Hello! Thank you for the reviews! Apologies again for any errors, I do try to edit but these ideas seem to pop into my head at the most inconvenient moments, like at 3 in the morning when I'm trying to sleep.

"You dear man, how can you possibly doubt how I feel about you."

The smile that graced his face after her words was enough to make her heart burst. She leaned down and rest her face on his chest, taking comfort from the steady beat she found there.

Charles reveled in the feel of her in his arms, his thoughts dominated by her strength and grace. He knew she was a strong woman, but the fact that she could show him such tenderness this night, after what had happened was stunning.

The clock on her wall came into his vision and he was struck by how late it was.

"Elsie."

"Yes?"

"It's late."

"Mhmm."

They sat there still, neither wanting to lose the feeling of intimacy that resulted from their position. Soon, his concern for her health trumped his feelings of contentment.

"Really darling, you need to get some rest."

She smiled at his endearment but otherwise didn't acknowledge his words. He lightly caressed her arm, waiting for her response.

"Not just yet Charles, please." Though still inexperienced in these matters, she already knew that far more rest would follow from being in his arms, than lying alone in her own bed.

He couldn't refuse her. If that was where she wanted to be, he could sit in that chair with her in his arms for all eternity.

Elsie was allowing her emotions to wash over her. She let her feelings dictate her actions for the first time in a long time, and stayed snuggled up with her gentle protector.

She was a person who prized her strength and independence. It was one of the reasons she turned down Joe's offer of marriage, although the main reason for her refusal was sitting with his arms wrapped around her. The farmer had wanted to take care of her, and though this seemed like a lovely thought, being with him made her feel like the same farmer's daughter who'd left Argyle those many years ago.

Charles made her feel so much more. He challenged her, kept her on her toes, they could debate for hours about every little thing. With him she was never stationary; over the years he made her feel anger, sadness, happiness, the highs and lows of every emotion along with everything in between, but throughout it all, in his subtle ways, he managed to make her feel special. She could never have imagined him explicitly expressing as much emotion as he had in the last few hours. She didn't think it possible, but she loved him even more for it.

Soon the pragmatic part of Elsie roused her from her musings. They couldn't sit there all night, and she feared Charles would be hurting if they stayed in this position much longer.

"Charles, can you please help me to bed?" It was an intimate request, but following his previous actions and words, she no longer feared his refusal.

Normally, he would be mortified at the thought of entering the vicinity of the women's quarters, but this didn't even cross his mind as he answered without hesitation.

"Of course." He stood, bringing her with him. She leaned on his arm as they made their way to the hallway, only stopping once they reached the bottom of the stairs. With her injured ankle, the stairs loomed above her, the climb seeming an impossible task. She steeled herself for a painful journey, but he pulled her back before she took the first step.

She faced him now, in the darkness of the hallway.

"Elsie, come closer." She did as he asked, confused when he removed her arm from his. He watched her face carefully for any sign of hesitation as he continued. He slid his arm around her back, his hand cupping her waist as he pulled her flush to his side. Next he tapped his shoulder, "Place your hand here." She did as he asked, her other hand holding the railing beside her.

They began their ascent, moving with surprising swiftness. From her position against his side, Elsie felt almost no pain, her injured foot barely touching each step before he'd use his strength to pull her up with him. Despite his efforts, by the time they'd reached the first landing, she was tired; the heat and events of the day weighing heavily on her. Still tightly pressed to his side, she could feel him breathing heavily, the poor man weary as well, with injuries of his own.

She softly pushed his shoulder. He loosened his grip and allowed a gap to form between them, still on alert for any hesitancy on her part.

"Charles, maybe just hold my hand to steady me. I don't want you wearing yourself out." For the first time that night, he went against her wishes and pulled her in close.

"Elsie, you lean on me, and we'll take each step together." He was so determined and so very sincere that she could only smile and nod in agreement. She placed her hand back on his shoulder, and they continued the climb again, together.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Charles brought them to a stop before the corner to the women's rooms. He lowered his voice and spoke in her ear. "Elsie, I know you won't agree, but you need to take some time to recover." She shivered as she felt his breath on her skin, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke. He mistook her sigh of pleasure as a huff of frustration.

"Please sweetheart, your ankle won't heal unless it's rested, and I think—it's important to have some time to think about this."

Not ready to give in without a fight, she rebutted, "and what would I tell the maids? Mrs. Patmore? The family? There's work to be done and its mine to do. What do we tell them? I don't want this widely known Charles."

He could see she was beginning to panic, to quell her fears he leant down and placed a light kiss to her forehead. The action startled her into silence.

Before she could continue, he grabbed her hands in his and brought them to his chest. "Elsie, I know that you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, soothing the fears of others, keeping their secrets, and solving their problems. It's your turn to have someone protect you; let me help you with this. I will think of something, you just focus on yourself. Please. Trust me."

"I do."

These words hung in the air between them. Charles' mind flashed to another scene, a church, a ring, Elsie with a smile on her face and flowers in her hair. When he came back to reality the woman of his dreams was still standing there before him. He wondered if her thoughts ever mirrored his own.

Gathering her to him again, they continued down the hall, pausing in the doorway to her bedroom. He knew where she slept, late night disturbances and emergencies had resulted in congregations in this very hallway, but he'd never been inside.

From here, she knew she'd have to take the lead. Charles Carson would never enter a lady's bedroom uninvited. With silence now a necessity; she turned the knob and opened the door. He still seemed hesitant so she took a step inside; he followed quickly thereafter, continuing to support her weight. They crossed the room and she sat on her bed, relieved to be off her feet after the climb.

She opened her eyes to a sight she thought would never occur, but had dreamt about many times. Charles was standing in front of her, flushed from exertions, in the middle of her attic bedroom. She smiled and motioned for him to come closer. He towered over her as he stood, so she patted the mattress beside her in invitation.

Charles swallowed and sat on her bed. She twined one of her hands in his and placed the other on his cheek.

She leant towards him, he watched as her lips moved, but could not hear the words she spoke. She came closer still, this time speaking softly in his ear. "Nightgown." He was distracted as her hand brushed through his hair. "Charles, my nightgown please." He nodded in understanding and stumbled to her wardrobe, wincing at the sound of his feet on the floor. Suddenly, he felt very unsteady.

Without thought he flung open the door. Immediately glad that Elsie couldn't see his face, he felt the blush creep up from his chest. Trying to divert his gaze from her underthings whilst simultaneously searching for her nightclothes was a challenge, but he eventually succeeded.

With prize in hand he returned to the bed, once more taking the place beside her. He wanted to comfort her before he left for the night, but knew that speaking at this point was unwise. He simply couldn't leave without knowing she would be OK.

Sensing his unease, she shifted closer to him and touched her forehead to his. Staring into his eyes, she willed him to understand. She took one of his large hands in hers and placed his palm over her heart.

Under his palm, he felt the harsh material of her corset, the softness of her breast, and a quick and steady heartbeat. "She is here, she is alive, and she will be okay." Attributing the rapid beat of her heart to the exertion of climbing the stairs, he pulled her into one last embrace and then tore himself away, wanting her to rest.

He made it to the door and turned for one last glimpse before he left for the night.

Elsie watched his departure with disappointment, but knew it was necessary. When he turned back, her smile broadened as she saw him mouth the word, "beautiful," before disappearing behind the door.

Her kind man need not have worried. Because of him, her thoughts were happy as she readied for bed. As she drifted off to sleep, the warmth of his gestures and the beauty of his words warded off the feelings of despair and anger that threatened to take hold. The last thoughts that crossed her mind that night were of Charles Carson, and the softness of his touch.

Now lying in his own bed, Charles marvelled at how easily he had accepted their newfound physical closeness. Without her at his side, he now felt as though a part of him was missing. Worries swirled in his mind at how she might be feeling, and intense hatred for the three men that did this threatened to overwhelm him. Deciding then and there that he needed to focus his energy on supporting his beloved in any way he could, he began thinking of what needed to be done the next day, to fulfill her wish of secrecy and make sure she got the rest that she needed.

Eventually he found peace and fell asleep, dreaming of Elsie Hughes, and the warmth of her embrace.

And the night has ended. Thoughts? Suggestions? Please review:)

Thank you for reading.