be mysterious and appealing for him tonight...She dropped her eyes down, letting him know, that she was wondering about something, that she was worried. She sighed deeply, being aware that he would probably ask her about it and she wasn't wrong...
"Mrs Hughes...You are not quite yourself tonight. I have a feeling that you are worrying about something. Is there anything I can do to help you?.."-he looked at her with those trusting, brown eyes of his, being a little blurry blurry-partially because of the amount of alcohol that he had, but partially because of his feelings for her and she was fully aware of that...
"Mr Carson"...-she whispered, with that lilt of her, that she knew always had a major effect on him.."Indeed, I'm a little worried...And there is a way that you could help me, if you only wanted to and I'm sure that you would..."-she added, with even more quieter tone, making him come closer to her and that was exactly the thing that she wanted. She took one of his hands in hers and she started to stroke his fingers gently, encircling one by one in her hand. She saw that he trembled, as soon as he felt her touch and his eyes went much more blurry than before...
"Mrs Hughes...I...I would be glad to help, if you could only tell me how...Then I would..."-he had problems with forming sentences and she was more than happy seeing this. Her other hand joined the first one and now she was touching him gently, squeezing his hand in hers..Her touch was soft, delicate, fragile and she watched as his breath hitched with each of her further caresses...
"You see Mr Carson...I asked you for a favor recently and you refused..You had your reasons, but I figured, that it won't hurt to ask you again..Because the thing is about our friends's wish. A very important wish..."
"Mrs Hughes..I...I...You know that I couldn't do any other thing..You realize that..."-he suddenly stopped, in the middle of a sentence, as he saw that her hands left his and moved to his chest. She was gently running up and down his shirt, moving closer to him, so close that he could feel the smell of her perfume clearly and that only mad his already dizzy head even more dizzier..Her touch drove him crazy...He looked at her in disbelief..Charmed. Shocked. With a lost of words. Some part of his brain was telling him to stop her, but he wasn't able to do that. The propriety lost with the curiosity and some other thing that was growing inside him, when the woman of his dreams was touching him. He knew that he should stop her. The butler inside him shouted for her to stop that, but the man inside him wanted more than anything else for her to continue...
"Of course I realize some things Mr Carson. I do understand your duties and I know how the world works, but you know that Mrs Patmore is our friend, our dear friend. Yours and mine. She is always there for us when we need her and she rarely asks us anything.. Do you really think that we should leave her alone now, with this problem?.."- before he could even answer, Elsie moved her hands up and she encircled his neck, slowly massaging the base of his neck, watching with satisfaction, as she slowly, but effectively was brought to a brink of ecstasy..
"Mrs Hughes..I can't...I'm not sure that I will be able to do anything..To.."-he was panting heavily now, her touch was so soft. Her hands were so warm, her scent was so intoxicating, that he wasn't really sure what he was saying, what he was doing, he just wanted her to continue, to go on with her lovely caresses...
"Mr Carson..You are a man of integrity and honor...That is the reason that they asked you to be the head of the committee...You really think that they won't do a little favor for you if you asked them? Because I'm sure that they will...". Elsie neared Charles even closer and he nearly fainted, when he saw that she lifted herself higher and started to place small, sweet kisses to his face. He was so bewildered, that he just couldn't stand on his feet anymore and he wobbled and collapsed on the window still. That gave Elsie a better position to continue her ministrations and she gladly did that..She covered his face with kisses, causing the feeling of endless delight in him...
"Mrs Hughes..I'm still not sure if I will...Will they even consider it..."
"I'm sure they will.. They won't refuse the favor of such an important man as you are...You know they won't..."-Elsie was whispering those encouraging words to him, still placing kisses on his face...He opened his eyes, just to make sure that this was not one of his dreams that often had, but no..She was real, she was there..He felt her warm, soft body so close to his. Her beautiful, enticing lips were really on his face..Will she kiss him on the lips? Will she?...He wanted this more than ever and she slowly closed her lips to his. He closed his eyes, waiting for this dreamed-of moment but she didn't do it...
"Will You promise me this Mr Carson? Will you promise to help our dear friend and do this little favor for her? And for me? Will you?..."-she was asking him this question, when her lips were so close to his, so close that it drove him wild..Taking away all the logical thinking from him..He would have promised her anything now, anything that she would ask him, just to feel her kiss...
"Yes Mrs Hughes..I will talk to them..I will try to add Mrs Patmore's nephew name to our memorial..I will..."-He neared her impatiently, but she had to be sure, before she would let him feel the thing that he wanted to feel more than anything...
"Do you promise that to me?...You do promise, that you won't disappoint me this time Mr Carson?..."
"I promise..I..."-before he managed to finish, her lips landed on his. Gently and softly they connected in a long desired kiss. Her hands were touching his neck delicately, playing with his hair, while his encircled around her waist. He tasted her lips slowly, sensually, like he was tasting the best wine, but no wine in the world could taste so sweet and no wine in the world could cause the feelings that were dancing inside him now...
The whole world ceased to exist for those two, as they tasted one another...The kiss lasted for a very long time, as none of them was willing to end it...
Finally the need of breathe forced them to stop and they looked at each other, in the light of the shining moon, with love and devotion in their eyes...
Without any hesitation, Charles held Elsie tightly...Feeling the enormous need of having her close and she smiled to herself, thinking that the plan went rather well...For Mrs Patmore and for her, at the same time...
Unveiling the memorial...
Elsie was so happy and so proud on that day. Charles indeed kept his promise. Archie's name was not on the memorial, but it didn't matter, because Charles ask his Lordship for help and His Lordship, as kind hearted as he was, funded a memory board for Archie. It was a lovely gesture, made just for Mrs Patmore and it really couldn't be any better. It was even better if his name was actually on the memorial. Now he had his own memorial-a memento of his sacrifice.
After the ceremony, Beryl went to Elsie, to thank her for it and she had tears in her eyes, but this time there were tears of joy...
"Thank you Mrs Hughes. I will never be able to thank you enough for this. My sister will be so proud, when she will get here and see this. It's like the boy finally got what he deserved."
"I'm so glad that I could help Mrs Patmore. This is just the way it suppose to be..."
"But I still don't get it? How did you manage to persuade Mr Carson to that? That all seems like one, big mystery..."
"You know me Mrs Patmore. I'm a woman of mystery, if ever there was one..."
"Indeed you are..."
Mrs Patmore squeezed Elsie's hand and she went to the memorial board again, just to enjoy her eyes with a sight of her nephew's name on it. Elsie looked at Charles, who was standing alone. Most of the staff and the family was already heading home. He was looking at a memorial with pride in his eyes and Elsie neared him, giving him the warmest smile...
"Mr Carson, you should be really proud of yourself today. That was a beautiful ceremony.."
"Indeed it was. I won't deny it. It required a lot of work, but I believe that the ending effect was worth it."
"It was. I want to thank you one more time for what you did for Mrs Patmore.. She was so proud and happy today and I am eternally grateful to you for what you did...In fact, I feel that I haven't thank you enough for what you did.."
"There is always a way to fix that Mrs Hughes.."-he smiled mischievously to her and she did the same..
"I'm sure there is Mr Carson..I'm sure there is...We can discuss this tonight, in my sitting room.."
"I am all for that..."
So that's it my lovely people. End of the story. My alternative version for the memorial plot. The original was quite nice too, but I still prefer this one. After all, we all know that Elsie could do whatever she wanted with Charles...This time she won in a double way-for Mrs Patmore and for herself. I really hope that you've enjoyed my silly, little story. As usual I had fun writing it. Sorry for any mistakes (I can now always blame this on the page errors ;-) Please let me know what you think. See you soon!