Restless

A whole week. It wasn't as if Charles hadn't known it was coming. Arrangements had been made a month before for Elsie to join Anna for a week at the Bates' London house in early June. Their troubles finally behind them, the valet and lady's maid had decided to sell their house and purchase a small hotel in Ripon. Anna and Elsie would spend the week cleaning and sprucing up the house so the agent could begin showing it to perspective buyers.

It had only been three days and he was completely restless. He had read two books, painted the upstairs bathroom and patched two tiles in the kitchen, had his annual appointment with Dr. Clarkson, followed by dinner with the physician. He had also paid call at Dower House and accompanied Mrs. Crawley to a meeting of the hospital board, of which he was now a member. The family was away for the Season, so there was no one to visit at the house. It had briefly crossed his mind to offer to polish the silver or inventory the wine cellar while the family was away, but he knew these were only silly whims.

They had agreed to take no guests while Elsie was away. Having been fully booked almost all of April and May, the exhausted couple decided a maid must be hired before their next bookings. Elsie had six interviews already set up for the week she returned.

Charles felt quite dismal as he looked at his watch to find it was only six o'clock in the evening. He still woke each morning at five, but had forced himself to stay in bed until six that morning, each minute spent wondering how anyone could stay in bed for more than five minutes after waking-well, stay in bed alone that is. Had Elsie been there, he would have gladly stayed cuddled around her soft form for hours. They had spent a great deal of their first three days of marriage curled up in the large, soft bed. They had been the best three days of his life.

And now, he was enduring what felt like the worst three days of his life.

Surely there was something he could be doing. His eyes drifted towards the stairs. He could take a long bath. Although they now enjoyed a large, modernly fitted bathtub, Charles hadn't diverged from the five minute bathing routine he had practiced for so many years at Downton. He saw no reason to soak when there were other things to do outside of the bath- other things with Elsie. She, on the other hand, had developed the practice of taking a long bath on nights when they didn't have guests. Charles didn't begrudge her this practice as she was always so relaxed and happy, not to mention sweet smelling and soft after her luxurious lavation. These were also the nights they took advantage of their privacy. Elsie's long bath the night before usually meant a late morning in the large, soft bed.

He began to close the lavatory door, but decided it futile. He was alone in a quiet house. and shutting the door would only intensify his isolation from the rest of the world. His clothes shed and tub filled, Charles eased himself into the warm water, letting his calves and feet hang over the other end to allow his long torso to sink far enough into the water to permit his neck to rest against the edge of the tub. He closed his eyes and began a practice his mother had taught him when he had trouble falling asleep as a little boy which involved starting at the tip of his toes and focusing on relaxing each part of his body until reaching the tip of his head.

The combination of the relaxation exercise and the warm water elicited a contented sigh from the large man. He liked the sound of his low, rich voice as it echoed off the porcelain. "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…" He nimbly climbed up and down his vocal range, and after a few minutes of vocal acrobatics, he moved on to singing an actual song:

By the light of the silvery moon

I want to spoon

To my honey I'll croon love's tune

Honeymoon…

Keep a'shining in June

Your silvery beams will bring love dreams

We'll be cuddling soon

By the silvery moon…

He sang the chorus over and over, indulging with little trills and occasionally throwing in the echoes he and Elsie had recently heard over the wireless, a wedding gift from Lady Rose and Mr. Aldridge.

By the light (not the dark, but the light)

Of the silvery moon (not the sun, but the moon)

I want to spoon (want to spoon, want to spoon)

To my honey, I'll croon love's tune

Honeymoon (honeymoon, honeymoon)

Keep a'shining in June (Not May, but June)

Your silvery beams will bring love dreams

We'll be cuddling soon (so, so very soon)

By the silvery moon…THE SILVERY MOOOOOON

The last long held note echoed through the house. He had been so caught up in his singing, he had not heard the opening or closing of the front door, nor the footsteps on the stairs, or even sensed the presence of someone standing behind him in the doorway as he reached the beginning of the refrain.

"Oh, that was quite wonderful. I should go away more often."

Charles sloshed easily a gallon of water over the sides of the tub as he twisted around to see his lovely, smiling wife standing in the doorway.

"Elsie!"

She picked up a towel on her way to the tub, bending over to soak up some of his slosh. "Well, we don't have to clean the bathroom floor tomorrow."

"When did you…how? Why didn't you call or…"

"We finished far more quickly than we thought we would. There really wasn't all the much to do, and honestly, I have never worked harder or faster than I did these last three days."

Charles gave her a puzzled look, "Why?"

She tenderly ran her fingers through his hair, "Well, if you must know. I didn't realize how very much I would miss my husband. I couldn't wait to get back home to see him, but he may not be as happy to see me." She looked at him with concern, "Was it all right that I came back early? You may have had more things planned to do while I was away."

"Elsie Carson, I am singing at the top of my lungs in a bathtub at six-thirty on a Thursday night. I have spent most of the time thinking about you and the rest of the time thinking about how much I miss you. I was so restless; I thought I would go mad."

Elsie gave him a tender smile, leaning down and kissing him. "That is the sweetest thing you have ever said to me, Charles Carson. Now run some warm water into the tub."

"What?"

"If I am joining you, I would prefer the water be warm."

"As you wish, Mrs. Carson." He stretched his neck to give her another kiss.

The tub was soon refilled with warm water, husband leaning back between his wife's thighs, her hands caressing his chest as her legs wrapped around his middle.

He was gently massaging the arch of her right foot when he asked, "Would you like me to sing some more, Elsie?"

"That would be lovely, Charles, but you might sing a little softer this time."

"Oh yes?"

"Yes. During your concert earlier I could hear you two streets away."

She let out a squeal as he pulled on her little toe.