I wanted to continue this story. Probably AU, but I wanted to publish this chapter prior to the upcoming episode.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from them and earn nothing but sleepless nights.
There was a sharp tap on her door, and Elsie looked up from the page she hadn't been reading for the past half hour. It was Charles, not Mr. Carson, not when they were alone. That would take some time to seem natural. He leaned in and asked, "Would you like to walk down to the village, or would you prefer that I try to work out transport with the car?"
"You'll allow me to walk?" she asked with uplifted brows.
He grimaced at her, "I thought the point of our disagreement last night was that I was not to treat you like a bit of spun glass."
She smiled. Calling what had occurred last night a disagreement was like calling the ocean a puddle. Hopefully he understood how she felt now, however. "It is a pleasant day. I think that I would prefer to walk," she answered hoping that the time necessary to make their way to the village would help her to compose herself, "But surely it's too early yet."
He cleared his throat, "There was another errand I hoped to accomplish if you wouldn't mind leaving now. If you need to keep working..."
"No," she cut him off, "I haven't gotten any work done all morning. If you wish, we would do just as well to leave now."
Once they were on the path to the village, her arm securely tucked in Charles's elbow, she took a moment to enjoy their new status. The silent, steady strength he lent her was comforting. Even though she would rather have spared him this hurt, she was grateful that he would be at her side.
She glanced up at him to see that he was staring at his shoes with a deep furrow between his brows. Her heart clenched. Perhaps he was having second thoughts, although knowing him they were third or fourth thoughts at least.
He must have felt her eyes on him because he turned his head and met her gaze.
He took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, "I snore."
That was so far removed from what she had been expecting to hear that she almost thought she was having delusions. "Beg pardon?"
"I am not entirely sure because obviously I am asleep while it is occurring, but Thomas has hinted many times. I am afraid that I snore," his face still bore a worried frown.
"Seeing that your bedroom and mine share a wall, I can assure that you do indeed snore, but I fail to see why that worries you now," she still stared at him in puzzlement.
His mouth dropped open. He had obviously never thought about how close her bedroom was to his. "Why did you never tell me before this?"
"I obviously didn't think it was of great consequence," she explained, patience starting to wear thin.
"I don't suppose it was before," he conceded, "but now, do you think you'll be able to sleep if we're sharing a be..that is, if we were closer?"
She stopped short and blinked twice at him before starting to laugh. He initially looked irritated but then started to chuckle himself.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and then said between bursts of chuckles and laughter, "We are on our way to find out what this thing is inside me and that is what you're worried about?"
"You make it sound silly," he grumbled, but smilingly.
She smiled back, grateful to him for the first genuine laugh she'd had in weeks, "Perhaps because it is silly, Charles Carson."
He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off, "I have listened to your snores for years. The truth is, I have trouble sleeping during the Season. It's far too quiet."
He smiled gratefully and offered his arm again, "If you are sure that I won't deafen you then I suppose we will do well."
They started back down the path, and after a few more steps she said, "I have cold feet."
"Elsie, I'm willing to wait if you're not sure, but I thought after last night that you were," he spoke hoarsely and his eyebrows were drawn down again.
"No," she replied quickly, realizing he'd misunderstood, "I am sure. Quite sure. What I meant was that my feet are like ice at night. My sister always complained about it."
"Oh,that will be difficult," he said in an obviously relieved voice, and she looked up sharply to see the crinkle of a smile at the corner of his eye, "I suppose I could try to keep them warm. Would you mind terribly if I brought a hot water bottle to bed?"
"Not at all," she smiled at the thought of pressing her cold feet against his warm ones so that they could share the warmth from a single bottle.
"I am particular about where things are," he began again, "Disorder is disturbing to me."
She stared at him in disbelief. Did he think this was some type of revelation? "Really. I would never have known."
He rolled his eyes at her and chuckled softly before bending down to whisper close to her ear, "I have been known to get up in the middle of the night to straighten the books on my shelf."
She nodded thoughtfully. That was certainly not surprising. "I dry my stockings on the radiator."
He stumbled over a root, "Your stockings? They would be on our radiator?"
"Does that bother you very much?" she asked with her bottom lip between her teeth.
He spoke carefully, "Nooo, not exactly. I was just imagining coming into our room and seeing your stockings. It would be..."
"Disturbing?" she suggested.
He shook his head, and she watched a blush spread over his cheeks, "No, it would be a reminder that I have a wife who shares my room and my bed. I think it would be a bit exciting."
She snorted, "I've never thought of my stockings as being exciting."
He smiled, "They wouldn't normally be when they're on their own, but when I imagine you wearing them..."
She felt her own cheeks heat when she saw the look in his eyes. Admonishing him gently, she said, "Charles, I'm under no illusions as to my appeal. I've never been a vain woman. I know that I am not the most attractive of women, and soon I'll be even less so." She finished somberly as she thought of the impending surgery and what might come after.
They were approaching the village by this time, but Charles steered them down a side path and turned her so she faced him.
Her breath caught when she met his earnest gaze. When he spoke it was in a firm but gentle tone, "Elsie, I'll not lie. A large part of your appeal is the simple fact that you are not at all a vain woman. You are the least selfish woman that I have ever met."
That was a very nice sentiment, but she couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed. A small part of her wanted to attract Charles's physical attention as well. Silly as it was, she wanted him to want her.
He continued without allowing her to speak, "However, I have always found you attractive. A surgery, even an extensive one, will not change that. Besides, I've always preferred your...," he trailed off, perhaps thinking he'd revealed too much but then continued when she lifted her eyebrow at him in question, "That is, I rather enjoy seeing you walk away from me, especially when you're angry."
"When I'm angry?" she asked, genuinely confused now.
He nodded, cheeks flaming now, "You sway more."
"Oh, I never," she said, mind now drifting over all the disagreements they'd had over the years. Had he made her angry on purpose at times? She couldn't help teasing him just a bit, "Was it love at first sight?"
"I believe that would be better categorized as lust," he said, responding to her teasing with relief, "but no, it was after we spoke. You probably don't remember. I came upon you reaching for a box from a high shelf that you couldn't quite reach." He smiled at the memory, "You presented a fine figure. I reached over you for the box."
"And I said, 'isn't that beneath your dignity?'" He wasn't the only one who remembered, although her memory centered on the firm body stretched behind her. She let her hands rest on his chest, feeling the firm beat of his heart beneath.
"And I told you that the problem seemed to be the box was above us both," he whispered, drawing her closer, "You laughed, and I was captured."
He bent forward and brushed his lips lightly over hers before pressing his tongue against her lips. She responded with eagerness. Who would have ever thought that kissing her butler could fill her with so much pleasure?
After kissing her lips thoroughly, he moved to trail kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Whispering against the moist skin there, he asked, "Do you think we will be able to stand each other?"
She nodded, "We are friends, and I believe I will be able to tolerate your snoring and obsessive tidiness if you will be able to tolerate my cold feet and drying stockings."
"I think that I will welcome your cold feet to my bed as long as the rest of you comes with them," he said and leaned back to catch her cheek in his hand, brushing his thumb over her lips.
She raised herself on her toes, and he bent slightly forward to meet her halfway. They kissed slowly and tenderly, enjoying this new intimacy again.
When she was finished, she rocked back on her heels and asked, "Didn't you have an errand to run?"
"Hmmm, yes," he said, a slightly dazed expression to his eyes, "Have I accomplished it?"
"Your errand was to kiss me?" she asked, surprised.
He smiled, "That would be a worthy errand, but no, my errand was to distract you until time."
"Dear, sweet man," she whispered, threading her arm through his once more.
He snorted and patted her hand on his arm, "We'll see if you still think that when I snore."
Reviews are welcome as always.