This is only my second fanfiction and my first Downtown one. I always thought that so much more could have been done with Edith's character so I decided to play around with it a bit. This is definitely an AU so be warned. I will upload new a new every Friday.
Chapter One
Two months, it has been two months since Edith's world turned upside down. The day after the Garden Party Edith had gone to Loxley to speak to Sir Anthony to check on him. Seeing as he all but ran from the party the day before. But upon arriving she had been informed he was out of the country for the unforeseeable future; solemnly she made her way home. Naturally, as if the day could not get any worse, the first person she saw when she got back to Downton was Mary. And naturally, Mary being Mary was her usual snide, sarcastic self, retelling Edith (with much glee) the conversation she had with Sir Anthony. How she explained to him what Edith "really" thought about him, and how Sir Anthony had believed her. As Edith listen to the retelling of the conversation she fought with her emotions, willing herself not to give Mary the satisfaction of letting her see the pain she had caused her.
Much like with everything else in her life, Edith was unsuccessful. For the tears began to fall down her face in steady streams as she apologized to Mary for everything she had ever done or said to Mary that could cause her to hate her so much she would ruin her chance with the one person she truly loved. With a roll of her eyes and an annoyed huff of air, Edith was informed that she was not forgiven, and Sir Anthony was only a taste of the hurt she could inflict on her. And cautioned her to remember that the next time she felt the need to be petty again.
It was that conversation with Mary that Edith saw her relationship with her sister for what it was. Petty, and hateful. And she was tired of it. Tired of trying to one-up Mary, tired of trying to match her at wits, and verbal warfare. She was tired of trying to expose her for who she really was and always coming off looking like the pathetic jealous little sister.
And so, it was then that Edith vowed she would do her damnedest to stop being the person that she was. Edith soon let the snide remarks go unanswered, the cruel words she left unacknowledged or she played them off. It was not an easy feat, so badly had she wanted to fight back. But as days passed the fight in her dwindled. And she began resorting back to her preteen days of being invisible. At first, she had been hurt that no one had noticed the change in her, but soon she began to relish it. Figuring it was best not to be noticed in this family. Only coming down for meals, speaking only when spoken to, and trying her damnedest not to be seen. And with what the war and everything else that was going on at Downton it wasn't hard to be forgotten. After all, she never really was a top priority for her family.
Sighing Edith wiped a tear away. She had tried hard to forget Anthony, but all attempts have been futile thus far. "Oh, Anthony how I miss you so." She spoke quietly to herself as she leaned back against the soft cushioning in her reading nook, that was in her bedroom by the window. In her lap was a book of Anthony's, it was a big book as thick as the bible filled with many hand-written notes within the margins by her love himself. He had let her borrow it two days before the Garden party. Happy for her to read it and get some insight into his world of agriculture which he enjoyed.
She lightly ran her fingers over his handwriting as she fought back her emotions. Wanting nothing more than to merely be in his presence she threw the book angerly across her room. Taking shaky breaths, she wiped her tears away with one of the hankies he had given her on one of their drives when they had gotten caught in the rain. She tried to hate him she truly did, but when she remembered their days together all attempts of anger and contempt towards the tall, tawny hair blue-eyed man was rendered useless.
Deciding it was best to get some fresh air so she could calm herself, and hopeful loose the depression that was slowly descending upon her. She gathered her coat that held the lingering scent of parchment, tea, and freshly cut pine that could only be associated with her time with Sir Anthony Strallan. She set out for some much-needed air.