A/N: This is an interpretation of the preview to S3:2. Spoiler warnings!
...
The Earl of Grantham had looked stern when he asked Sir Anthony for some words in private. Sir Anthony had wondered what it was all about. Had he offended the Earl in any way?
Then the Earl had told him to stay away from Edith. To give her time to consider, time to meet someone more suitable.
What could he say? It was just what he himself had told Edith, not so very long ago.
But so much had happened since then. So many wonderful things.
He had answered in the only possible way for a gentleman who had grown up during the Victorian era. That he would do as he was told. Stay away from the man's daughter.
But it felt like a terrible betrayal. To her and to himself.
...
When Edith read Sir Anthony's letter at the breakfast table a day later she was very upset.
"Papa, how could you. Was it so dreadful to see me happy for once in my life?"
And she slammed the door to his face when he started to say something about wanting what was best for her.
She had never been so angry in her whole life. Had she stayed she would probably have hit him.
...
She took the car without asking. She had to see Sir Anthony. She was angry with him as well. How could he? Didn't she mean anything at all to him? He just gave her up! No backbone whatsoever.
She was so angry she could hardly drive. She stopped at the side of the road for a couple of minutes to calm down, but it didn't help much. She uttered a long series of curses, but it didn't help.
...
She forced her way past the butler, and went into his library.
When she opened the door he got up from his chair, but she noticed at once that something was terribly wrong. All her anger disappeared at once.
He was crying. Very soft and very gently his tears were falling.
So she just went over to him and cast her arms around him. His bad arm got caught in the middle of it all, but she just needed to hold him.
"I was going to shout at you but I shan't," she said, her voice very soft and soothing.
Then she forced her left arm in under his wounded right arm in it's sling. She could feel the arm against her back, like if he was hugging her. Still better, he wrapped his good arm around her, so she was feeling totally embraced. She was holding her head against his chest.
"I can hear your heartbeat", she said, as if she had made some wonderful discovery. And she realised she had never been closer to him than now.