Ch 38- Growing, Part I

July 1920

"Ah Charlotte. Just who I was hoping to see." Robert smiled.

Charlotte had been almost afraid when Thomas had come to the nursery, informing her that she'd been summoned downstairs to see Lord Grantham. The boys had been perplexed but nanny had been given prior warning: Charlotte was to receive a gift.

"Hello m'lord." She greeted politely.

Charlotte liked Lord Grantham but was afraid she was in trouble. Thomas who the little girl had grown quite close to, much to her father's chagrin, had promised to wait outside for her and listen carefully. He of course had his own motivations the little girl was too young to comprehend. But then again Charlotte, much like Mary and her future son George, would never really see Barrow as an enemy.

"I believe I have a loan to repay." He began. Charlotte tilted her head in confusion. Robert chuckled. "Charlotte this is for you." He said, taking a small, beautifully wrapped package out of the drawer in the table at his side. Charlotte's brown eyes sparkled at the sight as she took the gift in hand. "Go on, open it."

Charlotte hesitated then did as she was told, letting the paper fall on the floor and the box with it when she took the strange gift in hand.

"Wow." She whispered and he laughed.

Charlotte had never seen anything quite like it, this beautiful egg shaped object, encrusted in jewels.

"But m'lord I only gave you…"

Charlotte was little and did not understand the value of what she held, she did however know it was more than the small some she'd given him, which she'd previously thought had been enough to save Downton from its woes.

Lord Grantham smiled. "My mother and father brought that back from Russia many years ago and I want you to have it."

Robert, who wasn't as good with money as one might hope, didn't understand the true value of the artwork he was giving to the butler's daughter. They had a lot of things in storage: art, artifacts, things from the travels of the many Lord Granthams who'd come before him. He didn't think this particular piece was worth much, and he was wrong. But he did think it beautiful, and he wanted to give something to Charlotte to show his appreciation.

"Thank you. Its very prettyful." She said getting the words pretty and beautiful confused in the moment.

"It is very beautiful, and quite worth what you gave to me Charlotte."

"Oh?"

"Yes, you see. Your kindness, in wanting to save Downton, it meant a lot to me and gave me the courage to do what had to be done to save it."

Truthfully that was the case. A lot had gone into the very difficult decision to take Matthew up on his offer. It was mostly his wife's urging, his son's future and his family's past. But in considering his options, Robert had also thought deeply about the house, it's history and the many people who called it home. The Carson's had built a life there and were about to have another new baby, the Bates were trying to do the same, Mrs. Patmore had given the place her best years, Daisy had been there since she was a little girl… Charlotte Carson was growing up there and willing to do whatever she could to save it… At the end of his decision-making process, something about Charlotte's sweet hearted effort to save the house pulled at his heartstrings more than anything else, and caused him to give in. He couldn't say how thankful he was to her and always would be. It was because of her that he'd not made a grave mistake.

"So, you saved it?" She burst.

Lord Grantham smiled. "No Charlotte: you did."

Charlotte couldn't help but squeal.

"Now go on, see what's inside the egg." He urged. The egg was plain as far as those types of pieces went. It was burgundy and decorated with tiny diamonds in an ornately done zigzag pattern. Most of these eggs had something inside like a little castle or a dove and this one did not, something that had gone into his decision to give it to the child: he'd thought it subpar, not exceptional.

"Candy!" She squealed.

"Yes. Why don't you go upstairs and share it with your brothers and Master Benjamin?"

"Thank you so much m'lord! I'll take good care of it!"

"No, thank you Miss Carson." He said and she beamed.

Robert sent her away, never thinking that he'd one day misjudge her, just in the same way he had with the egg, or that one day when it mattered most she'd save Downton all over again.

…

"Have you thought about school for the twins?" Cora asked, pouring her maid some tea.

Elsie was dizzy. Four or five weeks had passed since she'd learned she was pregnant again and since that time her morning sickness had taken a terrible foothold, usurping almost every aspect of her life. She'd never had it that bad and Cora was worried but tried not to let on.

"Oh um… yes, the village school stars in September, I enrolled them there in the spring."

Cora paused, not liking the answer she was given. "I can't believe it's that time. It seems like just yesterday we were hiring nanny."

"Speaking of which, are there staffing changes to be made?"

"Well, that's the thing… customarily, this is the time we would dismiss nanny, and of course hire a tutor or governess…"

Cora was upset; she'd expected Elsie to choose someone with her with her own children in mind, just as she'd helped pick a nanny. Looking back, Cora had never liked anyone she'd chosen for the girls, but loved the nanny that Elsie had wanted to hire. Something about the care she gave was more loving, less formal and altogether more American. She wanted her son, in his years before boarding school, to have a teacher that was just like her.

"But I'm not going to dismiss nanny." She continued, sipping her tea.

"Oh?" Elsie asked.

"No." She shook her head. "Benjamin and the twins may be getting older but it's a little old fashioned to fire someone based on tradition and besides, there are going to be plenty of babies in the house." She smiled kindly at Elsie. Mrs. Carson looked down at her middle and back up at her employer and friend in surprise.

"Me?"

"You and Anna … eventually." She cautioned. Cora was truthfully a little sad. She felt young enough to have another and no longer could because of what had happened when Ben was born. "And Mary and the fact that I really like her and she can still watch our other three, when we need someone. Besides, Sam is going to be in that nursery all alone for a little while longer, once school begins." Cora loved Samuel and always called him Sam: it was very American after all. "Benjamin's classes won't last as long as the twins and I will make sure he goes to play with him every day."

"That's very lovely and kind…" Elsie didn't think this was necessary.

"Are you sure about the twins?" She asked, swallowing almost nervously.

The girls had all gone to school together, and she didn't want Benjamin to have to go alone. Moreover, she and her son loved the time they spend with the Carson children. She knew that he would be terribly lonely without them and in a way she would be too. Robert had told her it was time to get Benjamin properly socialized, to introduce him to children of his own rank. He hadn't intended to be snobbish about it, nor had he meant to suggest that their little boy break off his friendship with the butler's children, but Cora resisted anyway, knowing inside that his being with the twins was the right thing.

"Yes." Elsie said, confident in her decision.

She knew what was being offered. It was a stellar education, but the wrong kind. Elsie didn't want her children hulled up in this house, and beholden to it for the rest of their lives and she could already see it happening. She wanted them at the village school, where they could start to find a future of their own making. Little did she realize, as Cora did, that they were made for a very specific life.

…

Two Weeks Later

"Samuel!" Elsie called, panic in her voice.

She couldn't believe Samuel was one year old that day or that he could stand (but not walk just yet). The little boy looked back at his mother, momentarily breaking his gaze from his dad and the cricket bat he was holding.

It was that time of year again, when the house played the village. Elsie and all the other women had been left to work while the men prepared for their game. Caught in the middle of some of the worst morning sickness she'd ever had, and with a baby to care for, Elsie found herself a bit resentful of the game. It was after all, her son's birthday and her wedding anniversary.

"But don't you want to watch Mr. Carson play?" Beryl whispered when she returned. Elsie ignored her, almost pushing her aside, making a beeline for her baby.

Every one was busy and because she kept having to rush off to be ill, she'd left Samuel sitting on the grass near where his father was practicing cricket with the twins. Elsie was afraid when she returned to find her baby standing almost in the line of fire, with no one watching him, instead of sitting, safely off to the side of the game area.

The little boy stood confused, holding his teddy tightly under his arm and sucking his thumb. He looked back and forth between his desperate mother and preoccupied father, not knowing where to turn. His little knees shook. Sam was too brave about things (and for that reason, Elsie was not looking forward to his toddlerhood: she knew he was going to be in to everything and soon). When his mother had left he'd dared himself to join the game, wanting to play with his father and brother. And so he'd crawled to a point and stood. He was unsure on his feet and felt stuck now that he'd stood up. He couldn't walk and didn't know how to sit back down or how to get to his mother. She rushed to his aid and picked him up as he started to sob.

"Samuel, come to mummy, come here are you alright?" She soothed. "Oh my baby are you alright is there a scratch on you or a bump, or a bruise?" She asked, beginning to look all over the baby's head and arms.

"Elsie let him stay." Carson insisted, barely looking in her direction.

"Mr. Carson, the bat's his same size!" She cried in horror. "I'm afraid he'll get hurt. All it takes is a cricket bat to the head Charlie!"

Instead of paying her mind, Carson focused on the ball he was teaching his older son to throw. "He's a strong lad. And he'll be playing with us soon enough!"

…

"Mrs. Patmore this was a lovely surprise." Elsie said, drying the tears in her eyes.

Mrs. Patmore presented everyone with several surprises after the game had ended and the villagers had started to leave the grounds. She'd approached Lord Grantham with the idea rather timidly a week earlier and he'd agreed, deciding it was time Downton had a celebration. Just when it seemed the festivities were coming to a close, Beryl and Daisy brought out a series of cakes and Lord Grantham made a toast.

"But, we lost m'lord." Thomas said of the game.

"It doesn't matter Thomas, it's a wonderful summer's day and there's a lot to celebrate." He smiled at Cora.

"Quick, Daisy, quick, get it off, get it off!" Beryl urged and Daisy quickly set to work scraping 'Congratulations on Downton's victory!' off of the cake.

"Thank you all for being here." Robert smiled, raising his glass. "To Downton, and its ups and downs. To its support system." He nodded at Cora. "To its benefactors." He acknowledged Matthew. "To its future." He smiled at his son who stood with his friends by the cakes. "And to those who've given their lives to it." He raised his glass toward the Carson's."

"To Downton!" Everyone toasted.

"Oh how, oh my." Elsie cried, holding Sam close as tears flowed down her cheeks.

There were four cakes: one for Downton's supposed victory in the cricket match and one for its loss. But it was the last two cakes that Elsie was especially touched by: the third cake was for Samuel's birthday and the fourth was for her anniversary. She knew Charlie had arranged that part, it was the same cake they'd had together at a dance hall in York on their wedding night, so many, many years before. Elsie's heart leapt at the thought. For so many years they'd spent this day running a garden party for the family, their happiest day going painfully unacknowledged, until the year that she'd told the truth about her marriage and announced her pregnancy with the twins.

"Because there's so very much to celebrate my Elsie." Carson kissed her cheek.

"And because his lordship's in quite the grateful mood." Beryl chuckled.

"Come along birthday boy, let's see what you make of Auntie Beryl's double chocolate cake!"

Elsie sat with her son on her lap, cuddling him tight and kissing his cheek as several of them, (the twins, Beryl, Daisy, Anna, Bates, Benjamin and Cora) sung the baby boy happy birthday for the very first time. Sam looked around confused, but delighted by the attention while Elsie cried, so deeply touched to be acknowledged in this way.

"Make a wish and blow out the candle." Anna urged the confused baby.

Sam just stared, mesmerized by the candle. He reached out with both hands to touch it but Elsie blew it out before he could, making a wish for Sam and his life that she'd keep close to her heart for the time being. Everyone clapped and Sam looked down at the cake, not hesitating for a second before grabbing two big fist fulls of it and shoving it in his face, kindly turning to his mother and offering her a piece of it. Everyone else laughed but Elsie simply smiled, beginning to whisper to him.

"Happy Birthday my Samuel, my mighty wee baby boy." She whispered. "Mummy wishes and prays for joy your whole life long my darling, that throughout your whole life, nothing will ever change you and no matter how big you get, you'll always be my same big, strong, smart, happy, adventurous boy and that you know mummy loves you with all her heart, all her days."

"Isn't it wonderful Molesley?" Robert asked, raising his glass almost to the sky.

Molesley was a bit taken aback. He and Lord Grantham never spoke much, and while he knew him to be a kind and fair man, it seemed a bit odd to be relating in a way that was so casual. Molesley was not sure he liked it. Like Carson, he was a proper man, one used to old ways that were slowly dying out.

"Yes m'lord." He agreed simply, supposing that it was a nice day and that he could blame the Lord's friendliness that day on the amount he'd had to drink.

"Look at it, Downton. Flourishing, winning, growing…" He laughed, pointing to where the children were playing.

Robert knew he'd sort of taken leave of his senses but he was truly happy to see the house afloat and full of life. Games won or lost were a relief to him, as were wedding anniversaries and baby's birthdays. He pat Molesley on the back, causing him to jump just as a car made its way down the gravel path. Molesley said nothing about the home team's loss as Lord Grantham left his side and the Bates' approached.

"I didn't think we were expecting anyone else at the house today?" Bates raised an eyebrow as he followed his wife passed Molesley and toward the drive.

He was relaxed and didn't really feel up to more work aside from his usual duties. Visitors usually entailed extra work for either them, and Bates found himself eager to spend this particular summer evening alone with his wife.

"It isn't a new visitor, just the new ladies maid." She laughed.

"Oh yes, Miss O'Brien abandoned us, I can't believe I forgot something so devastating."

Molesley didn't know what he'd been expecting when he watched the car door open. In hindsight he figured that another O'Brien would enter their lives, or perhaps another Mrs. Bird. But he'd never expected the tall, gangly brunette that greeted Anna and Bates with a warm smile and in an instant made his heart grow a million yards wide.