A/N: I said the boy had a name; I didn't say it was creative. lol. But we'll talk more about that later.

Chapter 2

The boy had his mother's supple chin, her large blue eyes, and her flawless ivory complexion. Once more Charles felt the sting of tears pricking his eyes as the boy smiled up at him with Elsie's sweet grin.

"Have you been taking care of your beautiful mother for me, little Charles?" the father whispered down to his namesake.

Again the lad gave him Elsie's best smile.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered softly, raising the child so he could hold him against his chest.

Little Charles made a happy gurgling sound as if to say he had already forgiven his father. Charles couldn't imagine the loneliness Elsie must have felt as she gave birth to their child alone, as she nursed him alone... He remembered the countless hours he had spent with her, talking until the sun rose, holding each other until they fell asleep entangled in each other's arms. How had he managed to throw that all away?

Charles was pulled from his thoughts by a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called.

"Mr. Carson, did you need anything? Mrs. Hughes requested that I check on you and the wee one."

"We have everything we need, Rebecca. Thank you."

She smiled at him and gave a nod. Rebecca was a sweet girl with large, bright eyes and a soft voice. She was usually quiet, but when she had something to say, it was generally quite profound.

"I'm very glad to see you back," she said, looking as if worried she were talking too much. "Mrs. Hughes... she missed you very much."

Charles nodded slowly.

"I missed her as well."

This was an understatement, but he could think of no suitable words to reply. Rebecca cleared her throat and kept her eyes on the floor.

"She never stopped loving you, you know," she said quietly. "Not for a moment."

A few moments passed as Rebecca seemed to be gathering the courage to speak again.

"Charles loves you already," she told him, smiling at the child. "He seems to know you're his father."

"Really?" the older Charles replied lamely, looking down at the boy who was now snuggled sleepily into the middle of his chest.

"Yes. He isn't usually very taken with other people, especially strangers."

Like his mother, Charles thought with a smile as the baby dozed quietly in his arms.

"Let me know if you need anything, Mr. Carson," Rebecca said before she turned to exit the room.

As she did so, she nearly ran into a tearful Elsie who stood waiting at the door.

"Oh, Mrs. Hughes!" she exclaimed, touching the older woman lightly on the arm.

Rebecca's large eyes shined at her with understanding and compassion. The young housemaid wanted to reach out and hug her, but she knew it would not be proper. Mrs. Hughes nodded at her in appreciation before Rebecca hurried from the room.

"You're back sooner than expected," Charles observed quietly, careful to not wake the sleeping child in his arms.

"I finished early," Elsie replied simply, lost again in the view before her of their son in his father's arms.

"I'm glad," he said softly.

A sweet, shy smile formed at her lips as she sank down in the seat across from him.

"He does love you very much already," she told him, echoing Rebecca's words from before without an attempt to conceal the fact that she had been listening at the door.

"He is so much like you," Charles marveled as the baby sighed in his sleep.

"He is an awful lot like you as well," she said with a small laugh.

She thought of little Charles' sweet disposition and his fondness for cuddling...

"May I keep him tonight?" Charles asked suddenly. "I'm sure you could use the extra rest."

He wasn't ready to be away from his son again, not even for a few hours; it was painful enough to have to be away from her, though he was certain she wanted nothing to do with him, so he would not press her in that matter.

Elsie shook her head.

"No?"

"No. But you may stay here with us."

To be continued