They were married on a Friday afternoon in a little room at the courthouse. Other than the judge (a woman, Judge Travis) and the bride and groom, there were only nine other people there: Beryl, John and Anna, Becky, Adam, and their nieces and nephews.
"We'll have a bigger celebration probably next spring," Elsie said later, as they sat in a small private room at The Red Fox. "But for now, this is wonderful." She squeezed her new husband's hand lovingly. Neither of them had stopped smiling all afternoon.
"You'll all be invited to that, of course," Charles added. "Along with our other friends who weren't able to be here today."
"And the baby will be there too, Uncle Charlie!" Liza piped from across the table. Everyone laughed.
"That's right, they'll have a little ring bearer or a flower girl," Beryl ruffled her niece's hair. "Me, I think they'll need a smart suit for a young man."
"Here, here," Jason tapped his fork against his water glass. Emily's mouth dropped open, and she elbowed him in the side.
"No way," she protested dramatically. "It's a girl, I know it!"
"That's what I think too," Anna said with a smile. Emily whirled to smirk at her brother.
"See, Anna thinks it's a girl too! And Liza AND Dad!" Charles cocked an eyebrow at Adam.
"Really?"
Adam held up his hands as if to ward off an attack. "I just said if I had to guess, I think the baby's a girl. I'm not picking sides, I'll be happy either way."
"I think the same as you," John agreed, his arm around Anna. "I think Charlie will have to deal with a lot of tiny dresses and pink lace."
"What do you think, Beck?" Beryl asked. Becky sighed.
"I didn't want to have to give my opinion, but since we're all giving our predictions…" she bit her lip in an uncanny imitation of her sister. "I think it's a boy."
"WHOO!" Jason cheered, his arms over his head. "Go Mom!" Elsie and Becky laughed. Elsie turned to the figure sitting on the other side of Charles.
"Brandon, what do you think?" Her oldest nephew shrugged, a hint of a smile on his face.
"I'm not guessing," he said firmly. Charles slapped him on the back.
"Neither am I. That way, we can't be wrong."
"Exactly," Brandon nodded. The two fist-bumped. There was a general chorus of boos and groans.
"That's cheating, you have to guess!" Anna insisted, leaning on her elbows.
"Wait," Beryl cried. "Elsie, what do you think?"
The bride grinned, a glimmer in her eyes. "Oh, I think I have an unfair advantage."
"Of course you do," Beryl insisted. "So tell us what you think, and we'll know who's closer to the truth."
Elsie glanced at Charles, who looked curious. "I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but I am not telling. It's my secret. Besides," she rubbed her belly fondly. "It would be horrible if my instinct were wrong. It's not as though I prefer one or the other. I don't."
"Boooooo," Jason groaned. "You're as bad as Uncle Charlie!"
"Well, we'll all know soon enough," Becky said, an affectionate smile on her face. Charles leaned over, a movement that set off everyone clinking their cutlery against their glasses. The newlyweds gave each other a long, lingering kiss. Charles finished by lifting his wife's left hand and kissing it softly. It was decorated by a small, golden ring.
"Yes, we will," he murmured.
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Six months previously
They knew it would be difficult, but neither one had expected the separation to be so excruciating. Charles felt as though he were living underwater. Sleep eluded him. The little he did get was haunted with dreams of his lover.
He had no idea he talked in his sleep.
Alice was all too aware. She had hoped to forget, or at least attempt to forget, who it was who had entranced him. But hearing Elsie's name from her husband's lips nearly every night made forgetting impossible.
Elsie cried frequently. She grew to appreciate the closed door that separated her office from Beryl's. Every thought of him hurt. She wanted to hold onto her anger, the unfairness of the situation, but it was overshadowed by overwhelming loss.
In her blackest moods she had trouble finding something to live for.
Working at Downton became another place of torture. Charles found himself often staring down the corridor from the lobby to the restaurant, aching to see her. She kept out of sight, avoiding him. He knew she was trying to make his life easier by doing so. Still, he lived for the rare moments when he caught a glimpse of her.
He wondered if he was going mad.
After his wife's seemingly sincere intentions of working on their marriage had been stated, he was astonished when nothing changed. Alice still continued about her everyday routine. It was clear to him she wanted to forget about the affair; for that, he could hardly blame her. But she sometimes lashed out at him, blaming his behavior for the way she was treated in the community. She was convinced everyone was laughing at her. He wasn't so sure. He was sure people talked about them. That was perfectly normal. But he was angry at her refusal to seek counseling.
She was not willing to work on their marriage. To change. It was the only reason he had returned to her.
He began to lose weight again.
Elsie had rarely been ill all of her life, even with frequent traveling. Da had told her when she was a child she had the constitution of his grandmother. Her great-grandmother had worked her entire life and died in her sleep when she was ninety-four.
Aged only forty-two, Elsie's body was failing her. Her back ached constantly. More than once, she found herself holding onto the wall in her office, trying to get the room to stop spinning around her. She was losing weight, too. She chalked it up to stress. And bad eating habits. But there were other, weird symptoms.
She couldn't stand the smell of bacon anymore. It was a major problem, as the scent wafted everywhere throughout the restaurant every morning. It made her feel sick. She bought a small fan and turned it on every morning, trying to rid her office at least of the smell.
Sometimes the thought of any food nauseated her. Other times, she'd clean her plate and still feel hungry.
Leaving Lexington after visiting Becky, she stopped at a grocery store to pick up some things she needed at home. She was walking down the aisle that held feminine products when the thought hit her like a bolt out of the blue.
Oh my God, am I pregnant?
There was only one way to find out. She bought a package of tests, knowing either way she'd take more than one. Just to be sure. The drive home took forever.
She and Charles had used protection, but she knew any of it could fail. More importantly, she also knew they hadn't been entirely careful.
What if I am? What will I do? Terminate the pregnancy?
You might not be. It might just be your body responding to emotional distress.
But if I am?
She pulled off the road and cried. If she had had a short-term relationship, or even a longer-term one with someone else, she would seriously consider an abortion. But if she was pregnant now, at this time of her life, it would probably be her last chance to have a biological child. If she wanted one.
And if she was, then Charles was the father. And she loved him as she had never loved, nor would ever love, anyone else.
She in no way felt ready to be a mother. She had been content to watch Becky be one, and was proud of her sister for the way she'd created a family life that they never had as children. But Becky had Adam.
Elsie was alone.
She set the little timer on the stove while she waited. It startled her when it went off. She looked at the test.
Positive.
She took another one.
Positive.
She took two more, her heart already knowing the answer in advance.
Positive. Positive.
She didn't know if she was calm, or if it was numbness. Somehow she managed to sleep, but still felt like she was having an out-of-body experience the next morning when she went to work.
It was probably shock, she told herself.
An entirely different emotion took hold when she stepped on a piece of paper that had been slipped under her office door.
It was a note from Alice. Asking to meet.
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A/N: And…we're back to the beginning regarding flashbacks, so that's the last one. Sorry if I disappointed anyone with the no wedding thing. Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you!