Flowers:
December 1, 2016
Charles slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to see the clock on his side of the bed. He moved slowly and gently, hoping not to wake Elsie, her head pillowed on his bare chest and her arm draped securely over his stomach. Her warmth and softness tempted him to close his eyes, burrow deeper beneath the blankets, and hug her a little tighter to his body, but he had to resist, just this once.
Looking out of their large bedroom windows, Charles could see that it was still dark outside and the large snowflakes lazily floating towards the ground just outside their home did nothing to inspire him to want to move from his warm bed and beautiful wife. However, he had waited almost six months for this day and nothing was going to deter him. After all, if he was quick enough and quiet enough, he could slip out of the room, attend to the business at hand, and then slide back into their bed for a little nap before Elsie woke for the day. With any luck, he could convince her to spend a leisurely morning with him, doing nothing but cuddling and watching the snow falling from the comfort of their bed.
And that was precisely what he managed to do. Now, the harder part would be keeping his secret from her until their anniversary … a mere five months … five long, torturous months to have to keep this one secret from Elsie Hughes Carson, the woman who seemed to know everything.
May 22, 2017
Charles woke long before Elsie ever began to stir. The light breeze blowing through the windows caused the sheer curtains to float, giving them a life of their very own. He smiled as he suddenly remembered the day, a surge of pride bubbling in his chest at having been able to contain his secret for so long. This would certainly go down as one of his greatest achievements. Gently, he rolled onto his side while still managing to keep Elsie close in his arms.
He watched her sleeping for several long moments. She was always beautiful but there was something softer, precious, and angelic in her face when she slept. With a reverent thought, he brushed his thumb across her cheek and watched as a sleepy smile began to break across her lips.
"Good morning, love," he whispered softly, careful not to startle her this early with his deep and sometimes booming voice.
"Mmm," she hummed, snuggling deeper into his warmth. "Every morning is a good one with you," she said with a raspy voice. "What time is it?"
"A little early for starting the day. I'm sorry if I woke you," he said before kissing the tip of her nose, her lips, and then her forehead.
"S'alright." She pressed a kiss to his chest and gave his waist a little squeeze. "You're not thinking of getting up, are you?" She wasn't quite ready to leave their bed or his arms and she hoped he could be convinced to stay.
"Not just yet, but I do have a surprise for you, sweetheart. It will keep, though," he said with a smile creeping into his voice. He watched as she registered his words, her eyes suddenly wide and sparkling, her full attention now focused on his face. "Ah, you're awake now, I see. How lovely," he teased.
She smacked his chest then pinched his bottom, earning her a yelp of surprise as his hips bucked at the unexpected pinch. "You said something about a surprise. Care to enlighten me, Mr. Carson, now that you've managed to wake me so early?"
"You can go back to sleep. The secret will keep until you're good and ready to get up from our bed, Mrs. Carson. I'll just go downstairs and see about breakfast while the lady of the manor has a lie in, shall I?"
"You shall not!" Her voice was sharp but it was clear to both of them that she was teasing, playing right along with his little game. "I wouldn't dream of letting you leave this nice, comfortable bed or your warm and waiting wife, shoving you down the stairs and into the kitchen this early. Why don't you just settle back and cuddle with me for a bit … share with me your thoughts and secrets," she purred, her hand running up and down his chest, nails lightly scratching his skin and causing him to squirm under her expert touch.
Charles stifled a groan at the back of his throat before leaning down to kiss Elsie passionately. His lips captured hers as he nibbled and teased until she returned his groan with a happy moan of her own. When he finally ended the kiss, he bumped his nose against hers and grinned.
"I love you so very much, Elsie," he whispered into her hair as he held her close.
"I love you, too, Charlie. I can't believe our anniversary is tomorrow. Twenty-five wonderful years being Mrs. Carson. How did I ever get so lucky?"
Charles chuckled and placed his finger beneath her chin, tilting her head back. "You've got it all wrong, darling. I'm the lucky one. Always have been where you were concerned." He kissed her sweetly and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Which is why I have an anniversary surprise for you."
"Hmm, I do believe I vaguely remember you casually mentioning a surprise this morning." Her laughter filled their bedroom and his shook the bed.
"I can't actually believe I've been able to keep this a secret from you. I've been on pins and needles since December, worried that you'd discover me at any point along the way."
"Charles Carson, what have you been up to? And more to the point, how on earth did you manage to keep it a secret? Surely, Beryl doesn't know or she'd have spilled the beans by now!"
"That was my first thought, so I'm happy to say that … for better or worse … your husband has arranged everything without any assistance. So, if it all goes to hell in a handcart …"
She placed her finger over his mouth to cease his sentence. "It won't because you never do anything by halves." She removed her finger and kissed him quickly. "How long do I have to wait before I get my surprise? Mind you, you're going to have to wait until tomorrow for mine."
"Let's go cook some breakfast, and I shall reveal all. We are on a flexible schedule, but we do have a bit of a drive ahead of us and reservations for dinner this evening."
Elsie sat up in bed, letting the sheet fall around her waist, slightly chilled from the morning air on her bare skin but not caring. "A drive? Reservations? Charlie, what have you done?"
He leaned over and kissed her cheek then slid out of bed, grabbing his dressing gown from the foot of their bed. "Answers over coffee, eggs, and toast."
As they made their way downstairs, Charles allowed Elsie to go first, knowing what was waiting for her. When she crossed through the living room and into the dining room on her way to the kitchen, she stopped in her tracks, a gasp falling from her lips. Placed in the center of their dining room table was a large bouquet of flowers in the most vibrant colors. Purples, blues, yellows, pinks, reds, and whites all blended together to create a stunning arrangement in a simple wicker basket. It was as if an English garden has somehow managed to find its way into their home.
Elsie walked closer to the arrangement, still speechless from her discovery, and gently touched the flowers, leaning in to breathe in their heady scent. It was then that she noticed the rest of the table. Charles has laid two place settings for breakfast using their finest china and silverware. His warm hands on her hips brought her fully back to her senses and she turned in his arms.
"You've done all of this for me? Charlie, it's beautiful, but when did you ever find the time, and where did you get the flowers?"
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "I hid the flowers in the garage when I came home last night. That little trip to get the ice cream was a ruse so I could pick up the flower arrangement. And I got up in the middle of the night to bring them inside, to set the table, and to arrange things for our breakfast." He brought his hand to her cheek and ran his thumb over her cheekbone to wipe away a stray tear. "Hey, no tears, love. This is a happy day."
She nodded her head and cupped his cheeks in her hands. "And these, my love, are happy tears. You've managed to surprise and spoil me, and it's not even our anniversary yet."
He took her hands in his and lightly kissed her palms, his eyes never leaving hers as he did so. Then, he wrapped his arm around her and guided her into the kitchen where he set about making their breakfast as they discussed the variety of flowers in the bouquet, the colors she loved the most, and their hopes of planning and planting a little garden of their own.
"Now that we're both officially retired, we can start making plans," she said, popping a slice of orange into her mouth, her tongue darting out to catch the droplets of juice on her bottom lip. She giggled as Charles moaned, pausing his diligent stirring of their scrambled eggs to watch her. "Careful with the eggs, Charlie. I'd hate for them to burn."
"Tease!"
"You're one to talk, Mr. Carson … waking a girl up this early in the morning with promises of surprises, secrets, adventures, and breakfast."
He plated the eggs and toast and nodded towards the bowl of fruit, silently asking her to bring it along with her to the dining room table. After helping her into her seat and gently placing her napkin in her lap, Charles settled down at his place and tucked into breakfast, making idle conversation until Elsie couldn't take the suspense any longer.
"Out with it, Charlie. I think I've been patient long enough. Frankly, I'm surprised you've lasted this long," she said, sliding her hand over his on the table and giving it a squeeze.
"To be honest, so am I," he laughed, bringing her hand to his lips for a brief kiss before rising from his seat. He was gone only for a moment and returned with a small envelope which he promptly placed in her hand. "For you, love. Happy anniversary."
She looked up into his eyes and carefully opened the flap on the envelope. Inside, she found several small pieces of paper, each one identical and each one sealed with a beautiful flower sticker. "Does it matter which one I open first?"
"Ah, it does. I'm glad you asked." He pushed back her plate and placed the papers in front of her. "Open left to right." He pulled his chair over to hers, not wanting to miss a single emotion as it played out on her face.
She gave him a smile and opened the first folded bit of paper.
Twenty-five years of putting up with this old curmudgeon deserves something special. Four nights at the Four Seasons in the Garden Suite, complete with our own private terrace.
Elsie gasped as she read the words for a second, then a third, time. "Charles! This must have cost a fortune! Four nights at the Four Seasons … and in a suite!"
"Our investments have done well, and we deserve to have a nice place to stay in London." He tapped his finger on the second envelope. "Go on. Let's see what you make of this one."
With shaking hands, Elsie reached out for the second envelope. Her heart was racing as she unfolded the paper and looked down at Charles's neat handwriting.
Pack that lovely black and silver dress. I'll pack my tuxedo. Together, we'll celebrate our marriage at The Foyer at Claridge's. Our reservations are for 8pm.
They had often joked about spending an outrageous fortune on some elaborate meal, though they'd never actually done it. They had dined at some of the most famous restaurants but never at Claridge's. "Goodness, Charles! When you set out to woo a lass, you don't hold back, do you, love?"
"Nothing is too good for you, Elsie. And we're not just celebrating our anniversary. We're marking the end of our working day and setting out on our retirement years. That deserves a special treat, too. I hope you aren't upset with me for planning all of this without consulting you first."
"Heavens, no! I am overwhelmed and excited but certainly not upset!" She picked up the last bit of paper and looked directly into Charles's eyes. "A weekend in London at a four star hotel, dinner at one of the best restaurants in town … whatever could this one be?"
"It's not an audience with Her Majesty, if that's what you're angling for."
"Not this year. Maybe you could arrange that for our thirty year anniversary," she said with a laugh and a wink.
"Yes! I'll send off an email to her office as soon as we return from our trip. That should give her plenty of time to clear her calendar," he deadpanned, which earned him a kiss and a shake of Elsie's head.
I promised you a garden, and a garden you shall have. To help us get started, we will spend two full days at the Chelsea Flower Show, reveling in this heady scents of the enormous flower displays and being inspired by the creative arrangements.
Elsie wiped the tears from her eyes and threw her arms around Charles's neck, peppering his face with kiss and words of love and adoration. "I do not deserve you! This … all of it … it's perfect!"
"Perfect, just like you, Elsie. These flowers are just the start. I want us to plant a proper garden, have a little bench or gazebo out in the back so we can sit and admire all of our hard work. I want to sit back, sip a glass of wine with you, and watch our flowers bloom. I want to give it all to you, love."
She cupped his cheek in her hand and drew his head down for a long and proper kiss. "I already have it all, Charlie. You've given me everything I've ever needed or wanted. I have you!"
It was his turn to wipe away the tears from his eye. Not for the first time in his life, Charles sent up a word of thanks for Elsie and her unwavering love for him. With a quick kiss to her cheek then one to the back of each of her hands, Charles stood and pulled her into his arms. "We'd best get packing. We have an exciting few days ahead of us."
"Happy anniversary, Charlie."
"And many more to come, my bride."
A/N: Thanks so much for reading. I'd love it if you'd drop me a note to tell me how I did. The Chesie fandom always rocks!
Tickets for the Chelsea Flower Show non-RHS members usually go on sale on our around December 1 and spaces are limited. In 2017, the show will run 23 to 27 May. The "black and silver" dress Charles asked Elsie to wear is based on her BAFTA DA tribute dress. Stunning, imho! And lastly, if you haven't already, check out the Garden Suite and Terrace at the Four Seasons. Wow! Charles really outdid himself!