Ch 8 – Date Night

Carson smiled, love in his eyes as he watched his dear wife cradle newborn Lady Sybil. They already knew they wanted children, but the idea was never more real for him than it was the moment he saw his beautiful wife take the newborn child in her arms. He'd never seen her with a baby before, and he was surprised that the image stirred up so many emotions for him.

'S-…' He considered, his breath leaving his body. 'She's even more beautiful with a babe. How can that possibly be?! How could she be… more beautiful than she is when she's already so –?'

Carson's heart soared, studying her smile and the sparkle in her eye as she rocked the new baby, whispering to her. He had no idea what sweet nothings she murmured, for he couldn't hear himself think. He just stared, mesmerized, and amazed that he could be married to such a vision of loveliness, and found himself wishing he could see her with their child. Carson drew a ragged breath, love and pride soaring in his heart, almost overwhelming him, as she looked up at him, smiling deep, her gaze meeting his in a knowing kind of way.

Carson didn't realize, then, that she'd only get more and more beautiful to him as the years passed… That moments like these would make his love for her deeper than he could now fathom; and that this overwhelming feeling of amazement over his Elise, would never ever fade.

…

Later that Night

"I'm so glad of the date night Mr. Carson." Elsie practically teased, sipping her sherry. They sat across from each other under the low light of her sitting room.

"Date night?" He inquired, raising a bushy eyebrow.

"Yes. Every time we sneak in here for a drink and a chat, I feel as if it's a date night." She beamed.

Carson smiled sadly, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Elsie, I'm so sorry it isn't a real date night, but one day…"

They couldn't, you see, sneak off together for an evening. They certainly couldn't go into town together on anything but an errand.

Elsie giggled teasingly. "Oh you; silly man. There is no one day about it. I'm having a wonderful time being your wife, right here. I love you tremendously, wherever we are, wherever we can or can't go…"

He smiled, appreciation swelling in his heart. "I love you so much too, my Elsie." He leaned over, kissing her lips sweetly. "Now, shall we go up?"

The two paused, hearing the loud party going on outside her door.

"Come on!" Beryl cried, opening the door and sticking her head in without warning. "Mr. Edwards is about to play the piano!"

She shut the door again, laughing out loud to someone outside as she did so, not paying any mind as to why they were in there alone, together when the rest of the staff was having a party.

"Not hardly." Elsie almost rolled her eyes.

Carson sighed, frustrated. "Well then, how will we manage it?" He stood, looking up at the ceiling, determined to find a way to get his wife upstairs and to bed.

Annoyed by having been disturbed, Carson locked the door, hoping to keep Beryl out for the rest of the evening. It had, after all, been the third time she'd just walked in.

She giggled. "Well it's not obvious what someone wants."

"Well. Mrs. Carson is very lovely and enticing…"

"I can't believe we've managed to get up almost every night as it is." She shrugged, having figured this would happen sooner or later.

"I promise Mrs. Carson, we shall manage." He said almost affronted.

"Oh Mr. Carson…" She giggled, shaking her head.

Elsie loved their nights together. Sneaking up with him had been unnerving for her at first. She was a good girl … Or she had been until Mr. Carson corrupted her. She wasn't one to take uncalculated risks … Or sneak around with men, even if they were her husband.

But there was something blissful about sneaking around with Charlie: celebrating their wonderful union, night in and night out. Elsie stood and got on her tiptoes to kiss him. She smiled deep, running both of her hands through his hair. He brushed her nose sweetly with a kiss the moment she pulled away.

"I'll think of something." He promised, frustrated.

"I've an idea, to give Mr. Carson what he wants." She teased, rubbing his forearm softly.

"Oh? Well, then you first Mrs. Carson." He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Well, perhaps if we can't sneak up, then we can find another way to be together." She said, not saying it, but holding out her hands as if to emphasize the room.

"Hmm?" He didn't catch on.

"We've both quarters of our own… And offices of our own, Mr. Carson."

He raised an eyebrow in disapproval. "Are you suggesting…"

She smiled, "We can end our nights with a wee bit of sherry…" She teased.

"Well… the sherry is nice…" He admitted.

"It'll be like a little date night," She smiled. "And then, if we're unable to go up." She bit her lip, suppressing a flirtatious smile. "We can make love."

"Here!" He nearly thundered. "On – on a desk?!"

"Yes. Or on a chair, or…"

"Here? In your sitting room?!"

"Yes." She smiled. Both paused, listening to their colleagues, cheer outside the door over some silly game.

"How." He fumed. "How…" He hesitated, his disapproving gaze slowly turning into a lust-filled one. "How wicked Mrs. Carson." He teased, not wanting to admit that the idea turned him on so much he wanted to take her: right there. She smiled flirtatiously, knowing already that it had.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, to make sure we always have the opportunity to be together. And we have a date night."

Without a word, Carson leaned down, kissing Elsie hungrily as he scooped her up in his arms, lifting her off her feet with great ease. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck, gasping into his lips as he pinned her, very suddenly, to the wall and started to kiss her.

"A new lesson Mrs. Hughes…" He said in between kisses.

Elsie clung to him, her feet totally off the ground as he placed his hands under her skirts, gathering them before giving a tug at her underwear.

"I already know, Charlie." She said. "There's something to be said for a wall."

….

Elsie sighed as he kissed her neck, exhilarated by the feeling of being suspended in air, held there only by his weight, pressing forcefully against her small frame. She looked up, her eyes almost foggy as he kissed his way up her neck and jaw, finding her mouth, his lips locking fast and furious with hers.

Elsie closed her eyes, tilting her head, the sound of their aggressive kissing quickly echoing across the walls of the otherwise silent room. Mrs. Carson moaned into his mouth in want, knowing what was coming as he pressed her closer to the wall. Her eyes shot wide open and she moaned louder, clinging to his back when she felt him slip inside. In just an instant the sensation was far more intense than what she was used to, and she wasn't sure she could handle it.

"Ahhh…"

"Shuuu I'm sorry love. I know it's difficult, but here's another lesson Mrs. Carson, we must be quiet, remember?"

She nodded, quickly turning her attention back to his lips. He kissed her for a beat, then broke away, looking down at her lustfully.

"No Mrs. Carson, I truly mean it, we must practice being quiet."

The thought truly pained him, for the sound of her moaning in want for him drove him insane. But people were just outside the door and their livelihoods depended on their secrecy.

"Charlie I… I don't know if I…"

Elsie cried aloud, unable to help herself when he started to thrust. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, wondering where her husband had learned such wicked, wonderful things.

Her heart beat rapidly at the idea of making love here. Usually, they slept in Charlie's bedroom in the men's quarters. It wasn't easy sneaking her in and out, but at least, given that she was Housekeeper there were a myriad of excuses she could make as to why she was there. Also, Carson's closest and only neighbor was a young, somewhat cheeky footman named Baker. Both of them thought he knew but was courteous enough to pretend not to care.

Here though, there was a heightened sense of urgency. It seemed strange, even wrong to make love anywhere else but a bed or a bedroom … Moreover, there was a party outside. The idea they could get caught loomed over both their heads, spurring them on to stay quieter, yet go faster.

It made the proceedings all the more intense and Elsie found herself both totally on edge and just dying in his arms, his name on the edge of her tongue.

"Charlie…" She moaned softly, the whisper of his name brushing his ear lustfully, spurring him on. "Charlie, Charlie, oooh Charlie…!" She cried, unable to help herself.

Elsie closed her eyes, and grabbed his shoulders, overwhelmed by all the new sensations: this was so risqué… so lurid… It made Elsie feel so horribly wanton and so connected to him that she felt undeniably apart of him in a way she'd never thought possible.

Outside, Charlie and Elsie could hear the music and dancing pick up outside, and started to time the rhythm and pace of their lovemaking to the sound of the party, as if going along with the music.

"Open your eyes, my love." He whispered, his own breath ragged.

"Ummm?" She questioned, her eyes shooting open when she felt him scoop her up, his hands under her bottom, supporting her, even as he continued to thrust.

"Open your eyes and look at me my darling."

Elsie's swallowed hard, gazing downward and into his eyes. He stared at her intently, his gaze totally lust-filled, kissing her once again as she started to cry out, unable to help it.

….

Elsie smiled into her husband's kiss. More than an hour had passed and the rowdy crowd in the servant's hall had quieted, the lot of them making their way up to their quarters or out into town. But Carson and Mrs. Hughes remained in her sitting room, still engaged in a loving lip-lock.

Carson held Elsie close, the two on the floor now in a pile of their clothes, a warm tartan blanket she'd brought from Scotland draped over them. He smiled into her lips, caressing her cheek in hand, sweetly rubbing her jaw with his thumb as she tilted her head. His heart skipped a beat as their kiss broke and she looked up into his eyes.

"Well I'd say this was productive Mr. Carson." She teased.

"At that it was." He smiled. He looked down into her eyes, pride and nervousness swelling in his heart. "I…"

He wanted to say she'd been beautiful with the babe that morning, but he hadn't the faintest idea of what to say. His heart melted as he stared into her eyes, her warm gaze pulling him in.

'How can I ask her? How can I say it?' He wondered. He didn't wish to scare her or make her go off him. His young bride was so young, just a lass really … And so inexperienced. They'd just been married, and he didn't want to overload her. More than that, the nature of childbirth troubled him: it could be a harsh business, he wasn't ready to jeopardize his Elsie's health, to have her endure that … to risk losing her. At the same time, they'd discussed it twice already, once even agreeing it'd be their ticket to freedom…

Carson gulped. "I think it's time, Mrs. Hughes."

"Yes?" She asked sweetly, breathing in deep when she felt him reach under the blanket, stroking her bare thigh. She gulped, butterflies filling her tummy every time he touched her this way, as if he were able to dominate her with just one touch.

Carson sighed softly, placing his forehead against hers. "My Mrs. Carson… I…"

"Yes Charlie." She whispered.

Carson smiled, pulling her in closer, her thigh now totally in his mammoth hand. She gulped and looked up into his eyes, feeling almost captive as he squeezed her flesh softly, not knowing he was just as nervous about what he was about to say. Carson found didn't know exactly how to say it, only that it must be said, right then.

"My Mrs. Carson…" He hesitated again.

He'd wanted so much to say something lovely, to be eloquent about how beautiful she was, how deeply he loved her, and how much he wanted this…

"My Mrs. Carson." He whispered again, his lips barely an inch from hers.

"Yes Charlie?" She asked breathlessly.

"I'd love, Mrs. Carson… It's time… I'd love to make a baby with you."

Elsie's eyes widened, and Carson's heart jumped in nervousness, noting she seemed surprised by the request.

"That is to start trying…" He corrected himself. "I saw you with the babe today and … You make such a beautiful mummy Mrs. Hughes … I can't wait for ours."

He stopped abruptly, nerves overtaking him as she searched his face.

"Oh Mr. Carson." She whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She bit her lip as she reached up, grabbing his cheeks, caressing them softly, and gazing lovingly into his eyes. "I should love to have your wee babe." She cried, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I should love that so much!"

Carson smiled, his heart sighing in relief and he started to laugh, Elsie giggled into his mouth, shrieking in shock as he started to kiss her again. Elsie sighed, sinking into the kiss as he pulled her in closer, hugging her tight, her thigh now draped around his.