A/N: Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews. I´ve really enjoyed them.

Chapter 4

On a crisp, but clear afternoon half way through November he appeared on the threshold of her parlour, dressed in his grey overcoat and bowler.

"Are you going out, Mr Carson?" she inquired with a half-smile.

He nodded solemnly. "His Lordship has informed me that the cottage I will be residing in as of January has become vacant. I'm on my way to have a look at it now."

"That's very exciting," she replied, trying to keep her smile firmly in place.

"Mrs Hughes… I was wondering…" he started hesitantly. "May I ask you to come with me? I think I could use a woman's perspective."

"Of course," she put her pen down and switched the light off. "Let me get my coat and hat."

He helped her in her coat and watched as she fastened her hat with a pin. "You haven't been to the cottage before?" she asked, meeting his eyes in the mirror.

"I've walked past it, but I haven't been inside yet," he replied.

"Well, let's have a look then," she announced, turning around and following him out of the house. Once outside he offered her his arm and she slipped her hand around his elbow. Slowly they made their way towards the village were some of Lord Grantham's cottages were located. While they walked and spoke occasionally, Elsie took in the route. She'd be walking here often in the months to come. As often as possible if it were up to her.

Eventually they came to stand in front of a rather spacious cottage. It was plastered white and had grey roof tiles.
"I think this is it," he commented, checking the copper brass number and retrieving a key from his pocket. He opened the door and allowed her to step in first.

Carefully Elsie wandered inside and looked around. The house was a little dark and carried the somewhat eerie atmosphere of a house that wasn't occupied. But it was clean and proportioned nicely, with tall windows, one overlooking the quiet street the cottage was situated on and one overlooking the garden.

Suddenly the room bathed in light and Elsie whirled around in surprise, noticing that he had just flicked the switch.
"Mr Crawley had electricity installed here recently," he told her with an amused smile. "He's going to make a fine master of the estate one day."

Privately, Elsie thought to herself that Mr Crawley went to great lengths to please his wife, but she decided not to say anything about it.
"What do you think of it?" he asked her.

"It's modern and well kept," Elsie looked around her appreciatively and stepped into the kitchen. "The kitchen looks good as well… but more importantly, what do you think?"

"I like that it's close to the village," he admitted. "The shops, the church, everything is close by. The house itself is everything I could wish for and best of all, there are no stairs."

Elsie smiled and took another turn through the room. The cottage was in fact wonderful. It was everything he deserved and she felt a rare rush of absolute gratitude towards the family that was taking care of him so well. Even if it effectively meant that her days of caring for him were nearing its end. Best not to dwell on that now though.

There's a nice, big hearth here," she observed. "You'll have no trouble keeping it warm."

"Would you be happy to live here?" he asked her, his back towards her, seemingly engrossed by inspecting the state of the walls.

"Oh, I don't know…" His question took her somewhat by surprise. "It doesn't really matter, does it? The question is, will you be happy to live here, Mr Carson?"

He turned around and found her gaze, his eyes unreadable. "Just humour me. Would you be happy to live here?"

Taking another look around her, she could suddenly see it. The mantelpiece filled with photographs. A rug in front of a blazing fireplace. A sofa and his armchair. Flowers from the garden on their dinner table. Lamps everywhere so that she was able to read or do her knitting. Blankets ready to grab in case he got chilly. They'd probably have a cat, there was enough of the farm girl left in her to want a pet.

Tears stung her eyes and she needed a few moments before she was able to compose herself. "Yes, Mr Carson, I daresay I'd be very happy here."

He crossed the room to where she was standing, but she avoided his gaze, not wanting to give any of the inner turmoil she was experiencing away. It wasn't until she felt his upper arm brush her shoulder that she finally looked up. He was standing close to her, much closer than he normally did, his face uncommonly anxious.

"Will you come with me?" His voice was hoarse and low and if he'd been speaking any softer she would have thought she had just misheard him.

"W-what?" she managed to stammer at last.

"Come with me, retire with me," he pleaded, his voice still soft. "You won't have to deal with Molesley… I know you dread the prospect," he added with a knowing smile.
"Instead you can continue to nag me about my health and I can make sure you get enough rest. We could just live here, together, and be very happy don't you think?"

Her mind was reeling with everything he'd just said. Everything she'd been dreaming and fantasizing about since he'd first told her about his retirement.
"I don't think his Lordship will be too keen on the idea of the two of us living here… it would hardly be proper," she protested feebly though.

"It would be very proper if we were to marry," he ventured carefully.

She had barely recovered from his first proposition when his second proposal knocked the wind out of her. He wanted to marry her. He wanted her to be his wife. He would be her husband and she would be allowed to care for him and love him to her heart's content –
She stopped herself before she could get too carried away with her own foolish notions. He hadn't mentioned love or affection even. He'd merely stated that they could be happy together, very much in the same fashion as they were now.

"Marriage is not something that should be undertaken lightly, Mr Carson," she said quietly, stressing his title somewhat. "Even at our age."

"Elsie." The sound of her name coming from his lips startled her in looking up to him again and she found his face only inches from hers, his eyes burning into hers. His fingers curled around her hand as he spoke: "I'll be alright leaving Downton and the family, but… I couldn't bear to be separated from you. To not see you or be with you every day. We've lived our lives side by side for so many years and now that we´ve arrived at the last part… I want to spend it with you."

She'd been close to tears for weeks and now a few of them dislodged themselves from her eyes and trickled slowly down her cheeks.
"Yes…" the small word ended in an even smaller hitch. "I'll marry you, Charles"

He brought their intertwined hands to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers as he brushed his lips over her knuckles.
"We'll be so very happy here."

You didn´t really think I´d let him leave her behind, did you?
One more chapter to go and as always, I´d love to hear what you think!