Hello again! i know this is fairly quick, but this story is in shorter increments and therefore quicker to write! THnak you for all the feed back and this one is not 'm' yet, this is Elsie's back story. So yeah!
the next installment will be Charles's back story!
Elsie had gone up with the rest of the servants for bed. She took her time, methodically stripping out of her corset her shift and then standing naked in front of the mirror. She surveyed herself. She turned to look at herself from each angle. Her breasts were firm; her legs were toned from years of climbing steps in various houses she had worked at. Her hair fell in long mahogany curls over her shoulders and down her back. She studied her face, she was not a vain woman by any means, but she knew she was not the ugliest woman to grace this house either. Her eyes were starting to get lines around them, but her skin was still firm and she felt Mr. Carson could do much worse than she. Although she only had a little idea of what tonight would hold. Her mother had equated this to the animals, and that her husband would show her. Problem was, this man, the man she had chosen for this, was not her husband, they weren't even betrothed. This is what haunted Elsie's mind. Was she ready for the eternal damnation that her mother and the preacher had warned her about? Was she ready for this? She wasn't exactly sure, but she would find out tonight. She donned her best nightgown and dressing gown, blew out all her candles, except the one she would carry and made her way to the York Room.
As she was padding down the forgotten hallway to the last room, she thought back to when she had first came. How this grand house had been so very exciting. She had come on as head housemaid, and he was already the butler. She had been greeted by a rather rude footman, taken to the housekeeper's room only to find it empty, and then she was escorted back down the hall to Mr. Carson's pantry. He had looked up rather shortly, but his eyes had softened when he saw her in tow. He had introduced himself, and oh that voice was enough to make her knees quake and her heart race. His hair had been slicked back like always, and his chocolate brown eyes had seemingly bored into her soul. She didn't fall in love right away, but she was attracted at first sight.
No, the love had come later. It had come her second year, when she had just been promoted to housekeeper. She had written to her mother about the, what she had thought to be, fantastic news. Her mother had written back, expressing her anger about Elsie's refusal of Joe, and how she was going to be past her prime and then no man would want her. Needless to say, Elsie had been shocked. She had gone outside to a solitary bench under a lone tree and buried her head into her hands and sobbed. She had heard his footsteps, and only cried that much harder. She was a wreck. Trying to pull herself together, he had sat beside her and put his right arm around her. Then he had proffered his handkerchief to her and they had sat in silence for a bit. She then told him of the contents of her mother's letter. He had shaken his head. He had even marveled out loud at her mother's stupidity, that any man that she would choose would be lucky. After those words had flown from his mouth, he had blushed apologized and retreated back into his shell. But she would never forget and that was when she found herself falling in love with the man that was Downton Abbey's Butler.
Thank you SO much for reading! You all are fantastic! let me know what you think
Much love-
Samantha