Finding a Cherub amongst the Gravestones
AN: This AU tale takes place just after Marigold goes missing, Mrs Drewe did not go to the agricultural show. I love Bedith and i'm so happy that it all ended happy, but my first OTP is Andith and will always be Andith.
I always thought that, as characters Brienne and Jaime from Game of Thrones would be good in Downton as some sort of relations to our lovely Baronet. So i thought, why not put them in this story. I hope you enjoy reading this tale and if you could leave a review, i'd be ever so greatful. Thank you xx
Anthony, tired and weary of his travels had decided to return home. He had traveled for five years, to try and escape the regrets and the biggest mistake of his life.
Laying flowers on Maud's grave, he had completely forgotten that the fat stock show was on today. Maud had come from Molton and Anthony had only seen fit to bury her next to her parents. Anthony missed Maud, she was his first love, his friend and his voice of reason. If she had not died and they weren't married, she would have called him a silly and stupid man for not marrying Edith, all those years ago. He had loved Maud, she would always have a special place in his heart but Edith, he loved more. Still did.
Anthony was brought out of his reverie by the sound of footsteps approaching him. He turned towards the owner of the footsteps, his niece Brienne. Anthony smiled as she approached him, she was such a sweet girl… girl? She wasn't a girl anymore, she was a grown woman, a happily married and very pregnant woman.
Brienne was tall, taller than her uncle (6'4,6'5), with pale straw coloured hair and astonishing blue azure eyes. Anthony thought that Brienne, was beautiful but to the world she would be considered ugly. She had a kind and gentle heart, a sweet nature and stubbornly honorable sole.
When Brienne had found out that her favorite uncle had returned home from his travels, she had persuaded her husband Jaime, that they should go and visit him, so she wrote to him asking if they could come and visit. Anthony had tried to discourage them, but to no avail, Brienne had been very determined on the matter and wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Uncle Anthony, sorry to interrupt" Brienne said
He smiled and replied "That's alright, my dear. I'm finished" he turned to Maud's headstone and said caressing it "Goodbye Maud" he put his hat back on, then turned back to his niece and offered his elbow to her, Brienne smiled and took his slinged elbow. They started to walk back towards the entrance of the graveyard
"Where's Jaime?" asked Anthony
"He's having a look at some of the livestock"
"I didn't think he would be interested in such thinks… What with him and his family being in the gold trade"
Brienne gave her uncle a reproachful look "Uncle Anthony, don't be like that. You know perfectly well that Jaime is trying to move out of the shadow of his family and strike out on his own"
Anthony put his hand on top of her's and gently squeezed it and said "I'm sorry, my dear. It was an ill judged joke"
"Oof!" All of a sudden Brienne stopped in her tracks and started to rub her large tummy. Anthony stopped with her and looked at her with absolute fear, written over his face. Brienne saw the look on her uncle's face and just smiled "The baby's kicking up a storm" before either of them could say anything else, they heard a noise coming from one of the nearby headstone's.
Someone was crying, 'not so usual, it is a graveyard, after all' he thought. But it wasn't just someone, it was a child. Anthony and Brienne moved towards the headstone and they both leaned over the headstone to see a little girl hugging her knees and her face buried in her knees, they just looked at each other in bewilderment, the little girl looked to be about two years old, maybe three
"Hello?" Anthony said quietly to the little girl, she visibly jumped at the sound of his voice. When she looked at him, her eyes reminded him of Edith but they were blue, she didn't speak.
She just stared at him and then looked at Brienne, Brienne smiled at her and then moved around the headstone, she then bent down "Hello, sweetheart. What are you doing here?" the little girl just stared, not answering. Anthony and Brienne just looked at each other, so Anthony also moved around the headstone as well and knelt before the child
"Are you lost? little one" he asked, giving her a lopsided smile, the little one's bottom lip started to wobble and she nodded, then fresh tears spilled down her red cheeks again
"Well, i think introductions are in order. My name is Anthony and this is Brienne and you are?" her eyes shifted from the gentleman to the lady and in a very quiet voice, almost a whisper
"Marigold"
"Marigold?, Hello Marigold, it's very nice to meet you and you have a very pretty name" Anthony held out his hand to the little cherub, but she stood up and throw her tiny arms around his neck and sobbed, Anthony put his arm around her and hugged her to him "Now then, Shhh! It's alright, Little one. Who did you come here with? Your daddy?"
He could fell her shake her head "Are you here with your mummy?" the little one nodded "Do you know your mummy's name?"
"Uncle Anthony, I doubt she knows that" he smiled at his niece
"Yes, your right. That was rather silly of me" there was a pause and he continued "Now, how about we all go and find your mummy, she must be absolutely frantic, about you" Anthony stood up and lifted the little one with him, carried her in his left arm. Brienne straightened up and joined her uncle and the child now known as Marigold
All three of them returned on their journey out of the graveyard. They were met by Brienne's husband, Jaime.
When Anthony first met Jaime, he didn't think he was good enough for his niece, what with his golden blonde hair, matinee idol good looks, emerald eyes and his constant smug smirk.
Anthony thought that Jaime was using Brienne to get to her fortune, as numerous suitors previously had tried to do before, but when Anthony had used his contacts from the war. He found out that Jaime was a Lannister and not just any Lannister, but one of the Lannister's of Castley Rock gold mines in Africa. Once Anthony got to know Jaime more, he came to realize that the man was infatuate with his niece and that they loved each other with a love that was impenetrable and Anthony was so delighted for them, he prayed that they would have a happy, healthy and long married life together
Jaime was leaning against the wall to the cemetery "Hello, you's two. I thought that the both of you had gotten lost" he noticed Marigold and said "And i see you've found a cherub amongst the gravestones"
Brienne and Anthony both laughed, but Marigold borrowed her head further into Anthony's neck "She's lost, so we've said that we'll help her, find her mummy" Marigold turned her head slightly, so she could look at the other man
"Oh! Lost our we?, Toots" Jaime smiles at her and then tickled her cheek, she gave him a coy smile and then she buried her face back into the crook of Anthony's neck
"Aww… Someone's shy" said Jaime, in a kind but teasing tone, he winked at his wife, who just tittered and rolled her eyes
"Do you want me to take her? Anthony"
"No, i think she's fine were she is" Jaime nodded and then turned to his wife and offered his arm to her, she smiled and slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, when she took his arm, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek and rubbed her stomach and asked "How's our little one?"
"Fine. Just kicking up a storm" she paused to put her other hand over her husbands and they both rubbed their unborn child. She then turned to Anthony and says "Well, enough about me, i think that we should return this little one to her mother"
They all headed towards the main street of the village, they approached the fat stock show, it was busy and noisy, what with all the people milling about and all the noises the animals were making. Marigold still had her head tucked into Anthony's shoulder 'No wonder the little one was hiding in the cemetery
"Hay Toots. Can you see your mummy?" Jaime said tugging on the hem of Marigold coat, she lifted tiny head from Anthony's shoulder, she scanned the crowd and then pointed her little finger and said in a tiny voice "There. Mummy. Nana. Donk!"
When Anthony followed her finger in the direction of the group and saw the individuals, but when he laid eyes on Edith, his heart stopped beating and then dropped to his stomach, it was Edith. His Edith… No, she wasn't his Edith, never could be
Before Anthony's mind could clear. She shouted at top of her tiny lungs "Mummy!" the group turned at the sound