Fair:
A timid knock sounded on the housekeeper's closed door. There were no doubts as to the identity of her visitor, and she immediately put down her pen and turned in her chair to greet her guest. "Come in," she called out softly.
The handle turned and the door opened slowly. "Mrs. Hughes, are you busy?" Miss Sybbie asked with a quiet voice and a bright smile.
"I'm never too busy for you, Miss Sybbie," she said as she opened her arms and soon found them filled with the little girl who often visited her office. "What brings you down here today? And more importantly, does Nanny know where you are?" The little girl climbed into Elsie's lap and rested in the woman's arms.
Sybbie nodded. "I told her I needed to see you about something very important. She wanted me to tell her my secret but I told her that it was just for you and me. She said she would talk to you later but I told her that you wouldn't tell my secrets." Sybbie looked directly into Elsie's eyes and smiled. "And you won't tell, will you, Mrs. Hughes? They're our secrets, and you love me."
"You are correct, Miss Sybbie. I do love you very much, and secrets are secrets. Sometimes, though, if it's for a good cause, it might be necessary to share the information if it will help someone else. Wouldn't you agree?"
"I don't understand. Why would it be okay to tell something you promised not to share?"
"Ah, that's a tricky question, and one we might save for another day. I'm sure you didn't come all this way to talk about something like that, though." She gave the little girl a tight hug and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Did you come down for biscuits and milk or maybe a story from me this afternoon?"
Sybbie shook her head and snuggled into Elsie's arms as she'd done countless times before. "No, I wanted to ask if you would take me to the fair. I heard Nanny and some of the maids talking about it, and they made it sound like so much fun. I know you'll be going and since Papa is away, I thought you could take me instead. Donk and Grandmama probably won't go but I am sure they'd let you take me since everyone in the house trusts you."
Elsie smiled at the child's confidence in her, but her heart sank just a little. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I won't be going to the fair, either, this year. I haven't been to one in several years, and even then my trip was cut short."
Sybbie's face fell and a sadness clouded her eyes. Her one chance at being able to visit the fair had just crumbled, but she was sadder for her friend, Mrs. Hughes. "Why can't you go? It sounds like so much fun with games and cakes and other stuff that I can't remember. I would be on my very best behavior if you took me."
"I'm sure you would, lass, and that has absolutely nothing to do with it. If I were planning to go, we might see about taking you for an hour or two. Unfortunately, I won't be going. I haven't been invited, you see, and it wouldn't be proper for me to take you alone."
"Couldn't you go with Mrs. Patmore? She's your friend, and I like her. She bakes very nice biscuits and always gives me some when I'm down here."
Elsie grinned. "Mrs. Patmore has been invited to go with someone else. Mr. Mason wants to take her to the fair. I'm sure she'll enjoy it very much, and it wouldn't be very nice of us to invite ourselves on their outing. It would be like Master George inviting himself to one of your tea parties down here with me."
Sybbie crinkled her nose. "I wouldn't like that at all. Those are for us, and Mr. Carson sometimes. I like it when he joins us for tea, but I'm not sure he has as much fun as we do."
"He enjoys them very much, lass. I promise you that. He's just not invited to do things very often because of his position here at the house. A lot of people think he's too good to do things with them or they're a little scared of him because he's the butler."
"You're not scared of him. I'm not scared of him, either. I like him very much, and he does the best voices when he reads me books. And you married him, so you can't be scared of him," she giggled.
She couldn't help giggling herself. "No, I'm not scared of him, and neither should anyone else be for that matter. It's just a little hard to explain, but I assure you, he enjoys those tea parties with you very much. In fact, we should have one again and maybe you could make it a special point to ask him to attend instead of dragging him into my office next time," she said tapping the little girl on the end of her nose.
Sybbie's eyes brightened, and she suddenly hopped down from Elsie's lap. "I'm going to see Mrs. Patmore about biscuits now. I'm sorry we can't go to the fair since we weren't asked. Maybe we could have a little party here instead," she said with a cheery smile. And with that, Miss Sybbie went in search of the cook and her container of biscuits, leaving Elsie Hughes with a wistful smile on her face and a little pang in her heart at the missed opportunity.
As the week went on, the staff became more and more preoccupied with their work, earning several of them a reproach from Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes, or both in some instances. Everyone was talking about the fair, when they were going, the things they wanted to see or do, and whether or not they would receive their wages before the big evening. However, Mr. Carson still had not uttered a single word about the fair to his beloved wife, leading her to believe that he had sworn off the activity as a frivolous adventure.
It was over a cup of tea and a slice of cake one afternoon that Mrs. Patmore decided to prod her friend a little, hoping to convince her to at least ask Mr. Carson about taking her.
"No, I don't think so, Mrs. Patmore. You know his thoughts on the subject, and I won't press him."
"But surely things have changed since you've married! He can't still be holding on to the belief that he's not wanted or would put a damper on things. It's silly for you to miss out on the fun simply because Mr. Carson won't give in," Beryl Patmore huffed in a quiet voice. The last thing either woman wanted was for Charles to overhear the conversation.
"You don't understand, nor do I expect you to. Besides, I can use a night off from the house. We can spend the evening together. I don't need to go to the fair to enjoy the company of my husband. Anyway, you should be too busy with Mr. Mason to even notice if I'm there or not, and the staff certainly won't care one way or another."
"But the fair doesn't come into town often, and you've seen the flyers. There's a troupe coming with them that performs magic tricks and all sorts of side shows. They've never been to Downton before, and everyone will be there."
"Everyone but the Carsons, Mrs. Patmore," she said with conviction. "Now, please, let's consider the subject closed."
"You'll not even ask him, will you?" Mrs. Patmore dared to make one last attempt to convince Elsie to at least broach the subject with her husband.
"No. No doubt, he's seen the posters and heard the talk about the fair. He hasn't mentioned going and neither will I. A night at home will be nice. We can eat at a decent hour, catch up on some reading, and spend some quiet time together before we're both too exhausted to carry on a conversation. It won't be fair games, cider, and pageantry, but it will suit us nicely, and you can tell me all about what I missed over tea."
The opening day of the fair was always considered the grandest of them all. No expenses were spared in the hopes of wooing the entire village and surrounding areas to come out and enjoy the fun. The staff had been given a stern lecture from Mr. Carson about being respectful and setting a proper example while representing the Crawley family, reminded them of their curfew, and then sent them on their merrymaking way. Mrs. Patmore had fretted for over an hour on her attire and was about to change her blouse for the third time when Mr. Mason appeared at the back door to escort her into town.
"Well, that's the lot of them," he sighed happily as Beryl closed the door behind her.
"Yes, I suppose it is. I've a few things to finish up here before I can leave for the cottage but it shouldn't take me too long." Elsie's voice was softer and held a tinge of melancholy which did not go unnoticed by her husband.
"Very well. I have one very important thing to do before I can leave but it shouldn't take me more than ten or fifteen minutes. Do you think you'd be ready to leave by then?"
She gave him a quizzical look but nodded. "I suppose so. What exactly do you have to do that would take such a short amount of time but is so important?"
"I left something upstairs, if you must know, and I need to get it and bring it back here before we leave. Nothing to concern yourself with. I'll be back in a few minutes," he said, quickly pressing a kiss to her cheek, leaving Elsie flustered and a little confused.
While Elsie finished up the order list she'd been working on for most of the day, Charles quickly made his way upstairs. He had spoken with His Lordship days ago and secured the permission he needed.
"Hello, Nanny. Would Miss Sybbie be available this evening?" he asked loudly enough so that the child could hear him in the adjoining room.
"Yes, Mr. Carson. I believe she was playing with her dolls when I last saw her," she answered, giving the smiling butler a wink and a nod of her head. She turned to get the child's hat and coat while he spoke with Sybbie.
"Mr. Carson? Did you want to see me?" she asked, coming into the room and carrying her favorite doll.
"I did, indeed. You see, I need to ask you a very important question, and I hope you'll say yes, though if not, that's fine, too."
Sybbie's eyes grew wide. "You need to ask me an important question? I hope I have the right answer for you," she said as seriously as possible.
Charles knelt down in front of the child and took both her hands in his. "Miss Sybbie, would you do me the great honor of accompany me to the fair this evening?"
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Yes, Mr. Carson, but we can't go without Mrs. Hughes. She wanted to go as much as me, but nobody had asked her either."
He helped her into her coat and took her hand. "You didn't think I'd leave my best girl behind, did you? I'm taking you and Mrs. Hughes to the fair, and we're going to play games, and eat sticky candy, and maybe even ride the carousel. What do you think of that?"
She jumped up and down and pulled his hand, hurrying him down the myriad of stairs leading to Mrs. Hughes's office. "I think Mrs. Hughes and I are lucky that you like us both so much."
At the bottom of the stairs, Charles leaned down and whispered something into Sybbie's ear then sent her towards Elsie's sitting room.
"Mrs. Hughes," the little girl called out to her friend. "I've been asked to go to the fair!" she said as she bounded into the room and didn't stop until she was right beside Elsie's chair. "I'm going to the fair after all!"
"You are? That's wonderful, Miss Sybbie, but why are you down here? Shouldn't you be on your way? Who's taking you to the village?"
She smiled and shook her head. "Our favorite person asked me to go with him but we agreed that we couldn't go without you. So, get your hat and coat on quickly. We're wasting time, and he promised me a ride on the carousel and some sweets."
Elsie looked up to see Charles who was barely able to contain his laughter. Seeing the excitement on Sybbie's face was nothing compared to the lovely features of his beautiful wife. Her eyes were bright and shining, her smile more radiant than he had seen since their wedding day, and her enthusiasm seemed to match that of the little girl now bouncing up and down on her toes. She gave her husband a subtle wink then turned solemn as she looked back at the child in front of her.
"Miss Sybbie, I am very happy for you. It must be nice to have been asked to the fair. Unfortunately, I haven't been asked so you'll have to go without me and tell me all about it over a tea party."
The child's mouth gaped open and she looked back at Mr. Carson who was still standing in the doorway. "You have to ask her," she whispered loudly. "It's only proper that you ask her since you asked me, and I'm sure she'll go if you say please."
"If you're sure," he said, trying to sound a little unsure. She vigorously nodded her head and pulled him into the room. "Very well," he said. "Mrs. Carson, would you do us the honor of accompanying us to the fair … please?"
"Will you promise me a ride on the carousel and buy me a sweet?"
"I even promise to try to win you both a prize at one of the stalls, though if we don't get going, it will be someone's bedtime before we've even left."
Before long, the trio was headed into the village for Miss Sybbie's first fair. She was holding tightly to the hands of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes while chattering away. Her enthusiasm was certainly contagious and by the time they reached the fairgrounds, they were laughing and speculating on what they might see and do while there.
At Charles's suggestion, they walked around the various stalls, games, and activities before making any decisions. He wanted both ladies to see everything there was to do before settling for one thing only to find something better a few steps away.
Sybbie had kept her eyes trained on the carousel. The gleaming horses, mermaids, tigers, zebras, and other animals going round and round, the bright twinkling lights, and the loud tinkling sort of music had captured her attention entirely. "Mr. Carson, I don't want anything else, but please ride the carousel with me. I promise not to ask you for another thing as long as I live," she offered by way of trying to sweeten the deal and get her way.
"No need to go that far, Miss Sybbie, and I'll happily pay for you and Mrs. Hughes to ride, if you'd like. I'm sure she'd enjoy it as much as you, maybe even more," he whispered loudly.
"But I want you … and Mrs. Hughes. Can't we all ride?"
Charles raised his eyebrow, unsure if he should give in to the little girl's request. One look into the pleading eyes of his wife and his fate was sealed. "Very well, then. We will all ride, just once mind you. Then, we'll find something that Mrs. Hughes wants to do. Does that sound acceptable?"
For the remainder of the evening, all Sybbie could talk about was the ride on the tiger and how exciting it was to have Mrs. Hughes hold her hand the whole way. She had properly hugged and thanked Mr. Carson for riding the horse beside hers just in case she got a little scared.
By the end of the evening, Charles, Elsie, and Sybbie were starting to grow tired of the crowds and the noise. "We should head back to the Abbey. It's getting close to your bedtime, lass, and we need to get home so we can get to bed, too," Elsie said softly as she brushed the hair back from Sybbie's forehead.
"We can't go just yet. Mr. Carson hasn't won you a prize. I thought you wanted him to try a game for you."
"Oh, lass, I don't need a prize from the fair. I have the memory of being asked to go, and then spending the evening with you and Mr. Carson. That was gift enough, don't you think? And he did buy us food, drinks, and that carousel ride. It was very generous of him."
"She's right, you know. What sort of date would I be if I didn't at least try to win something for my fair lady?" They walked around the various games and paused at a few to watch others playing. Charles, having been around traveling troupes and carnivals for quite some time during his Cheerful Charlie days, knew what to look for in an honest gamer and he knew the games with the best odds of winning. Satisfied that he had found a game where he might be successful, he placed Sybbie's hand in Elsie's and walked up to the gentleman running the game.
Nothing could have prepared Charles for what happened next. One minute he was ready to win his girl a prize and the next he was being confronted with a person from his distant past.
"Charlie Carson? Is that you? It's me … Ben … Ben Hawthorne. I'd recognize you anywhere! Goodness, it's been ages since you left the theatre. Where have you been?"
Charles felt his cheeks burning from embarrassment, wishing the man would lower his voice and praying that no one around him saw or heard the exchange. "I work at Downton Abbey. I am the butler there, and have been for quite some time," he answered politely, though hoping to put an end to the discussion rather quickly.
Having heard the exchange between the two men, Elsie decided to help Charles out of the situation. "Charlie, I think Sybbie is ready to head home. We're ready when you are," she said tenderly, giving his elbow a gentle and supportive squeeze.
"And who's this?" Ben asked, removing his hat and introducing himself to Elsie and Sybbie.
"This is my wife, Elsie, and this is Miss Sybbie," Charles answered, still wary of the man. Ben had always been a loud but honest sort of fellow, and he bore no ill will towards the man. He simply didn't want his past exposed to everyone in the village.
"Well, Charlie. I'll tell you what I'll do. Since you know how the games are played and no doubt have scouted out for the one with the best odds of winning, I'll make you a deal. You win your wife a prize, and I'll let your granddaughter choose any of the prizes. My way of saying thank you for being a decent sort of fellow, even back then."
Charles felt a surge of pride, though part of him felt guilty for not correcting Ben on his assumption that the little girl was their granddaughter. It would have been far too complicated to explain, and he noticed Elsie hadn't jumped in to correct the man, either. "I couldn't ask for a fairer deal than that, Ben, but only if you're sure." The man nodded and the terms of the game were set.
"Elsie, would you like anything in particular? Is there something that's caught your eye?"
"I'll be grateful for whatever you win, though you really don't need to do this."
He gave her hand a squeeze then surveyed the choices. His eyes settled on one prize in particular, and he was determined to win it. He was handed three rings and Elsie stepped back with Sybbie so as not to distract him. The first ring bounced off the nearby stand and landed on the ground. The second ring tapped a large ceramic vase, nearly knocking it off its perch. More confident now than before, Charles tossed the third ring at his goal and was rewarded with squeals of excitement as Elsie and Sybbie both cheered and clapped as the ring landed perfectly around the prize.
"Excellent choice, Charlie Carson! Your misses will be very happy with this lovely trinket box," he said, handing Charles the box. It was a small white ceramic box in the shape of a heart, large enough to hold hair pins, a broach, a few rings, or any number of smaller jewelry items. The lid of the box was adorned with a beautifully painted blue rose and a few intricate designs for embellishment.
Charles took the prize and grinned with pride as he offered it to Elsie. "Something to remember the evening by, Mrs. Carson," he said softly.
"It's beautiful, Charles. Thank you very much. It will look beautiful on my vanity table at home."
"Ah, don't forget about the little girl. A deal is a deal, Charlie," Ben said as they started to walk away. "I promised her anything in my stall." He leaned down and caught Sybbie's eye. "So, young lady, would you care to make your selection?"
She looked up at Charles, waiting for his approval, then to Elsie, seeking hers as well. Tentatively, she stepped towards the man. "Thank you very much," she said very softly.
Charles could see that she was a little intimidated by the stranger so he knelt down beside her while Elsie did the same on the other side. "Do you see anything in there that you'd like?"
She stood on her tiptoes and tried to see as best as she could, though having a little trouble making out what some of the items were supposed to be. "It's hard to tell."
"Mr. Carson, why don't you pick her up and give her a better vantage point? That might help her see more clearly."
He scooped the wee lass into his arms and suddenly, she could see all of her options laid out before her. Charles walked slowly around the game, giving her time to study the items until finally she clapped her hands and a huge grin overtook her face. "The tigers! May I please have them?" she asked, pointing at three ceramic tigers near the middle of the game.
"Interesting choice, little lady, but the choice is yours. I would have thought you'd want a doll or maybe a little statuette."
"I want the tigers because there are three of them and three of us," she said, taking the items from the man and cradling them to her chest. "I rode the tiger on the carousel earlier and they rode with me. So, in a way, it's like us. A man, a woman, and a little girl having a fun time together, like we always do. Thank you very much," she said to Ben and then kissed Charles on the cheek.
With her prize held firmly in her hand, she rested her head on Charles's shoulder and felt her eyes beginning to droop. Knowing she would be safe, she allowed herself to fall asleep as the trio walked back to Downton Abbey.
Charles and Elsie escorted Sybbie back to the nursery and made sure she was tucked in safely, her little tiger figurines on her beside table.
As Elsie crawled into her own bed that evening, she snuggled against Charles's side, pressing a warm, loving kiss to his lips. "I'm so proud of you, Charlie Carson, and I'm very proud to be your wife."
"What's brought this on?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.
"You handled that business with your old acquaintance very well, and my handsome husband showed me a lovely evening at the fair. Thank you for that and for taking Miss Sybbie, too, though how did you know about the conversation I had with her earlier this week?"
He kissed the top of Elsie's head and he laced his fingers with her. "I heard her talking to you in your sitting room. She hadn't closed the door, and while I wasn't eavesdropping, it was hard not to overhear. I spoke to His Lordship and explained a portion of the conversation with him and he granted me permission to take her to the fair. He even went to so far as to say that he couldn't imagine anyone more suited to take her than the two of us," he finished with a little bit of pride seeping into his voice.
"And he's right. You were a perfect escort this evening, and we were both very lucky girls to have been asked by the most handsome man in all the world to be his date."
"I want you to be my date for the rest of my life, Elsie."
She stretched out so that her entire body was touching him, her hands threading through his hair as she drew his face down to hers for a passionate kiss. "I thought you'd never ask."
A/N: Lots of woes with this one and some scrapped pages, too. Special thanks to Chelsiesouloftheabbey and DameofDownstairs for being such awesome sounding boards, for encouraging me to continue when I wanted to quit, and for their friendship! You ladies rock!