A/N: Warning! There is adult content in this chapter. If the idea of two oldies getting it on repulses you, skip over the italic part of this fic. Mind, it will be a lot shorter then.
Also: thank you all so much for your reviews and support, it means a lot to me.
Anna turned off her alarm and swung her feet out of the bed.
"Where are you going?" John asked. He was not very awake.
"I have to get Lady Edith dressed and get the folly ready for the surprise. You get some more sleep, you still have an hour." She kissed his cheek and saw him drift off again. Sometimes she still couldn't quite believe he was here to stay. That they would never have to be apart ever again.
The skies were a deep blue, Anna loved the moments just before dawn. The whole world still asleep, except for yourself. There was a quiet she didn't often find and she was thankful for the moments of refuge. She walked along the path towards the house and let herself in. Only Daisy would be up, lighting the stove and putting kettles on.
A dim light came from the kitchen and Anna hung up her hat and coat and went through. Daisy was slicing bread for toast and humming a little.
"Goodmorning Daisy." Anna said and the girl started.
"Anna! You're here early."
Daisy handed Anna a slice of buttered bread and a cup of steaming tea.
"Lady Edith has an early appointment, so i had to come in now to get her dressed." Anna took a sip of her tea and warmed her hands on the cup. Walking in Yorkshire just before dawn was wonderful, but it could be very cold and damp.
"I'll make Lady Edith a breakfast on a tray then?" Daisy asked rhetorically.
"Yes, thank you, Daisy. I'll be back shortly, i need just to get a few things from the airing cupboard. Anna took the last sip of tea from her cup and got up. She found she had to steady herself, she was feeling very light headed all of the sudden. It probably was getting in from the cold and then sitting so close to the range. Now, the airing cupboard.
Yesterday, before she left, Anna had made a basket of blankets and wrappings. She needed those for her surprise. There was another basket in the pantry filled with lovely food and drinks. Her ladyship had even donated a bottle of champagne which his lordship had had to get from the cellar. How wonderful it was that everybody was working together in this scheme, Anna thought. In so many ways, Downton's inhabitants were a family. Not just the actual family upstairs, but also the people who worked there and they all together. Everybody looked after each other. There was no place she would rather be.
Lady Edith was wide awake and already brushing out her hair.
"Do you think i should cut it short?" Edith asked.
"I don't know milady.' Anna answered, thinking that cutting your hair was giving up one of your greatest beauties.
"No. Me neither." Edith sighed. She loved her hair. She was the only blonde, her mother and sisters were dark and papa... well, his hair was kind of without colour. She was pretty certain Anthony liked it too. He had complimented her on it a few times now and cutting it could damage her chances.
Bloody war. Bloody propriety. Bloody titles and money and bloody everything. Why couldn't things be simple? Like they were for Anna and Bates? Of course they had seen their fair share of trouble, but they were sure of each other. They needed nothing but their love. They were happy with their little cottage and their jobs. She let out a deep sigh and turned to the task at hand. Thinking about how her life was an utter failure could wait: the surprise could not.
"Is everything prepared?" she asked, turning around so Anna could tighten the laces of her corset.
"Yes, milady. I have all the blankets in a basket and Mrs Patmore has a basket of food in the larder. I am just not sure of how we are going to get them both there." Anna replied.
She helped Lady Edith in her dress and did it up.
"You look very beautiful milady."
"Do you think so?" Edith looked at Anna in surprise. "That is a nice thing to say. Thank you." and she meant it. It was nice to hear that you look pretty and Anna would not say it out of misplaced loyalty.
"I'll go down now, you can have my breakfast, i have far too much to do. I'll have a slice of cake with my coffee later. If you give me the blankets, i will put them up. Or down." she added with a frown. "I will also bring some cushions. Maybe you had better come with me and carry something too, i don't think i can manage on my own. Especially not without being seen."
"I will help you. Perhaps you should finish your tea though." Anna offered. Edith took the cup and carefully drank her tea.
"You can have my toast. You look rather drawn." Edith handed Anna the last piece of toast. Cold now and a little stale. "Sorry it's not very good anymore, but you really do look unwell."
Edith was not wrong. Anna did not feel well at all. She felt lightheaded and queezy. Her hand trembled when she took the toast and nibbled a few bites. The awful feeling in her stomach died down and after a few deep breaths, Anna felt next to normal.
"Let's go before Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes are up and about." Anna said, picking up the decorative cushions from Lady Edith's bed and leaving the room rather hurriedly, leaving the basket for Lady Edith.
They almost ran down the hall and went out the front door. If Mrs Hughes had seen her, she would have been severely reprimanded, but it was too early for him to be upstairs. She was probably just getting dressed.
Elsie wondered if Charles could get that mark covered she had accidentally given him, yesterday and thought back to the midmorning's events of the day before.
She did know she had it in her. Surely this was something for girls who could not control themselves. Girls who could not say 'no'. Well, that was an understatement. She was ready to say or do anything by now, but 'no' was not one of them. What was it with making love early in the morning that left you always wanting more throughout the day? Also: where was he?
"Anna? Have you seen Mr Carson?" she asked when she ran into Anna, who was carrying freshly ironed sheets.
"He just took the delivery of the wine and is in the cellar, Mrs Hughes." Anna hardly stopped.
"Thank you."
The cellar.
Where it was quiet.
Where nobody came, except for Charles and the odd footman when so assigned.
The quiet cellar with its constant temperature. The thick walls.
The door you could lock.
She hurried down, opened the door without knocking and locked it behind her. Charles looked up. She stayed where she was, but he could read her like nobody else. He stood before her in two seconds and he took hold of her.
His hand slid determinedly from her ankle upwards. She could feel his warm palm through her stocking and closed her eyes. He slid further, her calf, the inside of her knee. He reached her thigh and she let out an involuntary moan. His fingers travelled over her garter and ever so lightly brushed her knickers. She sighed and her knees were weak. He pulled away his hand and her skirt sunk back to the floor. His arm was now around her waist and he kissed her neck. She laid her head against his shoulder, his chin pressed against the side of her head. He kissed her brow and smoothed away a loose strand of her dark brown hair.
He pushed and pulled her just so he could look in her eyes and she forgot that she was one step up the stairs and he was on the floor. She forgot that she was housekeeper when he covered her lips with his and started kissing her so slowly, it was almost torture. His fingers deftly opened the buttons on her back and she forgot all sense of propriety. His fingertips touched her skin and she fumbled to get him out of his tie and jacket. She took a step to lean against the wall for some support.
Another kiss, his arms around her, her arm around his neck. His tongue dancing with hers. Such determination, such purpose. When he pulled away, she heard her ragged breath fill the space. There was an urgency she felt, her blood was rushing in her ears, her core tingling. She pulled at the waistband of his trousers and pulled it partly down. He pressed himself against her and hiked up her skirts again.
He expertly untied her knickers and she fell them fall on the ground and quickly stepped out of them and pulled up her leg. From there, she didn't think. She only felt. She gave herself to him and he took it, giving himself in return. She grabbed hold of him and stifled her moans as they moved quickly, out of control. The pressure was mounting and she scratched at him as she tipped over the edge, taking him with her.
They both panted and they laughed out loud when they looked the other in the eye. Steadying themselves on each other they pulled up their respective pants and adjusted various other pieces of clothing.
"Oh what has become of me?" Elsie sighed when she turned to Charles for a cuddle.
"What has become of me? Of us?" he asked in return.
"Old fools..." Elsie said and smiled her cheekiest grin.
He swept her against him, giving her a last lingering kiss.
"I do love you, Elsie. I do. I love everything about you, from your quick wit to your old fashioned knickers and i love to do entirely unappropriate things on the wine cellar's stairs with you."
"I love you too." she anwered.
Because it was that simple. For all the things they did, for everything they said, that was the constant.
They loved each other dearly.
Elsie flushed as she thought about how she had behaved. Today she had better control herself and her... instincts.
A/N: So, what do you think? Keep on going? The surprises so far too obvious? Think i should never ever try to write a steamy scene again? Leave me comment or review!