A/N: I was in need of some cosy fluff. So, I started to write some. Hope you'll like my view of our favourite girl becoming a married woman and a real lady of society.

Lady of the House

Edith was woken by the bright daylight shining through the closed curtains. She opened her eyes and was confused for a moment. This wasn't her bedroom!? But the body lying close to hers reminded her at once. Of course, she wasn't in her bedroom, her old bedroom, because she was a married woman now, waking up in her own house, in bed next to her husband.

She felt his embrace and listened to his calm, regular breathing. It felt so good, so perfect. Edith couldn't imagine being somewhere else on the world, but here in this bed.

"Well then, my darling," Anthony's voice whispered close to her left ear, "are you finally awake?"

He kissed her neck carefully, caressingly. "Did you sleep well, my love?"

With a soft, pleased sigh Edith turned around to face him eye to eye. "Yes, I did." She smiled. Feeling him so close to her made her incredibly happy.

He kissed her ardently and she answered his kiss with the same affection. It was different being with him here in this room, their own tiny universe. Everything seemed to be simple and easy – just they both hidden between pillows and duvets.

Nobody had provided her dearly about the things that happened between wife and husband. There had been only some hidden advice by her mother and some hasty remarks by her granny. Married the second time, her husband was, of course, experienced in carrying out the matrimonial duties, but he was also skilled in turning this into pleasure.

Edith blushed, when she thought of the previous night. Anthony had been such a careful and sensitive lover. Of course, it had hurt, but he had tried to avoid any harm for her mentally as well as physically. She had been surprised about the feelings, which had evoked in her.

She asked for an additional kiss and a further one.

"It has nearly to be midday. I think we should better prepare for some breakfast, before the staff sends out a rescue party," Anthony finally said laughing.

"Do we have to?" Edith murmured still feeling a bit dozy. She looked at her husband, smiled and decided finally: "Yes, I think, we have to."

XXX

„You look very beautiful this morning, Milady," Megan said while she helped her mistress to get dressed. Sir Anthony had sent her to Downton Abbey a month prior the wedding, so that Lady Edith and her lady's maid could become familiar. On this morning she found Lady Edith very relaxed. She looked as happy as Megan never had met her before.

"Thank you, Megan," Edith answered. She was very pleased watching herself in the mirror. If this was made to a happily married woman than Edith couldn't understand, while Mary still refused to take the step.

"I'm really happy, you know," she admitted. Edith wasn't as intimate with her maid as Mary had always been with Anna, but she had to tell anyone, what she felt in this moment – and the best person to address about it in the house was Megan.

"I can see this," the other woman remarked. "And I'm happy, too." Megan smiled. The Lady Edith on this morning was very different from the young woman she had met some weeks ago. In her parent's home she had always appeared a bit pressurised and harried. The other servants had told her that had always been this way and that there was a permanent quarrel between Lady Edith and her sister Mary. It had not been explicitly vocalized, but Megan had felt at once that most of the staff was sorry for Lady Edith, but that they had more sympathised with her older sister. Despite this Megan was very attached to Lady Edith from their first moment and she liked her even more once she had met Lady Mary.

"Oh." Returning from her wandering thoughts Megan remembered a request she had been told of. "Mrs. Craig asked to talk to you about the food plans you might have for the next day and after your visit in Scotland." Mrs. Craig was the cook of the Strallan household.

Edith startled a bit. Of course, she was the lady of this house now, but… "Isn't here a housekeeper?" she asked and sighted, when Megan answered in the negative. At home her mother most often delegated these tasks to Mrs. Hughes. "Very well, I'll talk to Mrs. Craig after breakfast," she said aloud, while thinking: I'll face the dragon, if it is my task.

XXX

Edith walked down the stairs. Remembering her new position she tried not to rush. As she arrived in the hall, she hesitated. She had been in the house before attending dinners, visiting for tea, but in the twilight with all doors closed she couldn't remember, where the dining room was.

"The second door on the left," Harryson, the butler said. He passed her and opened the mentioned door. She went lightly red, but followed him into the room.

Anthony was already waiting. "There you are," he said.

"Yes, I am," Edith replied with smile and added: "Thank you, Harryson."

It was the perfect start of a day she had dreamt of. Silent, relaxed.

The windows of the dinning room exited directly to the garden. Edith caught eye of some lovely spots with multicoloured flowers. The two large French doors leading to a small terrace stood open. So gentle breeze of fresh air filled the room.

Anthony sat opposite her at the table. He studied the morning papers. His wife… Edith still faltered by calling herself as this, but that was what she had finally become and she was happy with it. His wife enjoyed observing him by doing so. She tried to read the news from the expressions of his face and finally chuckled about some of them.

"I'm sorry, my dear," Anthony said. He folded the papers up. "I'm not use to having breakfast without being on my own. I won't be so impolite in the future."

"Please don't worry," Edith replied still smiling. "It's perfect as it is right now. Don't force yourself to any conversation. I like to start a day calm as long as we start it together."

He looked at her and answered her glance. She loved his habit to lean his head slightly, when he looked at her with a smile. It was like he was observing her without believing how happy he was in these moments. Edith remembered that he had done this even before the war.

"Would you like to visit the estate with me in the afternoon?" Sir Anthony wanted his wife to get know what now was truly hers too.

"I'd love to," she replied delighted. In three days they would go on their honeymoon trip, but she had already decided to see as much of the house and the estate as possible before their journey.

A firm knocking at the door interrupted their conversation. Harryson entered the room again. "The mail, Sir Anthony," he said briefly and left the room after handing same over.

Edith watched her husband going through the letters.

"I'm afraid," he said, "I have to answer these before our walk."

"Never mind," Edith answered. "Mrs. Craig asked to talk to me. So, I'll be busy, too."

"Very well then." Anthony stood up from his chair, walked around the table and kissed his wife's forehead. "And you really don't mind, dear?" he asked carefully.

Edith shook her head. "Please go,… love." It was still exciting to use a pet name for him, because it was somehow unusual, but it simply sounded so right. "I won't be bored."

"Oh, by the way," he offered her the first letter on the pack. "This one is for you."

Surprise Edith took the note and watched her husband leaving. Then she turned her attention back to the letter. It was addressed to Lady Strallan and therefore the first time Edith received something mention her this way. She opened it carefully and found it written by her mother. It was a very loving letter.

Reading the first lines, Edith left the dining room and went to the garden. The words written down touched her very much. Lady Cora had put in writing all her feelings about her second daughter's marriage. The letter told Edith, how glad her parents were about her choice and her happiness. They wished her luck as well as the comfort of a happy marriage.

Edith nearly cried about the lines. She had never expected such fondness by both of her parents. Of course, with Sybil away in Ireland and Mary still undecided about a wedding with Matthew her mother had to be glad about a daughter married, but close to Downton, but Edith recognised the parental love between the lines, which doubled her felicity.