Epilogue
Cora, Robert and Violet left the library in order to give Edith and Anthony some privacy. Martha was the last to leave after she hugged them both.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart Mrs Levinson," Anthony breathed, "I could never have done that without your help."
"You grossly underestimated yourself, Sir Anthony," Martha said, "you just needed a bit of help to bring all those feelings to the surface."
"Will you be my Matron of honour Grandmama?" Edith asked, "I can't think of anyone I would rather have by my side on my wedding day."
"Of course I will, Edith dear. I shall make a return trip just for the occasion. I don't think you will have any problems with Violet now, if you do write and tell me and I shall sort her out although I am sure you are both more capable of that yourself now. I am so proud of both of you. Now I think it's time you had some privacy," she left the room. Anthony drew Edith to him and smiled as he felt her tremble.
"I am so proud of you," she breathed.
"Thank you, it's about time I remembered that I'm a man, not a mouse. It's also time I remembered that I won a Victoria Cross and behaved like one worthy of it."
Edith was stunned. "A Victoria Cross, wow Anthony. I'm really impressed. Will you pin it to your morning coat on our wedding day?" she looked into his blue eyes feeling shivers run down her back.
"I certainly shall," he looked into her eyes, "Do I kiss like a hero?"
"Well I have only ever kissed one war hero but perhaps you can remind me how good it feels," she looked into his eyes, "I was having some very unladylike thoughts earlier when you kissed me."
"If I had my way I would take you home to Locksley as my bride tonight and spend the entire night making love to you." he murmured," so I think I will have to rein in my passion until then but I will kiss my fiancée now."
He kissed her passionately on the mouth and took her breath away as she melted against him, holding him tightly. When the kiss broke they were both trembling.
"Anthony," she gasped, "please tell me I will never stop feeling the way I do right now."
"Please tell me the same, Edith darling; I have honestly never felt more alive than I do right now."
"Nor have I," she whispered
Four months later
Downton was a hive of activity on the morning of Edith and Anthony's wedding.
Martha had arrived from New York two days earlier and was really looking after Edith. Anthony invited them for tea at Locksley and Edith drove, anxious to show her grandmother her driving skills.
"Tom taught me," Edith said proudly, "It's a valuable skill to have because it means I can be independent without a chauffeur needing to know my every move and it means I can take Anthony out. He really does miss being able to drive; he took me out a couple of times before the war and we had a splendid time."
"Well they may not be available here yet but in the States they are starting to make cars that are specially adapted so people who are disabled can drive." Martha said, "Maybe you could look into that for him? When I get home I will send you the article about it that was in the New York Times a few weeks back. I kept it with him in mind."
"Thank you Grandmama," Edith said, "it would mean so much to him."
"So has Violet been behaving herself with regard to the two of you?"
"She's raised the white flag and kept it aloft," Edith laughed.
"It's good to see you so happy Edith."
"I have been happier in the last four months than I have been in my entire life. Honestly when he kisses me I absolutely melt inside. I know what to expect come my wedding night but I have a feeling it will far exceed my expectations,"
"Passion is very important Edith but so is mutual respect and understanding and you already have plenty of that so I can see a long and very happy marriage ahead for both of you."
"He's my best friend as well as my fiancé, Grandmama; when I am with him no one and nothing else matters to either of us. I only found out that day but he won a Victoria Cross and he is determined to behave like someone worthy of that. He's made huge leaps in terms of confidence and I am just so proud of him."
"A Victoria Cross, isn't that a high distinction?"
"It's the highest bravery decoration a military person can be awarded; the civilian equivalent is the George Cross."
Anna had dressed Edith in her wedding dress and Cora came to put the famous Grantham tiara on her head.
"You look wonderful, Edith," she said.
"I feel wonderful but I'm so nervous,"
"That's understandable," Cora said.
Edith had sworn Martha to secrecy about Anthony's medal, she had not even seen it herself but he had promised to wear it on his morning coat.
"How do I look Grandmama? Will I do?"
"You look the perfect bride for a man of military distinction," Martha winked.
Edith walked down the stairs in her dress; Robert's jaw dropped for he had never known Edith look so beautiful or happy.
Edith rode to Downton church with her father.
"Are you ready?" he asked her.
"I've got butterflies, Papa, but yes I am more than ready to become Lady Strallan."
"Edith, I am truly sorry for the way I behaved. I am sorry for not taking the time and trouble to get to know you as an adult. Can you forgive me?"
Edith kissed him on the cheek, "Of course I can, Papa. It can't be easy letting your children go to lead their own lives; maybe I will find out one day just how hard that is,"
"I hope you and Anthony give us lots of grandchildren,"
"So do I but I can understand his anxiety because his first wife died in childbirth and the baby didn't make it either,"
"Yes I remember at the time; the poor man was distraught. I think that was what took away his confidence but you have given it back to him, Edith. I'm foolish to have thought you could not make each other happy,"
"We will, Papa, because he is everything I could ever want and he doesn't just need me, I need him too."
"I am so proud of you, Edith, and I love you; I'm ashamed I haven't said these things to you nearly often enough over the years."
"I love you too, Papa and I am proud of you for letting me go."
Robert embraced her.
"Don't be a stranger," he said
They had arrived at the church and the chauffeur let them out.
Robert took his daughter's arm. "Are you ready?"
"Yes, more than ready.".
They walked along the aisle.
Anthony stood waiting and looked heart stopping gorgeous. Edith smiled when she noticed her father's awed expression on catching sight of the Victoria Cross pinned to Anthony's morning coat.
"Hello my darling," Anthony whispered.
"Hello my personal war hero,"
"Dearly beloved," Travis said.
Their voices rang out loud and clear in the high ceilinged church as they made their vows with the greatest reverence and respect for the promises they were making and for each other.
Anthony slipped the ring onto Edith's finger.
Travis pronounced them man and wife and Lady Edith Strallan walked out of the church with her husband's good arm around her waist. She was ecstatically happy as they posed for photographs.
"Be happy," Martha said.
"We will, Mrs Levinson," Anthony smiled broadly, "because I finally have everything I could ever want." he leaned down to kiss Lady Strallan gently on the lips.
The wedding breakfast flew past and Anthony managed some semblance of dancing with his bride as Edith held his injured hand,
Finally they were on their way back to Locksley. Edith leaned against him.
"I love you, Lady Strallan," he whispered.
"I love you too, Sir Anthony Strallan," she said taking hold of his injured hand.
They came to Locksley and he lifted her over the threshold with his strong left arm.
"Welcome home Lady Strallan," he said.
They had a drink before going to their room.
He kissed her hard and she responded melting into him.
"Anthony," she whispered, "I want you so much."
She carefully removed his sling, supporting his injured arm as she did so, then she removed his collar and tie so she could nuzzle and kiss his neck. He shivered violently, "Oh Edith,"
She unbuttoned his shirt gasping as she revealed his broad muscled chest and she carefully removed it. She stood drinking him in and her eyes widened in adoration.
"You are magnificent," she gasped, "I have never seen a man without his shirt on before,"
"I should hope not, Lady Strallan," he teased.
Edith put her arms around her husband and began to lovingly caress his back and shoulders; tracing his scars. Tears came to his eyes as every caress told him she loved and accepted him as he was and wanted no more than to be his in every sense. She caressed and kissed his injured arm.
"Lady Strallan, he gasped, "You really do love every part of me don't you?"
For an answer she kissed him on the lips.
"Did I ever tell you that you are the most gorgeous man I have ever met?" she whispered, "that day when you wore that blue shirt I thought I would faint because you looked gorgeous enough to stop my heart in its tracks."
She removed the rest of his clothing and gasped when she saw his arousal.
"Lie down," she whispered.
He did so.
She slowly and sensuously removed her wedding dress letting it slide to the floor so he could take in her naked beauty; her slender body, her supple thighs and curvy hips. Tears filled his eyes as he gazed at her, adoringly. His heart was in his mouth.
"My god Lady Strallan, you are so beautiful," he gasped a tremor in his voice
"Well since you're gorgeous I would say we were evenly matched," she said.
She joined him in bed and he pulled her close to him to begin caressing her body with his hungry mouth.
"If you have no objections Lady Strallan I intend to make love to you all night," he murmured..
"No objections whatsoever,"
He moved down her body and began to caress her sex with his mouth; his tongue probing her labia and licking and sucking intentlyEdith began to tremble violently as a wave of powerful climaxes tore through her slender body.
"Oh Anthony; that's wonderful. Oh my god. I want you to love me so much that I end up screaming your name and begging you for more."
"I shall not refuse my lady's request," he said, sighing as her honey sweetness trickled into his mouth and over his tongue. . She tasted wonderful and she was his at last.
He took his sweet time pleasuring her and Edith trembled violently, enjoying his ministrations as she realised that finally she would be his in every sense.
He slipped inside her and she began to caress his back and shoulders. She had been so deliciously wet that it had not hurt at all and she was aware of his steady long strokes caressing her intimately.
Many hours later they finally collapsed in a sweat drenched tangle of limbs
"Oh Anthony," she had screamed as she exploded in a delicious climax, "oh my god,"
Moments later he gasped her name, "oh Edith," and relieved himself inside her.
She lay still in the crook of his good arm and cuddled him; their breathing was ragged and their pulses just slowing to normal rate.
"So was that worthy of a war hero?" he asked her once they got their breath back.
"It was worthy of my war hero husband," she whispered, "and that's all that matters; I have waited so long for tonight."
"So have I," he breathed, "and by god you were worth the wait."
