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Chapter 8
The clock chimed Nine-forty five at king's cross station that morning as the Strallan's stood outside hand in hand and waiting for the rest of there traveling party, Anthony looked at Edith and put his good arm around Edith's waist he whispered into her ear you look ravishing sweetheart and kissed her temple and all Edith could do was give a contented sigh, he then noticed some cars arrive, Edith saw her Grandmama and Isobel in one of them and waved, she had a huge smile on her face, Anthony stepped forward to open the door and help the ladies out of the car. Mary had Sybie in her arms and Matthew was carrying baby Sybie's moses basket in his hands as they came out of the other car, Martha gave Anthony a hug and kissed him on his cheek and then stepped forward and winking at Edith, with Isobel close behind. Martha reached Edith and gave her granddaughter a huge hug and kissed her on her cheek, she also got pecks on the cheek from the rest of the traveling party.
They were all exchanging pleasantries, but Edith noticed that Sybie started to squirm in Mary's arms and was reaching out for Edith, so Edith asked "may i ?" and Mary shook her head in agreement, so Edith took Sybie from Mary's arms and Edith said to the little baby smiling at her was "Hello; do you remember me, i'm your auntie Edith and this very handsome gentleman is your uncle Anthony and if your good and very lucky like me he might even hold you for a bit." she then turned and looked at Anthony and he looked terrified, she rolled her eyes at him and says "don't look so worried, she will be sitting on the your lap and i'll be there to make sure you won't drop her, but you won't; alright ?" he looked at Edith and relised how silly he was being and let lose a sigh of relief with a hint of laughter throw it.
All of a sudden he says "Sweetheart, I have just remember i have something to do, i will be about five minutes, all of you don't wait for me, go and get settled on the train and i will be back before you know it; Oh!, Matthew i might need your help if you don't mind ?"
Matthew looked at Mary a bit puzzled but simply nodded at his new brother in law, Anthony leaned in and kisses Edith on the lips, the gentlemen walked quickly and disappeared around the corner of the station, Mary looked at Edith and said "what was all that about." all Edith did was look at her elder sister, shrugged and said "i don't know."
As all the ladies and Sybie got settled in the train compartment, Mary suddenly pipes up to get Edith's attention as she was distracted by Sybie on her lap and playing with Edith's pearl necklace (her wedding present from her grandmama) and says " i suppose, i should do my sisterly duty, since poor sybil is no longer with us, (there was a long saddened pause) she would be probably asking these question anyway (flushing slightly) how was it ?" Edith's cheeks turn slightly pink and looks at the three woman staring back at her, there was a long pause, Martha looked quit eager to find out how thing went and said "Oh for god sake Edith!, stop keeping us in suspense and just tell us how it went, after all we are all married woman and you won't shock us, we've all heard it and seen it before."
So with that encouragement from her grandmama, Edith started to talk about the night before, all she could manage was " it was fantastic, marvelous, wonderful and utterly, utterly exquisite, we enjoyed our selfs four times last night and once this morning." the more she continued the more confidant she got " he's like a wild beast and insatiable," the reactions she got from the ladies, surprised her as Isobel and Martha were smiling and enjoying what they were hearing, but what Edith couldn't get over was the expression on Mary's face, she looked shocked to hear how things were between the newly weds and with that she got a little bolder with describing her husband "he's got a bottom like jelly on springs." after she said that she put her tongue to the corner of her top lip and then bit the corner of her bottom lip to stop her from laughing, it didn't work as all the ladies in the train compartment fell about laughing, sniggering and giggling.
As the ladies laughter started to die and just ended up as little titters, Mary then had a questioning look across her face, looking at Edith's neck, but it was Martha that asked the next question, "Mary, what is it? why are you looking at your sister that why," Mary replied, " i was just wondering why Edith is wearing a neckerchief?," Edith suddenly felt her cheeks burn red and decided to take it off to show the red mark, that Anthony had left the night before, there were some gasps, but it was what Isobel said next that shocked everyone, "Matthew's father did that to me on our wedding night." All the ladies started to laugh again, Edith put her neckerchief back on and said "he left his mark on my neck but i left my marks on his shoulders, i dug my nails into his skin and drew blood." but they were all distracted by the train whistle sounding and the train started to move, just as they thought the gentlemen where being left behind, they came walking through the door of the compartment and as soon as they did the woman started to laugh again, Matthew and Anthony just looked at each other as to say (i wonder what they are all laughing at), the men just shrugged and went and sat by their wife's and pecked them on the lips. Anthony started to make faces at Sybie, to make the baby laugh and she did and everyone chuckled at her, so edith lifted her so she could kiss the little one's cheek and then put the baby on her husbands lap and she said "go to you uncle." he looked a bit stunned to begin with, but then got used to it and the baby was quite contented play with his pocket watch chain and giving him a gummy smiling.
Anthony turns to look at Edith and they nod in agreement, "Everyone, could we ask your option, on how to deal with Robert, i mean Lord Grantham and the Dowager Countess. Everyone gave there own options; but everyone was in agreement that they were all behind them one hundred percent, Martha said that "Cora would be probably working on Robert all ready and you know that Cora's always wanted you to be happy with Anthony and i don't think Robert wants to lose another daughter; the bigger problem is your Granny and how we're going to deal with her,"
"I think the best thing to do is not argue with granny and see what she has to say," Mary said,
"And remember with the best Bloom cup, she succumbed to pressure from Isobel and everyone, and she happily handed over the cup the old Mr. Moseley." Edith gave her a funny look and said
"Your comparing my marriage to flower contest?"
"No, i 'm just trying to make a point that, Granny has been known to change her mind from time to time."
A while later, Mary, Matthew, Isobel and Martha had decided to move to another compartment as the one they where in was a little cramped and agreed to meet Edith and Anthony at the restaurant carriage at one o'clock.
He chuckled at the baby and Edith saw his eyes starts to fill with tears, She kissed the tears away and whispers in his ear and asked
"what's wrong, are you thinking about Maud, darling?" he nods and blinks away the rest of the tears and smiles at her and says
"yes i was, as i was reminded of how Maud died of the same Bloody thing as your sister and it infuriates me how pigheaded and ignorant your father was about the situation, but i really was thinking more about your sister and poor Tom and how much he must be hurting and how it was all my fault,"
"I don't understand, how can my sisters death be your fault?"
"Because if i had married you, that day, that Bloody day, you wouldn't have been in New York and you could have said goodbye to her and i could have made your father listen to me and explained, telling him what happened to Maud all those years ago." He starts to look at the baby again and Edith leans over and kisses his neck and says
"It's not your fault, darling, according to Mama's letter, i might not have been able to say goodbye as she died in the middle of the night and you know what my fathers like, he wouldn't of listened to you, he wouldn't of listed to anyone, he didn't even listen to Dr Clarkson, he listed to some quack called Sir Philip Tapsell because he was fashionable and help deliver some Duke's baby, so i don't see how you could have prevented it, my darling and i've told you before, that i have forgiven you for that day and i know why you did it, you did it for me and plus that day was all my fault, as i rushed you into it, because i was so eager to keep up with my sisters, that i should have talked to you more about it, so we're on equal ground now, alright?" all Anthony could do was nod in agreement and smile at her and she decided to change the subject,
"You were saying about Tom?"
"Well as you know, i spoke to Tom at the funeral and told him he could come and talk to me any time," and Edith asked " did he?" Anthony nodded again and said " he came over twice, i think that things were getting a little tense at Downton, what with him being caught in between your Father and Matthew over the estate."
"How are things now, between them?"
"A lot better, especially now since Tom's been made estate manager,"
"Yes, Mary mentioned something about that yesterday, so what happened to Tufton,"
"Apparently Tufton to exception to Matthew's new idea's and resigned,"
"So how did Tom become estate manager?"
"Well, it was the Dowager Countess's idea."
"Granny's idea!," she looked shocked and then started to laugh,
"What's so funny?"
"Well maybe, Mary was right and we don't have to worry about what Granny and Papa think about us,"
Anthony looked at her puzzled, not quit understanding her meaning,
"Sorry Sweetheart, i'm failing to hear the penny drop,"
"Well it mean's that if they can make Tom estate manager and excepted him, then there maybe hope for us and Mary said as you know that herself, Matthew, Isobel, Mama, Tom and Grandmama are all on our side, we just have to fight like Sybil, over her and Tom and not back down, but they can't do anything anyway as we're married and a divorce, would be more of a scandal, than little old me running off and getting married to the most beautiful man i have ever met and the man of my dreams."
He gave her a crooked smile as she talked, as she was talking he was staring at her beautiful rose pink lips. Then he leaned in and kissed her and said as they broke apart
"Would you like to have children;"
"Yes, someday," and she noticed that he looked pensive and said
"What is it, are you worried incase we can't have children?" and he nodded in agreement and just stared at sybie, she put her hand up to his face and gently turned his head to look at her and said
"Well if we can't have children, we can't have children, i don't love you any less. I know! i will do a deal with you, alright? if we haven't gotten pregnant in two and a half years time we will go to a specialist about it and then we will know once and for all, BUT! we are not going to worry about it until then ALRIGHT!;"
"alright" Anthony said in a small voice.
Sybie started to rub her face, eyes and yawned as through she was tired, so Edith took Sybie from Anthony's lap and put her in her moses basket and the baby got comfortable and fell asleep. Edith turned and saw the look in Anthony's eye and she knew that look was of love, she smiles at him and leaned in and kissed him and as they sat there in the carriage kissing each other passionately, she pulls back and says,
"i hope you know that i love you and just doing this,"
"what?"
"just sitting hear in your arms and kissing you, you know i could do this all day long and i hope you know that i would do anything to make you happy, darling," and he nodded and kissed her forehead.
They just sat in each others arms, with her head on his shoulder and his head resting on the temple of her head and they both drifted off.
