beginning of the end! Thank you all so much for the support, there are some time jumps throughout the chapter but nothing too major.

She looked over at Charles, who was currently happily sleeping after an intense bout of lovemaking. She brushed the errant curl away from his forehead. She loved him completely. She smiled as she thought about how he had been so intense just half an hour ago. Thrusting in and out of her recklessly. She had drug her nails down his back in the pleasure of it all. He had swallowed her cries of ecstasy. Elsie smiled in the afterglow of their lovemaking and let sleep take her into the land of dreams.

-/-/-/-/-

The next day started much as all the rest had that month. After Charles would go down, with Elsie following behind in 'just a moment'. She ran to the washroom and threw up all of the contents of her stomach. She was going to the doctor on her half day today. But she had the creeping suspicion she already knew what was wrong.

Elsie sat down at breakfast to a full plate of eggs, two slices of toast and bacon. She covertly slid her two pieces of bacon over to Charles who happily ate them smiling at her.

She told him she was going into the village, she had errands to run. She left with a short list, and went straight into her appointment with Dr. Clarkson. He greeted her warmly and examined her. He smiled when he confirmed her suspicion, and she laughed. She smiled as she left, a certain spring to her step, as she finished her errands.

-/-/-/-

She just had her meeting with Lady Grantham about everything. It was all settled and Lady Cora had been very understanding and they had set up what would happen when the time came.

Elsie knew Charles would be in his pantry, going over his ledgers, or napping. She snorted at that. She tapped on his door and heard his gruff call to enter. She scoffed at him as she entered and closed the door behind her. She took the rocking chair in the corner of his office that he had put there for her.

She regarded him, gauging him for his mood. "Charles, let's go for a walk." She suggested, her voice light.

He smirked and nodded his head, happy for a distraction. He had been going over their combined accounts which were very stable. Each had been putting back. They had a nice little nest egg, if the time ever came. It had been a year and a half since they married, and Elsie had shown no sign of being pregnant.

They walked hand in hand. Through the garden, and talked quietly.

"Charles, I went to the doctor today, and received some news." Elsie said calmly.

He looked at her alarmed that something was wrong until he saw the grin spread across her face.

She bit her lip before saying excitedly, "I'm pregnant. We are to have a baby in about five months Mr. Carson."

He picked her up and spun her around, laughing joyously. She giggled gaily and when he captured his lips in a loving kiss he set her back down on the ground. They walked for a bit more talking about the cottage they would now inhabit.

-/-/-

That night as they laid in bed, her head on his chest he asked about names.

They started throwing out names. Hundreds of names must have been disagreed on.

Elsie sat up, "Mattie was my grandmothers name. What about that?"

Charles wrinkled his brow, "Mattie Carson, okay that's fine what about a middle name?"

Elsie thought for a minute settling back into his arms. "What about Mattie Rose. Mattie Rose Carson."

He murmured his approval and they started the process again with boys names.

Charles looked down into her eyes, "Benjamin is a sturdy name. Benjamin Henry Carson."

She loved it. A little lad named Ben. A little lass named Mattie. All she wanted was the baby to be happy, and healthy. They closed the discussion with the decision to start packing tomorrow. And to move by the end of the following week.

-/-/-/-/-

A week later they were moved into a spacious cottage with four bedrooms. Charles laughingly said they would fill each of them with babes. She giggled and loved this side of her man.

She was ready to do this, set up house, be a family. She had been fixed and they had created the life that lay under her heart growing and thriving.

-/-/-/-

Six months later the nursery they had set up was filled with a wee babe.

Little Mattie Rose had arrived in the middle of the night on a rainy Saturday. September 5th. The day God suddenly made everything in Elsie's life make sense. This wee one with her pretty lips, blue eyes that looked like they were turning green, a button nose, and a beautiful hairline that matched her own.

Elsie had taken to motherhood exceptionally well. She had made friendships in the village as well. Mattie was popular with all of the older ladies in the church who cooed at her every Sunday and told Elsie how well she and the babe looked.

Mrs. Louise came by the house a lot of the time. She was a widower and she was probably one of the most capable women that Elsie had ever met. She had raised babies for a living. A nanny to the higher social class in London until she fell in love and left that life at older age.

She helped Elsie learn the basics and kept coming even when Elsie had proved capable. She came and Elsie was so happy about it. She loved having an older woman to talk to. It was like having a mother for the first time in her life. Which turned out to be an absolutely wonderful feeling.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Charles loved working at the Abbey, but he looked forward to the end of his day to spend time with his girls.

Their little Mattie Rose was the sunshine in his life. He couldn't wait to watch her grow, but he cherished the times he could watch her nurse and sleep at her mothers breast.

Elsie's fears (just as he knew they would) proved unfounded. She was a natural. Caring and calm even when the baby wouldn't seem to stop crying the third week after her birth. Elsie had handled it deftly.

His little treasure was perfect. A combination of looks, but she had green eyes. He smiled when Elsie remarked that her sisters boy had the same thing.

As he walked into the house, dinner was on the table and Elsie had Mattie in the rocking chair almost asleep. He went in and shed his coat, and kissed Elsie on the head.

His family. Their little family was perfect. He had never thought he could love any two people so wholeheartedly, but these two proved him wrong. He wanted more now. He wanted another child with his Elsie.

But they would take that as it came, and for right now he loved his girls as much as he could. Supremely happy with life.

well, Let me know what you think?
Much Love,
Samantha