Hello all. No, I have not abandoned Vanilla? At least not for long. But this was dancing in my head and as it is the season, I gave it precedence. I plan to post randomly over the next few days with the last post being on Christmas Day, sometime. Let me know if you are enjoying it. It is a little bit of this and a little bit of that - not all angst or all fluff, but certainly Andith, so romantic.


Edith Crawley climbed aboard the train for Downton, leaving London for the holidays to celebrate with her family. She hoped enough time had passed since her sister's betrayal and their attempt at reconciliation that the two would manage the few days together harmoniously, if not especially friendly. She was looking forward to seeing the rest of the family. Marigold, her daughter, missed her little cousins as well. Yes, hopefully it could be a happy Christmas, despite her sister.

As it happened, Anthony Strallan was also in London and had been for some months. Tired of the city and missing his country estate, he also boarded the train for the village of Downton, having decided that very morning. He of course planned to spend his holiday at Locksley in his usual quiet manner.

Neither saw the other as they boarded a few minutes apart and in different carriages. Both settled into their seats, Anthony with a new novel he had begun the day before and Edith with a book to read to Marigold. Soon Marigold was snuggled against her mother, her head resting firmly under Edith's arm as the child feel into sleep. That left Edith to watch the passing countryside and think. In his train car, Anthony had closed his book and had let his mind wander as well. Oddly, each was thinking of the other. For Anthony it wasn't such a far stretch since he thought of Edith Crawley daily and wondered how she was and what she was doing. Edith didn't think of Anthony daily any longer; too much had happened in the last five, almost six years and her life had filled with other things about which to think. But on this day, he was in her thoughts as she too wondered where he was and how he was doing. Each was so lost in their musings they failed to notice the snowfall that began as the train rolled down the tracks.

An hour later and the train slowed to a creep and another few miles brought it to a stop. People began to stir, including Edith and in his car, Anthony. Soon wagons were brought near and the passengers were loaded into them. Something like cattle, Anthony thought. It wasn't until they were driven into the small village nearby that Edith Crawley and Anthony Strallan laid eyes on one another. Both were shocked and both were afraid to acknowledge the presence of the other.