The Acquisition of Memories

by BorneToFlow

Embarking on their honeymoon, Charles and Elsie begin to process the events of their wedding day and those leading up to it. A series of internal reflections; lengthy, fun & sometimes in-depth conversations; &, interspersed with requisite amounts of playful holiday fun & honeymoon adult times. From Ch19 rating is a tasteful but strong M. Some S5/6 JF canon is blissfully ignored.

37. Chapter 37- Fascinatin' Rhythms

The Acquisition of Memories. Chapter 37- Facsinatin' Rhythms

CECECECECE

"I love you, pretty Elspeth" he whispers into her ear as he lies long against her body on his side and she snuggles into him instinctively.

He knows she is fast asleep, but he wants to recite for her the stanza in the poem that he feels best describes them- because of all the years they have spent side by side together already, and because of what they have found in each other this week and all the promise it represents for them as a brand new pair. He will share it with her again when she is awake, maybe even as they eat their pudding, but he wants its truth to colour all her sweet dreams right now. From memory he speaks the words low into her ear and as she registers his nearness in the tones that seep below the heavy blanket of her sleep, she turns fully into him and unconsciously rests her open palm upon his chest, right above where Charles feels his heart is about to burst out through his skin. He holds her hand tightly to him and runs his fingertip along her wedding band. And, as when he proposed marriage to her, the only outlet for the irrational amount of pressure this feeling of pure love places on his being is through the prickling of hot tears in his eyes. Elsie's poet-lover leans in, close and warm, to speak the words thickly and ardently to his beloved as he continues to stroke her hair back around the shell of her waiting ear.

oOOo

BUT happy they! the happiest of their kind!

Whom gentler stars unite, and in one fate

Their hearts, their fortunes, and their beings blend.

'Tis not the coarser tie of human laws,

Unnatural oft, and foreign to the mind,

That binds their peace, but harmony itself,

Attuning all their passions into love;

Where friendship full-exerts his softest power,

Perfect esteem enliven'd by desire

Ineffable, and sympathy of soul,

Thought meeting thought, and will preventing will,

With boundless confidence; for nought but love

Can answer love, and render bliss secure.

oOOo

And as he rests his head down on the pillow next to hers, basking in the warm afterglow of Elsie's bliss, the last long remembered lines of the poem lilt silently through Charles' own mind as he drifts away with his Elsie for the while.

oOOo

Till evening comes at last, cool, gentle, calm;

When after the long vernal day of life,

Enamour'd more, as soul approaches soul,

Together, down they sink in social sleep.

oOOo

CECECECECE

The Ritz, London.

Monday 31st May- Tuesday 1st June, 1926

Very late, or very early, indeed.

Charles is sprawled back like a silver-haired sultan on a cloud of pillows- bare-chested, robes rumpled and filled with jelly cake and coffee, lightly dozing.

"Fascinatin' rhythm

You got me on the go

Fascinatin' rhythm

I'm all a-quiver."

Elsie giggles happily to herself as she sings softly as the coffee spoons she drumming is on Charles with make his whole soft white belly quiver under the rhythm of her beats. Charles opens one eye and takes in the rather incongruous sight of Elsie sitting astride his legs in a barely closed white robe with his top hat perched back on her head and her long hair spilling wildly out from under it- a huge sunny smile upon her face. He raises a particularly nonplussed eyebrow at her, which only serves to make her laugh harder as she continues her silly tune on his bare skin.

"Do do do do do do – Phrrr!"

"I can't believe you just did that!" Charles exclaims, his eyes now wide open as she continues her song. "Elsie! You just blew a raspberry on me!"

"Oh! Won't you take a day off" she continues humming through her broadly smiling lips, and with cheeky glimmer in her eyes she continues the lyric,

"And try to move along

Somewhere far off

and _ make_ it_ snappy."

She intersperses the last line with increasingly expansive teaspoon tummy drumbeats, her movements making his large top hat thud down over her eyes, perching just on the tip of her nose.

"Ha! HA! – Yes! I did, you daft old booby!" She states blindly and finishes in all seriousness, "Your head is unconscionably large, did you know that, Carson the Magnificent?"

Seizing his moment, Charles takes up the last lines of the song in his determined and deep baritone.

"Oh! how I long to be the man

I used to beee…"

He moves with astounding speed as he grabs Elsie by the hips, lifts and flips her back onto the mattress, the top hat flying from her head and tickles her mercilessly on the backs of her knees. Elsie squeals in delight and tries to wriggle free of him as she beats uselessly at his chest with the one teaspoon she managed to keep a hold of.

"Fascinatin' woman

Won't you stop pickin' on meee!"

"Ah! No! no! no! Charles, Stop! Don't tickle me! No! Stop!" she shouts as she laughs uncontrollably, tears soon streaming from her eyes.

Charles hams it up boisterously and laughs like a maniacal pantomime villain as he slams the top hat back onto his own head. "Ha! Ha! HA! There shall be no escape, young maiden!" and he rapidly moves his roaming fingers to other places on her body that he has found will drive Elsie wild with desire if he were to tend to them in an entirely different manner. But they are all wonderfully ticklish right now and he reduces her to a heap of giggling helplessness. Finally, he relents to her requests, for he knows the worth of comic timing and the joke may well be over soon, especially as she is liable to cause him a serious mischief if she keeps thrashing her legs around in that way, trying to get away from him. With a final bellowing and devilish laugh, he dives his head into her neck and pretends to bite into her jugular like a vampire. But instead, he slows to an unexpectedly deep and sensuous suckling of the soft skin underneath her jawline. He can feel Elsie melt back from the tension of trying to move him off of her. He feels the rapid beat of her pulse beneath his sliding tongue and she moans appreciatively as she flops her arms out in happy abandon onto the pillows above her head as she sighs out her relief, her fingers smoothing over the fine silk of his top hat that has toppled off his head and onto the pillow.

"Haah! mmm... Charles, you… mm mm… oh yesss.." both their smiles broadening as he manages to turn the play of events in such a delightful new direction. "Hmm.. I love you so, a chagair... keep doing that please… mmm, Charrles."

"Have you finished picking on me, yet? Wreaking havoc with the coffee spoons and making fun of my oversized bonce and my big fat belly, my fascinating woman- Hmm?" He mumbles into her neck.

"Well, I guess you would look a little silly if your head were actually any smaller on your big frame," and she giggles as this silly vision of him waltzes through her brain. "And it's not 'fat' Charles… well… not really… I prefer to think of it as ...just...very cuddly… ooh!... that is soh good, a chagair."

Charles speaks in between the kisses he is running all over Elsie's neck and down onto her collarbones, "Be that as it may, Mrs Hughes, it is still a decidedly inappropriate and undignified way for a Butler to be handling the silverware."

"Never fear, oh Carson the Magnificent!" she proclaims outlandishly as she waves the remaining spoon above her head in an expansive flourish "for it is actually I the fair Lady Carson who wields the legendary coffee spoon of grand silliness above your head. The honour of this house shall once more remain intact whilst you are at the helm, oh noble Sir Carson de Clicky-knees of Downton!"

"Well, it is now official, my wife is absolutely as nutty as a fruit cake" Charles is looking up at her with bright eyes and a wide grin as he shakes his head at her in disbelief. Is this really Mrs Hughes, stern–faced housekeeper of Downton Abbey? Who cares? I love her anyway! Charles cannot help but chuckle effusively at all of her silliness. My Elsie-love is happy. Life is so very good.

She giggles happily before moaning once more and sliding leisurely beneath the fascinating sensations of his re-focussed ministrations beneath her ear. "Hmm… that is soh lovely, Charles. Pfhhh…oh yess," she draws in a sharp breath, "Oh, my man." Hmmm,…" she sighs as Charles continues his lazy and loving path back down her neck and across to her warm, smooth shoulders. A thought strikes Elsie and she speaks it aloud before she has even realised that she required any elucidation on the matter. "Hmmm… Charles-love,… do you really want to be the man you used to be,… when we get back to the Abbey?

"Hmm?" he stops his slow exploration of her skin and looks up at Elsie intently and decides to answer what is really a very serious question in the manner it deserves. "Even if I wanted to be, Elsie, which I am increasingly certain that I do not, there is no way I can ever go back to being the man I used to be. Everything has changed, Els- everything. And I find I am liking that fact more and more each moment that I am with you." And he kisses her soft lips most tenderly. "I am your man now, as I said, and I just am a different man now that I am married. Well, not completely, really…It's just that I am more than I once was if that makes sense – and I cannot hide from that… and I really do not think I want to."

"Hmm, I feel so very changed too, Charles… the same but so very different. It's strange, isn't it? After all of these years…where you think you have come to know who you really are. Hmm… but I guess you were right, life does keep changing us…"

"Hmm… I do believe so. But, besides anything else," he states firmly as he kisses her on the tip of her nose, "I most certainly do not want to give up any of these new-found pleasures and this new life I have with you, not ever, a chagair." He says with deep conviction as he continues to look her right in the eyes.

"And you won't have to give them up. Isn't that such a lovely thought, a chagair?" She affirms as she strokes his face, absolutely loving his dedication to keeping such a clean-shaven chin for her.

"It certainly is gratifying to know, Elsie-love," he says softly as he continues to stroke her hair back from her face and traces his fingertips around the backs of her ears. She sighs out low and smiles appreciatively to him. "But you know, I really do not want to return to exactly how things used to be at the Abbey, Elsie. I guess who the Abbey and my work and my loves at the Abbey have made me – well, that will always be a part of me, of course, but I just adore being married to you, and I have wanted to be this kind of man too …for a very long time, truth be told." And his eyes glisten brightly as he looks at the relaxed and lovely face of his new wife- the one woman he can have and hold. It still overwhelms him. He continues, his voice thick with emotion. "As I told you earlier, I have chosen this- and I chose it just as surely and whole-heartedly as I chose my life in service once I had returned from that time out on the stage. I am entirely committed to this new life, my Elsie-love. I am indentured solely to you within this marriage. It is the truest pledge I have ever taken, that I swear." Charles seals the truth of his oath once more with his lips on hers. "I love you my fair Lady Carson," he intones humbly, "and I was just very fortunate it is something you would choose to commit to as well… and…" he has slowed his speaking to a dreamy speed and cadence and a sweet smile rises over his whole face- so very close to hers, "oh Elsie, I just have such wonderful dreams of us living in our little cottage together on the estate now. We have been talking about and planning for retirement for quite long enough, don't you think? And I just want to have enough years left on this earth to actually enjoy all of that with you for a good while yet. I do think I can be ready for this next change life will bring us."

"But it is going to be such a big change, though, Charles- retiring- for both of us. Do…do you really think we will be all right with it all?" Elsie actually sounds quite nervous about it all, despite having been the more vocal one this weekend about their possible activities and plans for retirement.

He continues to stroke the sides of her head soothingly through her wild love-mussed hair and speaks quietly as he holds her eyes intently.

"You have always taken change in your stride love, and you will with this too, with me right here by your side. And so long as I am by your side, Elsie-love, I believe I can cope with the changes it will all mean for me as a man who will no longer seen purely as the job he does at the Abbey. And you will too. You are so much more than just the Housekeeper of Downton Abbey, Love."

Elsie chews at her bottom lip, overwhelmed by his support for her again. Her voice is a little choked as she replies, "Thank you for that, my love."

"Hmm…And, granted, it will be very hard to let go of, I think- for both of us…well, …. there is no doubt of that, really, but,… I think we will have time to adjust better to it as we prepare Miss Baxter and Mr Barrow- and that will help. And, I think, well,… I know that I will need that time to say a proper goodbye …to everything- to everyone-…and to finish that chapter of my life, so to speak."

"Aye, I will need all of that time too," she replies quietly. "I am glad we are talking about it all so openly now, Love. It helps. And I suppose we will be all right… now that we really can do it all together, a chagair." And she brightens again at this sweet thought.

"Of course we will."

"I am so very glad of that. Hmm…It will be sad, though. But, I suppose it will be mostly done on our own terms, at least I think it will… and we will always stay close to Downton, my Darling – always. I have no wish at all to be too far from my one true home for all these years- any more than you do."

"I love that you love our home, Els. It means so very much to me." His eyes are brimming with liquid gratitude. "But I certainly don't think I will leave be leaving with such a heavy heart as when I was considering the move to Haxby." Charles pecks Elsie lightly on the lips and then flops himself back on the pillows next to her with a large sigh. Her arms rests out long across the pillows and underneath the nape of his neck, her fingers still stroking lightly at the brim of the silk top hat she collected on a silly whim from the valet sideboard when she returned their dessert trolley into the foyer earlier. Charles gazes up at the plasterwork on the ceiling as they talk quietly together and his hand rests heavily and low on Elsie's belly, absently twirling his fingertips through the top of her curls- so comfortable and familiar and homely all these intimate affections are to them now. "Hmm… And I suppose now I realise, thanks to you, Elsie-love, that the Abbey will still continue to stand without us in it. Well, at least I hope it will always continue to stand and not come to the sad end of many of these estates and be demolished for building materials. But,…I guess in talking to you about the primogeniture of Trevor the Trout," he turns his head towards her and gleams cheekily at her for a moment, and she uses the extra movement it affords her arms to flick his topper back onto his incredibly large noggin and at a ridiculously rakish angle. It makes her smile for her very own cheeky and playful noble man, "it did all remind me of the transience of it all, Els- any of these lordly titles and estates can end, at any time really, as much as we may not want them to. And so, … I suppose I understand now, that for any of us, the upstairs family included, we could only ever really be fleeting travellers through the Abbey's grand history- that is all we are- that is how I have begun to see it all now, anyway- just as a great blessing for the time that we were lucky enough to be there within its walls."

"It has been that- for both of us, hasn't it?

"Mmm-Hmm… it certainly has. And so, even if I will not ever haunt its hallways as a ghost when I am gone, as I had originally imagined, Elsie, I can see that it is actually far better that I can live now in the steady shadow of the Abbey while it lasts, and with all of the fond memories I have acquired over my days spent there- just so long as I have you by my side to share those moments with, Els. That's all that really matters now. And it will be more than enough for me to share that happiness with you. That is all I really want, Elsie-love- Always with you by my side." And he looks to the side once more to see her pretty face sharing his pillow and he reaches his far arm over to stroke her soft cheek with his fingertips.

"Aye, it will all go on standing, Charles, you sweet man. We both know that Lady Mary is far too attached to Downton to ever let it go the way of ruin without one almighty fight first!" Charles smiles for this truth. It makes him feel secure that Elsie sees it that way for all of them. "Hmmm…Maybe those chapters are over, Charles-love… but this will be the very satisfying epilogue at the end. Don't you think?" And she smiles so happily at him, and she is just so bright-eyed and youthful that he cannot help but turn onto his side and kisses her with the broadest, happiest smile gracing his own lips and his hand squeezing heavily into the warm and steady flesh of her hips.

"Hmm… I love you so, my Charles. And I believe a wise man once said to me that there would be the little point of living if we didn't let life change us…. But it would mean even less if we couldn't share it all with someone that we love, don't you think?"

"That is such a lovely way to think of it all, Elsie. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome, love," and she kisses him lovingly once more.

Charles returns to nuzzling and nipping sweet kisses along one of Elsie's collarbones and across her shoulders again and brushing and fondling through her soft curls a little more firmly.

"Hmm…we do seem to have adjusted to these new …mmm… conditions of married life with … oh dear God… you are just soo delicious… did you know that mon forfaitaire de gelee fondante? Ghrmmm… with…ooo… quite some aplomb… mmmm…soo delightful!"

Elsie has begun moan ecstatically under his voracious kisses and at the French words he uses so seductively with her, no matter how silly they may actually be and she is squirming once more in anticipation beneath his loving embrace and attentions to her skin. She just cannot believe the amount of desire she feels for him, and how often she has wanted to chase those feeling of bliss with him, even though she truly does feel like a large melting lump of jelly- all slack-jointed and heavy-muscled. Charles really does make her feel every bit as delicious as he says. Charles moves to a more balanced and central position over her body, resting up on his elbows above her to continue his slow devotions across her whole chest. She presses his top hat a little more firmly onto his head, keeping it at its odd angle, for she finds it quite an alluring sight to look upon as it bobs about slightly with the movement of Charles' mouth slowlytravellingg across her body.

"Hmm… yess, Charles, that is ssoo wonderful. Hmm…You know, I do think we are becoming rather adept at handling this new married life thing we have together, a chagair," she states as she continues to revel in the heightened sensations in her core that the smooth stroking of his silk topper seems to give her.

"Hmmm… I think I have mentioned that already today, or at least…mmm …words to that effect. … You are just soo lovely – utterly delectable you are , Madam Forfaitaire,"He murmurs in between his kisses. "It's really no surprise… mmm… for… you and I … mmm…have always been dedicated…. Oooh, so sweet, Love!... to doing a splendid job of things- grrrmmm… oooh, Elsie… no matter… mmm… what is thrown our way." Then he looks up into her eyes with infinite tenderness filtering through the depths of the fire he feels for her and he caresses the sides of her face, " we were always going to find a certain level of mastery with all of this before very long, don't you think, Mrs Hughes?"

"Ooh yes. I would say we have learnt these new ropes verry quickly indeed, Mr Carrson," Elsie intones seductively, as she manages to crane her neck up a little to secure one of Charles' earlobes between her wanting lips and she proceeds to lavish it with loving nips and licks, making Charles release a rumbling purr of approval as his body shudders in delight above hers. Elsie stops suddenly "Wait!" she exclaims a little too loudly into his ear, "did you just call me Mrs Lump, Charles!

He winces slightly. "Errr… Maaay-beee." And he looks up at her sheepishly with that rakishly tilted black hat highlighting the glistening playful darkness in his eyes." But I do find I really am quite partial to all of your delightful lumps and bumps, quite the attractive jelly mould you are, Madam Forfaitaire" he risks again as he grins wickedly at her.

Elsie is still holding one of her teaspoons from earlier and she fairly clocks Charles on the side of the head with it.

"Ow!"

"Oooh! You will pay for it if you make a habit of calling me that, Charles Carson!"

"You know, I wouldn't go giving Mrs Patmore any more weapons for her arsenal of meat cleavers, Elsie- those coffee spoons can inflict more damage than I realised! Ow!" He breathes in sharply as he rubs his head. "That actually hurt!...Hmm, but still,… perhaps Madam Gélee is a far better description for you all around." And he grins mischievously at his gorgeous wife.

"AND! Mr Archimedes, or Carson the Magnificent- or Sir Carson-Clicky- whoever- you-are! I will thank you to not conjure up any more disturbing visions of Beryl when you are midway through having your wicked way with me!" And she pointedly brandishes the silverware above his head again- trying not to break into a big silly grin herself.

Charles ducks his head and starts humming a different tune against the hollow of Elsie's neck as a means to extricate himself from his current predicament.

" Oh, oh, ohh… please have some pity!

I'm all alone in this great big city," he rumbles out as he dives his head down further, and ravishes Elsie's breasts with his hungry kisses, sending her moaning into forgetful absolution of this latest infraction of his.

"Mmmmm….and you are never going to alone – my love, not if you keep that up- oh … ooh…hmmm, Charles. Not in this city now, and not ever at Downton."

Charles grins up at Elsie, happily aroused himself from his pleasant explorations of Elsie's skin and from the sounds of her desired filled moans.

"I do know that, my Love", and he keeps on with the song that is in his heart as he returns to lavishing all her luscious dips bumps and lumps and curves with his kisses

"…and Oh sweet and lovely

Hmm-hm hm hm.

Oh, lady be good.

Please, be good to me!"

Oh, I think it might now be well and truly time to show you just how good your lady can be to you, Mr Carson."

And with that she motions for him to roll off her and onto his back, which of course Charles willingly complies with, given the current poor state of his old knees. He places the top hat back on Elsie's head and smiles that irrepressibly happy smile up at her, taking in her strange attire- the white fluffy open fronted cape of her bathrobe, her wild long hair streaked magically with silver, the elegant pearls and the ridiculously large and tilted black top hat to finish the ensemble. A more incongruous vision of Mrs Hughes he could never have imagined – not even his wildest dreams. But this truly is his Elsie-love now and he loves it all. All of her. She straddles his lap once more- rolling her hips seductively over him and looking upon him with dark and desire filled eyes. She is just soo ridiculously delightful! He thinks gleefully and groans out so blissfully for this glorious woman, for this wonderful new wife of his and for his brand new life with her.

Charles continues singing his little ditty his arms splayed out wide across the bed, waiting for Elsie to have her own wicked way with him.

"And I'm just a lonesome babe in the woods.

…hmm Lady be good.

Please, be good to me!"

"Och! You can hardly lay claim to being that anymore, Charles, not after this weekend we have just had, you delightfully wicked man."

"Is that a step up or down from being a Daft Old Booby , or a Silly Duffer… or your Curmudgeonly Old Stick-in-the-Mud, Elsie-love?" He asks with mock seriousness as he fills his warm hands with her soft and fleshy hips.

"Oh, they are all one and the same, my love, one and the same! And let's not forget the slightly aged but eternally noble and very romantic Sir Carson de Clicky-knees," She giggles out at her new name for him, "or the highly amusing and slightly clumsy Mr Archimedes, that young rascal now known as Cheeky Charles, AND the truly astonishing Carson the Magnificent! … And well.. you were quite right about not being able to disprove the existence of some small devil in you tonight too, Mr Carson! But, fear not!" She declares gleefully once more, brandishing her teaspoon high above her head again, "for I find that I cannot rightly separate any of them and your fair Lady Carson happens to adore all of them equally, my man," she tells him with a broad grin and bright love for him shining over her whole face as she reverently touches the silverware to his right and then his left shoulder in a mock-accolade to his new knightly status. "Arise good Sir Carson de-Clicky knees!'

"Oh, I think you can tell that I am quite honoured at this moment and that should be no problem whatsoever, my fair Lady Carson!"

And they both chuckle with lust filled glee at all their shared passions and silly innuendoes. Then they groan deeply and appreciatively as Elsie guides herself up over Charles and then slowly envelops him completely in the heat of their shared love. His dark top hat looms large and closer to him as he catches the mesmerising glint of light off the crystal clasp of Elsie's necklace as she leans forward and her breasts and nipples press into his chest as she captures his mouth in a deep, sensuous and desire laden kiss as they begin the completion of their evening long seduction of one another.

"My man" she groans into his lips.

And Charles murmurs back, most lovingly onto her lips- his truest, most complete name that encompasses all the many facets Elspeth Mae Hughes/Carson that enthral and beguile him, and that will keep him on his toes- guessing and happy- for the rest of his days:

"My Lady."

oOOo

CECECECECE

Next up: Fair Scarborough!- Finally!