I absolutely love and adore this! One person put a prompt for C/N declaration of love, and I tend to prefer both reading and writing this sort of covert/direct expression, where all parties are quite certain what they're talking about, but it's done at a slight remove. Yes, I too think that using their names and taking out the 'servant' bit would be coming up to a declaration for these two.

And I love the Strange & Norrell friendship--Norrell's tenderness for Strange's feelings when he's seen Arabella, and Strange's matter-of-fact acceptance that of course Norrell is in love with Childermass.

And the reaching for each other through the rain.

And the apologies (I've written Norrell apologising to Childermass in one of my stories as well).

I love the way the spell is described.

So melt. Very love. Much feels. Wow.