It was the final day of the shooting party and the servants were all glad that the week was nearly over. Once their guests were gone they would jump to action to clean the house and put it back into its usual state. Elsie was especially glad for the guests to leave, as Richard Crawley would be leaving with the rest of them and he would no longer be able to torment and harass her. She felt relieved that she could walk around the house freely, now that all of the guests were out shooting, as it meant that she could get her jobs done without constantly looking over her shoulders.

The other maids were busy preparing the house for the party that night, as Mr Carson supervised the hall boys as they lifted the carpet in the entrance hall, as Elsie stood on the gallery and watched them discreetly.

She could feel her heart beating furiously beneath her ribs as she watched him and she knew that she loved him, but it was never going to be and she couldn't dwell on it any longer. Mr Carson was on his way to becoming the next butler of Downton, and a very good job he will make of it, she thought; he would never give up on all this for her and her experiences with Richard Crawley was the final straw that had helped her to make her decision about Joe.

She did love him as well and she knew that he loved her and would protect her. She was due to meet him for lunch the next day and then she would give him her answer, that she would be honoured to become his wife, Mrs Elsie Burns.

Later that evening, as the dressing gong was rung, Elsie made her way up to her Ladyship's room to help her dress. She had spent most of the afternoon repairing Cora's pale pink dress, with its high neck line and long sleeves. It was intricately decorated with thousands of beads, some of which Elsie had to replace and sew back on to the dress to make it look presentable. She was very good with a needle and thread, as taught to her by her mother when she was a young child.

'Is everything alright Milady?' She asked once they were alone together in the bedroom.

'Yes, thank you, Miss Hughes; but I wanted to speak with you about Lord Grantham's brother and about what I saw the other day. I want you to know that if anyone in this house, guest or servant ever does anything to make you feel uncomfortable or anything against your will, then I will not tolerate it. I want you to know that I run a respectable and civilised home, where no member of this household, servant or family member, will be subject to such behaviour.' Cora said, which took Elsie quite by surprise.

'Thank you Milady; I will bare that in mind.' She replied as she then started brushing Cora's hair and nothing further was said on the matter, but Elsie would soon regret not saying anything.

The party downstairs was beginning to pick up pace as guests arrived downstairs for their dinner, dressed in their finery and enjoying the music from the string quartet, which was filtering up to Elsie, who was still in Cora's room. Cora had gone downstairs to join her husband and party guests, leaving Elsie to organise her clothes for the next day.

Elsie was also in the process of turning Cora's bed down for the night in preparation for her late bedtime, it meant that it was one less job for her to do later.

'You know, no one has ever turned down my bed before.' Richard said as he hovered in the doorway of Cora's bedroom and the sound of his voice made the hair on Elsie's neck stand up and sent a shiver down her spine.

'Mr Crawley, I have already warned you; do not try me. The other maids might be willing to indulge you, but I certainly am not. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to be returning downstairs.' She said as she made her way round the bed and tried to push passed him, but he grabbed her arms and pushed her back, forcing her on to the bed.

He took a few steps forward and slammed the door behind him. She felt her heart racing and she was frightened for what was about to come, but she made one last attempt to escape him, as she tried to lunge past him once more, but this time he pushed her so hard that she hit the corner of the bed and fell right over, landing on the floor with a thud and hurting her back. She tried to get up as he advanced towards her, smiling sinisterly with a manic, playful look in his eyes. As she tried to stand he grabbed her again, but this time he took her by the throat and slammed her into the wall, smashing her head against it and leaving her reeling and seeing stars behind her eyes.

Now dazed and weak she was powerless to stop him. She felt him drag her to the floor and pull at her clothing. The pain from her head caused her to black out, a small mercy in some respects, but the last thing she remembered seeing, was his face looming above her.