BorneToFlow.

The best order to read my stories:

1/ The Acquisition of Memories (Chelsie Honeymoon fic set in Late May 1926)

2/ Calling Stumps (Set a month or so after the honeymoon and deals with impending retirement for Chelsie)

3/ Ephemera (Expands ideas about Elsie's sister and her family in the lead up to an early winter 1926 retirement for Chelsie)

4/ Conversations with the Man Upstairs (set in S5- my rejigged headcanon version of the Chelsie property venture and proposal)

5/ 'An as yet unpublished multi-character mega-drama'. (Chelsie-centric post-retirement fiction set in mid-late summer 1927).

How I ended up in DA fan fiction world aboard the good ship Chelsie (and apologies for all the underlining in this- I can't seem to get rid of it at the moment- platform glitches is my guess)

So I have finally binge –watched S5 and S6 of DA- life got busy and quite frankly- whilst I had enjoyed S1-S4 on a previous binge watch- I was not absolutely passionate about keeping up to speed with it all. It is only because of some very entertaining and satisfying fan fiction binge-reading (mainly Richobel and Chelsie shipping), that I even went back to the series to watch S5 and S6. It is because of fan fiction from the likes of Kuow, ChelsieSouloftheAbbey, ChelsieGirl71, Aussiegirl41, Lavender and Hay, ericajaneberry and Edward Carson (and many more I have neglected to mention) that I have attempted to write anything of my own at all. I must thank these particular authors for uncovering different ways to looking at the Chelsie canon- helping me accept some of the JF canon more easily (which is quite a feat, as will be revealed later). Suffice to say, I have deep-seated issues with how the characters of Carson and Elsie played out in S6 in particular, and the fact that Richard and Isobel never ended up together, even though Clarkson’s original semi-proposal of marriage did seem to come out of nowhere (was that S2??). Anyway, these DA fan fiction writers do a grand job at getting behind the character’s motivations. They invent great back stories to fill in my gaps in understanding and they can each make me fall in love with everything Chelsie once again. My heartfelt thanks to you all! J.

Of course, being able to write anything at all on this current creative wave I am trying to ride is mainly due to the wonderful characterisations of Carson and Hughes written by Julian Fellowes and played in that immensely understated way by the truly great Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan. They drew me into this space in the first place. These are fun characters and I love that they have inspired so many people to create art and literature about them- what is it about the Bloody English and their repressed desires that is so attractive to us?!! So, despite my issues with JW’s canon- I must thank this very talented man for unleashing these wonderful characters on the the world. Kudos.

Given that I cannot lay claim to being an absolute die-hard DA fan, if my subsequent words offends the true believers, or if I mix up the JF canon a bit in my own mind, it is merely because time has not allowed me to watch the series 1-6 repeatedly, and reading too much fan fiction has probably addled my brain about DA specifics! I apologise profusely in advance. I have written the following critique of the last 2 seasons of DA as a way to set the scene for my thinking about Chelsie before leading you, dear reader, into my analysis of their characters in my little fiction, through the events set directly after a somewhat modified wedding day for them.

I should also add that my other influences and direct quotes from other works will be listed at the beginnings or endings of appropriate chapters. I am heavily influenced by the writing styles of Charlotte Bronte (Jane Eyre) and Virginia Woolf (Mrs Dalloway). Therefore, em-dashes and very lengthy descriptive sentences about the interior lives of our heroes will abound! Perhaps you have picked up on that already?! I would aspire to the greatness of these two authors if time and talent would allow, but alas, instead I just shamelessly sample their styles and favourite lines into my own work. I endeavour to will italicise and reference direct quotes accurately at the end of each chapter. Turns of phrase and tone of address may be used unknowingly at times- that can happen when you live and breathe these works for long enough. No doubt ideas from other DA fan fiction writers will appear at times as well. Again, I have immersed myself of late, but I am not in the habit of bookmarking any works so finding where things have come from proves difficult to recall. I give thanks in advance for the inspiration from different DA ff writers and assure you that I do not intentionally mean to steal ideas or turns of phrase without due credit. Please accept this as my apology if I should have inadvertently used something from your own works. I trust that Chelsie fan fiction writers understand this dilemmaJ.

The only other point to make here is that I have played with the timeline somewhat - Elsie and Charles marry in May 1926, not 1925- just so that I can shamelessly draw in one of my other all-time favourite artists for them to interact with. More on that later though. I wouldn’t want to give away that surprise just yet!

As I mentioned earlier, I have found that to write Charles and Elsie as I see them, I have had to first analyse the final 2 series more closely. Unfortunately, I have found a strong dislike for the way their characters were portrayed in parts of S5 and most of S6. And so in my own fiction, canon problems abound- apologies to the purists. By way of explanation, please indulge me as I analyse why I can’t be completely true to the canon as JW wrote it in late S5 and all of the deplorable (IMHO) S6.

Here is where I stand on the DA canon- mainly as concerned with Chelsie – of course.

Ok first of all- I believe- the whole show really could have ended with the Carson/ Hughes proposal (and a kiss then please!) in the S5 Christmas special, and preferably without the Elsie/ Becky/ pauper status background, thank you very much!

Reasons that S5 could have been enough to satisfy even the most die-hard fan:

Lady Edith is shown to be on a kind of secure path with Pelham, or indeed, NOT– because she looked like she could handle being single just fine. Rosamund has been fine with it for a long time and living a rather swanky life even. Edith could have been left running her paper with her hot new editor and raising her kid to be a normal-ish human being.-- Oooh!- thoughts of a possible tangent (sorry it is just how my mind jumps about). Maybe Edith and the sexy new editor could start ‘tipping the velvet’. I can see that working for Lady Edith! Men have always let her down large style, let’s face it! Orrrr….it could all segue into some bizarre Agatha Christie type murder plot – where it is always the honeypot eaters who either die or who-dun-it! (Am I the only one who has picked up this theme from watching too much Agatha Christie on TV?). Ahh! But I digress! LOL. Daisy is getting along well with her studies and with the new footman- leave it with the potential for a brighter future Likewise for Baxter and Molesley – they are a sure thing Mrs Patmore is setting herself up to retire- and Chelsie is seen to be doing that too. Patmore and Mason is also foreshadowed – and that is enough- we can imagine a happy future for her all by ourselves thank you JF. Thomas may be making friends in Andy and Baxter- and others Downstairs seem to notice the changes in him. He has some good connections with Master George and Lady Mary. A foreshadowing of a happy Chelsie retirement and Thomas taking over on the butler-ing front would be a good wrap up. The restraint of being a butler ushering the new age at Downton actually fits with the need he has to hide his sexuality in that era- it all kind of makes sense to me anyway

o The exploration of his sexuality could have gone deeper in S5- especially in sessions with Clarkson – we didn’t need to take it to the S6 suicide attempt- maybe just draw in some of the Carson lines that have him recognise Thomas’s humanity in S6 and leave it at that.

Bates and Anna just need to get preggers and be seen to be actioning buying an inn thereby getting out of service and finally getting a life. I think it is best to completely forget that worthless and silly ‘Anna in jail’ storyline- the whole thing has been dragged out too long and it didn’t wash that well the first time around when Bates was accused because we all know Bates never had enough time to get to London to bump off Green- THAT was totally ridiculous from the outset. Anyway, we need to see Anna smile more Denker and Spratt are still amusing –especially the Dowager’s reactions to trying to sort them out. Love that scene with Isobel when Violet holds her head in despair! However, it all went OTT in S6 – I got sick of them by then- no character development and boring comic relief. Cora and Robert have another tiff (Bricker) and then reaffirm their undying love for each other, so it seems like a good place to leave that one too. The Prince Kuragin storyline is just ok – I guess it does give a bit of background to the Dowager- I can live with it. The Isobel/ Violet friendship is well handled- we see the Dowager scared at being alone- beautifully done from these two legendary actors. Maggie Smiths performance in this scene is up there with Violet’s reaction to Sybils’ death as she walks away from Carson- that was probably the best piece of acting in the whole series. The Mertobel non-romance (Blandorama!) offers another good place for Clarkson to come in and save the end of the series- he could keep Isobel in Downton if they were to get together. Happy families all around!

o More on the Clarkson point- the Mertobel ship is almost as soulless as Talbot/Mary one - but not quite. I think Isobel would be much better with Richard Clarkson – he should have made another play and now she is ready for it. Merton is a nice guy – just too boring for Isobel – the Dowager was absolutely right. Clarkson does challenge Isobel and she challenges him- it is sparky and fun to see them sparring. He should have ended up happily married to a woman that at once drives him up the wall and drives him wild with desire. Also, the bachelor going into marriage so late with a very forthright and strong woman could have been a good way to foreshadow/ act as a doubling storyline for what we might imagine for Carson and Hughes post-S5 Christmas special. Clarkson has always needed to have a chance to shine a bit more- I wanted to hear more of his past: why he never married; why he settled in Downton and not Scotland; what is his history with Lord Grantham, etc etc. There must be a rich history there- I wish Fellowes had explored this key character in the lives of the Downton-ites better- instead we have a steady stream of bland aristocrats to slog through in S5 and S6 – all empty set dressings in comparison to finding out about Clarkson and his motivations/ unrequited love for Isobel. Just sayin’.

Tom has shuffled Bunting out of the scene and there is potential for him with Edith’s new editor. She is reminiscent of Sybil as a thoroughly modern woman. This would all be good enough fodder to leave the series hanging there at the end of S5.

So up until now- it has all been about the happy ever after that we know we all want. Then there is …

The Blessed Lady Mary to consider- or not! sorry- I have never been a fan of her or the Matthew –will I or won't I selfish-queen story line- who cares- she is a cow and doesn’t deserve any of the men who seem to slavishly fawn over her. Why would any of them put up with her insecurities and downright meanness? Although, surprisingly- I understand Carson’s fatherly attachment well enough and it is only through that relationship that I can accept Mary at all. Also, despite what Branson and Edith say, Talbot does not seem to suit Mary that well and never seems to challenge Mary at all- certainly not like Matthew did. Talbot is a poorly conceived and woefully inadequately drawn character- he came out of nowhere and we really learn nothing interesting about him. He is one dimensional and just-plain-boring. Mary should be alone and focus on being the lady of the manor until George gets the lot anyway- so we don’t need a S6 for her sake either.

o For the most part, Mary’s only redeeming feature seems to be her desperate need for Carson’s approval and her ability to display some kindness towards Anna and Bates, but she pushes the boundaries on that one too with the Gillingham in Liverpool plot line.

o If only the Three Mary slap downs from S6 could have been put into S5 somehow- they were all spectacular!- Yay for Tom, Edith and the Dowager (the latter being the best of them – for who can beat the queen of the withering glance and the biting take down?!). The only thing that would have made it better for me was if Carson felt the need to finally rebuke Mary because she says something totally out of line to Elsie- maybe embarrassing/ undermining her in front of other staff. THAT would have been perfection for an S5 storyline!

So – now to all that is wrong with S6

The Hospital drama dragged on for FAR too long and then it just kind of meandered into a nothingness by the end. Again, it could be argued that this is probably due to there not being enough Richobel sparring – it could have been so much better. The Bloody Banquet – all show and no go – ample chance for a major character death there! Sheesh!

o And no decent foreshadowing of future world events by exploring insights into how Neville Chamberlain became a player in the Nazi Germany camp – a wasted opportunity there- could have added some texture to future events for the Crawleys in some way or another. It all just seemed like JF was name dropping. Seriously, was Chamberlain really going to be concerned with a county hospital even in 1925? And then JF ended up doing nothing with Chamberlain on that front anyway- Cora sorted it all out- which was a good thing for her character, especially re the Dowager. It was good to see Cora finally exercising a bit of leadership and power and not just floating around looking great and embroidering or tatting). Still, where does that leave Clarkson or Isobel- bored with Merton. Blah!

Apart from historical events not being utilised to drive the plot very well, my main issue with S6 is that it has far too many plot manoeuvres that are not character driven. In fact, my two favourite characters both start behaving in completely unaccountable ways with merely a lazy piece of background history given as an excuse – I am not at all

happy with the Carson and Hughes wedding lead up and it all started in S5.

o The biggest issue is that I don’t believe that Elsie, in Season 5 would not tell Charles the truth of her financial situation from the outset of his suggestion to buy a property. I don’t believe she would lead him on like that just so she could have a little fun dreaming. It is not merely an omission of the truth about her sister- it is a lie to say she could be in on it and so it is actually very deceitful- that is not who Elsie is in my mind, and especially with regards to Carson by this stage of their friendship.

o Too much suspension of disbelief on a practical level needed as well. How could Elsie possibly have kept this Becky thing secret when the letters to and from Lytham St Anne have been handled by Mr Carson for about 24 years?

o I can live without the sister with a disability trope, quite frankly. It makes a lie of too many of the things about Elsie Hughes that have made her strong and independent. She now appears to have chosen a life in service out of need alone. It makes a lie of her ambitious nature that saw her take on the top job at Downton. It makes a lie of her previous reasons for staying on at Downton, after the Joe Burns proposal.

o Even if we go with JF on the sister Becky/ Elsie/pauper thing and accept that she has somehow managed to keep it secret from everyone. I still believe that Elsie would have told Charles when he first suggested looking at properties together, that she could not go in with it. Does it really scan that a woman of her character think that lying to the man she loves would actually speed a proposal along for her? Elsie has more integrity than that- especially when it comes to Carson as her friend. If she had fessed up sooner, Carson probably would just have proposed to her a bit sooner- which is in keeping with his character.

So, based on all these plot points and character anomalies, in my mind – the whole of DA is best served if it ends at the Chelsie proposal in the S5 Christmas Special.

Author Note:

in my fiction, I only take bits of the wedding lead up issues as a means to further explore the interior lives and motivations of our favourite DA couple- it should all make sense as you go along- if you are even able to get into my style of character exploration – but more on that later.

So, it is Back to the woes of S6 regarding our favourite characters not acting in character…

Too many weddings crammed in – none of which we needed to actually see if the truth be told.

o Edith didn’t need to marry at all.

o Mertobel was bland and mismatched (I want Richobel!)

o Mary and Talbot were as boring as bat shit.

§ Talbot did nothing to endear us and did nothing to move Mary’s character to greater depths of self-perception- I would rather have seen Denker and Sprat getting all hot and bothered in the Dowager’s pantry than to watch that lacklustre pairing. – and let’s face it, that is not

what I thought I would or should be craving at the end of DA S6- I can tell you!!

The Chelsie wedding ceremony was rushed and awful – all those years of lead up and the whole thing lacked feeling, and, worst of all- Elsie was silenced

!- it reminded me of the feisty Beatrice in Much Ado about Nothing- who has her mouth stopped by one kiss from Benedict and never utters another word in the play again. GRRRR!!!

Although I may use it as a prompt for some of the action in my Fan fiction piece, I found the plot line about Elsie being scared of sex a little bit silly- but at least it was within the realms of possibility as people really didn’t speak about intimate relations back then- so maybe it is conceivable that she would be nervous about whether she is desirable to Charles. I guess I can live with the existence of this in the Chelsie canon- unlike other events in to be explored later in this rant of mine! But still…I ask you: Elsie scared of being sexual in a marriage??- PUH-LEEASE!- she has seen it all over the years in the darkened doorways below stairs and above (30 years of changing bed sheets and all!). She is not an innocent, any more than Charles would be after his years treading the boards and going to the London season, and probably walking in on people in any given room in Downton during a big party. They are both well-worn people of the world- even if we do sometimes like to think that they are both still as pure as the driven snow! So I actually think this would have been a non-issue for them- they both know what love and marriage are all about. I mean seriously, after all of those years of repressed desire- there would be precious little holding either of them back! I really think Elsie would have tried to discuss this stuff directly with her fiancé, surely, once they had opened up a bit further to each other- they could have tastefully come to understand what the other was after in a marriage and not involved Mrs Patmore at all. Besides which, if they had just bloody well kissed each other more- it would have sorted itself out! After all, it ain’t brain surgery! Why should Elsie be so nervous anyway? Carson is hardly a stunning catch anymore if looks and age are all that this is about. Besides, Cora and Robert are still at it like rabbits- so age should not weary Chelsie either! They are both so sweet that we want them to have a good old romp after all these years of holding themselves back – I mean, as if Elsie would settle for less- she is a passionate woman who has openly expressed that she had considered going a different way once upon a time. Why wouldn’t she just bloody well seduce Charles? She leads their relationship most of the time as it is anyway? It just doesn’t scan correctly- any of it.

o So, it begs the question, is it all part of the JF’s- ‘let’s undermine Elsie’s inherent strength and ability to speak her mind’ deal??

Author note:

If the Patmore intervention is referred to at all in my ff, it will merely be a means to an end in my fiction- but only as a part of what motivates Charles to act in a certain way across their wedding day/ honeymoon.

The lead up to the wedding was ok- I guess. I can live with the argument about the venue – that seems right. It’s a Pity about that wedding dress too! Bore-o-rama! I do blame the wardrobe department on DA for that bland little number. But Seriously, if it weren’t for that stupid Becky history and pauper status- Elsie would have cut loose to get a decent dress for once in her life- she has waited 30 bloody years for this day!

Author Note

: In my ff, I have decided to play loose with the actual colour of it – going for a more definite mauve and a more regal and deeper purple coat. More detail of n the dress too- and maybe a call for suspension of disbelief in that the mauve dress can shine on the whiter/creamier/sheenier side of things in the correct light- we can dream. Also- for ease of explanation for such an extravagant dress, I have made the whole ensemble a gift provided by Lady Grantham for years of faithful service – no questions. Mrs Patmore will gift her other … unmentionables, with Anna’s help.

By far the worst thing that JF does in S6 would have to be making Elsie seem less than the strong and independent woman she has been up until now is actually really disturbing to me. A proposal seems to have cut away all her vigour in Fellowes mind- she barely even has a voice in Season 6 and rarely speaks as freely as she once did to Charles after they are married. I mean …WHAT??? GRRR! And don’t get me started on the whole cooking-gate thing!… ok… I am going to have to start! Because…

o 1/ it is out of character for Charles to ever question Mrs Hughes housekeeping prowess-

§ so even if married life is a big change and challenge for him- which we are never really shown that it is that confronting for him in the show- I do not believe he would ever

be that rude to her- he never was at work- he has always respected her as his equal.

§ Also, assuming he really does love her and is fully committed to her now, he would not go about continually finding fault in her – especially in the first blush of married life together, when your partner can do no wrong in your eyes, as a general rule.

§ And, not to mention the fact that Charles is too much of a reserved gentleman to undermine her in front of others- even if he did feel the need to approach Elsie about her cooking. He is a man who considers what he says very carefully before he even says it and would not be as uncouth and un-gentlemanly as to embarrass his wife in front of others. Let us not forget Carson’s years of training- always treading carefully and appeasing the Crawleys. He has rarely been unfeeling about her emotions in this way before, especially since the cancer scare. So, this is totally out of character for a man who finally has everything he has always wanted. I just don’t buy any of it.

o 2/ On another front- Elsie may not have cooked for herself properly in 30 years- but I don’t believe she is without a clue as JF writes it. Mainly because:

§ She has probably got some skills to draw on from her childhood- do we really ever forget how to ride a bloody bike?? Girls back then learnt to cook from an early age- especially on a farm.

§ She would have also mucked in many a time when needed over the years in the Downton kitchen- that is just what happens in hospitality- I speak from experience. Even Lady ‘bloody’ Mary can rustle up a freaking omelette! Sheesh! Elsie Hughes is not a woman who would starve if left on her own for a weekend.

§ Elsie has seen this cooking lark happening in front of her every day of her working life. There is a lot to pick up about cooking just from observing a master like Mrs Patmore at work. Seriously?? Raw lamb chops??? AS IF! Fire was mastered by humans in the stone-age. Elsie Hughes could manage it too, I am sure. Shame on you Julian Fellowes!

§ And even if we could accept that all of these out of character events did happen- Elsie would NEVER

have taken Charles’s criticisms lying down! Elsie has never feared to speak her mind with him and I am sure she would give him what for – just as she always has. It enrages me that Fellowes treats Elsie’s marriage of mutual and abiding love can somehow make her meek. JF undermines her intrinsic character when he removes all her previous power and, more importantly, her VOICE. There it is again- where is her voice??- I keep saying it, don’t I?! She barely has any worthwhile exchanges with Charles after the big event- sliding into the background just like Beatrice had to – I know I have said these last points already – but it truly does stink that much and I am sooo VERY disappointed in the storyline and redrawing of these characters in this lame way.

Final big issue with S6: lazy writing around re Charles sudden ‘palsy’- – again a finish at the end of S5- with all the cottage plans being finalised, for Chelsie would have been absolutely fine. I believe Carson could have continued to be written to actually embrace his new married life quite easily. He had wanted to the chase retirement to a cottage dream so it follows that giving up a life in service would have been an active choice not long after the wedding, rather than a physical necessity 12 months later. I just wish it could have all ended with Carson willingly hanging up his livery to devote himself to growing tomatoes and making gooey eyes at various bairns in Downton (including Banna’s ), being more involved in village community life and, of course, making Elsie very happy indeed. In other words, by developing from Carson the Butler into Charles the man. Ahh! The world could be so good for DA fans if it had all just “gone a different way!’

So, take it as given that most of Season 6 will be mostly discounted in my head ever after – except, maybe, for the Thomas story-line… maybe (the worth of the suicide attempt is still debatable). If it weren’t for the mega Lady Mary slap downs S6 would have been a complete waste of time!

And one final note about the benefits of ending DA at the end of S5:

Maggie Smith herself said that the Dowager must be about 110 years old! She should have died a natural death and devastated Kuragin once more and expanded the depth of that character. This would also mean that the end of Season 5 is not too, too saccharine with all of my dreamboat love scenarios! The Dowager dropping off the twig would have meant that all the of Downtonites left behind could have been written with great dialogue in regards to the impact of the Dowager on their lives- lots more background for the likes of Carson would have been possible (I have read some great ff on this front, like I have seen CSotA do in her Music of our Lives series). In fact, the impact of the Dowager’s death on everyone might have actually made Season 6 truly worthy of my time and concern.

So, there it is – my Treatise on all things DA S5 and S6. Thank you for indulging me with that critique, and let us finally begin!

Extra Author Note:

Do remember that my influences are music from the Jazz era (The Gershwins and Irving Berlin, and the books Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway. This big long fic will not appeal to everyone. It tries ti take the form of Woolf Mrs Dalloway in that it is an intense reviewing of the internal musings of our two favourite characters all set in a single day- so don’t expect big leaps in action to move the plot forward. In fact, I am sure many will find parts of this piece repetitious, and I know myself that much of it drops into what may be called ‘purple prose’- where my descriptiveness is over the top and flowery or even florid. For that, I apologise in advance. I can only defend myself by stating that I was trying to find a flowing and poetic quality to my words that I get when I read Virginia Woolf. I acknowledge that I am very far from attaining her level of subtlety. With VW- there is much meaning to be gleaned from reading between the lines. With me, I tend to want to write down absolutely every thought- but hey- I had lots of fun doing itJ. There is a chance you might enjoy it, so hope you give it a go.

of the ‘adult content’ variety before. Hopefully, as with our beloved Charles and Elsie, the long wait will make it seem all the sweeter. J

Disclaimer:

I do not own these characters or profit from my manipulations of their fictional lives. Thanks always go to Julian Fellowes (despite previous criticisms :P) for drawing some truly great characters in the first place. As always, my ideas ride on the shoulders of many giants.

Many thanks to any readers who may choose to join me.

Regards,

BorneToFlow J