Like Charles, I keep coming back to this story. I love everything about it; the setting, the time passing, their bond with each other. Anything historical and having to do with the sea makes me both yearn for it, and makes me feel wistful.
I love this. Hope you’re doing well.
-meetmeinstlouie

Beautiful story!

I just wanted to tell you again how much I love this story. I come back to it all the time, like Charles to Elsie. -meetmeinstlouie

I absolutely adore this! There is something about how true the characters ring. Also, how, with the passage of so many years in a short story, we can see their relationship develop. Just an awesome read!

Oh I love this. Her pragmatic acceptance of their inevitable relationship: "I like to sleep on the right." Gorgeous writing and tender feels... Everything I've come to expect to from your writing. I love it.

I absolutely lived this. The little glimpses into their lives together and separate were so interesting, especially since I know you research everything! Thanks for sharing!

This story is so unique and well-written, I love it! The plot line is wonderful and I love the little Downton references everywhere. And the scene with the proposal lines was lovely, I absolutely love how you did that! Nicely done!

omg! love it soooooo much! and of course she's his siren! omg love it!

This is just beautifully written. That's such an understatement, too! First of all, "Brandy!" I loved that! Love me some good music in a fic, lol.
I loved the descriptions throughout - immediately I had a picture of a weathered and tanned Charles, and a feisty barmaid Elsie, chatting away and looking forward to one another's letters. I admit, the fire frightened me quite a bit, but you took care of that soon for us. Loved the ending, too. What a cool AU!

Beautiful! Love that he always comes home to her.

I wasn't so sure about it but: woah great! The suspense was killing me a bit: will they, won't they? :)

What a fascinating and unusual AU - and yet you somehow managed to stay very true to the characters we know from the show (which is not always the case with AUs). The scenes were beautifully crafted and showed how organically their relationship has evolved over time. I loved all the nautical allusions in combination with their relationship.
And I absolutely loved the last sentence! Beautiful, simply beautiful. Thank you for this!

I love how not only are your stories well written, your turn of phrase enchanting and your characters and plots like little sirens that draw me in, but I always come away with a little bit of historical knowledge I didn't have before!

I love this. The idea of her as his sort of port in the storm all these years. Downton and Elsie as 'home' and how their love was there even when they didn't mention or acknowledge it...I adore the parallels you pulled in with canon.

Wonderful. Thank you so much for taking me into this little world. I think, like Elsie and Charles, I might snuggle in for a little bit more.

The Looking Glass has been running through my head all morning and it'll probably keep on doing so all day ... maybe even longer? I love all the bits of their song that you've worked in here - Elsie serving whisky and wine, the locket that bears Charles' name - and woven them into this lovely Chelsie AU along with all those wonderful lines from the proposal. But I'm glad that this ends happily, that Elsie's sailor comes back to her to stay (poor Brandi). Love that there's still that lovely slow burn, years of friendship and unspoken affection, that moment of terror/despair that their unspoken dream is over, and that relief when he comes home to her, the happiness and love and contentment. Thanks for this!

Bloody fantastic!