" Mrs. Hughes when you are finished here could you please call Downton and inform them that we are staying here, in case I'm needed to return for George. They need to know where to reach me."
Elsie was pleased to hear that Lady Mary was thinking of her child. Elsie knew Mary wasn't ready to forget Matthew or to move on. Staying here at the manor felt wrong to Mary. Almost like a dishonor to Matthew's memory. He still filled her mind and heart. Mary was hoping maybe she would be told she was needed home.
"Of course m'lady". Elsie was happy she was asked to call home it would give her a chance to speak with Charles.
She missed him and the thought of him brought her a great sense of peace; she needed and wanted to hear Charles' voice. Mr. Green had upset Elsie and she couldn't wait to be away from him.
"Downton Abbey, Charles Carson, butler speaking."
Elsie's heart skipped a beat at the sound of Charles' low husky voice.
"Hello? Mr. Carson?" Elsie greeted Charles and it felt odd to be speaking to him over the phone.
"Hello, Mrs. Hughes is everything alright?" Charles questioned Elsie. He was surprised that she was calling.
"Yes, everything...is fine..." Elsie felt a little awkward speaking to Charles over the phone. She was imagining what facial expressions he was using and if he was sitting or standing. Talking on the phone forced her to pay more attention to how he was speaking, it made Mr. Carson more aware of how Elsie's words were being said too.
Elsie hesitated, she wanted to say no, everything is not fine and thank goodness Anna didn't come on this trip...She would have been trapped like a mouse; of course she couldn't though, she couldn't tell him the secret and especially over the telephone.
"Elsie, are you sure you are alright..." Charles could hear her hesitation and began to worry.
"Umm... yes, yes everything is fine Charles. I'm calling to let you know that we are not staying in London. We are actually in Cotswold staying in Lord Gillingham's manor." She was explaining to Charles and gave him the details of how it all came about.
"I see, well that must have been quite a surprise for Lady Mary." Mr. Carson knew lady Mary well and it was a fair assumption to make.
Elsie told Charles, "I sensed that she wasn't pleased to have been caught off guard. Lady Rosamund accepted the invitation before we arrived. She isn't happy with her aunt at the moment but she wasn't about to be rude to Lord Gillingham, he was just being kind."
"Yes well, I'm sure in the end it will be an enjoyable visit. How are you liking Cotswolds? Are the staff treating well?" Charles was curious if Elsie was enjoying her short time away.
Elsie wanted to tell him the staff is nice except for Mr. Green. This secret was getting more difficult to keep as time went on. She hated that she had promised Anna not to tell.
Mrs. Hughes ignored his question all together and asked about Anna and Bates...
"Charles how is Mr. Bates? Has Anna contacted him while she's been away? " Elsie asked hoping his response would be a positive one.
Charles assumed Elsie didn't hear his question but before asking again he answered her.
"Mr. Bates is the same as when you left, he doesn't know what he's done wrong. He hasn't heard from Anna either." Charles answered her sadly.
Charles had been speculating what has caused such a change in Anna and based on her behavior he thinks he knows what has happened but he can't say anything to Elsie not now on the phone. He promised Elsie he would wait for her to confide in him when she was ready to tell him.
"I see, well I hope with time things change." Elsie said feeling a little defeated.
"I know your only gone a day and a half Elsie, but I miss you." Charles admitted to Mrs. Hughes quietly.
Elsie whispered into the phone..." Now Charles, I'll be home tomorrow night. My goodness one would think I was gone for a season!" Elsie blurted this out as she chuckled at Charles' sentimentality. This warmed Elsie's heart to hear Charles confess this to her. "I miss you too... very much. I can't wait to be home safe and sound." She sighed softly into the phone.
Charles replayed what Elsie had just said to him he thought to himself safe and sound? Why wouldn't she feel anything other than safe and sound. He couldn't help but ask her what she meant.
"Elsie, do you not feel safe there? Is something wrong and you're not telling me?"
"Charles...I'm..I'm fine really...it's just an expression I don't even know why it came out." Elsie was hoping he accepted this explanation.
Charles believed Elsie why would he believe anything different. They bid each other farewell with promises of time alone together when she was home.
Elsie placed the receiver on the hook when she felt a hand grab hers; she was startled. She quickly turned around and saw that it was Green standing too close for comfort. She ripped her hand away from his and backed away putting distance between them.
"What do you want?" Elsie asked sharply and obviously annoyed with his presence.
"Mrs. Hughes is there some reason you wouldn't feel safe and sound here..." He asked mocking her. He had been lurking and listening to her phone conversation.
Mrs. Hughes was unnerved by his questioning but she thought it would be better to suppress her anger. She quickly composed her self and said to Green avoiding eye contact and smoothing down the from of her dress before her hands rested folded tightly in front of her...
"No, Mr. Green, I have no reason to feel unsafe here. Now if you will excuse me I must prepare Lady Mary's things for the rest of her stay." She said this with a biting tone. She quickly excused herself and made her way to the door to exit the room so she could finish her work.
Mr. Green had become agitated and moved in front of the door to block Elsie's path. He stood there leaning against the frame with his arms folded in front him and with that stupid grin on his face. Elsie shoved past him and didn't look back while Green watched her walk away. He liked taunting her and her icyness was adding fuel to his fire.
Mrs. Hughes made her way to the room Lady Mary was staying in. "Good evening m'lady, I have ironed your shawl for this evening and I called home and made them aware of the change in plans."
Lady Mary was pleased, "Thank you Mrs. Hughes, I know my aunt means well but I'm not ready to move on from Matthew. I have George to think of and I want to honor his father's memory for my sake as well as his. I don't know when I will be ready, if ever to move on. This invitation to stay here was very kind but if I could, I would go home first thing in the morning."
"I understand, I don't think anyone wants you to forget Mr. Crawley. He would want you to be happy m'lady, do what feels right to you and makes you happy. Give yourself time to heal."
Mary replied sadly "As the saying goes time heals all wounds; but I don't believe this is true. I think with time we learn how to cope with our pain and heart aches and those wounds get stitched up but the scars remain. With this said Lady Mary slowly got up from her chair and gave Mrs. Hughes a small smile and left for dinner.
Mrs. Hughes began getting Lady Mary's night clothes ready for later in the evening. She was preoccupied with her task at hand. She heard the door reopen in the room and had assumed it was Lady Mary returning to retrieve her shawl that she had forgotten to take with her. "Forgive me m'lady I was going to sneak your shawl to you as soon as I finished hanging your clothes." Elsie didn't hear a response and turned to see if Lady Mary was still in the room. To her surprise it wasn't Lady Mary that had entered the room. Mrs. Hughes was shocked to see that Mr. Green had snuck in.
"What are you doing in here?" Elsie snapped trying her best not to appear anxious about his presence. She hated this man and didn't want to be any where near him. It was difficult to keep seeing him. Every time she saw him she thought of what he did to Anna.
Mr. Green slowly inched his way closer to her finally stopping and leaning his body against the side of the wardrobe. He reached up to take the coat that Mrs. Hughes was hanging from her hand and hung it up for her. His presence was unsettling and Elsie began to shake a little "is something the matter Mrs. Hughes, you seem to be a bit...nervous."
"Mr. Green, I do not need any assistance to do my job... I'm sure you are needed elsewhere, now if you will leave me to it I will finish what I was doing." Elsie's anger was building and she was having a difficult time hiding it.
"See, women are never happy. If you try to help you risk upsetting them or insulting them. Accepting my help doesn't indicate that you're a weak woman Mrs. Hughes."
Elsie walked closer to the door in the room and tried to make her way out; she couldn't bare to be alone with him in there. Mr. Green was inching his way closer and trying to keep his end of the conversation light and casual.
"That's not the case with you, is it Mrs. Hughes? Truth be told I like a woman who is firey and strong. I like the challenge."
He said this while reaching his hand out to touch her arm at first gently but when he saw she was backing away from him him he tightened his grip on her and pulled her forward to him. Elsie immediately tried pushing him away but he managed to pin her between him and the wall. She tried to squirm out of his grasp but the more she faught to free herself the harder he pressed and it only seemed to fuel his anger.
" Let go of me this instant or I'll scream". Elsie said through her teeth, shaking with fear, but keeping her voice stern and strong.
He had her arms pinned between their bodies, he could feel Elsie was trying to free her hands. Her breathing was becoming more laboured and he could feel her chest heaving against his. He was slowly pulling up her dress and rubbing his hand along her thigh resting his hand on her bottom he began kneeding her flesh. Pressing his lips to her temple and slowly moving his mouth closer to her ear he whispered "go ahead, scream, no one will hear you all the way up here, no one heard Anna either. "Stop it, let me go!" Elsie yelled desperately trying to push him away from her "You are very beautiful Mrs. Hughes...does your butler tell you and show you often?" Elsie's heart sank when Green spoke of Charles. She pushed him away harder.
He moved his lips to her cheek and Elsie began thrashing her head away from his mouth. She could feel her blood boil down to her finger tips and a nauseating feeling over come her body. Elsie screamed for help. Green tugged her away from the wall to move her to the bed; when she was able for just a brief moment to move her free hand to the scissors attached to the loop on her dress. She ripped the scissors off of her and jabbed as hard as she could to the top of his thigh. Green yelled out in pain "You Bitch!" and slapped Elsie hard in the face knocking her down to the floor.
Green hopped in pain over to Elsie who was trying to get back up again, and she fought back as hard as she could as he began ripping her blouse.
When suddenly Elsie heard a woman's scream along with a loud thud and the weight of Green free falling against her, pinning her to the floor.
"Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Hughes are you alright..." Lady Mary was in shock and was standing above Elsie with a brass lamp in her hand. She had returned to get her shawl. She couldn't believe what she had walked in on.
Mrs. Hughes was sobbing with relief and pushed Green off of her. She remained on the floor sobbing while Lady Mary went for help. Elsie wiped the tears away from her face with the back of her hand and saw Greens limp body lying on the floor. She crawled over to her scissors on the floor and craddled them in her hand and then close to her chest. She was alone in the room with an unconscious Green.
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tbc... I wish I chose a lighter story line for my first fanfiction.