B&B OF LOVE AND FUN-6
Hello everyone...Thank you for all the reviews after last chapter. Life is giving me difficult experiences recently, one by one, but as I mentioned before, writing is my escape from reality and in the nearest time, I will need that escape more and more... In the last chapter, our lovely trio has announced their decision to Lord Grantham, now it's time to move to the next level. Hope you will like it ;-)
Few weeks have passed, since they announced their decision to Lord Grantham, but unfortunately, they still haven't found a perfect place for their B&B. In the meantime, Charles retired and gave his duties to Thomas, while Elsie and Beryl were still working.
Beryl was almost ready to retire, but she was delaying her departure from two reasons- first of all, she wanted to be sure, that Daisy was absolutely ready to become the head cook, which annoyed Daisy greatly, as she couldn't wait for the moment, of taking over the responsibility for the Downton kitchen. Second of all, because Beryl was hesitant to keep living in Downton, not being the cook anymore. Lord Grantham assured her, that it would not be a problem and that she can stay as long as she likes, but Beryl spent her whole life being productive and she didn't want to live on anyone's charity.
As for Elsie, she had a hard time dealing with the current situation..From one side, she had to make sure, to pass her duties to Miss Baxter, as Lady Grantham decided, that she is the best person for the job, but Miss Baxter wasn't totally convinced, if that was a good idea, so her approach to that situation was not very enticing. There was also Beryl, who kept complaining and being negative about their future prospects, repeating all the time, that they will never find a place for their B&B.
Elsie liked her friend dearly, but she was a little tired with her complaining and she began to wonder, if that was a good idea to start a new business together.
Then there was Charles, who did not handle a new situation in his life very well and he was in a state close to depression, being away from Downton, for the first time in over fifty years. Elsie was counting, that Charles will have a new goal now, when he was no longer a butler, that he will take the initiative and focus on finding a building for their B&B, but her hopes were failed, once she saw his behavior.
He was sitting in the cottage all the time, doing nothing and when Elsie was coming back home, in the late evening, she had a feeling, that she was finding him sitting in the same spot, that he was, when she left to work in the morning- in his favorite armchair by the window.
All this situation has been taking a toll on her and she knew, that she couldn't really rely on anyone right now. She shared her doubts with Beryl one day, drinking their afternoon tea...
"Is it really that bad?"-Beryl asked, looking at her friend with care...
"Worse...Ever since he retired, he is in a trans of some kind. He is literally doing nothing...I was hoping, that he may become more handy in the cottage, once he will retire, that I will have some kind of help..."
"Mr Carson as a house husband? I can't see that happening...You know that this is not what he is used to...Everything was done for him, when he was a butler.."
"But he is not a butler anymore...He is just Charles Carson, retired, former butler and my husband...It's about time for him to get used to that..."
"And that I believe is the main problem.."
"Being my husband is a problem for him?"
"No! Of course not, not being a butler...For him, it was more than a job, it was his life...And now he has to watch someone else managing Downton...It can't be easy for him..."
"That's why I'm so reluctant, to invite him to dinner here, it is like a slap in the face for him, to see Thomas sitting at the head of the table. But then again, I'm sick of cooking after a hard day of work..."
"Don't worry...Soon you will not have to worry about that at all...I will be the one doing the cooking."
"You have no idea how happy that makes me...Sometimes, I'm mad at myself for being such a lousy cook and I'm thinking, that maybe I should get some lessons from you..."
"And then you won't need me anymore and you can have your own B&B, without me, thank you very much. I'm not giving you cooking lessons..."
"Mrs Patmore, please...Do you really think, that we could left you like that?"
"No, I was just being silly..Don't be so hard on yourself. You may not be a great cook, but there are some things that I'm hopless with, like managing the house and you are perfect at that...I think that each of us can bring to this B&B the best part of ourselves...And we have a chance for success..."
"That's beautifully put Mrs Patmore...I really hope that it will be that way..."
"I'm sure of that...Besides, you need to remember, that Mr Carson didn't marry you because of your cooking..."
"Maybe not, but you remember how disappointed he was, when it turned out, that I'm not a great cook, in the beginning of our marriage..."
"I sure do...But what I'm saying is, that even though, he was able to get passed this disappointment about cooking...So I guess there is another sphere of your marriage, in which you keep him satisfied..."- Beryl said, looking at Elsie innocently, but with a wide grin on her face...
"Mrs Patmore, I ask you! How can you even..."
"Oh relax...I was just taking about companionship and stuff like that, why? What were you thinking?"- Beryl was lauging so hard now, that she almost fell off her chair...
"Don't play innocent with me...I know very well what you meant...You are a little devil, you know that?"
"That's part of my irresistible charm...Oh Mrs Hughes, do you think that we will ever find a place, that will be suitable for our business? I'm so anxious to start it already..."
"Keep the good thoughts Mrs Patmore...We will find it, I promise...I just need to mobilize Charles to be more active..."
"I'm sure that you know exactly how to convience him and you won't hesitate to use that knowledge.."- Beryl had cheeky smile on her face again and Elsie was fighting the urge, of throwing a pill at her for a moment...
Evening, Carson's cottage...
Elsie walked into the house, just to find Charles sitting in the same armchair again, staring at the window, as time has stopped and the world didn't exist...She sighed heavily and put the basket with their dinner on the floor...He was so submerged in his own thoughts, that he didn't even notice her return...
Elsie took off her coat and hat and she neared her husband...
"Charlie...I'm home...I brought dinner for us..."
"Dinner? Is it that time already?"
"Yes. The evening is here...Come on my love...We will eat together and then I want to talk to you..."
"Is there anything wrong Elsie?"
"No sweetheart. Everything is fine...Will you set the table for us? The dishes are still warm..."
Charles reluctantly got up from his chair and set up the table, just like Elsie asked him to do. She was taking the meal from the basket, observing him...It was simply unbearable, how he was behaving... Like he was present only with his body, while his soul and thoughts were far away from here...
They ate in silence, as Elsie didn't want to talk about the Abbey, knowing, that it may upset Charles, she told him that she will do the cleaning, which she noticed brought him a kind of relief...He came back to his favorite armchair and Elsie did the cleaning swiftly and effectively, as always..
When she finished, she just took a quick glance at her kitchen, just to check if everything was in perfect order and then she decided, to join Charles in the living room...
"Charlie, can you sit here with me at the sofa? I would really like to talk..."
"Now Elsie? Can we do it tomorrow?"
"Why exactly? Do you have important obligations tonight? Other than sitting in the armchair and looking through the window? No Charles, we have to talk now..."
There were tones in Elsie's voice, that Charles has never heard before and something told him, that it would not be a good idea to mess with her. He got off the armchair and joined Elsie on the sofa...
"What is so important Elsie?"
"Charles...I want to know, what is going on with you recently...You act like you are no longer with us anymore.."
"I don't get what you mean Elsie...I'm behaving as usual.."
"No, you are not Charles...I'm going to work every morning and you are sitting in the armchair, I come home every night and you are in the same place again...Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing, that you don't do much else now, besides sitting in that armchair?"
"What am I suppose to do Elsie? You still have your work, you are the housekeeper and I'm a nobody... Just a husband..."
"Oh, so being my husband means that little to you? It's not nice to know that..."
"No Elsie, I didn't mean it like that...Being your husband is wonderful, but other than that I'm nobody.."
"Charles...I know that quitting your job was an awful experience for you...But it's over...Life goes on, we have dreams, plans...I need you here with me...I'm busy, tired, overwhelmed and you are not helping..."
"I'm sorry Elsie...So sorry...I didn't realize, that I failed so much..."
"I don't want to downgrade your position in our marriage and I know, that some things are beneath your dignity, but it would be nice, if you could help me in the cottage a little, I'm coming home tired every night and I still have plenty of things to do around here...It would be helpful for you, to have something to do and it would take some weight off my shoulders..."
"I will do my best Elsie...I should have thought about it myself...I was just so..."
"I know honey...Sad and depressed...I understand...I know better than anyone, what Downton meant to you...But I still need you...Charlie...I love you...I want you to be happy..."- Elsie gave the sweetest kiss to Charles and it melted his heart...
"I love you too Elsie...I promise, that I will be better from now on...Will you forgive me?"
"Of course that I will..."
"I will be cleaning, taking care of the garden and maybe even do some cooking..."
"I'm not sure if it's a good idea Charlie...I mean, we don't want to burn down Lord Grantham's cottage, just before moving out...As you once mentioned, we may still need that, as our place to run away..."
Charles looked at Elsie and he realized, that she was joking..A faint smile appeared on his face...
"Elsie...You are amazing...What have I done to deserve you?"
"You must have done something right Charlie...I need you to something more than cleaing...I would like you to get involve in B&B searching...While me and Mrs Patmore are still working, it would be great, if you could start looking for a proper place..."
"You really think that I can handle this on my own Elsie?"
"Of course you can...I will say more- you are the best person for the job...I trust, that you will find a perfect location..."
"I will do my best...I will try not to let you down Elsie.."
"You never let me down...You just needed a little extra kick, to move ahead..."
"And that's exactly what you gave me Els..."
A little later, Carson's bedroom...
Elsie was almost falling asleep, when she suddenly felt Charles's lips on her temples...He kissed her, with great doze of delicacy and tenderness...She heard him whispering "thank you", in a very quiet voice...
"For what Charlie?"-she mumbled sleepily...
"For being in my life, for giving me a reason to live, for making the late middle age- the most beautiful part of my life..."
"Oh Charlie...Thank you too..."
That was all that Elsie managed to mumble, before she put her head firmly on his chest and fell asleep at once, in the safe space of Charles's arms...
That's all for this chapter...I hope, that you don't mind the slow burn of the story...I know, that there are a lot of dialogues and you may feel that nothing is going on, but I want this story to be a slow burning one and we will get to the B&B part sooner than you think...Thank you for reading and have a good week!