Charles Carson checked his pocket watch for the third time in so many minutes — he constantly worried that she would not arrive before Her Ladyship's bell rang. He wasn't sure why it concerned him so — she'd never been late, not even the day Aoife was born. He was particularly unbridled in his concerns knowing that their daughter was meant to begin her schooling today. His Lordship had been exceedingly generous; when Charles married Elsie, he'd arranged for them to have a cottage nearby. When Elsie had become pregnant, he had assured Carson that they would all be taken care of—their employment intact, so long as they wanted to remain at Downton. Not long after Aoife was born, Her Ladsyhip became pregnant with Lady Sybil, and Elsie found understanding in The Countess of Grantham — not that Carson ever inquired, but he could tell when Elsie would come back to the cottage late in the evening, glowing. He knew that, as His Lordship's valet, there were certain proclivities toward conversation with one's employer — even more so, he imagined, between a Lady and her Lady's Maid.
He stuffed his pocket watch back into his jacket, the chain snagging on his button. As he carefully unwound it, he heard Aoife's tiny voice pipe up in the doorway.
"Da!" She said, skipping toward him.
"Aoife, you're going to be late." He said, looking down at her. She smiled, begging him to be truly aggravated with her. Even at six, she already knew that as far as her father was concerned, she could do no wrong. "I hope you didn't give your mother a hard time this morning."
"No, Da." Aoife smiled. She turned back to Elsie, who was making her way into the kitchen — arms full of Her Ladyship's dresses, which Carson recognized from her mending the night before. "I got right up, didn't I?"
Elsie smiled, hefting the dresses up, lest they drag on the ground.
"You did — now you best get right upstairs."
Obeying her mother, she started to skip off toward the doorway when Carson called after her.
"Aoife Elspeth Carson!"
The girl turned, her blue eyes wide and bright. He knelt down, furrowing his brow.
"Could you spare a kiss?" He asked. Aoife grinned, running across the kitchen toward him. She leapt up onto his knee and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled, "I'm sure you'll do marvelously today. Be on your best behavior, you'll be with the young ladies."
"Charles," Elsie growled, her voice a warning — this was not a comparison that agreed with her.
"I will, Da." Aoife said. She pulled away and walked over to the table, onto which Elsie had finally set down the dresses she came in with. She held her arms up to Elsie, who smiled down at her. Kneeling down to her daughter's height, she licked her thumb and wiped a smidge of Aoife's face. Then, she gently kissed her cheek.
"Alright, love. Up you go."
Aoife hesitated a moment, then, mustering up her courage she hopped up the stairs. No sooner had she made it to the top step as a tinkling bell rang from across the room. Her Ladyship.
"Oh my, not even time enough for a cuppa." Elsie said, picking the dresses up again. She gave Carson a long look and turned to go up the stairs herself. He quickened his steps and made his way in front of her — blocking her off from the landing.
"You're always on me about tardiness, Charles." She laughed, "But whose to blame now?"
His mouth turned up in a wry smile, "Could you spare a kiss?"
She shook her head teasingly, "Mr. Carson, don't be daft — what would the maids say?"
Before he had a chance to retort, she raised herself up on her tiptoes and planted a firm kiss on his lips. As she pulled away, she smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling.
"I've a wealth of kisses for you, a rún mo chroí*."
"And how is Aoife?" Cora said, looking at Elsie in the reflection of her vanity mirror. Pins between her teeth, Elsie's lips smiled around them at the thought of her daughter.
"Well, m'lady. Kind of you to ask."
Cora smirked, "Oh, Hughes. You know I think she's darling."
Plucking a pin from her mouth, Elsie lifted one of Cora's dark curls with it, smoothing it between her thumb and forefinger.
"And she's got her Da wrapped around her wee finger," she laughed, weaving Cora's tresses into intricate loops, which she pinned. "But I'd venture the young ladies know a thing or two about that. . ."
"Mary certainly does —" Cora laughed, "But I do think she quite misses the biscuit hand offs from Carson."
Elsie cocked her head, "Biscuits, m'lady?"
Cora turned to face her, "You never knew? Carson and Mary have had quite the operation going for as long as I can remember." She paused, reaching across the vanity for her earrings.
"Has quite the soft spot for Lady Mary, he does." Elsie said, taking the last of the hairpins from between her teeth. Cora lifted an earring to her ear and looked into the mirror.
"Hughes, I hope you don't find me terribly forward, but I wanted to give you fair warning." Clipping in her earring, she flicked her eyes up at Elsie in her reflection, "I do believe that Mary is a bit jealous of Aoife. I think she had rather come to think of Carson as . . .well, her friend."
"Oh, m'lady, Lady Mary needn't worry her pretty head — Mr. Carson'd go to the end of the world for her still — and he always would."
"I know, Hughes, but she's still very young. I'm not sure she's even grasped the fact that you and Carson are married."
Elsie knew she hadn't meant it in a derogatory manner, but somehow, it still stung. She must have winced because Cora's face became alert, her eyes softening in the mirror.
"Oh, Hughes — I'm terribly sorry I didn't mean for it to sound as though—"
"No, no, m'lady. It didn't sound any which way at all — I was only wondering how we could remedy the situation for Lady Mary. I wouldn't want her to go on believing that Mr. Carson doesn't care for her anymore."
"That wasn't quite what I'm worried about," Cora said. She stood and walked over to the window, "I'm more concerned about Aoife than Mary."
Elsie frowned, "How so, m'lady?"
Cora sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Mary can be — difficult. At times she's quite harsh on Edith, seemingly unprovoked." She flushed, "I daresay she has a bit of Robert's mama in her — but don't tell him I said that."
"My lips are sealed, m'lady." Elsie smirked.
"Good," she returned to her vanity and sat uneasily, "Hughes, I just worry that — well, if Mary were to say anything to Aoife, when she comes for her studies —" She held her breath a moment, trying to figure out how to proceed. Elsie found it equally uncomfortable — she felt as though some sort of professional barrier were about to be stepped over and she saw no way of stopping it. "Hughes, you'd tell me if Mary said something to hurt Aoife's feelings? You wouldn't — hide it from me?"
"I — well, m'lady, I don't think we'll have to worry—"
"I just don't want you to think I am asking you to put your propriety above motherhood." Cora said firmly, "You needn't ever discuss this where Robert could overhear you — or Carson for that matter," she smiled, shaking her head, "You know those two are thick as thieves."
Elsie nodded, "I appreciate your kindness, m'lady."
"I know it isn't customary for lady's maids to raise children while also tending to their employers, but I'd be lost without you, Hughes. I might be horrifically selfish but —" she worried her bottom lip, "I am willing to risk impropriety surrounding your position if it means that you can raise your daughter how you want to — I don't think I could live with myself if I knew that I were to be in the way of that."
They heard footfalls outside the door, and a moment later, Robert appeared. He was fully dressed and looked expectantly at Cora.
"Nearly ready, my darling?" He said, eyeing them discriminatorily.
"Yes, darling — Hughes was just helping me find a lost earring." She gave Elsie a knowing glance. Robert nodded to both of them and stepped out, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"Don't mention any of this to Carson," Cora said, rising from her vanity. She put her hand affectionately on Elsie's forearm, "And I say that for your benefit, Hughes, not my own."
A/N: You guys are so sweet - thank you for your lovely comments! I'm so happy you think Aoife is adorable and that Elsie would be a good mum - I think it's something that makes her so interesting to me in the series: she certainly could have been a wife a mother but she went another way and chose her career - which, you know, I think a lot of us do that in modern times and we still struggle with that choice - I don't know. Plus, you know . . .any excuse for gratuitous Chelsie.
* a rún mo chroí is basically a term of endearment for lovers, it's like saying "secret lover" or "lover of my heart" :)
