A/N Here's Chapter 24, Elsie before the wedding. The next chapter will be the wedding. I hope I can do it justice. Thank you for reading and reviewing. I honestly don't think I could have made it this far without your encouragement. The reviews really mean a lot. I appreciate your taking the time and making the effort.

Chapter 24

Elsie was the picture of serenity. Anna was calm and collected, if a bit excited. Mrs. Patmore, however, was not nearly so composed. The two women were with Elsie in her room getting her ready. Anna, like Mr. Bates, had spent the night in her old room at the house, had gotten Lady Mary dressed, and was now putting the final touches on Elsie's hair. Mrs. Patmore had left Daisy and Ivy in the kitchen with a list of instructions to prepare the wedding luncheon and was now bouncing around Elsie's room opening and closing the window, packing, unpacking, and repacking Elsie's overnight bag, fussing over her dress, and generally causing a commotion.

"Have you got everything packed for later, Mrs. Hughes?" she asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Patmore. I'm all packed," answered Elsie, pleasantly.

"And you're sure you haven't forgotten anything?"

"No, I haven't forgotten anything. I'm sure."

"And you've got your handbag?"

"Yes, I've got it."

"And you feel all right?"

"Yes, thank you. Never better."

"Have you eaten enough this morning? How about another slice of toast?" ... "Some tea? Why don't I get you a nice cup of tea?" … "Are you too warm? We could open your window a crack ... " … "Or are you cold? Would you like your shawl? No, never mind. We can't put that on you now … "

Mrs. Patmore prattled on without stopping to take a breath. After a while, she didn't even wait for Elsie's reply before firing the next question at her. Anna just listened, smirking knowingly at Elsie. Elsie had initially answered all the cook's questions patiently and just let her chatter away, but after Mrs. Patmore offered her tea for the third time, the housekeeper finally chuckled, "Mrs. Patmore, do stop fussing. I'm the one who's supposed to be anxious! Why are you doing all the worrying?"

"I'm not worrying!" insisted Mrs. Patmore defensively. "I'm just making sure everything is right."

"Everything is perfectly right, Mrs. Patmore," Elsie assured her.

"Exactly," said Anna, grinning warmly at Elsie. "Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson are going to be married today. I can't think of anything more right."

"All right, all right! I'll settle myself," conceded Mrs. Patmore, taking a deep breath. "Now, you've got something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Where's the sixpence?"

"The sixpence?" asked Elsie.

"Yes, the sixpence! For your shoe! Don't tell me … Oh, my - " cried Mrs. Patmore, her voice rising in pitch and volume, panic setting in.

But Elsie cut her off, saying, "Mrs. Patmore, will you please leave the hysteria to me?"

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. Anna answered it and ushered in Lady Mary.

"M'Lady," Elsie greeted her. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Anna excused herself, saying, "I'll just go and make sure the men have left for church before we take you downstairs, Mrs. Hughes."

"And I'll go and find you a sixpence," said Mrs. Patmore.

"There's no need," said Lady Mary, holding up a coin.

"Well, that's a blessed relief!" cried Mrs. Patmore. "Then I'll just go and make sure the girls haven't started a fire in the kitchen. I think I smell smoke!" And with that, the cook swept out of Elsie's room.

"You came to bring me a sixpence?" Elsie asked Lady Mary.

"Yes, I did. It's from Carson, actually. I visited him earlier, and he said I should give it to you," Lady Mary explained.

"Well, it's very good of you to bring it. Thank you," said Elsie, taking the offered coin.

"He also wanted me to tell you he sends his love," Lady Mary informed her.

Elsie smiled and looked at the floor, but said nothing.

"You look very beautiful, by the way," Lady Mary complimented her. "Radiant, in fact. The picture of happiness. I daresay Carson will find himself weak at the knees when he sees you."

"Oh, my! He must have given you more than a sixpence to say that!" Elsie quipped, and both women chuckled.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer, Mrs. Hughes. I just wanted to assure you of my warmest regards. I couldn't be happier for you both. Truly," said Lady Mary, and she took Elsie's hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you, M'Lady," responded Elsie, returning the gentle pressure.

"I'll see you at church," Lady Mary said on her way out.

Elsie stooped to put the sixpence in her shoe. She wasn't sure that a silver coin could bring her anything she didn't already have, but it would satisfy Mrs. Patmore. And knowing that it came from Charles brought her comfort. She couldn't see him this morning, of course, before the wedding, but this helped her feel close to him.

When Elsie stood back up, she looked around her room – the room that had been hers for twenty years. Her gaze fell on the bed in which she would never sleep again. How many nights had she slept there, dreaming of Charles? How many nights had she lain awake, longing for him? But not tonight. Tonight –

"All right, then, Lassie!" called Mrs. Patmore, pulling Elsie away from her thoughts. "The men are gone. It's safe for you to come down, now. Let's get you off to church!"

Elsie turned, slightly startled by the cook's reappearance.

"Very well," agreed Elsie. "But first, I have something for you." She walked over to her nightstand, removed a single key from the top drawer, held it out to her dear friend, and said, "I've given Anna all the keys except this one. It opens the store cupboard."

Mrs. Patmore's eye filled with tears.

"Now, don't get all weepy, Mrs. Patmore," Elsie said. "It's not a gift; it's a bribe. It's meant to keep you quiet, and I'll let you have it only on condition that you promise to stop asking me about kissing Mr. Carson!"

The two friends embraced, laughing heartily, as tears streamed down both their faces. Anna arrived to collect them, and soon the women were off to church.