After the wedding
A sort of before, during and after treatment of 3.3 assuming wedding DID go ahead. We have been tortured enough methinks. None of the characters are mine apart from Anthony's valet, Thomas Frazer, who I "borrowed" from my own Lynchcliffe Chronicles series for this purpose.
Chapter 1 Before.
Sir Anthony Strallan was incredibly nervous on the morning of his wedding day.
All his insecurities flooded to the surface; his doubts about his age and his injury and could he really make her happy. He knew that both Lord Grantham and the dowager countess were against this although they did agree that he was probably a more traditional choice of husband for Lady Edith; given that their families had been neighbours for centuries past.
He had thought more than once about calling it off but realised he could not bear to hurt her. He had told her that she had given him his life back and that she meant so much to him. No man who said such things with sincerity could go ahead and break a girl's heart. He did not doubt she could make him happy because she spoke up for him and when he was in the room she behaved as though the room was empty apart from them. He was clearly important to her and they did get on well; sharing their love of music and literature as well as their views on the world and society in which they lived. But was it enough, he asked himself? He loved her with a depth that he had forgotten how to feel, in fact had not dared to feel since Maud's death, and the idea of seeing Edith's face when he awoke every morning sent shivers down his spine.
He knew that she did not care about his age or injury; she was prepared to look after him and be his wife although he was not sure if she intended to be Lady Strallan in the truest physical sense. If she did not want him in that way he would understand; his arm and shoulder were badly scarred and the scarring did not look very nice he knew. She seemed deeply fond of him but did she actually love him and want to marry him or was she simply in love with the idea of being a bride? They had never spoken the l word to each other before but Anthony felt sure that, if she told him she loved him, then he would go through with it and do his level best to make her as happy as she made him.
He heard a soft female voice whispering in his ear.
"Anthony darling," Maud whispered, "Go and make Lady Edith your wife; she is a lovely girl and you have suffered too much already what with losing me and our child and then the war. I want you to move on now and be happy. I know what her family think so it is up to you to prove them spectacularly wrong. You know for a fact that you will never find happiness with anyone else while she draws breath. I give you my blessing to love again, Anthony darling. She needs you in a way you will never need her."
He was surprised to hear her voice after so long but it spoke to the deepest recesses of his heart and he knew that she was right; he could not sacrifice future happiness on a whim or because her family did not like the idea of the marriage. He had to prove them wrong.
Anthony had breakfasted in his nightclothes that morning in an attempt to try and achieve a sense of relaxation. His valet was preparing his bath; a smile spread across Anthony's handsome face as he imagined Edith's reaction to finding him in a state of undress.
"The bath is ready sir," Frazer, his valet said.
"I'm coming," Anthony said. Frazer undressed his master with his customary expertise and Anthony got into the bath. Frazer washed the parts Anthony was unable to and left his master in peace knowing he would be summoned when Anthony was ready to be dried and dressed. Frazer was a widower himself and understood Anthony's concerns about remarrying. Frazer himself had not looked at anyone since the death of his wife, Catherine, in the autumn of eighteen ninety-one.
Anthony relaxed for a time and wondered if Edith would be prepared to help him bathe.
After about half an hour he summoned Frazer who duly came and dried him and led him into his dressing room where his Morning suit hung ready. Anthony felt queasy with nerves and heartily wished he had not eaten so much breakfast.
Frazer dressed his master.
"Tha will be alright Sir," Frazer was a working class man from Whitby who spoke with a strong accent," it's just nerves; when tha gets there and sees her tha will be fine. Don't fret about her family; you are doing this for your happiness, not theirs."
"Thank you, Frazer," Anthony said.
Frazer ran the clothes brush around Anthony's collar.
"Why don't you wear the medal?" Frazer suggested, "That will prove tha is more than good enough for the Lady. You are anyway but it will give them summat to think about."
"That's an idea," Anthony smiled. Frazer took the VC out of its presentation case and pinned it to his master's Morning coat.
"Tha looks every inch the hero now, Sir," he said with admiration.
Over at Downton Abbey Edith was nearly ready to go. She looked beautiful in her white dress with the Grantham tiara on her head.
"You're nearly married, "Sybil said with admiration. Mary had gone to get a drink.
"Sybil, I would not say this in front of Mary but I'm sort of nervous about tonight. I have an idea of what to expect but nothing more than that and I don't want to disappoint him."
"I didn't have a clue either," Sybil said, "just trust your natural instincts, that's what Tom and I did and it obviously worked," Sybil rubbed her swollen belly, "Anthony won't want to hurt you and I'm sure he's nervous too so just tell him your fears and then he will tell you his and you can work on overcoming them together. It does help if you tell your man you love him just before the service starts. Forget about Papa and Granny and their old fashioned objections; this is about the two of you, not them."
"Thanks Sybil," Edith whispered, "that really helps."
Moments later she was walking down the stairs to head for the church.
Sir Anthony Strallan was already there and Frazer had been right; he felt a lot more confident wearing his VC. Anthony forced himself to shut out the noises and talking all around him and concentrate on the vows he was to make to the woman he loved but he made absolutely certain that the dowager had seen his medal and she has gasped.
"An old cripple might not be good enough for your granddaughter, Lady Grantham, but an injured war hero damn well should be," he said.
Then Travis stood and the organ began to play. Anthony swallowed hard and turned to look at his bride approaching down the nave on her father's arm.
Edith and lord Grantham came to the altar and both gasped when they caught sight of the VC on Anthony's chest.
"Congratulations," Robert whispered, "You never said you had won one of those."
"You never asked," Anthony replied.
God she looked so beautiful and at that moment he knew that they would love and take care of each other forever.
