Author's Note: I decided to take a bit of a break from my story "Downton Abbey Season 5" to bring in a small vignette. It takes place in the same universe as the main story so there is Sir Andrew. It does have a minor spoiler on the upcoming chapters of the mother story so I understand if you do not want to read the very end.
As always, I do not own "Downton Abbey".
Easter of 1924
Lady Edith Crawley woke up with the late April sunshine. Her brand new light blue dress was hanging by the door. Today was Easter. There was an early morning service followed by an Easter egg hunt. There was also to be a luncheon at Locksley.
Edith sighed as she rang for her maid to help her get ready to face the excruciating day.
She came by the nursery to find Mary gushing about her little "prince". George was dressed in a little suit and tie. His darkening hair was slicked down. His whole features except his dark hair reminded Edith of Matthew. No wonder Mary was so proud.
Tom was thankfully less sickening about Sybbie than Mary was with George. Sybbie was pretty with a pink lacy dress and a jaunty matching bow on her dark, curly hair. The nanny and the nursery maids looked on with pride.
"So Tom, are you taking Sybbie to the Catholic Church in Ripon this morning?" Edith asked.
"Not this year, Edith," Tom sighed. "I thought we worship at St. Mary's this year. We don't want to miss the egg hunt."
"Doesn't my prince look handsome Edith?" Mary held the boy up for Edith to inspect.
Edith always cringe when Mary calls her son "Prince". It wasn't because she was jealous of Mary. Quite the contrary, she was pretty happy with her daughter. Perhaps if Jane had been a boy, it would be a different story. In all honesty, Edith believed that her daughter was in a far better place than George who was growing without a father.
No, Edith cringe because George wasn't a prince. He was Master George Crawley or if their father was still alive when he comes of age, he would only be Mr. George Crawley. Their father never made him Lord Downton.
She could only gave him a smile. She turned to go downstairs for breakfast. Rose was already down talking about the latest Paris fashions.
"You look lovely Edith," Rose commented for once thinking of others than herself.
"Thank you," Edith answered fixing her plate.
Lord Grantham entered the room with Isis with Tom and Mary following.
"George looks so handsome don't you think, Papa?" Mary was continuing her gush. "Every inch of Lord Downton."
Oh dear, this again, Edith thought. Mary's new project was to pester her father about making George Lord Downton. Most of the time it was to remind their father that his chances of having a son are no longer there.
"For the last time Mary, I never made Matthew Lord Downton, and I am not going to make George Lord Downton. George will become Earl of Grantham on my death, and that is good enough."
There was a long silence as they ate breakfast. Mary was now beginning to wish she would have stayed in bed as usual to eat hers. Tom tried to make pleasant talk about the egg hunt. It was a relief when it was time to go to church.
Lady Grantham looked beautiful in her pink dress and wide brim hat. She kissed her daughters on the cheek before they all set out for church. The nanny and nursery maids will bring the children later for the hunt.
As the Grantham party walked to the church, they were met up by the Strallan party climbing down their vehicle. It was a brand new car that reminded Edith of Matthew's car, the one he got killed in except it was red.
"Beautiful car, Sir Andrew," Robert admired it.
"Thank you, Lord Grantham," Sir Andrew said. "I thought Lady Edith might accompany me for a drive after the luncheon."
Edith couldn't say anything. She knew that Sir Andrew was interested in her, but she was careful. After Sir Anthony and Michael, she thought it was best to live a celibate life. She seemed to attract men who want her for the wrong reasons, and look what it got her.
All right, Sir Anthony was a coward who had little self-esteem, but Michael had been dangerous. Her aunt was right in admonishing her. She should have been ashamed in destroying her virtue. She knew now that she should have dragged Michael to the Lotus Club even if he was angry. He never cared for what society might make of them.
Now, she has another problem.
She thought Aunt Rosamond was foolish in saying that she should think of her future husband and children when she decided to take Jane back to England. In her mind, Edith thought there was little chance of her getting married even before Michael came into the picture. There were very few eligible men left. Edith was grateful to have a chance to become a mother even if she risk becoming a pariah.
Out of India came Sir Anthony's younger brother.
It was only after Sir Anthony Strallan's death, the neighborhood remembered Andrew Strallan. Edith quite forgotten about the handsome young man of her childhood. He was Mary's first crush, but Andrew took little notice of the three Grantham girls. There was one time that they were visiting Locksley and Edith fell down. He gently picked her up and made sure she didn't have a broken bone.
Edith thought how sweet and gentle he was with her. He gave her a piece of cake afterward. It was the last time she saw him as he left for India the next week.
"So Sir Andrew," Mary boldly said taking Edith out of her reverie. "Am I invited for this drive? I'm sure Edith needs a chaperone."
"Maybe some other time," Sir Andrew tried to be as polite as he can be, but his meaning was "never".
Edith could see that Mary was fuming over the rejection. Even Anthony asked her for a drive at one time. The church bells rang and they all went into the church.
Reverend Travis' sermon was duller than usual. Edith wondered when the old man was going to retire. She was relieved to get out into the soft, spring sunshine where she met up with the Drewes to see Jane's progress.
Jane was dressed up prettily in a new lace dress and a sweet Easter bonnet. Mrs. Drewe proudly proclaimed she made all the Easter clothes for the children. Edith held her as the congregation headed towards the edge of Downton property to start the egg hunt.
The field was green, and it was dotted by the colorful clothes the ladies and the children were wearing. Beautiful hand painted eggs done by the village women were scattered in the field and woods nearby. Tom and Mary were at hand trying to find the eggs for their own children. Andrew waved at Edith as he was helping Eleanor find a few of the eggs. Edith just gave him a smile before joining her grandmother.
Edith sat on a chair next to her granny. Violet smiled at her great-granddaughter thinking how lucky that the girl probably took after her father's side of the family thus not raising any suspicions. Edith seemed at peace with her daughter being raised by others, and to be honest Violet thought Jane was better off than her other great-grandchildren who were either motherless or fatherless. So Violet was able to enjoy the tiny girl's company as Edith.
"So I see Miss Drewe grew another tooth."
"She has all her baby teeth, granny," Edith replied smiling at her.
"Fine young lady, doesn't look like a Crawley."
"I wouldn't know," Edith sighed.
Before Violet could answer, Mary came up to her. She frowned when she saw Edith holding that farmer's daughter.
"Edith, why are you holding that child?"
"Mrs. Drewe wanted me to watch her, and I accepted." Edith smoothly said.
"I don't know why you pay attention to her," Mary's voice gave away her snobbery. "You barely pay attention to George." As if George needs to be bow down and worship as the next Earl of Grantham.
"She's sees George every day," Violet defended Edith. "She only sees the Drewe children once a week."
"She doesn't need to see them at all," Mary flounced back to her precious prince.
"Is it too late to bring Matthew back from the dead?" Violet whispered to Edith. It took every effort for Edith not to burst into laughter.
Sir Andrew came by just now.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh Mary is upset because I am not giving Prince George is proper due." Edith replied.
"Why is he a prince?" Andrew grinned.
"He is the next Earl of Grantham." Violet told him.
"My brother and I are heirs to a dukedom, and we are not called princes." Andrew sat down next to Edith. "I have a feeling this young man is going to be a pain when he gets to public school."
"You think?" Edith raised an eyebrow.
Andrew took Jane from Edith so she could rest her arm before he continued.
"Heirs tend to be the worst of the lot when I was in school. Younger sons of gentry like myself have to survive with our wits."
Edith had to smile at Andrew holding Jane. The year old girl looked rather fetching in the arms of the attractive doctor. She took to playing with the buttons on his stylish grey sports coat. Violet watched as Andrew made eyes at Edith as if he wanted the little girl to be their child instead of some orphaned child.
Mrs. Drew came back for the baby which Andrew gave back to her. Edith had trained herself not to cry when she is parted. Andrew offered his arms to both Edith and Violet to escort them to Locksley where the luncheon was being held.
The Locksley dining hall was much smaller than Downton's, but it had room for everyone. Mary was in fine form flirting with Sir Andrew and trying to finagle a ride with him and Edith. Unlike all men who come in contact with Mary, Andrew did not budge.
The younger sister could see that Mary was not liking this. Mary was so used to having men wrapped around her finger that she didn't know what to do when a man was disinterest in her. Edith was tempted in giving Mary advice on how to take a rejection from a member of the male species, but she knew not to cross an angry Mary.
After lunch, Andrew escorted Edith to his car waiting on the drive. Sitting next to Andrew, Edith recalled the first drive Anthony took her on so long ago. They talked about farming equivalent and his late wife Maude. Anthony seemed to enjoy talking about Maude's sense of humor, and Edith wondered if Andrew had any pleasant memories of his own late wife.
"What was your wife like?" She asked as they drove around the vast Locksley estate.
"She was beautiful," was all Andrew could say about her.
"Was she nice? Did she have a fine sense of humor?" Edith prodded on.
"Actually she reminded me of your sister Mary, beautiful but extremely cold. She hated India, our life there and even our children." Andrew's expression was hard. "I was coerced into marrying her for reason I am not ready to tell you."
"I'm sorry I brought it up." Edith found her old shyness creeping up. "It is just that before the war, Sir Anthony used to take me on drives like this, and we talked about his late wife."
"That is because, Maude was a sweet, elegant woman who deserves to be remembered." Andrew now stopped the car.
"I'm sorry I brought it up."
"Don't be," Andrew's hard expression turned into a smile. "I know it is difficult to start a conversation."
What he did next shocked Edith. He leaned over and gave her a small, tender kiss on the lips. He pulled back and with a grin he started the car to drive her back to Downton. Edith didn't say anything as he drove her home. She could still taste his mouth.
He was different than Michael. His kisses were lustful and hungry like he was ready to take her into bed. Andrew's was more chivalric, mystery. Something Edith wished to discover more.
It was then she realized how much she moved on from Michael. She barely thinks about him or even the night they spend the night. It was as if Edith knew that there were better men, and what a fool she was to think that Michael was the only man who fully appreciates her.
In the four months Andrew came back, Edith found herself thinking about him. How his smile lights up when she was in the room. He was so much more handsome than Michael with slightly softer features than Michael's angular ones.
Carson was waiting for them as Andrew circled the drive. He helped Edith out of the car.
"Would you like to have tea with myself and the children on Saturday?" He asked. "There's a charming tearoom in Ripon that I wanted to go back."
"Yes, Miss Betty's" Edith thought of the room. "It is lovely."
"Good, I'll pick you up at one."
Edith found herself looking back as Andrew drove home towards his own estate. She thought she saw a smile coming from Carson's stone face as he greeted her.
That was almost a year ago.
A sudden burst of sunshine woke Edith up. Edith stretched her sore body. She just had her second daughter the day before. Cora Strallan was a beautiful baby with her dark, curling hair. Andrew delivered her himself.
Today was Easter once again, and Edith knew she had to stay in bed to recover from the birth. Andrew and the older children will be the ones going to church and the egg hunt. There was no luncheon at Locksley and no drive in the country.
Edith didn't care anymore. She now has a loving husband, good hearted stepchildren, and a beautiful baby. She was very happy.
There was a soft knock on the door. Andrew came in with a white, swaddled bundle.
"It is time for this little princess' breakfast." Andrew was looking at his daughter with his hazel eyes' brighten with unconditional love.
"We weren't going to call our children 'prince' or 'princess', Andrew" Edith admonished him.
"I know, but since she has both her parents to keep her misbehaving, I think a little spoiling won't hurt her." Andrew handed the baby over to Edith.
As Edith nursed their daughter, Andrew sat beside her. He thought about that day he first kissed her. It had been the happiest day since he arrived back in England, and it led to this. They were home.