Author's Note: Hello! It's time for the 8th chapter of "Till Death Do Us Part"! Luckily didn't take quite as long for me to update this story as it did me before the last chapter…But anyways, I'll keep this short and let you get to reading! I hope you enjoy today's slightly shorter chapter and, please, don't hesitate to leave me a review after you're done with reading. Thanks! (P.S. Just a word of WARNING before you proceed to read, there is angst ahead and well…tissues are recommended. Also I'm sorry for the partial cliff-hanger. That was not planned!)

When the overnight guests left right before the upstairs luncheon the morning after, the servants began to clean the house thoroughly. The family would no doubt be getting some rest after staying up late the night before, which meant the staff could concentrate on the task at hand - cleaning up after the party - and not worry about their employers for a while. Of course, according to the butler, it was absolutely necessary to go through the process of tidying up the house without causing disturbance to the family and to be alert at all times, should the family need anything at all. This was a very familiar order to the servants at Downton Abbey after working in the house for years, and they had no trouble acting accordingly. It didn't take them long to get everything done and upon seeing their effort last night and this morning, Lord Grantham decided to give the servants the rest of the evening off, though expected them to be back in time to dress the ladies to bed. The family would be going to eat dinner at the Dower House, so that was all taken care of, and the kitchen could also take some time off that night. Of course, Charles let the lord know that a hallboy would remain at the house in case the family whould need anything at all. Lord Grantham smiled and thanked the butler before he went back downstairs.

When relaying the news to the staff at tea in the servants' hall, Charles made plans for himself and his wife in his mind. They would go see Dr Clarkson, he decided - even if he dreaded it. Though Charles wanted to remain hopeful. It had all turned out well last time, he reminded himself. Soon he was pulled back to the moment by his wife's kind voice,

"Go on then, go enjoy yourselves."

The servants started talking among themselves, everyone thinking about how they could spend their allowed time of freedom.

"Mind you, be back by ten, everyone," Charles bellowed as the servants started leaving the room and going in their own directions - some straight through the back door, some upstairs to their rooms.

"Yes, Mr Carson," a few replies could be heard through the noise of chairs being pushed back under the table and heels scraping the floor as the maids rushed into the hallway.

Now the only remaining members of staff in the servants' hall were the Carsons, who were standing at the head of the table behind their chairs, which were tidily pushed under the table.

"I thought we might enjoy a quiet dinner at the cottage tonight. We'll be back in time to make sure everyone has gotten back and be on duty should the need be," Elsie broke the silence as they turned to walk into the hallway and towards his pantry, their shoulders almost touching between them.

"Of course," Charles smiled, and opened the pantry door and let her enter before him. "But we'll go see Dr Clarkson first, Elsie."

Elsie sighed as he closed the door behind them. She dropped down to sit on the other armchair next to the fireplace, taking off her shoes and stretching her toes as they got freed.

"If it weren't something I had to do, I'd leave it undone."

"I know, but it's best we know as soon as possible. And besides, it'll be nice to get the weight off of our shoulders," Charles said gently and sat down opposite of her on the other armchair.

"That is if it's not…Well, the worse of the two outcomes."

"I'm fairly certain it isn't. Dr Clarkson didn't look too concerned to me when we went to see him."

"No, but he wouldn't want to worry us before he'd know for certain," Elsie stated.

Charles looked into her eyes, his sharp gaze meeting with hers.

"I know. I must stop worrying and thinking of all the possible outcomes," she admitted with a shake of her head.

He leaned forward to take her hands in his. She welcomed his touch by giving his hands a gentle squeeze.

"It'll do neither of us any good, Elsie. That's all," Charles spoke and planted a kiss on the tip of each of her fingers.

"I don't know how you can be so calm all the time, Charlie, but I certainly don't mind it. You've kept me sane through this ordeal. Thank you for that, love."

"Of course, dearest. You'd do the same if the roles were reversed."

"Perhaps," she smiled lovingly and squeezed his fingers again as he lowered them from his lips."You know, everything could change today. Are you ready for that?"

"Or it could all be completely alright, Elsie. But whatever the outcome is, I am willing to take it on, as long as you are by my side."

She took a wavering breath.

"I do love you so. Just know that," she whispered as a lonely tear slid down her cheek.

Charles didn't hesitate at all to cup her cheek into the palm of his hand and pull her in for a kiss. When they parted, after tasting and feeling each others's lips, Charles wrapped his arms around her and whispered his reply into his wife's hair,

"I love you too, so very much."

…

And so, the couple eventually made their way to the village hospital to hear Elsie's test results. Neither of them said a word as they walked, when they sat down in the waiting room after a nurse had told them Dr Clarkson would be with them soon or when they waited. The only time Charles opened his mouth was to speak to the nurse, and that, too, was only a few words. They quietly supported each other by holding hands in between them on their touching thighs. They had had time to sit in the hospital hallway for almost twenty minutes when they were finally called into the doctor's office by the same nurse Charles had spoken to earlier.

"I'm glad you could come so soon, Mrs Hughes, Mr Carson", Dr Clarkson said as he closed his office door and took a seat at his desk."Please, have a seat."

The couple did as they were instructed and sat down on the other side of the table.

"Thank you for seeing us, doctor."

"Of course. I hope you haven't been too stressed over the results."

"Well, we have tried, doctor," Elsie said shakily.

Dr Clarkson nodded his head understandingly.

"Have your symptoms changed since I last saw you?"

"I don't think so. I've been so busy, what with yesterday's party, that I've barely had time to think about how I've been feeling," Elsie explained.

"And have you been sleeping any better?" Dr Clarkson kept questioning the housekeeper.

"A bit, yes."

The doctor seemed to be writing down this information, and Charles wondered whether he should be worried by the way the doctor was delaying him telling them the results and was instead questioning his wife on her welfare. Should he be doing this after telling them if she was ill or not?

"And the results, Dr Clarkson?"

Charles turned to look at his wife when she asked the question, her eyes fixed on the doctor's. He had not been alone with his thoughts, it seemed. Clarkson pushed aside the notepad and pen and, then, turned his attention back to the couple. His expression was hard to read, which worried them both.

"They tested the analysis I sent up in London, and I heard from them yesterday morning. As I had noted myself, there were spots of blood mixed with the clear fluid."

"As there was last time," Elsie stated, hoping this was a good sign.

"Exactly."

"What does that mean exactly, doctor?" Charles asked.

"That alone does not mean the lump is cancer. Instead, the tests were made in order for us to rule out other aspects we should be looking for in the case of cancer."

"And?"

Charles was impatient to know. And so was she.

The words that would soon leave the doctor's mouth would tell them what the couple had come here to hear…If the look on the doctor's face hadn't already told them the news before his words could. Emphatic, as if she was a child that had fallen and scraped her knee, apologetic, like he had just betrayed her, and mostly, regretful, the way one looked only when they had to give out death sentences. And thus, they already knew.

She closed her eyes tightly when the doctor's words finally rang out in the room, confirming what they already knew.