Charlie was still holding Ella tightly to his chest when the door to the library finally opened and Elsie stood on the other side, looking exhausted, yet relieved.
'You may come in now if you wish,' she said softly as she ushered her daughter and fiancé into the room.
Ella felt unsure as to what to expect exactly as she walked in but she could see that David was clearly destroyed by what her mam had told him and her compassionate side told her not to add any more to his burden, but the side of her that held on to so much pain and anger at him, told her to go on and to say her piece.
'I believe Mr Crawley has a few things that he'd like to say to you Ella.' Elsie said quietly as she stood behind her daughter and next to Charlie, who wrapped his arm around her in a very deliberate way as he glared angrily at David, leaving him in no doubt that he was there to protect his soon to be wife and felt so relieved to have him their beside her.
'And what is it exactly that you wish to say to me?' Ella asked calmly, but with very little emotion in her voice.
'Only that, I came here to find out who I am…or rather, who I was. I never intended to hurt you or your mother, or anyone for that matter. I honestly had no idea what it was that I had done, I have absolutely no recollection of ever being Richard Crawley and I am certainly nothing like him now.' David explained as he implored to her kind and caring nature.
'Mr Casey, I do appreciate that you are, perhaps, not the same man that you were when you left this house twenty five years ago and I will not ask that you cut ties with your mother; heaven knows I know what it feels like to be separated from your mother and to have no control over that relationship. However, what I will ask is that you do not ask about me, you do not tell anyone about me and you do not think about me. As far as you are concerned I do not exist. I only have one father and he is a very good man and I love him so very much and one day, Mr Carson will be my second father and I will be very glad to afford him that title on the day he marries my mam; but you will not factor into any part of my life. Do I make myself clear?' She said very calmly and very slowly, making sure every syllable was emphasised.
Elsie just happened to glance up at Charlie as Ella gave her very touching speech and she noticed that he had tears in his eyes; he was clearly very touched by what she had to say about him, so she gave the dear, sweet man a gentle squeeze of his hand which he quickly reciprocated.
'Right, I'm now going to go in to my grandmother to make sure she is quite alright; the last thing I need is for her to take ill.' Ella said as she left the room with one, last, parting glare at David and she was soon followed by Charlie and Elsie.
'Are going up to bed mam? You look done in!' Ella said as she clasped her mam's hands in her own, seeking comfort as much as she was offering it.
'Yes I am; it's been…well, a rather eventful night.' She replied sounding exhausted.
'Right, well I'm going to deal with Granny and then I'll come and check on you in a little while.' Ella responded as she placed a very brief kiss to her mam's forehead before disappearing into the other room, whilst Elsie and Charlie both parted for the beds.
As Ella quietly entered the room, she saw Robert and Violet sat beside each other in front of the fire, but slightly apart. Violet was desperately trying to hold her emotions in, but was clearly struggling to do so as Robert explained everything to her, this time promising not to hold anything back. She took it reasonably well, or as well as you can do, and she didn't seem to look as strained as she had before, but the news still clearly affected her and she no longer knew exactly how to respond; but neither Ella nor Robert expected her to. Ella sat on the other side of her grandmother and rested her head against her shoulder and the three of them sat in silence for the rest of the night.