I am so sorry it took me soooo long to get this posted. Promise to be quicker with the next...
Thank you for the continued support and love. Your reviews are very smart and imformative which is extremely helpful and appreciated :)
3 3 3 Jenny
"Good morning! Good morning!"
Elsie's early morning greeting roused the house's two youngest residents and Pete and Mary were soon crawling over the covers, bright smiles on their faces.
Over the two weeks Mary had been with them there had been a few flare ups, but nothing compared to the struggle of her first day on the farm. She adored the other children, Pete in particular, and he, in turn, reveled in her attention, treating her with great kindness and patience; making sure she was always a part of whatever game was being played and never left behind. Witnessing how sweet their son was with the younger child, Charles and Elsie's resolve to have another baby only grew greater as they were sure he would be a wonderful older brother.
"Pancakes?"
Elsie laughed at the familiar request. While her daughters always returned her wake up call, Pete's response was always one involving his tummy and the sort of breakfast in which he would soon be partaking.
"Eggs, sausages, and toast, as a matter of fact." She glanced back down at the bed, expecting some sort of movement in the voluminous blankets as she was sure the twins wouldn't have been able to sleep through the motion of the two toddlers climbing between them. Lowering first Pete and then Mary to the floor, she pulled back the blankets to reveal an empty bed. "Where are the big girls?"
Mary shook her head as Pete shrugged and offered, "The potty?"
"No. Not Mumma and Daddy's potty, but maybe they went upstairs." She took the children by the hand, certain to make sure they still wore socks on their feet to protect them from the hard wood floor which bore the chill of the early morning.
Making sure the girls weren't curled up on the sofa or in the kitchen, she told the little ones to wait at the bottom of the stairs as she searched the second floor, but failed to find either twin.
"Where in the world…"
Tie draped around his open collared neck, Charles carried his shoes in one hand and his jacket in the other as he made his way into the sitting room just as Elsie was returning from upstairs.
"I can't find the girls."
A confused look broke across his face. "What do you mean you can't find them?"
Her stomach do a bit of an uncomfortable flip as her worry made itself known in the form of frustration. "I mean I have looked all over and can't find them. They weren't in bed when I went to wake them and they aren't in the kitchen or upstairs."
Her agitation grew as she watched him look in the kitchen. "I just told you they aren't in there!"
"Calm down, honey. They're here. Maybe they're just hiding. You know how they like to jump out and yell surprise."
She let out a huff before raising her voice, "Girls, please come out if you're hiding. You're scaring Mumma."
The foursome all held still as they waited for any sign of the twins, but the only sounds came from a few birds outside and the rustle of tree branches on the back porch's eave.
"Where's Chum? If he heard us, he'd be in here." Charles' own fear was now detectable as he looked around the room and then quickly made his way back to the empty nursery.
"They know to come get us if they want to take him outside for a wee, I mean they know not to go outside on their own." Elsie's voice was high and shaky as she followed after him.
"Let's keep calm." Charles warned her as he glanced down at his feet to find Pete and Mary holding hands, each wearing a worried frown. Giving them a gentle smile, he assured them, "They're here. We'll find them." He abruptly turned and looked toward the back of the house. "Maybe they saw Bill in the meadow with the goats."
Elsie pulled Mary onto her hip and grabbed Pete's hand as they followed Charles to the back picture window, but the morning light shown on an empty garden and the meadow was clear of farmer, goats, and children.
"I'll call him. Maybe…"
"He wouldn't have taken them to help at the barn without telling us. He wouldn't!" She lost her fight with the tears that had been threatening to spill from her eyes, which were followed by cries from both Mary and Pete.
"I want Poppy." Pete sniffled before burying his face against his mother's dressing gown.
"Shh…it's alright, Baby Bird, it's alright." Charles quickly set his shoes and jacket on a nearby table and pulled his son into his arms. "Let's not panic."
Suddently thrusting Mary into his free arm, Elsie cried, "The doors are all locked? Are all the doors locked?" but before he could answer, she had run past him to the back garden door, only to rush past again on her way to the front.
Doing his best to calm the whimpering children in his arms, he was rounding the corner towards the front door when he caught sight of his wife standing at the opened cupboard, her finger raised to her lips as she motioned with her other hand for him to join her.
His heart still beating hard in his chest when he reached her, he took a relieved breath as he looked down at his daughters curled upon a makeshift pillow mattress on the floor of the cupboard, Mumma Cat tucked up against Poppy, while a lightly snoring Barley and a tiny Hope cuddled together in Livy's arms as the other three kittens slowly began to move and crawl out from little nests they had made in the crooks of the girls' arms and knees.
"Stinkers." Charles whispered. "They planned this. They carried their pillows in here to sleep on."
"If I wasn't so relieved to find them, I'd threaten to hang them up by their toenails," she softly replied as she wrapped her arm around his waist for a moment before reaching down to scoop up the little ginger boy kitten who had stumbled out and was attempting to climb on top of her slipper.
A swish of Mumma cat's tail under her nose woke Poppy who had to blink a few times before she could focus on the audience looking down at them from the doorway, while a now fully awake Barley licked Livy's cheek until her own eyes opened.
"Uh-oh, Poppy."
"Uh-oh is right." Elsie assured her daughter as she handed the little orange cat to Pete before bending down towards the girls.
Poppy's bottom lip curled up and her little face scrunched as she sobbed, "Are we in trouble?"
Glancing over her shoulder at Charles, Elsie bit down on her own lip to keep from breaking into a sympathetic smile.
"A bit," the girls' daddy acknowledged as he placed Pete on the floor, followed by Mary who immediately squatted down to smile at the white tipped tailed gray girl who had just made her way out of the cupboard. "Let's put Mumma cat and the kittens in the sand box and let Barley have a wee. We'll talk about it over breakfast."
"I'm sorry, Mumma! I'm sorry, Daddy!" Poppy was beside herself as she tripped over her nightgown in an effort to throw herself in her mother's arms. Livy, on the other hand, took a moment to pick up Hope, leaning her head over to rub her cheek against the soft, white kitten as she explained, "We heard the kittens crying and we thought they were scared."
"Alright, alright," Charles murmured, reaching down to gently usher the strawberry blonde child through the doorway past her mother and sobbing sister. "We'll discuss it over breakfast." He picked up the solid gray kitten before rescuing her sister from Mary's over-arduous clutches. "Come along. Go to the back door before one of these little fur balls makes a mess."
Exchanging a smile with her husband as she watched Mumma cat lead the group towards the back of the house, Elsie then turned her attention to a trembling Poppy. "Let's go wash your face and hands and then you can set the little table."
They had just entered the kitchen when Poppy broke into another wail as she burrowed her face against her mother's neck. "Yewdahhhspenkpleenahaddy!"
"What? What, baby? I can't understand you."
Poppy pulled her head back, her little chest and tummy bouncing as she gasped for breath in an effort to calm herself. "You do the spankings please, not, Daddy! His hand is big!"
Her child's wet face once again pressed against her, Elsie allowed herself an unwitnessed smile as she gently patted Poppy's back. "Why would you think you would get a spanking?"
"Sylvie's brother Peter gets spankings all the time when he is naughty."
The ten year old in question was a clever, but easily bored little boy who had been caught more than once playing with an old flint in a field of dry grass, not to mention his penchant for torturing his two younger sisters with scary stories which often led to nightmares.
"Well, you aren't Peter and neither Mumma nor Daddy is going to give you a spanking, although we are going to have a very serious talk and there will be consequences."
Wiping her eyes with her fists, Poppy's voice shook as she asked, "What are consequences?"
Elsie sat her daughter on the counter before beginning to pull out the makings of their breakfast.
"Consequences are what happen after someone makes a choice to do something or to behave in a certain way. In this case, you and Livy made a naughty choice so the consequences aren't going to be very fun."
Poppy's eyes were big and she worried her bottom lip as she struggled to keep her crying at bay. "But no spankings?"
A warm smile accompanied her mother's repeated promise, "No spankings."
Kittens back in their closet enjoying their own breakfast, Livy and Poppy were both quiet as they snuck glances at one another and pushed the food around their small plates while Mary and Pete happily tucked into scrambled eggs, chopped up sausage, and marmalade drenched triangles of toast.
Swallowing a mouthful of coffee, Charles glanced up at his wife who nodded her head and observed, "If we don't do it now you'll be late for school."
Pushing back his chair, Charles leaned his head to the side, raising his eyebrows as he caught the girls' eyes. "Pop, Liv, come here, please."
Another nod received from his wife to confirm that she was still in favor of the punishment they had decided on while filling the children's plates, Charles sat up straight as the twins slowly made their way in front of their parents, Poppy looking as though she was headed to the gallows, while Livy wore a slightly defiant look, although she did reach out and take her sister's hand.
"You are going to be punished for what happened this morning, but Mumma and I first want you to tell us why you thought it was alright to leave the nursery in the middle of the night."
"I heard the kittens crying…"
Charles gave her a doubtful look, knowing full well the only time the kittens cried was when their mother was late returning from a trip outside before their evening feeding, but he didn't interrupt as she continued.
"…when we got up to go potty."
"Did you hear the kittens crying, Poppy?"
The elder twin swallowed hard as she considered her mother's question, looking at the faces of both her parents before turning to Livy.
"Don't look at Livy. Mumma asked you a question."
"No."
The admission earned her a disgruntled look from her sister.
"Poppy didn't hear them because they didn't cry for very long," Livy quickly added.
"Olivia Violet, I think you should stop fibbing."
Her mouth falling open as she considered protesting against her father's accusation, she quickly shut it as she caught the arched eyebrow her mother was sporting, the extreme angle at which Elsie's head was turned serving as warning that she best heed her father's advice.
"If you heard the kittens crying on your way to the potty, why did you have your pillows? You don't take your pillows to the potty."
Her father's logic undeniable, a sudden gasp cut through the air and words soon followed, spilling out of Poppy's mouth like a river over the edge of a cliff.
"We were naughty! We always take our pillows and go see the kittens when we can hear Daddy snoring, but," she began hiccupping," but we neh-heh-he-ver fell asleep uh-huh-huh-ntil last night. We didn't me-he-he-ean to fall asleep! The kittens were just so…cuh-hu-hu-hu-hu-hu-hudddd-huhlee-hee-hee."
The sobbed syllables of the final word of her confession finally delivered, Poppy buried her face in her hands as her sister turned and pulled her into a hug.
Charles' resolve crumbling first at the sight of their sweet child in such torment, he moved from the chair to his knees and pulled the twins to his chest.
"Shhh…Poppy, shhh…, petal, it's alright."
Wiping tears from her cheek, Elsie joined him on the floor, gently patting the girls' backs until they turned to look at her, her voice soft as she explained, "Mumma and Daddy were so scared when we couldn't find you this morning. We looked and looked for you. We have to know where you are all the time because we want you to be safe and we also count on you big girls to set a good example for Pete and Mary. What if one of them had woken up in the middle of the night and not been able to find you? They would have been very scared and it wasn't safe for you to get in the cupboard in the dark. You might have hurt one of the kittens if you accidentally stepped on them or sat on them. We know you love them very much…"
"Which is why we have decided that the consequences for doing what you knew you weren't supposed to do, and also for scaring Mumma and me, is that you don't get to hold or pet or play with the kittens for two days."
Poppy's face crumbled while Olivia's eyes flew open, her voice filled with disbelief. "TWO WHOLE DAYS?"
Charles nodded. "And you are lucky it isn't three, Miss Olivia, after all the fibbing you have done this morning."
Sense overriding her indignation, Livy's shoulders fell as she reached down to once again take her sister's hand.
Elsie pulled a handkerchief from her dressing gown pocket and gently wiped Poppy's cheeks. "Alright. We'll say nothing more of it, just go sit down and I'll make you some new toast with honey."
Her back to the rest of the room as she sliced two pieces of bread before inserting them into the toaster, she smiled as she felt her husband's body press up behind her, his mouth soon planting a kiss just behind her ear.
"Do you think we did the right thing? Punishing them in front of Pete and Mary."
"I do. They probably won't remember this even happened a week from now, but at least they saw us being firm, but fair and also that we aren't afraid to administer punishment."
He kissed her neck once more and was about to step away when a thought suddenly occurred to him. Gently placing his hands on her shoulders he reminded her, "We're talking about Mary as though she's a permanent member of the family, but she goes home day after tomorrow. Are you alright with that?"
Two weeks before she would have thought such a question ludicrous, but now, as they spoke of the child they had begun referring to as "the shadow" given her constant need to be near her, Elsie felt a tightening in her chest at the thought of Mary going back to London with Robert.
"I'm fine. But yes, despite my initial qualms, I have become very fond of her. She obviously has the capacity to be a very sweet child and I know the children are going to miss her, especially Pete."
"What do we do if she doesn't want to go?"
Turning to face him, she was distracted by Mary's happy cry as she ran towards them with her empty dish.
"Look, Mumma! Look, Daddy! I made a happy plate!"
Smiling brightly at Mary, she glanced up at her husband and through gritted teeth whispered, "Shit."
The two days seemed an eternity to Livy and Poppy as they suffered their punishment and were forced to stand idly by as they watched Pete and Mary, as well as Beryl, Gran Bill, Daisy, and Andy play with the kittens, but they had survived, although the news their father shared over Friday's dinner initially came as a shock.
"I spoke with Bill and he will take Mumma cat and the kittens home with him Sunday evening."
"What?!" Livy was out of her seat at the little table like a shot, her hands gripping her father's trousers as she looked up at him. "He can't take our kittens!"
The other children were close behind Livy, their little faces filled with worry.
It was an unspoken understanding that they would keep Hope, but the discussion as to where the other kittens would live had yet to be decided between the couple who were now exchanging glances.
"It's only going to be for a month or so while the men are here working on the house, sweetheart," Elsie explained as she reached down and ran her hand over Livy's curls. "All the banging and stomping will scare the kittens so they will be better off at Gran Bill's. I promise we will visit them every day and just think, after a month they will be old enough to be eating regular cat food and won't have to depend on Mumma cat to eat so Hope can come and live with us then."
"Mmm…I don't know." Charles' reply caused everyone to look up at him, his wife's expression now filled with the same concern as the children. "I don't think Hope would be happy here without her brother and sisters."
Elsie sat up rigidly in her seat, her brow furrowing as she offered a flustered, "Charles, that's...but, we…I always assumed..."
He reached over and took his wife's hand. "I wanted to talk to you about it first, but I spoke with Bill and Beryl just after the kittens were born…"
"You made the decision we wouldn't keep…"
Giving her hand a warm squeeze, he grinned, "Calm down. Don't get yourself in a tizzy, honey. I asked them if we could keep all the kittens when the time came for Mumma cat to return to the barn. I didn't think it fair for Hope to be here on her own, but I knew if we let Pop, Livy, and Pete each keep a kitten that would leave one unpicked and…"
"We couldn't keep three and leave one!"
"Which is exactly what I told Bill and Beryl you'd say."
"Good gracious, Charles! Don't wind us up like that!" She gave his hand a playful swipe before turning to the children with a relieved smile. "What do you think? Do you think we should keep all four kittens?"
Poppy and Livy threw their arms around each other, squealing and giggling as Pete and Mary began to bounce, all yelling "Yes!" repeatedly.
"Well, if we are going to keep them, I suppose we better give the rest of them names," Charles announced over the din.
The children began throwing out ideas, which their parents largely ignored as they began collecting plates and cups before meeting at the sink.
"You about gave me a heart attack, Charles Carson."
Turning on the water, he then leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose. "Sometimes it's just too fun to watch you get worked up when I know I am going to eventually tell you what you want to hear."
"That's mean!"
"I know, but you're beautiful when you're mad. Of course, you're beautiful when you are happy. You're always beautiful."
Elsie shook her head as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Flattery won't save you, Mr. Carson. I'm still irked. Why didn't you tell me you wanted us to keep them all before?"
"I thought you might think it a crazy idea. We've so much on and a full house, as it is. You, especially."
She laughed. "Three, sometimes four children, a dog, four kittens, three goats, a host of builders, two books, a large husband, and hopefully a pregnancy? Now why on earth would you think it might be too much?"
He returned her laughter, but their conversation was halted by the sound of the telephone ringing from the other room.
"Lily!" Elsie cried as she quickly rinsed her hands off before setting off across the kitchen, explaining over her shoulder, "Her letter said she'd call me Friday evening."
Watching her disappear around the doorway, the happiness that had filled him waned as he thought of their sick friend on the other end of the telephone line, but he was soon drawn out of his sudden gloom as he looked down to find Livy looking at him, a bright smile on her face as she announced, "I know what I want to name my kitten, Daddy!"
"You do? What's that?"
"Bugger!"
The children happily ensconced in the dining room floor with the kittens, Mumma cat, and Barley, Charles found Elsie just ending her call as he stuck his head in the sitting room.
"Please think about it. Please…..It wouldn't be at all. We love you so much…I will…a kiss to Purley….alright, I will. Goodbye."
Unaware that her husband was watching her, Elsie was quiet for a moment before letting out a teary gasp.
"Oh, sweetheart." He was quickly at her side, gently rubbing her back as she leaned against him.
Catching her breath, she wiped her eyes before looking up at him. "I want us to do something and I want it very much, but it is a lot to ask."
"Outside of a new toaster and a baby, you've never asked me for anything," he whispered as an attempt at levity before adding, "Whatever you want, honey. You know that."
"I want to talk to Mr. Jacobs about hiring more workers so the house will get finished faster and I want Lily and Purley to move in with us by Christmas."
"Elsie…"
"Please, honey. Please. The two sons they have left and their children all live in Canada and their daughter doesn't live far from here, but she isn't in the best health and doesn't have the space or means to put them up. It's too much to expect Purley to take care of her alone. I've talked to Isobel and she will come stay when Lily needs around the clock care, and I know Beryl and Daisy and Anna will help. I need this, honey. I need this time with her. We need to help make her comfortable and…"
Charles wrapped his arms around her sobbing shoulders, "We're going to have a houseful of kittens and children, sweetheart. You think she will be able to rest…"
She quickly interrupted him. "But remember we already planned to insulate that end of the house from in here to keep down the noise of the children's rooms and the new play room. It could work the other way. We'll keep the girls upstairs and Pete in the nursery and they will have those three rooms to themselves."
"What did Lily say when you made the offer?"
Elsie sighed deeply. "That it was a mad idea and she didn't want to be a bother."
"I know you love her, honey…"
"I need this, Charles. I wasn't there for Becky when I should have been, but I can be there for Lily."
He took her hand and helped her from the chair as he warned, "It is going to be hard on you, hard on me, and very hard on the children to watch her go."
"I know, but it will be hard no matter what. This way we would at least get some good, happy times with her before…"
He pulled her to him again. "If they want to, of course. We've certainly got the money to get the house done faster, no worries on that front. I just don't want this to be too much, Elsie. What we were just talking about in the kitchen, we've already so much on. The books, the baby."
"The books are the least of my worries. I've already made the first set of edits on the new Barley book and I haven't agreed to any terms involving promotion and the farm book isn't going anywhere." She ran her hand up his chest before lifting it to cup his cheek. "We'll make a baby. We will. It will happen when it is supposed to happen. Please let me do this, let's do this."
"You get them here and the rest will work itself out, I suppose," Charles answered with a reluctant, but loving smile.
"Thank you, honey." She buried her head against his chest once more. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
He held her for a few moments, placing gentle kisses in her hair before whispering, "Wipe your eyes, Mrs. Carson. We have rather pressing matters in the other room."
Looking up at him, she rested her chin against his chest. "What might they be?"
"Our children are degenerates. Livy wants to name the little orange boy "Bugger," while Mary and Pete have decided on "Rosie" for the solid gray girl."
Elsie's eyes grew big. "Oh, Livy! Where on earth did she come up with that? No one has ever used that word in front of her!"
"I had the same reaction, but she reminded me of the other day when we found him playing with that dead moth. She said because he likes bugs we should call him 'Bugger."
"Ah. Logical, but unacceptable. Now, Rosie What's wrong with Rosie?"
"Nothing, other than the reason they chose it is because they think her little pink bum hole looks like a little rose."
By Saturday morning it had been decided that the little boy kitten would be called "Buddy," while the solid gray girl retained "Rosie," much to Charles' chagrin, and Poppy's little white tipped kitten was aptly named "Tip."
Having let the children stay up late to play with the kittens, they had slept in and at nearly ten had just finished a late breakfast when Andy arrived to help Charles dig up some bushes at the end of the house where the construction would be starting the following Monday.
All content after partaking in pancakes and bacon, the children and kittens were happily playing in the blanket fort Andy had helped them build while Elsie was cleaning the kitchen when she was surprised by the sight of the Crawley's Bentley pulling into the drive. "I thought you were coming after one," she murmured as she pulled off her apron, grateful she had decided to get dressed before cooking.
Opening the front door, she was startled once again, this time by the sight of not only Robert, but a brightly smiling Cora. "Hello!" She called as she quickly wrapped her arms around her body in response to a cold wind that whipped against the house.
"Hello!" Cora appeared a different woman compared to the frail, green-gilled creature Elsie had visited two weeks prior. "I hope it's alright that we're early."
Ushering both of them inside, she quickly kissed their cheeks before noting, "Of course, of course! I didn't know you were coming with Robert, but is so good to see you. You look wonderful, Cora! How do you feel?"
"Thank you. I feel wonderful. The last three days, I don't know how or why, but it just seemed to pass. I now have an appetite and energy. I feel like a different person."
"I was afraid the trip might be too much, but she insisted. And we're early," Robert explained before his wife cut him off.
"Because I couldn't wait to see Mary."
"That's wonderful! Well, come in! Come in!" She led the couple down the corridor towards the sitting room. "Please excuse the state of things. There is a magical castle made of every blanket we own in the middle of the room thanks to Andy."
They had just caught sight of the structure when Rosie scurried out from under a small gap in the blankets followed by a giggling Mary who was on all fours as she reached for the kitten.
"You silly baby cat!" Catching the kitten under its tummy, she was scooting backwards into the fort when she caught sight of her parents smiling at her from across the room.
"Hello, darling," Cora called.
"NOOOOOOO!" The toddler ducked back inside the blankets, her cries of "Hide me! Hide me!" clearly heard across the room.
"Oh dear." Robert whispered.
Biting her bottom lip, Elsie glanced over at a clearly distraught Cora. "I'm sorry. I'm sure she's just surprised."
Cora shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "Don't be sorry, Elsie. I didn't expect her to rush into our arms."
Charles suddenly appeared from the bedroom, grinning widely, "I thought I heard a car! Hello!"
Robert opened his mouth to respond, but shut it as his daughter suddenly appeared from the other side of the blanket fort, running over to Charles, her arms wrapping around his legs as she cried, "No go, Daddy! No go!"
Exchanging worried looks with her husband, Elsie took a deep breath before turning to their friends and softly offering, "Why don't I make us all a cup of tea?"
Having once again retreated inside the blanket fort, it took quite a bit of gentle coaxing, as well as encouragement from the other children for Mary to finally emerge. Holding onto Pete's hand, she refused to go anywhere near her parents who patiently waited on the sofa.
"Why don't we get some of your art, Mary, and show your Papa and Mama?" Elsie offered, but when she tried to leave the room to retrieve the items, Mary dragged Peter over so she could hold on to Elsie's skirt. "Alright, you and Pete can help me carry your things in," she gently murmured, doing her best not to dwell on the pained look that now filled Cora's face.
A canvas of her painted hand and finger prints Elsie had made into a series of different types of animals with the aid of a fine-tipped pen, as well as a necklace made of painted dried pasta shells strung on yarn with a mix of beads, and several paintings having been oohed and ahhed over by her parents, Mary still clung to Elsie where they sat on one end of the sofa, while Cora sat at the other, Charles and Robert on the opposite side of the room where they could talk without being heard.
"I knew she'd be resistant to leave, but I feel like an absolute villain," Robert admitted.
"She's just overwhelmed."
Robert shook his head. "She's just been happier here than she ever was in our home."
"That's not true. She was very happy with Nanny Clara. It was just a few rough weeks after that. Didn't you say it was this Clara's sister whom you hired? That's wonderful. She'll be familiar, but new."
"I hope you're right."
"I know I am." Charles looked back and forth between Elsie and Cora a few times as an idea suddenly struck him, "Don't go home this afternoon. Why don't you stay the night?"
"The house is closed up," Robert said with a frown as he referred to the home he and Cora had purchased after JoMo had taken a job at Charles' school.
"Here. You can stay here. That way Mary can spend another night with the children, but also be around you. It might make it easier if you left tomorrow."
Robert nodded, "We have no plans. I suppose we could stay, but she's so attached to Elsie."
"What if Elsie and I weren't here?"
"You'd spend the night somewhere else and let us keep the children?"
Charles nodded. "I can't guarantee I can talk Elsie into it, but if she would go, Mary would still have Pete and the girls, but you and Cora would be the only adults so she'd have no choice..."
"So she'd have to talk to us. Let us near her. Let us help her."
"Exactly. The girls and Pete would be fine. They would behave and Bill and Beryl would be just down the hill and she already told us she is bringing over a roasted chicken for dinner so you wouldn't have to worry about a meal."
"If Cora and Elsie agree, I think it is a marvelous idea."
"Alright."
"Really?" Charles was shocked at how quickly Elsie had agreed to the idea. "I never dreamed you'd so readily agree."
"It's one night. And like you said, Beryl and Bill are just down the hill. If the children don't put up a fuss, I certainly won't."
Having been promised they could sleep in the blanket fort with the kittens and Mumma cat, the three Carson children were quite content with the idea of staying with Robert and Cora while their parents went into town, but Mary maintained her objective of not being more than a few feet away from Elsie at all times, even late into the afternoon.
"I have to change clothes, sweetheart. Why don't you stay in here and play with Pete and the big girls?"
Mary tightened her grasp on Elsie's skirt and shook her head. "Stay with you."
Watching Cora fight tears from her seat nearby, Elsie quickly offered, "Cora, why don't you come with us?"
A grateful smile on her lips, she maintained a bit of distance as she followed her daughter and Elsie back to the master bedroom, taking a seat at the vanity as she watched them disappear into the closet.
"Which dress do you think, Miss Mary," Elsie asked over her shoulder as they made their way back into the room as she held a dress in each hand, one a soft blush lace dress and the other a dark navy two piece suit."
"Oh that blush number is lovely, Elsie." Cora noted as she placed a small bottle of perfume she had been smelling back on the vanity.
"Isn't it? I've never worn it. It seems too delicate. Charles actually bought it for me when we went to York for one of my readings. He took the children into a few shops and the girls chose it."
"It gets my vote."
"I think Mama is right. Do you like this one?" Elsie held the delicate frock out towards Mary who nodded her head. "I'll need some jewelry. Will you ladies pick something out?" She nodded towards a wooden box on Cora's right. "I have some pearls, but I don't know."
Placing the box on her lap, Cora's heart skipped a beat as she noticed Mary taking a couple of steps in her direction, her curiosity piqued. "Oh, this is lovely," she cooed as she lifted a strand of iridescent beads from inside. "This would look beautiful on you, Mary." She held the necklace out for her daughter to see.
"Mumma?" Poppy was through the door, her sister close behind as they noticed Cora holding the box of jewelry their mother sometimes let them look at.
"That's my favorite," Livy announced as she and Poppy made their way to the vanity. "It looks like rainbows inside of ice."
"It does," Cora agreed.
"May we wear some of your jewels, Mumma?" Poppy asked as she eyed an ivory bangle.
"They are mostly glass and paste, not quite jewels, but of course you may. You and Mary and Livy." She answered, exchanging knowing grins with Cora.
Caught up in looking in the vanity mirror at themselves all draped in various beads and baubles, all three little girls were surprised when Elsie suddenly appeared in the glass now dressed in the lace that perfectly matched her complexion.
"Mumma! You look like an angel!" Poppy cried as she turned around and reached out to run her hand over the dress's skirt.
"Ooh!" Livy squealed. "Do a twirl, Mumma! Do a twirl!"
"Oh, silly girl," Elsie chided before doing as requested.
Cora sighed, but smiled as she looked at her lovely friend. "If I tried to do that right now, I'd topple over. You do look gorgeous."
"Thank you very much and you ladies all look gorgeous in all of your jewels."
"May we wear them to supper?" Livy turned back to the mirror to gaze at herself.
"If Auntie Cora says it is okay."
"Of course," Cora quickly agreed.
"Can we wear lipsticks?" Livy asked with a sly smile as she picked up one of the gold tubes in front of her.
"No lipsticks. You are beautiful enough as it is, my darling," Elsie answered, playfully giving her daughter a pat on the bottom.
Noting that the box was empty, save a few brooches, Elsie leaned down and wrapped her arms around Poppy on the other side of the vanity, her chin on the little one's head. "Well, you beauty girls have left me little choice. I am afraid all I have left are my pearls to wear." She pointed at the top drawer which Cora opened and from which she retrieved a large velvet box.
"Those are your Christmas pearls. The ones you said Daddy spent too much money on." Poppy announced, earning a giggle from Cora.
"Yes. Thank you, Poppy." Elsie sighed with a grin as she took the box her friend offered.
Watching Elsie carefully clasp the strand of perfect pearls around her neck and then clip the matching earrings into place, Mary looked back and forth between the two grownups. "Match!"
Noting that they both wore similar necklaces, each smiled at Mary.
"That's right." Cora noted, cautiously reaching out to run her hand over her child's hair, the first physical contact she had had with her since their arrival nearly five hours before.
Mary froze, but didn't move away as she felt her mother's gentle touch.
Their eyes meeting in the mirror, Elsie gave Cora a wink before slipping back into the closet to retrieve her shoes.
Having pulled each of her children aside earlier to remind them to use their best manners and to be kind and respectful to Cora and Robert, Elsie felt a little guilty as she and Charles put on their coats while listening to Livy, Pete, Poppy, and Mary happily assist Beryl in making the evening's pudding as the Crawley's looked on over a cup of tea at the dining room table.
"Should we just slip out?" Charles asked as he picked up their small case.
Elsie shook her head. "No. It might not be pleasant, but if we don't say goodbye, I'll be wracked with guilt the rest of the evening."
Nodding, he followed her into the kitchen.
"Oh my goodness! Everything smells so good! You have some wonderful helpers, Auntie Bee!" Elsie announced, while out of the corner of her eye she caught Mary's smile fall as she took in the fact that they were wearing coats.
"Go with you!"
Charles set the bag on the floor as he watched the child begin to try to climb down from the chair, but Elsie halted her efforts as she gently pulled Mary back into a standing position so she could whisper in her ear.
"Uncle Charles and Aunt Elsie love you so much, baby. You are such a good, sweet girl." She gave the little one a squeeze as she continued, "But Your Mama and Papa can't wait to hear all the songs you've learned and to play all the games we've been playing so you and Pete and the big girls have to teach them tonight so when you go home you and Mama and Papa can sing and play them all the time."
"No! Go with you!"
Elsie patted her back, gently shushing her before continuing, "Where Uncle Charles and Aunt Elsie are going isn't very fun for children, and there are no kittens and there is no blanket fort. You are going to have so much more fun here cooking and and singing and playing. So be a big, brave girl and give me a kiss so you can get back to helping Auntie Bee, alright?"
Mary stared at her for a minute, her eyes brimming with tears, but slowly began to nod her head before pursing her lips.
Elsie gave all four children a kiss and was on her way to meet Charles in the doorway when she turned back and said, "I love you more than there are stars, and snowflakes, and…"
"Strawberry seeds!" All four children answered in unison, earning them a wink and a smile before the couple disappeared out of sight.
Being treated to a ride by Davies, Charles wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders as the driver slipped their small overnight bag into the boot. "You're good? You aren't going to change your mind two kilometers down the road?"
She gave him scowl. "Not a chance. Our children are safe, healthy, and happy, and Mary isn't clinging to my leg. It's been a long two weeks. I just want to be alone with you drinking copious amounts of wine."
He chuckled, surprised, but delighted by her candor. "Excellent," He leaned down to give her a lingering kiss, but quickly pulled away as Davies slid into his seat. "Best save something for later."
Her hand sliding onto his thigh, she lifted her eyebrows twice as she whispered, "I expect much more than kissing, Mr. Carson."
Having left the arrangements to Robert, Elsie and Charles were overwhelmed but not surprised to find that they were staying in the best suite the Inn had to offer.
"I know you have dinner reservations downstairs, sir, but it has been arranged that a bottle of champagne will be waiting when you return this evening," the young bellman assured them as he made his way towards the door. "My name is Lionel, if you need anything, please just call down."
"Thank you, Lionel," Elsie called from across the room as Charles gave him a generous tip.
"Could you arrange for a wakeup call at..." he turned back to Elsie, "Eight?"
"Nine," she countered with a smile. "Who knows what we'll get up to if there's champagne?"
"Nine." Charles quickly confirmed, although his cheeks were slightly red as he closed the door behind the young man. "You are positively shameless, Elsie May."
"Mmmm…." Reaching him, she ran her hands over his chest. "And you are positively blushing, Charles Ernest."
He wrinkled his nose at her employment of his middle name which he found far less endearing than her own. "Don't call me that."
"What would you like me to call you?" Her hands slipped down to the waist of his pants and she smiled as she felt him quiver at the feel of her fingers dancing between the waist band and his shirt.
"Elsie, our reservation is in fifteen minutes."
"Uhh…" she groaned softly as she pushed herself up on her tiptoes and kissed gave his chin a quick nibble and then a kiss. "We could always have dinner here."
He glanced down at her lovely décolletage, the lightest smattering of freckles covering her soft, porcelain skin, but quickly forced his gaze to her eyes as he admitted, "We could, but I am rather enjoying the thought of watching heads turn as I walk through the room with the loveliest girl in England. You look so beautiful."
"Charmer."
"I only speak the truth, my dear Mrs. Carson. Besides, we will have at least ten hours alone in this room after dinner, and I intend on making the most of those ten hours."
"Doing what?" She whispered, letting her hand drift lower down the front of his trousers.
Reaching down and gently taking hold of her hand, he lifted to his mouth and kissed it. "You are being quite risqué, young lady. What's gotten into you?"
Gently stroking his cheek, she simply answered, "I don't know. Maybe it's just the thought of being alone with you in a room that isn't next door to four sleeping children."
"Ah."
Turning, she picked up her handbag from the bed before taking his hand. "Well, come on then, ply me with liquor so we can come back and you can have your wicked way with me."
"Your wish is my command."
As predicted, the Scottish lass with her ivory skin and auburn curls had turned many heads when she entered the restaurant's dining room with her tall, handsome husband and it was with pride and amusement that Charles watched his wife survey the menu.
"Should I do the fish? I always get the fish. Maybe the chicken, no, not the chicken. Ooh, lamb."
He hadn't even cracked his menu when she finally looked up from her little monologue, surprised by the grin on his face.
"What? Why are you smiling like that?" she asked wearing her own grin.
"Do you remember the first time we came here?"
She grimaced. "Of course. The night we got engaged."
"Five years ago last month. You wore a navy suit and a greenish blue blouse and an orchid." He recalled.
"And you wore a gray suit that brought out the distinguished silver at your temples."
He laughed. "A lot more of that now after three children."
"I remember stealing a look at you that evening and thinking this is the first day of your real life, Elsie Hughes."
"So this real life...any regrets?"
"Are you kidding?" She shook her head. "I'm married to my best friend and we have the most wonderful children and a lovely home. What could I possibly regret?" She gazed lovingly at him for a moment before suddenly sticking out her tongue. "Now stop trying to make me cry and order some wine, Charles Ernest."
Their wonderful dinner finished, they decided to forgo dessert and had ordered another bottle of the wine they had both particularly enjoyed to share upstairs in addition to the champagne they knew was already waiting for them.
Having climbed the two flights of stairs to their floor, they had just turned down the corridor on which their room was located when Elsie, who was quite a bit tipsier than her highly tolerant husband, whispered, "Stop," as she leaned her back against the wall and gave him a playful look.
"The room's just down there, honey," he whispered, glancing around to make sure no one could see them.
"I know, but these shoes hurt. Help me take them off, please."
"Elsie."
"Please, sweetheart. No one's around. Please."
The playful smile and smoldering look she was giving him overpowered his sense of propriety and after one more glance over his shoulder, he quickly lowered to his knees and slipped the black heels from her feet. "There you go." He moved to get up but was stopped when Elsie lifted her right foot and rested it against his chest.
"Slide your hands under my skirt."
"Elsie!" His hissed echoed down the corridor.
She let out a throaty giggle as she lowered her foot which was followed by a move of her hands to his head, gently pulling his hair before suddenly leaning over and giving him a deep, forceful kiss.
Almost losing his balance, he was forced reach up, his hands sliding up the back of her thighs until he found the top of her stockings and the stays holding them in place.
Pulling her head back, she was breathless, but her eyes danced as she gazed down at him. "Mmmm…I knew you could do it."
"You're incorrigible."
"Maybe." They stared at each other, lust and need volleying back and forth in the warm light of the hotel corridor, his fingers now gently stroking where her stockings stopped and met the soft skin just above. He was leaning forward to press his face against her when they both heard footsteps approaching. Giving her husband a silly smile, Elsie broke into another set of giggles as she took off towards their room only to pass it and disappear behind a large potted plant, leaving her husband on his knees, one of her shoes on either side of him as Lionel appeared at the top of the landing, their wine bottle and two glasses skillfully balanced on the tray in his hands.
"Are you alright, Mr. Carson?"
He gave his head a shake, quickly scooping up the shoes which he tucked under his arms as he slowly rose to his feet. "My wife…" he glanced towards the plant, but she was well hidden, and unable to come up with an explanation, he simply pointed towards the door as he waited for the bellman to pass.
Assuring the young man he would open and pour the wine, he gave him another generous tip, certain to leave the door ajar after Lionel had cleared the room.
He had just pulled the cork from the bottle when his wife's head slowly peaked from around the side of the door.
"How mad are you?"
Having poured two glasses, he picked up one and turned his face away from her, determined not to let her see his grin. "On a scale from one to ten?"
His voice was low, which triggered a tiny bit of an alarm in her head, but she pressed on, slipping into the room before closing and locking the door. "Yes. On a scale from one to ten."
He waited a few moments, determined to make her squirm a bit. "Ten."
"Ten?" Her voice was small as she took a few steps towards him, but thought better of it as he remained turned away, opting instead to pick up the remaining glass of wine from the small table. "I'm sorry, honey. That wasn't very nice…what I did."
His silence made her heart beat faster and she quickly turned away to drink the wine in hopes that it might wash away the tension that now filled the room. She was swallowing the last bit when she felt him begin to gently lower the invisible zipper on the back of her dress.
"I'm not mad at you, I'm only mad that we were interrupted by the bellman."
She shivered as his warm breath tickled her ear just as his deep voice made the pit of her stomach tingle.
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
His slow, deliberate removal of her dress caused her to tremble, almost swooning even as he pressed a soft kiss in the middle of her now naked back while his fingers delicately eased the lace from her shoulders and down her arms.
"Do you want another glass of wine?"
She turned around, startled as he suddenly stepped back and took the wine glass from her hand before moving back to the table, the loss of his warmth leaving her longing for his nearness.
"I do, if you do," she whispered.
"Seems a shame to waste." He didn't look at her as he refilled both of their glasses.
She glanced down at the dress which now hung around her waist and was reaching back to pull the zipper down the remaining few centimeters that would allow her to step out of it when he moved back in front of her.
"Please don't deny me the pleasure of undressing you, Mrs. Carson."
She smiled as she accepted the glass he offered, taking a sip as he moved his hands behind her and continued his exquisite torture.
"You didn't like this dress when we gave it to you at the hotel in York."
She smiled and gave her head a shake. "It's not that I didn't like it. It's beautiful. I just thought it far too delicate and lovely for the mother of three."
"Not for a gorgeous mother of three," he corrected as he leaned down and kissed her shoulder before lowering the dress to the ground for her to step out.
"I feel silly in petticoats."
"Nonsense."
Picking up the frock from the floor, he hung it over a nearby chair before removing his own jacket and tie and picking up his wine glass.
The wine keeping her a little warm, she still felt a bit of a chill in nothing but her longline bra and petticoats. "Are you undressing me in stages?"
He smiled before taking a sip of his wine and sitting on the end of the bed. "I'll finish my job if you'll come here and hold my glass."
Doing as he requested, she bit her lip as his large hands wrapped around her waist and turned her to face the other direction so he could undo the petticoat ties before unhooking the bra. Feeling the netting fall around her ankles, she was stepping out of it when she almost lost her balance.
"Careful, darling."
"Let me put these glasses down before I make a mess."
Holding onto her arm, he helped her escape the confines of the tulle so she could safely deposit their glasses on the bedside table.
"Better?"
"Less dangerous for sure."
She reached over to turn off the nearby lamp, but he stopped her. "Don't, sweetheart. I want to see you."
She sighed deeply. "I don't know why. Three babies have done a number…"
"What do I have to do to get it through that stubborn Scot's brain of yours that you are incredibly sexy? You have to have noticed every man in the room staring at you when we walked into the restaurant."
"They didn't."
He threw his head back in disbelief. "And every woman shot daggers at you because you put them to shame. I tell you every day how beautiful you are. Why don't you believe me?"
"You just think that because you love me."
"I do love you. More than anything in the world, but even if I didn't know you, I would still think you are the loveliest woman I have ever laid eyes on. I mean it."
"Stop."
He shook his head as he lowered back down onto the bed, pulling her on top of him. "I won't stop until you believe me. We have gorgeous children who are gorgeous because they so strongly favor you."
"Bird looks like you!"
"He's going to be tall and his hair is dark, but he has your big blue eyes and this lovely nose and this wonderful, wide smile." He lifted his hand so he could run the pad of his finger across the width of her bottom lip. "It's what I noticed first that day I met you on the stoop. I thought My God, that woman could light the world with a smile like that. And I was right. It does. It certainly lights my world."
"I told you not to make me cry."
"You're beautiful and clever and funny and dead sexy."
She leaned down and kissed him, arms wrapping tightly around his neck before leaning back and whispering, "You're handsome and clever and funny and have a large penis."
She rolled off his body and watched him laugh, giggling herself as she watched tears fall from the corners of his eyes.
"God, I love you, Elsie Carson."
"I love you, too," she replied as she reached over and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Now please take your clothes off and make your beautiful wife pregnant, Charles Carson."
He knew he'd regret the position in the morning, her legs wrapped around his waist as he supported her whole weight as he sat on his knees in the middle of the bed, rocking into her hard and fast. Her breathing signaled that she was close to climaxing, but he managed to prolong the moment by urging her to turn and look at their reflections in the mirror.
She glanced over, but quickly looked away. "Charles!"
"What? Look at you, Elsie." He slowed his efforts as he ran one of his large, warm hands down her side and over her bum before bringing it back up to gently cup her breast, his thumb gently caressing her nipple. "You're stunning."
She glanced over and cringed slightly, but couldn't look away as he replaced his hand with his mouth, his eyes glancing back and forth between the mirror and her face.
"Faster, honey, faster."
Her whispered words made the discomfort he was feeling in his hip disappear and he increased his efforts, fighting to keep his own orgasm at bay until she reached hers.
It didn't take long before Elsie was moaning his name against his shoulder, her body tightly wound as she shuddered against him which brought on his own release.
Falling back on the bed, they remained tightly bound, neither willing to let go of the other for several minutes as they basked in the quiet of the room.
Groaning as she pushed herself up, Elsie let out a light hiss as she pulled her leg over so that she was no longer straddling him. "Jeeze Louise."
"Jeeze Louise is right. I think I died."
Climbing off the bed on her way to the en suite, she laughed as she countered, "But what a way to go."
Having cleaned herself up, she returned with two glasses of water and a hand towel for Charles, only to jump at the sound of a cork popping.
"Sorry," he apologized with a grin. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"I brought water, but champagne sounds better. I want something cold."
The bubbles tickled her nose, but the quality of the sparkling liquid allowed it to slide smoothly down her throat which was parched after all the sighs and moans she had made over the last hour.
"I hope I didn't offend you when I asked you to look in the mirror."
A little chuckle escaped her throat as she assured him, "The very last thing in the world I am is offended. Surprised maybe, but not offended."
"Surprised how?"
"Well, that you had obviously been watching us before then and…"
He waited a moment, but when she didn't finish, prompted, "And?"
"And…that I found it…arousing."
He leaned over and gave her a kiss. "Now whose blushing, Mrs. Carson."
"Oh, hush, you." She chided as she walked around to the far side of the room.
"It's only eleven thirty. How do you think things are going at home?" Charles asked as he turned away to lightly wipe himself off as Elsie climbed onto the unmade bed.
"I would venture to wager that Pete fell asleep at nine with Barley curled up next to him. Mary didn't last much longer with poor little Rosie held tight in her arms. Poppy made it to ten, but asked Cora to rock her, Tip, and Hope, and Robert is probably teaching Livy and Buddy to gamble by betting biscuits at our dining room table as we speak."
Charles laughed as he joined her in the bed. "Would you mind?"
"If he taught her to gamble?" She was quiet for a minute before shrugging. "Something to fall back on if her quest for world domination fails."
"She is something else, that's for sure," Charles conceded.
"What do you think the odds are that we might have another set of twins?"
He didn't mean to cringe, but couldn't help it. "Quite slim, I hope."
"Me, too. I wouldn't trade our little salt and pepper shakers for anything, but the idea of feeding and rocking and changing nappies for two tiny babies in addition to what we already have going on in our life is a bit terrifying."
Charles inched closer to her and took a sip from his glass before finding the courage to bring up the subject of Lily. "I am not changing my mind, I don't want you to think that. If you still want them to stay with us, I support the plan, but are you absolutely positive you want Lily and Purley to live with us? I mentioned it to Robert and he said he would talk to Violet and they could certainly arrange for someone to care for them in Whitby."
"In Whitby. I don't want to be that far from them, Charles. I want to be nearby if she needs anything, if they do."
"Alright, alright."
She downed the rest of her glass before sighing. "They may refuse the offer."
"She won't when she sees how badly you want her here."
She whipped her head over to look at them. "You think I am trying to coerce them into doing something they don't want to do?"
He shook his head, not wanting to start an argument. "Of course not. I just know she loves you as much as you love her."
"If I'm going to lose her, I'm going to make sure the last years, or months at least, are as happy and comfortable as they can possibly be. I can't make her better, but I can make their life a little easier, a little happier."
He was quiet for a few moments as a thought suddenly occured to him. "You want her to meet this new baby, don't you? You want to give her one last peanut to love on before she dies. It's why you agreed so easily to come here tonight. So we could make love just after you ovulated."
She wasn't surprised that he knew where she was in her cycle, but she was surprised at how easily he had put things together.
"Are you angry?"
He laughed. "Why would I be angry?"
"You don't feel used?"
Continuing to laugh, he took her champagne glass away and placed it next to his own on the bedside. "My dear, dear Mrs. Carson, let me make something perfectly clear to you." Leaning over, he kissed her chest and then moved up to her neck, earning a moan as he gently sucked on her earlobe before moving to her mouth as he pulled her body on top of his. "Please know that I am quite happy to be used for sex anytime, anyplace."
Sliding her hand down between them, she grinned as she whispered, "It seems like you might be ready to be used now."
"No hurry. Beryl is teaching Cora how to cook breakfast and I am about to borrow your wellies and accompany Bill and the children down to the barns to see what sort of little farmer you have made of my child, who, by the way, has called me "Papa" twice today and is currently wrapped around her mother's legs. You and Elsie enjoy a nice breakfast in bed and we will see you in a bit."
Charles hung up the phone, bright smile on his face as he stepped into the bathroom.
"Do we need to get home?" Elsie asked, a worried look on her face as she reclined in the large bathtub.
"She's calling him "Papa" and is wrapped around Cora's legs. There is no rush, my sweetheart."
Lifting one eyebrow, she pushed herself up so her breasts just broke through the surface of the water. "Well, then I propose you lose that robe, Mr. Carson and join me in here."
"I did say anytime, anyplace…"
I made you wait, but at least it was a long chapter...
Would love to know what you think :) XO Jenny