Formal

It was a secret she would never divulge, but many a night after having shared a sherry or glass of wine, she would climb into her narrow bed and picture how she would do it. Laying in the quiet darkness, she moved her fingers as she imagined the feel of cold metal and stiff cotton. The fantasy usually led to her undoing, her satisfied, but exhausted body drifting into dreams of being held against a starched white shirt, strong arms in black cloth enveloping her.

He admired himself in the full length mirror. It had been more than six months since he had worn his formal livery, but the ensemble still fit him like a glove. He felt awkward to be attending alone, but the full guest roster meant Elsie would be unable to accompany him to the hospital board dinner being held at Dower House. It would be his first experience as a guest at such a gathering and his nerves were quite frayed. He certainly knew how to behave when serving, but he had never given much thought as to what it would be like to be served.

A quick knock preceded Elsie's entrance into the room. Shutting the door behind her, she smiled at her husband, thinking him quite grand in his formal attire. "My, my. Don't you look handsome, Mr. Carson." She reached up to straighten his tie.

"Is it crooked? I spent five minutes tying it. You would think I hadn't put one on every evening for forty years. I suppose it is just nerves."

Elsie pulled back her hand, "It's perfect. And why are you nervous? I can't think of anyone who should be more at ease in a formal setting."

"It will strange to be seated at the table, rather than serving."

Elsie leaned up and gave him a quick kiss, "Enjoy it, my darling. You deserve it."

Charles gave her a loving smile, "Thank you. Well, I should be off. I don't imagine I will be late, but I will come in through the back, just in case, so leave backdoor unlocked, please, love."

She nodded and smiled, "I will."

He was almost out the door when Elsie called out, "Oh, Charles. Don't take your clothes off without me."

"What?" He stepped back into the room, shocked at her request.

"Just don't, all right?"

He shook his head, but couldn't help but grin at his lovely wife.

The evening flew by as she and their new maid Mona tended to their lodgers, Mr. and Mrs. Bloom, Mr. Adams and Miss Grey; serving dinner and after dinner drinks, various laundry requests and readying the kitchen for the morning's breakfast. It was nearing eleven by the time she bid Mona goodnight and made her way to her bedroom. She had just undressed to her shift when she heard Charles turn the door knob. Slipping into her dressing gown, she crossed the room and turned the key in the lock.

His cheeks were rosy and a broad smile crossed his lips as she opened the door. The wine served with dinner had obviously been to his liking. Leaning down, he gave her a lingering kiss, "I thought you might already be asleep." .

"I had some last minute laundry requests." She took his hand and led him into the room, "So how was it? What was it like to sit at the table?"

"I have to admit, Mrs. Carson, that is was quite nicely done, although I do find Mr. Spratt's voice quite irritating."

Elsie laughed as she herself found the man less than charming. "And how was the wine?"

"Quite nice. It was a Margaux and as I say…"

"You can't go far off with a Margaux," she grinned at him.

Smirking at her tease, he sat on the edge of the bed and began to remove his shoes. His right shoe removed, he looked up to see Elsie had slipped out of her house coat and was pulling her shift over her shoulders, her naked back to him. He cleared his throat, "I believe you made a request as I was leaving."

Elsie looked over her shoulder to find him staring at her with hooded eyes. She fought a smile as she informed him, "You can take off you other shoe and your socks, but stop there."

He watched her cross to the dresser and retrieve one of the silk gowns usually only worn on nights when the house was empty. Not taking his eyes from her, he reached down and removed his remaining shoe, socks and garters.

Now scantily clad in her gown, Elsie moved to stand in front of a still seated Charles.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to do this." She gave him a seductive smile as she took one end of his white tie in her hand, gently pulling it loose. Charles rested his hands on her hips as she pulled the tie from around his neck. Throwing it over her shoulder, she bit her bottom lip as her fingers deftly unbuttoned his waist coat. She inhaled deeply as she began to press the small metal studs from their positions down the front of his shirt which she followed by sliding her hand under the right side of his jacket to the deposit the cold metal pieces into his inside pocket. Charles gasped as she slipped her hands into the waistband of his trousers, nimbly freeing his braces from their anchoring buttons. Delighting in his response, she slowly ran her hands up over his torso, gradually reaching his shoulders before letting her fingers run down his arms to where his hands rested on her hips. Taking hold of his right hand, she turned and perched on his left knee. She could feel Charles' breath against her neck as she rested his wrist atop her bosom, slowly turning and releasing the mother pearl cufflink. Brushing her bottom across his groin, she slid to his other knee and repeated her actions on his left wrist.

Leaning over to his ear, she whispered, "You must be warm in your coat, Mr. Carson." Standing, she pulled Charles up, watching him turn without prompting. He sighed as she pulled the heavy black coat off his shoulders and down his arms. Coat discarded, she reached around, slipping her fingers behind his fly, a gentle tug encouraging him to turn and face her.

Having complied with her wordless request, Charles remained silent as she slowly removed his vest, trousers, and shorts, only speaking when she had turned her back to hang his things on his dressing stand. "So this is why you didn't want me to take off my clothes without you?"

She blushed, grinning over her shoulder at him. "You cut quite a figure in your formal attire, Charles. I spent many of our late night talks admiring how dashing you looked. I always felt quite shabby sitting at the end of an evening, you so handsome in your white tie and stiff shirt, me in some black or brown drab."

Charles crossed to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, "I had no idea, Mrs. Hughes."

She laughed at his use of her old name. "Well, Mr. Carson, it is true. You have always been a beauty to me."

He laughed at her turn of phrase, "Beauty? I think that is taking it a bit, too far, but I'll have you know, you weren't the only one doing the admiring."

"No?"

Pulling her tightly against him, he whispered in her ear, "I used to lay in the dark and wonder what you looked like without your corset."

"Charles Carson!" Turning, to face him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I should probably be offended, but I am too flattered to manage it."

"I am a man; mere flesh and blood. I have no other excuse for my wicked ways. Now, since you have liberated me of my finery…" he pulled her hands from around his neck, guiding her to their bed, "…may I request your company in some nocturnal activities."

She shook her head in amusement as she pushed him down onto the bed, "Always so formal, Mr. Carson…"