'Ally bally, ally bally bee, Sittin' on yer mammy's knee, Greetin' for a wee bawbee, Tae buy some Coulter's candy,' Elsie sang quietly as she held baby Ella in her arms and walked her round the nursery whilst gently patting her bottom and bouncing her ever so slightly, but the baby continued to cry as she had done for hours.
Elsie was a very patient mother…nanny, even, and would spend hours cradling her child, soothing her and feeding her, but Doctor Clarkson said she was a very colicky baby and that very little would usually soothe the bairn. But that didn't put Elsie off, she would continue to persevere until she found something that worked; however, going almost a full three days without any sleep, was starting to take its toll on her and she was looking very tired.
The door to the nursery stood slightly ajar and Mr Carson, who was doing his rounds on the upper floors, couldn't help but sneak a peek at Elsie and her charges when he heard her stunning, Celtic voice singing the old Scottish folk song. As he glanced in he saw how natural she was with the baby and the loving looks that she gave her, even though the baby wasn't settling, she still looked adoringly at her.
He had to really supress the thought that she would make a wonderful mother herself one day, should she ever choose to leave service, but the thought of her leaving pained him greatly and it wasn't one he liked to dwell on too much. He had counted down the days to her return when she was in America with Lord and Lady Grantham, as he had missed hearing her around the house or having their brief conversations at the dinner table and he was so pleased to see that she returned happier and more content than when she had left; clearly the break away from Downton had done her wonders, but there were other changes now in place within the house that required getting used to, as he was no longer the Under Butler, but was now the Butler and master of the staff.
She had been delighted for him when he had given her the news in his letter to her; he had written to her often whilst she was away and she had clearly expressed that it would be a privilege to work under a highly dedicated man such as him. He had also taken great relief from her next letter to him, when she had reassured him that she would never leave Downton as long as she had breath left in her body, after he had joked that she'd spent so much time in America that she'd never want to return.
As he shuffled outside the door he hit upon a creaky floorboard, which gave an almighty squeak and betrayed him to Elsie. He peered sheepishly round the door as baby Ella continued to cry and Elsie felt glad to see him.
'Why don't you give her here to me for a little while, you look dead on your feet Miss Hughes.' He suggested and she did as he said and passed her little bundle into his big, strong arms.
It was very rare that Elsie let anyone near her child; she tried not to feel so over protective of her and kept reminding herself that she was no longer her bairn, but trying to do any of that was like trying to ask the weather not to rain on a cloudy day. But Mr Carson held more than just her high opinion.
After everything she had been through, he still held her heart and was the only man, the only one, who made her feel safe and secure and who made her feel like she was worth something again. Whilst she had been in America, awaiting the birth of her daughter, the only thing that kept her going was his letters from home and the thought of him waiting for her there. He was one of the factors that made returning to Downton bearable and made her feel strong enough to deal with the troubles she would inevitably have to face and he would never know just how much of a difference he made to her life.
Now, sat in the sanctuary of the nursery, she watched as this tall, very handsome and usually very proper man, walked round the nursery with Ella pressed close to his chest and smiled with joy as her baby began to settle, as he sang softly to her.
'Dashing away with a smoothing iron, dashing away with a smoothing iron, dashing away with a smoothing iron, she stole my heart away,' he sang softly, but with his familiar low rumble that baby Ella clearly found comforting, as she finally drifted off to sleep after a few verses.
'Well you've certainly captured her heart Mr Carson; I've been trying to get her off for hours.' Elsie explained with a tired smile.
'She's a stubborn and determined little tyke, I'll give her that.' He replied quietly as he gently put her back into her crib.
Elsie smiled as she watched him and thought about how delightfully paternal he was with Ella and how she wished things were so very different. She wished with all her heart that she was his baby and that they were together and in their own place far away and she quickly had to hide the blush that was flaming her cheeks and she chastised herself for thinking such things. If Mr Carson knew what she had been thinking, he would have been most aghast and embarrassed and she couldn't allow those kinds of thoughts to enter her mind anymore. Her circumstances were as they were and she had a very kind and gentle friend in Mr Carson, a friend she was lucky to have and a friendship she didn't want to lose with inappropriate thoughts and unrequited love.