A/N: I am so, so sorry that it has taken me this long to finish this! Maybe I will also get around to finishing one of others I've planned out sometime soon?! Anyhow, here's the ending!

Merry reading!

Charles sighed and leant back in his chair, thoughts of Elsie encompassing him. She had misunderstood him entirely. He would never see her as his bitter, old housekeeper. Yours, Charles? He shook his head. She wasn't his to keep and never would she be. He'd upset her and now Elsie assumed that he thought the worst of her. Charles knew that she never usually let the opinions of others so openly get to her so why did he matter so much? He shook his head. The woman made no sense.

He blew out the candle on his desk before leaving his pantry.

Elsie leant against the wall, one hand on her stomach and the other pressed against her mouth in attempt to cease her sobs. And you promised yourself you wouldn't cry. However much she wished she would not let herself get so overly emotional, however much she wanted them to stop, tears streamed down her cheeks and her shoulders continued to shake. She closed her eyes and let her head rest in her hands.

Charles stepped out into the corridor, shutting his pantry door behind him. He moved to take a step towards the stairs when a shadow caught his eye. He silently studied the small, shaking form before whispering into the darkness, "Mrs Hughes?"

She cleared her throat before quickly straightening up, dropping her hands to her sides.

Charles crossed to her and pressed a handkerchief into her palm. Her fingers closed around it but she made no attempt to move. Maybe if she didn't draw attention to the tear tracks on her cheeks, he wouldn't notice them. The fact that he had given her his handkerchief evidently proved that he already had done.

"Mrs Hughes," With his eyes now adjusted to the darkness, he could see in her eyes how much she needed to rest. She had been working herself too hard like he once did. Still did. He couldn't let the same thing happen to her. "You're tired."

She let out a short, sarcastic laugh before meeting his gaze and entering into a lengthy, bitter snicker.

He looked at her in puzzlement.

"How typical of you, Mr Carson."

He waited for her to explain.

"Marking any kind of improper emotion as simple fatigue."

Again, that was not what he had meant.

"Is denial a wonderful way to live, Mr Carson?"

What…

"It must be quite pleasant to so easily be able to turn yourself away from your improper emotion."

Improper emotion. There were those two words again.

"That is, if you even hav-" She swallowed, trying to stop her tears from falling once again. "If you even have any."

"I have emo-"

She interrupted him, "But have you ever been tempted to claim to be ill, just to stay in bed a little while longer? Have you ever been tempted to take two books from the library, just because you can't decide which one you would prefer, despite his Lordship's strict rule of taking only one at a time? Have you ever been tempted to wonder what it would be like to have a library of your own, what it would be like to have your own house with your own family to share it with?" She swallowed again, but this time, she was unsuccessful in holding back her pain. "Have you ever been tempted to fall in love?"

If only she knew.

She lowered her gaze, watching her teardrops descend into the darkness around her feet.

He had to say something. Anything. He stuttered, " I… I love the family. I…"

She shut her eyes before taking a deep breath and moving by him towards the stairs. If only he knew.

He had lost count of how many misunderstandings over the last week had caused Elsie to walk away from him as she was doing now. He quickly reached out and took hold of her arm. Only this time, he wasn't going to let her go so easily.

"Charles…" And just with that sole mention of his name, through the look in her eyes, through the emotion in her voice, Elsie perfectly illustrated to him exactly what she had meant. Suddenly everything was so clear.

Charles sought out her hand in the dark. Taking hold of it, he gently pulled her towards him. He smoothed his hand along her arm, over her shoulders, and up her neck until he cupped her cheek. He used his thumb to wipe away her tears. "Elsie…" He whispered before leaning closer and brushing her lips with his own.

She let out a contented sigh as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Elsie?"

"Yes, Charles?"

"I won't leave you."

"Don't tell me you'd miss me?" Her eyes sparkled in mock astonishment.

"I would, Mrs Hughes. Very much. And it costs me nothing to say it." He leant forward and kissed her again.

"But Lord knows, it would cost you everything if you didn't."

~ THE END ~

A/N: Thank you for reading! And also thank you to those who followed, favourited and reviewed - I promise I will reply to those very soon! You guys are the absolute best!