An Epilogue (Of Sorts)
A/N:
In response to the very sweet guest review:
You're absolutely welcome! I'm really happy you've found this to be so beautiful! It's truly been a pleasure to write every word :)
General Author's Note:
Just one last chapter. No singing this time - this is devoted mainly to Chelsie and contains one final surprise for this little story ❤
_._
The concert could only have been deemed a success. From the second the crowd had begun to depart till well past the end of the week, Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson had received an overwhelming amount of awe-inspiring compliments intertwined with sincere recognition of their hard work for these last few months.
So much fervent praise was given that there had hardly been any time to converse just the two of them. When opportunity arose to finally breathe, a faculty or student would drop by to inform the teachers of just how "splendid" or how "awesome" the concert had been. And when there was finally a break in the overwhelming adoration, neither choir teacher had the strength to engage in anything.
Or, at least, that's what it seemed to Elsie. The few times she'd had the energy to have any sort of chat with Charles, he had been called away or had remembered a meeting of importance relating to the next term.
Seeing how she'd be leaving in just a little while, that was a bit of a disappointment. Especially since she never had the chance to properly thank him for everything - the songs, dressing up as Father Christmas, letting her take charge of various tasks instead of dismissing her as just his assistant. These were all aspects of the last several weeks that were greatly appreciated and, in her opinion, deserved acknowledgement.
_._
When Elsie had woken up and realized there was only a week left before she was off to whatever was next, it was with a frustrated air that she dragged herself out of bed to continue her daily morning ritual as of the last few weeks:
Nibble on some toast and continue searching for jobs that would hopefully hire her.
As of now, not many were interested or available - and none that were in the area of Downton Academy. But, perhaps that unavailability was for the best: with everyone returning to their normal lives and with Mrs. Butte undoubtedly returning soon, it certainly time to hit the road in search for a new opportunity.
As the woman continued looking over various online job boards and newspapers, her eyes caught something unexpected. She took a break from the incessant searching upon noticing this particular sight, her mind thrown off by its appearance.
A smile began to spread once another thought properly as she closed the newspapers and turned off her laptop. A smile that would continue to expand as she began to get ready for the day and head to school a little earlier than anticipated.
She would continue the job search, of that there was no doubt. There would be time to stress about the future, wonder just when the unknown would finally reveal itself to her, and more.
But, she would be taking the time to bask in this sight that was so rare this time of year.
_._
It was rain that should've been snow by this point in the year. As it was, it was far more unpleasant than the rain they'd intermittently experienced in October.
And, much to his immense horror, she seemed far too content to enjoy this rain just as much.
"Mrs. Hughes," He was glad to have caught her outside, though her slow pace that spoke of cherishing this weather was certainly not something he was glad for - not if it could get her sick. "Do you always traverse through such weather in such a manner?"
She snorted at this, taking this as a sign she should slow down her pace even further. They were less than stone's throw away from the main entrance of the school, and she now took to a leisurely larghetto whereas he wanted to be at a brisk andante.
"What's your favorite sort of weather, Mr. Carson?" For the first time in weeks, he took one of her unexpected questions in stride - not even coming to a stop as he answered.
Though, he did have to think about his answer for a moment, mind.
"A nice day around 25 degrees. A hint of clouds, but not grey. With a light breeze, preferably." She turned back to him at this, and how could he mind standing in such atrocious weather if it brought him such a radiant look of pleasure?
"That does sound quite pleasant indeed! Please, tell me more."
_._
Through the halls they calmly brought additional water drops and added to the discord that came with squeaking shoes.
"Mr. Carson? Mrs. Hughes? You look as though you've gone to battle with the sky." Violet Crawley remarked upon crossing their path through the first floor. Elsie merely bade her a polite greeting before not-so-subtly pushing her colleague in the direction of the stairs.
6:30 showdowns with the "Old Bat" - as some of the more audacious students called her - was just not her cup of tea.
Getting up to her classroom and drying up before the students arrived - now, that was her cup of tea.
_._
Now there had indeed been a reason to converse with his colleague and friend - he hadn't been excited to see her merely because of her presence, though that was a bonus.
Still, now that they were in one of the most secluded stairwells of the building, Charles felt it was time to mention something that had been on his mind for quite some time.
"Mrs. Hughes."
"I don't know about you, Mr. Carson, but this building has always struck me as unusually drafty." She paused a short moment before chuckling to herself about something, "Well, maybe it's not so unusual after all."
"Mrs. Hughes, there's something I want to ask you." But today Elsie seemed to be in her own world. Even when she turned her focus back to him with an inquisitive, "Yes, Mr. Carson?", she seemed unable to fully concentrate. Her eyes, eyes that had carried a certain kind of tiredness since the concert, seemed to want to drift in attention today.
Unfortunately, said drifting did not apparently want to be directed towards him or anything he had to say.
"I was just wondering," However, her gaze was caught up in watching the sky once again, much to his frustration. It became clearer by the moment: with such a distracted mind before him, it was not the appropriate time to ask his original question.
But, make no mistake: that didn't mean Charles was deterred from asking altogether. It simply meant he was going to change tracks when it came to guiding the conversation.
"Mrs. Hughes, have you made any plans for lunch today?"
Elsie stopped fixating on the skies at his question. But those eyes were still lost in the storms. And he didn't like that, not one bit. These weren't the storms that brought her to life. These clouds appeared to lift her for a few moments but only ended up having her fold in on herself.
Which was strange, seeing as how these were the same clouds that had coaxed out such a beautiful smile from her only a short while ago.
"I was going to take lunch with Mrs. Patmore." He deflated a little at this succinct response. "We haven't properly chatted since before the concert."
"I see." She blinked, as though she caught some of his disappointment. And the clouds jolted a little within those eyes at this disappointment, as though the sun were attempting to stir them away to see what she was missing.
"Would you be inclined to take lunch with me tomorrow, Mr. Carson?" They were now near 402, but he was oblivious to anything other than the current question. After all, clouds or not, she still wanted his company. And that recognition had quite frankly made his day.
"I would like that, yes."
_._
"What do you think will happen to Mrs. Hughes?" Daisy couldn't help but ask, having had the question on her mind for ages.
"What else? She'll find a job and leave, of course." Sarah piped up from her table with Thomas, and William glared at her for this bluntness.
"But, does she have to leave?" The Bel Canto singer couldn't help but continue to ask the questions on her mind.
_._
"Mrs. Patmore," Elsie paused, noticing with relief that no students were around. That made it easier to forego formalities she did not currently have the energy for. "Beryl."
It wasn't always that she made the trek across to the first fourth floor. It wasn't so much that she didn't want to see her dear friend, it was merely the effort that went into the journey: She first had to go downstairs to the third floor, walk all the way to one of the stairwells that would take her specifically to the first fourth floor, and then hike all the back up more stairs only to repeat the process in the other direction within the hour.
Needless to say, it was tedious.
"What is it, Elsie?"
And long-winded.
"Elsie?"
To the point where it could make one almost forget just why one came over in the first place.
The keyword being "almost" in this particular instance.
"Well, it's just," Elsie Hughes may bite her lip from time to time. She may wring her hands, roll her eyes in frustration, even stick out her tongue if she felt particularly cheeky.
But she was not one to stumble about her words in such a fashion.
"'It's just'?." Beryl arched an eyebrow, contemplating just what would put her friend in such a state.
Could it possibly be that you're realizing what we've all known for months?
"Well, it's just that…" She seemed to pull herself back together and carry on. "I thought I was fine with the fact that I'm only here for a semester, but it seems I'm not. And now that the concert's already over - well, there's only a week now before I'm to leave."
Oh.
"Come here," She commanded, opening her arms and beckoning the woman forth. Elsie took a hesitant step forth, still not believing that this warranted a hug. After all, this should hardly be something worth crying about or even requiring some form of reassurance. She had only been here for a semester, not several years. And she wasn't one for tears or hugs or placating reassurances.
But, surprisingly enough, it quickly became clear that Elsie really did need that hug.
"It's just that, I know it'll be fine. I know I'll be able to visit even after this semester. And it wasn't like I was hired for more than the semester. But," She sighed, still unwilling to let out any tears just yet. "I've grown attached to all of this. And, I don't really want to go. Not just yet."
"There, there." Beryl soothed her best friend with gentle words, continuing to pour love into the platonic embrace. "It'll be alright."
And even if it wasn't meant to be alright in the grand scheme, it was alright in this little moment.
In this small respite, tucked carefully away in one of the corners of the school, it was okay.
_._
"Mrs. Hughes," He approached her on a whim, still not sure why he was doing this in the first place.
"Thomas?" But, judging from the looks of it, his teacher wasn't at her best.
"I- it's nothing, Mrs. Hughes. I'll just be on my way-"
"Nonsense." It was far sharper than he was expecting, all things considered. "So long as I am a member of this staff, there is no such thing as a bad time for students to drop by."
They both ignored the falter in her statement, seeing as how it would only serve to make this interaction more awkward.
"What was your question, Thomas?"
He paused, rather unsure of himself for once. But, she was just as sure to give him the space he needed. To not push him or have him slinking away at a moment's notice.
"Well, I heard of some of your musical accomplishments," After all, his eventual talk with Isobel Crawley did inform him of factors online research could not provide. "And, I was wondering if you had any advice on progressing as a singer."
She was honored and surprised, to say the least. And, though a range of advice was now racing around her mind, there were only three pieces she felt truly fit the current situation.
"First," He straightened up, prepared for anything. "You have to give life a shot. Even if it doesn't seem feasible or it doesn't seem likely, give opportunities to perform a chance. And keep trying, regardless of who gets the solos or what the final say is."
Too many people gave up after their first rejection. And while she couldn't see Thomas doing quite that, she could see him hesitating to let go of his inhibitions if he felt it was a pointless endeavour. And that would certainly get in the way.
"Secondly," She maintained a steady gaze, imploring her pupil to truly listen to this. "There is a difference between taking opportunities and letting opportunities take your integrity. Even if it may slow down your career or your current ambitions, hold onto your integrity. Opportunities come and go - your integrity is something you can lose if you're not careful."
"And, finally," She retrieved a pen and paper, quickly writing out something. "Ask for help from those who show they are genuinely interested."
She held out the paper for him, offering it with ease. After half a minute of internal debate, he took the paper - noticing that she had given him her email address.
"The world may not always be kind, Thomas. But there are those who truly care and want you to succeed."
_._
Today had shifted into yesterday within the blink of an eye. And, before Charles Carson knew it, the promised lunch was close at hand.
"Did you have a preference for where we sit today?"
He paused, taking a glance outside the windows.
"I know it's a little cold outside, but what do you think of taking lunch in the courtyard?"
"I think that sounds perfectly lovely. Let me grab our coats."
_._
Once the couple had finally made it out into the fresh air, they made banal small talk that really didn't become them. It's just that Charles needed a few moments to just speak to her before broaching the real subject on hand. And, seeing as how this was a one-on-one meeting after the successful concert, Elsie had no current desire to prompt him into conversation that would be politely sending her off into the unknown.
She only wanted to enjoy his company for as long she could.
So, they danced around some more critiques of the concert. They dabbled in discussion about the other concerts that had also been successful - Mrs. Patmore and her band, Mrs. Bird and her orchestra. They briefly remarked on the approval from the administration - Violet Crawley had personally congratulated the two of them immediately after the show, and Mr. Carson had never quite received such a form of praise from the woman.
But, after about ten minutes of dithering back and forth between topics, it was time to shift gears.
"Mrs. Hughes," He had allowed the subject to be unspoken of for far longer than he anticipated. But, now it was crucial to broach the subject. After all, he was just gaining his nerve. Delaying the conversation might send it away. "May I make a suggestion that I think you'll find a strange one, but I ask that you consider, nonetheless?"
Elsie had been looking out into the garden, determined to enjoy the scenery as her heart began to sink. She couldn't help it - she really would miss this school and working alongside these wonderful people. But, there was something inside that question of his that made her pause in her thoughts. There was a quality within his tone that brought forth a faint curiosity and a hesitant look in his direction.
"Heavens, I'm all agog." As she dryly spoke, he noticed puffs of condensation floating alongside her words, softly fading into the space around them. But, while her breath may seem light and airy, her face was quite serious. And though he wasn't intentionally trying to be enigmatic, his cryptically-phrased question probably didn't help matters.
So, it seemed to be quite necessary to simply get straight to the point.
"Do you think that we should - what I mean to say is, erm," Her head tilted at this, unsure of what he'd be proposing and why he'd be so nervous. And with that inquisitive movement the proper words finally flew out into the open. "Would you be interested in staying on at Downton?"
Her jaw dropped ever so slightly, eyes widening.
"What on Earth do you mean?"
"I was thinking that, if the choir department keeps expanding its repertoire, Mrs. Butte and I might not be able to keep up. But the three of us might." He paused, trying to take in her expression before quickly getting out the rest of his idea so that he didn't lose momentum. "I've already run the idea Mrs. Crawley and the others, and they do approve - so long as you're willing.
"With three people we could keep sprucing up the program and investing in the choral possibilities. We'd have an even more expansive section in the music department, one that might never fade into the background or 'retire' like so many tend to."
She sat there on the bench, quite taken aback by the simple solution. Since that moment in Beryl's classroom, when she finally allowed herself to start facing her emotions about leaving, she'd been even more determined to come to terms with the inevitable. The job searches increased, the appreciation for Downton rose in recognition of the incoming change, and she was pushing herself to really be okay with not knowing what was next.
Only, now, she didn't have to accepting wade into the unknown.
Or, at least, she didn't have to do that by herself.
"Well?"
"Well," She exhaled, unable to do much else. "You could knock me down with a feather."
"And you're not offended? Only, I do recognize that you undoubtedly have more options than Downton. And, I don't want to presume that you'd be inclined to remain here with-" She reached out a steadying hand to stop him in his tracks, content to put that train of thought to rest.
"Mr. Carson," Her eyes lightly twinkled as she tried her best to convey all the wonderful emotions she currently felt. "I can assure you: the very last thing in the world that I am in this moment is offended."
He released a soft sigh of relief, his own condensation unwittingly reaching out through the air to blend into hers.
"You can take as long as you like; I won't press you. Because one thing I do know," He sat up, drawing himself up to his fullest height all the while squarely maintaining her gaze. "I'm not hiring anyone else."
It felt as serious as a marriage proposal.
And though it was officially only a job offer, she knew that it was so much more.
Moreover, while he'd only asked her a moment ago, that moment was all she needed to know what she wanted to do.
"Well then," She softly beamed at him, before standing up and offering him her other hand hand - just like that rainy October day all those weeks ago. "Shall we walk back together? Go back inside to celebrate?"
Charles wanted to reached out and accept her waiting hand, but couldn't do that quite yet. He could be patient with her decision, whatever it was, but he had to know what it was she was now offering with this gesture.
"What exactly are we celebrating?"
Her smile softened at the uncertainty in his voice as she took a step towards him, still offering her hand.
"We're celebrating the fact that I can still get job offers at my age."
But, he still couldn't quite accept her hand, not just yet.
"And, that's it?"
She let out an exhalation of fondness at his question, understanding perfectly where he was coming from and more than happy to say the words herself.
"Of course I'll accept your offer," You old, endearing booby.
His hand reached out to grasp hers at this, trembling ever so slightly as he allowed her to pull him off the bench. They stood there a moment in cherished silence, forgetting their places just like they did all those weeks ago.
But those feelings were soon hastily swept aside as he realized that there were several windows that overlooked the courtyard. Therefore, a plethora of people could be looking at them even in this moment. And so, fueled by a rush of flustering adrenaline, he started to guide them back into the building.
Though, one more question came to mind:
"You thought I'd never ask, didn't you?" He can't help but ask, staring at his fellow colleague and friend - not realizing that they were still holding hands.
"Not quite, Mr. Carson."
He knowingly looked at her, inherently recognizing that there was more she wanted to say. And it was with that beautiful smile - the same smile that had stolen his heart the second he met her, whether he realized it or not - that Elsie confessed the simple truth of the matter.
"I didn't realize it was possible."
_._
A/N: Thank you all for being a part of this story - it's been an amazing experience and your support has been magnificent!
As you probably have guessed, I do have an idea for a sequel. I've even written a little, and plan on posting relatively soon.
It'd run along a similar vein to this story, but there'd be some distinct differences: Chelsie development would be growing in frequency and depth, there'll be full solos for students to take on, as well as a choir competition on top of the usual choir adventures. And, of course, you'd be able to finally meet the infamous Mrs. Butte.
So, if that at all interests you, definitely stick around. I'll post a new "chapter" here to let you know when the new story is up.