Isobel stands at the window, watching the sun going down. Stressful hours are laying behind her. Elsie has been so fluttered earlier, that Isobel could hardly calm her down. With every tossing and turning did Isobel become more desperate, especially when she realised that her calming words and touches didn´t seem to reach Elsie anymore. She nearly wanted to call for help, when she saw her letter on the nightstand and she remembered Anna´s words from earlier. So she read it out to Elsie, while she was holding her hand. And her words did wonders to Elsie. Her words immediately calmed her down and Isobel would like to treasure the feeling, she felt when she saw what kind of impact her words have on Elsie, forever. She looks at Elsie, who is now laying peacefully in her bed. Isobel even hoped for a second, that her words might wake her up. "But I guess that only happens in fairy tales," Isobel sighs.
Isobel´s stomach is growling. She´s hardly eaten anything the whole day. Anna has offered to take care of Elsie, so that she could have dinner with the family, Robert had invited her to, but she refused both offers, because she didn´t want to leave Elsie alone. She wanted to be there when she wakes up. Her stomach growls again and Isobel decides that she can leave Elsie alone for a moment. She needs to catch some fresh air and maybe something to eat from the kitchen. Isobel walks to the bed and sits down. She takes Elsie´s hand in hers. "I won´t be long. I promise," she says, kissing the back of her hand.
Elsie opens her eyes, the moment Isobel leaves the room. The dim light from the lamp on her nightstand blinds her and causes a stinging pain in her head. "Is... Isobel?" she asks barely audible and looks around the room when she got used to the brightness, but she only finds an empty chair next to her bed. "No, no, no." Desperation spreads in Elsie. She throws away the blanket and makes an attempt to sit up. The room is spinning and her head is nearly bursting when she carefully sits up. She inhales sharply due to the pain from her ribs. She covers her right side and lets her legs slowly slide from the mattress and manages to sit on the edge of the bed. Her heart is beating faster from the exertion. "Isobel?" The pain makes her feel dizzy and she feels nauseous, but with a lot of willpower can she fight back this feeling and after several attempts is she finally able to stand up with the help of the chair. The pain at her side lets her flinch and it takes a moment till it dies away. She makes one insecure step to the side and is reaching for the bedframe. Her knees are wobbly and the pain is beating inexorably again. Elsie carefully puts one foot in front of the other. "Isobel?" Her desperation grows with every insecure step she makes. "No, no, no. She is here. She must be." The words from her nightmare are back in her head and tears are rising in her eyes. Suddenly her legs buckle beneath her, but before she falls someone is catching her.
"Isobel?" Elsie asks confused. "You ... you are here?"
"Yes, I´m here, Elsie, I´m here. Quick, Anna. I can´t hold her any longer," she says to the younger woman behind her. Together they manoeuvre Elsie back into her bed.
"You are here," Elsie says relieved when Isobel kneels next to her bed and takes her hand again.
"Of course I am." Isobel squeezes her hand reassuringly.
"Do you want me to send for Dr Clarkson, Mrs Crawley?" Anna asks.
"No, just... just give us a moment. I´ll let you know. And Anna? Thank you. Thank you for everything." Isobel smiles at her thankfully. Anna nods and wants to ask if she needs anything else, but Isobel has already centered her attention on Elsie and she leaves quietly.
"You are here," Elsie whispers again in disbelief. "She was wrong. She was wrong." Tears of relief are running over Elsie´s cheek.
"Who, Elsie? Who was wrong?" Isobel asks concerned, brushing a stray of hair from her forehead.
"It was so horrible, Isobel." Tears are filling Elsie´s eyes again, when she remembers. "There was this corridor, smoke was everywhere and this .. this picture," Elsie tells stagnantly with a hoarse voice.
"Shhhh, it´s alright. You don´t have to tell about it now. You are safe here," Isobel says when she sees that Elsie becomes fluttered again.
"I... we all have been so worried about you," Isobel says after a brief pause," even Lord Grantham has paid you a visit."
"His Lordship was here?"
"Yes, and the Dowager also asked after your well being." Isobel chuckles when she sees Elsie´s reaction.
"I had no idea that I´m so popular." Elsie tries to laugh but can only cough.
"Wait, I´ll get you some water," Isobel says and gets up.
Elsie sees Isobel´s pained expression. "What´s the matter, Isobel?"
"Nothing, it´s just may back. I´m just too old for sleeping on a chair the whole night."
"You slept on a chair? I don´t understand," Elsie is confused.
"Well, you have been unconscious for nearly two days." Isobel sits down on the bed and helps Elsie to drink and tells her what happened.
"Two days? And you have been here all the time?"Isobel nods and puts the glass on the nightstand. Despite her hurting knees and back does she kneel next to the bed again, because she wants to be close to Elsie.
"You can´t believe how scared I was, when Anna came to me and told me what happened to you... Seeing you like this... I thought I would lose you, Elsie. Lose you before we could be together," Isobel whispers.
"Together?"
"Yes, Elsie, I want to be with you. I know it won´t be easy, but you know me, difficult situations are my speciality," Isobel smiles. "I meant every word I wrote, Elsie," she adds more serious.
"The... the letter. Wh... where is it?" Elsie suddenly remembers that she read it when the fire broke out.
"I´ve got it," Isobel says when she sees that Elsie is looking for it." Miss Baxter found it and gave it to Anna.
"Miss Baxter?" Elsie gets a bit nervous. "Do you think, that she´s read anything?"
"No, I´m certain she didn´t and neither did Anna. She assured me that they haven´t, but I think Miss Baxter knows and I´m afraid Dr Clarkson knows as well," Isobel says carefully. She feels a bit uncomfortable to tell Elsie.
"About us?" Elsie´s eyes widen in shock. All these years could she keep her secret and now within a couple days everyone seems to know.
"I´m so sorry, Elsie, it´s all my fault." Isobel takes Elsie´s hand. "But when I saw you laying here like this, I could no longer hold back my feelings and I didn´t pay attention to the people in the room. I just wanted to be near you." Isobel feels a bit desperate. "But nothing changed, you know. I mean, Miss Baxter didn´t give my any odd looks or anything. In fact she and Anna have been a great help. And I´m sure that she or Anna haven´t told anyone, because they all behave normal around me. No comments have been made or so...I´m so sorry, Elsie." Until now she hasn´t realised what her imprudent behaviour might have caused and how this could impact Elsie´s life.
Elsie wishes that this hadn´t happen, but Isobel´s words that she just wanted to be near her and the fact that she spent two days by her side, causes a feeling inside her she can´t describe.
"I am sure that you didn´t do it deliberately. Please, don´t blame yourself. But don´t let us talk about it now. I am so glad that you are here, Isobel." Elsie covers Isobel´s hand. They stay like this for a moment and look at each other. Clinging to their thoughts.
"Do... do you stay tonight?" Elsie asks after a while.
"Of course I will." Isobel smiles at her. "I will just ask Anna for another pillow for my back." Isobel is about to get up, when Elsie grabs her arm.
"No, that... that is not what I meant," Elsie whispers shyly.
"You want me to sleep in your bed?" Isobel asks surprised.
Elsie nods. "I don´t want to be alone tonight, Isobel."
Isobel´s heart nearly bursts when she sees Elsie´s pleading look. She can see that Elsie is scared, that the things that have haunted her, might come back during the night. Isobel doesn´t even want to imagine what Elsie has been through.
"I will." Isobel sees the relief in Elsie´s eyes, when she finally answers and even when she wishes that the circumstances are different, Isobel can´t deny that her heart is beating a little bit faster by the pure thought of being that near to Elsie tonight.
"I better lock the door then, because I don´t want to raise more eyebrows than necessary," Isobel says when she gets up and walks to the door. " You should have seen Carson, when I told him that I want to stay here with you and not in one of the guestrooms. His eyebrow hasn´t come down yet. And I think it won´t until he sees the back of me," Isobel laughs and even Elsie manages a little chuckle by the thought of it.
Isobel helps Elsie to turn carefully to her left side before she slides under the blanket. She carefully puts her hand on Elsie´s hurt ribs. A gesture, that already feels familiar to both of them.
"Are you comfortable enough?" both women ask at the same time and laugh.
"Look at us. Two invalids in one bed. We should think about hiring a nurse," Elsie grins.
"You are beautiful when you smile, my darling, " Isobel says, caressing Elsie´s cheek. "That was one of the first things I´ve noticed about sparkle in your eyes when you smile. I didn´t know it then, but I think that was, when I fell in love with you." Elsie has closed her eyes, enjoying Isobel´s touch on her skin. "And then your beautiful accent." A warm feeling spreads in Elsie, when she feels Isobel´s finger running gently over her lips. A feeling she hasn´t felt in years, but hopes to feel more often in the future. Elsie opens her eyes. She sees a shadow in Isobel´s eyes. "I´m so sorry, that I didn´t give you many reasons to smile lately."
"Isobel, there is no need for you to apologise. None of this was your fault. It... " and after a brief pause Elsie begins to tell Isobel everything she´s told Anna before. Now and then adding things, she doesn´t want Anna to know, but knows Isobel would understand. And Isobel just listens. Giving Elsie time, when needed. Comforting her, when necessary. Isobel still doesn´t say a thing when Elsie has finished. She can see how her story has touched her and that Isobel is searching for the right thing to say.
"Please don´pity me, Isobel. I was the one who chose this life. Unintended, but I did."
"I don´t pity you, Elsie. I feel with you." Isobel looks deep in Elsie´s eyes. "I love you, Elsie."
"I love you, Isobel."

And they kiss. First shy and tentative, but when they realise, that the ghost from the past isn´t showing up, their kisses are losing their innocence.

Days later

" I bet Carson wouldn´t approve of this table," Isobel says to herself, when she inspects the table for the hundreds of time," but I think it´s perfect."
She looks at the clock on the sideboard and gets nervous, because only a few more minutes and Elsie will be here. Its been nearly a week since they have seen each other. Isobel is missing their daily walks,chats and secret kisses. A gentle smile plays about her lips when she remembers those kisses. But after a week of daily visits Isobel ran out of excuses, because everyone could see that Elsie has fully recovered and they would have sooner or later figure out, that Elsie´s health was just an excuse for them to spend time together. They have decided with a heavy heart not to see each other the past week and Elsie has agreed to come for lunch on her next day off.
Both women are smiling from ear to ear when they stand on front of each other in Isobel´s hallway.
"You are here," Isobel says.
"This time I won´t run away." Isobel can see the sudden serious expression on Elsie´s face. She knows that Elsie is still scared, even after all the talks they had about her nightmare when she was unconscious, that ghosts are lurking somewhere and just wait for the right moment to come out. Elsie doesn´t fully trust her newfound peace yet. But Isobel is willing to tell her over and over again, that it´s real what´s happening with them and what happened in the past will stay in the past.
"I know you won´t. I know," Isobel reassures her, caressing her cheek and she can see how the dark cloud in Elsie´s eyes slowly disappears.
There is no room for worries and dark thoughts on this special day and Isobel hopes to cheer Elsie up with her next comment.
" But I cooked lunch, so maybe I should lock the door just in case. Don´t look at me like this. I often cooked for my late husband," Isobel says, when she sees Elsie´s surprise and is glad that she could successfully cheer her up.
"And ?" Elsie asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, lets just say it´s good that I´m a trained nurse," Isobel grins and steals a kiss from Elsie.
"Oh, that sounds promising. But I think, I´m going to risk it, because I know from experience that you are a very good nurse," Elsie says with a sparkle in her eyes that is only reserved for Isobel. Her finger runs over the collar of Isobel´s blouse down to the first button.
"Am I?" Isobel can feel her temperature rising. Her hands travel from Elsie´s hip to her back and she pulls Elsie a bit closer,closing the gap between them and their lips are nearly touching. Elsie´s hand is resting on Isobel´s chest now. Elsie notice how her blouse tightens over her bossom, when she feels the movement of Isobel´s chest beneath her hand. She is about to kiss her, when Isobel suddenly says, "Well, I think we should go into the dinning room before lunch gets cold." A wicked grin appears on her lips, because she knows very well what she´s just interrupted.
Elsie clears her throat. "Yes... yes, I think you are right. We definitely don´t want this to happen, do we?" Both women are enjoying this little game of teasing tremendously. Elsie hasn´t felt this relaxed and frisky for ages.

They hardly speak during lunch. There is no need to, because when it´s true that one look is worth a thousand words, then millions of words must have been spoken.
Elsie puts her napkin on the table and gets up. Isobel does the same and they meet halfway.
"Thank you, for this wonderful meal, Isobel." Elsie leans forward, she can still taste the wine on Isobel´s lips.
"You are welcome. Very welcome. Why don´t we have dessert in the salon and listen to some music," Isobel suggests.
"What´s for dessert?" Elsie wants to know.
"Chocolate cake," Isobel whispers.
"That sounds delicious." Elsie runs her finger along Isobel´s jaw line, when she says this. Isobel´s heart starts to beat faster under her touch and she can see how Elsie bites her lips, when she looks down at hers. A look, that lets her temperature rise.
Elsie bends forward, Isobel can feel her warm breath on her neck and she whispers into her ear," Then why don´t you get the tea before it gets cold and I put the music on." Elsie grins when she pulls back and sees Isobel´s expression.
"Well played, Mrs Hughes, well played," Isobel says with a little laughter.
"I think we are square now, Mrs Crawley," Elsie says with a smirk on her lips.

Isobel finds Elsie standing at the gramophone when she enters the salon with a tray. She carefully puts it on the sideboard and looks at Elsie for a moment. She wonders what the other servants would say, if they could the otherwise stern and reserved housekeeper like this. So frisky and happy; so sensual and desirable. If they would know, that Elsie has nearly nothing in common with Mrs Hughes. She also wonders, if Elsie´s happiness will have any influence on Mrs Hughes, but the music starts to play and Isobel pushes these thoughts away. She sneaks up behind Elsie and wraps her arms around Elsie´s waist.
" I knew you would pick this record, "Isobel says, kissing Elsie´s neck before resting her head on her shoulder. Elsie cuddles up to Isobel.
"Really? Am I that predictable?" Elsie chuckles.
"You are to me." "And you are to me", Elsie adds in her thoughts. Of course has Elsie immediately recognised the blouse Isobel is wearing and she´s certain that Isobel has chosen it deliberately. A thought, that slightly arouses her.
Both have their eyes closed and together they sway to the music.
"I dedicate this to love and lovers," Isobel whispers in Elsie´s ear, when the next song starts, kissing the spot behind her ear.
Elsie turns around, resting her forehead against Isobel´s.
"Please, come to bed with me, Elsie. Let me be your lover today ... and not only today."
Arm in arm they walk upstairs, escorted by the music that plays softly in the background.