Hello, apologies! Apologies! I have no excuse for the delay in updating. Actually I have many, many excuses but none are satisfactory. I experienced essay writing burnout and writer's block at the same time. Just know that I will eventually finish this story - I won't leave you hanging! I have several ideas of where I want this to go so it won't be done for a while yet. Reading reviews gave me the motivation to just post something - I kept writing but not liking what I was coming up with.
Also - is anybody else living in an area getting plied with huge amounts of snow much too early in the season? If so, know that we suffer together!
As he readied for bed he thought about their circumstances.
He knew the others were getting suspicious, curious more like, both upstairs and down. No one said anything outright, but it was in the atmosphere himself. He couldn't blame them really; he had done a complete change around in just a few days.
From rarely taking half days for decades, to being gone from the house several times within 48 hours, it would draw notice. But the house never suffered. No, he would never let that happen. Thomas had taken over splendidly and Charles allowed himself a brief moment to regret the doubts he had about that man. But it made it that much easier to retire.
They still hadn't informed the family, Elsie hadn't even told Beryl. This was all so new and exciting; they needed to cherish it between themselves for the moment. He needed to demonstrate his love - something they had been denied for decades, this wonderful thing he had been denying them. They still had a journey ahead of them, working through what happened. But now they could do this in the security of their own cottage, in the bond of a marriage.
He shook his head at the thought. Elsie still hadn't seen the property yet, but he was confident they had the same vision for their future, and this was it. She was right in what she said, it was as if everything was aligning at just the right moment – dare he think divine guidance may be involved?
He thought back on his time with Mr. Gifford – the owner of the cottage.
Though glad to run into the man, Charles was put off by his gruff manner. Their walk to the cottage had been relatively quiet, but the older man seemed skeptical about the idea of him taking the property.
By the time they'd reached the cottage, Charles had almost had enough of his words of disapproval, but the sight of the place stopped him from voicing his thoughts. It was perfect. This was their home, his and Elsie's. The quick tour of the inside only made this more evident.
He felt nervous now, overcome by the feeling that something so perfect for their future was not yet within his grasp.
Coming out of his thoughts he faced the man who held something very dear in his power.
"What's an old bachelor like you wanting a place for anyway? You couldn't really care for a place like this. Aren't you married to that big house?"
Charles bristled at the audacity of this man. He wanted to sell the cottage didn't he? This was getting more than he could take. He angrily shoved his hand in his pocket; ready to tell him exactly what he was thinking, when his finger brushed the token in his pocket.
He paused as his thoughts drifted to Elsie. This had an immediate calming effect, and a smile graced his face.
"Mr. Gifford. I am not, nor have I ever been married to the Abbey. Marriage is a thing of love, devotion, adoration and warmth. Marriage, true marriage, is something that can only be found if you are lucky enough to find that woman who deserves the world and more, who makes lives better just by being in them, makes the world lighter with her presence."
He blushed a little then, realizing what he had said.
Mr. Gifford was looking at him with a smile on his lips and sadness in his eyes.
"Who is she then? Your wife, the woman you love."
Charles stiffened at first, not used to speaking about Elsie so openly. "She's not—she's not my wife. This is – well it's all quite new actually." He tightened his hand around the token.
"Mrs. Hughes just, I've only just told her…" words left him and he trailed off, not sure how to continue.
He felt a hand patting his arm.
"Ah, but we both know Mr. Carson, love is not something that needs to be declared to be felt."
As it turns out Mr. Gifford had shown himself to be of the utmost character, if a little sentimental, but at this point that suited Charles perfectly.
It seems he had experienced a marriage of love and devotion. With the recent passing of his wife he was moving to live with cousins in a distant county, but could not seem to relinquish his home to just anyone. He was reluctant to part with a place that had been so full of love for many years.
Charles felt quite sad for the man. He could not imagine the utter agony of a world without Elsie, though he had been confronted with that possibility before. He shook his head to dispel such thoughts.
He didn't completely understand why, but after his few words about Elsie, Mr. Gifford had guaranteed them the cottage if they so chose.
They would go look together in the morning.
In his mind he walked through the cottage again, looking out at the gardens, experiencing the quiet calm of the bedroom. He blushed as he thought of the large bed that was the centerpiece of the room.
He had mentioned what a lovely piece of furniture it was to Mr. Gifford, elegantly carved, but well-made and sturdy. With a wink and a nudge it had been included in the sale of the cottage, with an explanation that it had many good years ahead of it yet.
He slipped into the cool sheets of his small bed, yet felt a warmth rising in him.
Knowing that his beloved was sleeping next to him just out of his reach beyond the wall, he brought his fingers to his lips and pressed his hand to the plaster.
"First comes marriage darling. I'll see you in the morning."
So that's what I could come up with - more of a transitional chapter.
Thanks very much for reading, and reviews would be appreciated!
Let me know what you're thinking - I couldn't tell you why Mr. Gifford's part was expanded, it just happened.
Also let me know if this doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story so far. At this point its hard for me to tell so an outside perspective would be welcomed:)