I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update this story. I hope it was worth the wait.

Preparing

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Within a week, Edith was getting up and walking around. Within a fortnight, she was pretty well recovered with the occasional moment of fatigue. All the while, Cora and Rosamund were caught between the excitement of arranging Edith's wedding in Switzerland, and trying not to 'make too much fuss', which had been Edith's one condition when she said they could organise it.

The hotel manager, happy as a songbird and equally relieved that an English Lady had not died in his hotel, found a good dressmaker who was willing to send a seamstress to the hotel for the measurements and fittings. Anthony insisted that all expenses should be his, since Robert had paid for the previous ill-fated wedding.

"That's easy for him to say" Robert commented to Cora, "This wedding won't be a quarter as expensive!"

"He's making an effort, darling, and doing what he can."

The wedding was arranged to take place at the Anglican Episcopal Church in Appenzell. Afterwards they would all travel back to England together.

After dinner the night before the ceremony, Robert took Anthony to the gentlemen's lounge.

"How are you feeling, old chap?"

"Better than at this point last time, thank you, Robert." Anthony didn't mention that it had been Robert's disapproval for Anthony's union with his daughter that had contributed so very much to its failure.

"Good, good! I don't want to have to chase after you tomorrow!" Robert laughed as he lit his cigar.

Anthony knew that Robert meant it partly as a joke, and partly as a serious threat, but he didn't respond: he wasn't sure how to do so politely given the fury that was seething in his gut at that moment. Instead he sipped his brandy and stayed quiet.

"I wanted to have a chance to speak to you…away from the ladies." Robert was suddenly very serious, his patrician eyes boring into a now rather nervous Anthony.

"I just wanted to say that I think it is very decent and honourable of you to get Edith out of this fix. I think it is terribly appropriate that it should be you who does it. It has a satisfying symmetry to it, don't you think?"

"I don't know about that, Robert, but I am very glad to be of service to Edith. I hope it will make up in some small measure for my past mistakes."

"Exactly! That's my meaning exactly. People won't ask so many questions. They'll talk; people always talk! But they will just think it's an intriguing love story that you two found each other again. Which reminds me: Murray sent me a telegram today. He's sorted out the business with Gregson's affidavit. The few newspapers that had picked up the story have been threatened with court action should they ever put it to print. So that should all be fine. We can all go home and forget it ever happened." Robert pulled on his cigar with pleasure. All was well again.

It was then that Anthony really saw through Lord Grantham.

"Do you really think that Edith can 'go home and forget it ever happened'?"

"Well, it depends on what you decide to do with the child, I suppose. If it's a boy there will, of course, be no question about us insisting you acknowledge it. I'm not that unreasonable! Will you put it up for adoption or…"

"Excuse me, Robert, I never was one for smoking rooms. I think I'll join the ladies while you enjoy your cigar." Anthony left before Robert could say anything further.

If that was how Robert had treated Edith all through her life, then Anthony could understand how she had felt as though she was invisible. It was an appallingly thoughtless thing to say; and totally self-centred.

Anthony knew that Robert was not as selfish as all that, but he did have a habit of having shallow first thoughts, and not considering others' feelings until later…sometimes until it was too late. But from tomorrow, Anthony would be responsible for Edith and he vowed to himself that she would never feel ignored or discounted ever again. He entered the main sitting room and saw the three ladies in the corner, Rosamund and Cora chatting over Edith's head.

He looked at Edith, sat between her mother and her aunt, looking small, lost, and fragile, and his heart lurched with love and a desire to protect the woman he had almost married, and had almost lost. Tomorrow would make her his, and he hers, and he knew that nothing could induce him to give that up ever again.

Edith reached for her coffee cup and saw him approach them. Her face lit up, and his heart sang. If he could make such a difference to her, then tomorrow would be putting a great tragedy to rights; it would not be another mistake.

"You two had better say a quick 'goodnight'. We don't want to attract bad luck with the bridge and groom seeing each other before the ceremony on the wedding day!" said Rosamund, with a cheeky smirk.

"I think we've had enough bad luck already" muttered Edith as she stood.

"I was really only coming over to wish you all pleasant dreams and to say that I will see you at the church tomorrow at eleven o'clock!"

"I won't be late" whispered Edith looking at him shyly.

"Neither will I" Anthony stated firmly, before kissing her hand with formal politeness. "Good night, my dear."

Once he had gone and Edith was taking her seat again, Cora and Rosamund exchanged glances.

"Have you two talked about the child yet?" Cora began. She had told Robert to talk to Anthony about this, but didn't trust her husband to have managed his task.

"Mama!"

"Tomorrow is her wedding day, Cora. Can't the girl have any peace?"

"Well, you will have to decide about it sooner or later, and preferably sooner. Is Anthony happy to raise the child at Locksley?"

"I…I don't know yet, Mama."

"Well, it has no bearing on tomorrow, which must go ahead regardless!" affirmed Rosamund. But the discussion made Edith feel that, this time, she was the one taking advantage of Anthony…that he didn't deserve what she was about to inflict on him.

.

He had stood at the altar of the unfamiliar church for several minutes since the priest had nodded to him indicating that Edith had arrived, but she still had not appeared by his side. He didn't want to break convention and look around. Instead he watched the priest's face as he watched her walking up towards them. What was taking so long?! Was Robert interfering again? After an age, Edith, dressed in cream with purple embroidery and draped with a long veil took her place. He smiled down at her, relieved. The priest began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered…"

"I don't want to do this!"

Her voice was steady and controlled and unbelievably loud in the almost empty church.

"Good girl!" congratulated Robert.

"Well done, my dear" Rosamund echoed.

"You are worth a hundred crippled, old men like him, my darling" Cora confided in a not-so-quiet voice, then turned to look accusingly at him. They all were, even the priest.

"What made you think you could ever deserve me?" she said, contempt in her beautiful eyes.

His voice would not obey him; he couldn't breathe. He had to get out. He began to stride down the aisle, just as he had years ago.

"Traitor!" she shouted after him.

.

Anthony woke to Stewart shaking him.

"Sir! Sir!"

"Edith!" he cried, finally able to speak.

"Yes, that's what I said. Lady Edith would like to have a word with you. She says it's urgent."

Anthony looked blankly at his man until what he had said registered.

"Yes, yes, of course!"

Stewart already held Anthony's dressing-gown for him.

"It's after midnight, Sir."

"Thank you, Stewart."

"I don't know if you want to observe convention, but you shouldn't see her until the church, Sir."

"Oh, yes, of course. Where is she?"

"In the sitting room, Sir."

"Tell her to turn around and I will too."

Anthony heard Stewart's professional, low voice and Edith's agreement.

"She's ready, Sir Anthony."

"Thank you, Stewart. I'll call you if I need you."

"Very good, Sir."

Stewart's footsteps padded back into his own bedroom, and Anthony walked into the sitting room with his eyes closed and turned to face his bedroom door before opening them.

"Edith, my dear? What's wrong?"

"I…I'm so sorry to…to get you up at this time of night. Now I'm here I feel very foolish." He could hear the tears being held back.

"Don't worry about getting me up, my dear. If something's worrying you, I'm glad you felt able to come and rouse me. Tell me what's wrong."

As if I didn't know. You don't want to marry me. And you would be right to feel like that. God help me!

"I need to know, Anthony. Do you have any misgivings at all…about tomorrow…I mean, today?"

He drew in a long breath. Should he tell her? Marriages were built on honesty, weren't they?

"When Stewart came to wake me, he broke a dream I've been having more and more these last few weeks. We are in the church and you…you stop the ceremony, just as I did at Downton, and everyone congratulates you and agrees with you that you are throwing yourself away on me. That is, was, and always will be my only misgiving. And if it is yours too, then perhaps…"

"No!" His rising panic was shocked into stillness by her vehemence. "No; I…I'm not throwing myself away on you. I did that with Michael. You are rescuing me, me and my...my bastard." The tears were overwhelming her now.

"But I don't see your actions that way at all. We've talked this through, Edith, and I don't…I don't regard you as damaged or spoiled in any way. You are just as perfect now as you were when I first knew you. And your child was conceived in love. It isn't your fault Michael couldn't marry you; it isn't his fault. It certainly isn't the child's fault. I offered you a way to live up to society's expectations rather than having to fight your way against them for the rest of your life. That is all."

"In other words, you are paying for my mistakes. I think it is unfair that you should have to. I'm not sure I can accept such sacrifice."

This needed all the care that he could muster in his panicked state.

"Edith" he whispered taking a step backwards towards her, "Edith. If you really do not wish marry me tomorrow…today…I will respect your choice, but I…I will feel as though I have failed you again…and…and I don't know if I could survive that. That's the honest truth."

She heard the sob he tried to hide.

"Really?" Her small voice seemed very close. "You really want to…?"

"Yes! With all my heart. I want to give you all that I took away from you before…and give you more to make up for the hurt and humiliation I have dealt you. Please! Please, let me do this. I want to spend my life putting right the mistakes I have made and the pain I have put us both through. Please."

Something inside her settled back into its proper place, and she was sure again that Anthony wanted it as much as she.

"Thank you, Anthony. I don't know how I will thank you."

Then something happened she had not expected. She felt Anthony's good arm wrap around her shoulders, with a little awkwardness that she attributed to his keeping his eyes closed. She nestled against him allowing him to hug her more comfortably.

"You have thanked me already for agreeing to this marriage. I promise that it will be as much or as little as you want, I don't want to chain you to me. You will have everything you want or need, everything that I can provide for you, just to thank you for letting me do this, letting me look after you. It's an honour I can never deserve."

"You do deserve it, Anthony. You are the most wonderful man I ever met." She hugged closer still.

"Even more than Michael? No! You don't need to answer that! It was unfair of me to…"

"Yes."

He wasn't sure he heard her correctly.

"Sorry?"

"Yes, you are more wonderful than Michael. Poor Michael suffered, but at the foundation of his sufferings was selfishness. I can't think of a single action of yours that was done for your own satisfaction alone, Anthony. There are many reasons I am going to marry you today, and that is certainly one of them."

He gave a sigh, and rested his head on hers. Finally, he thought he could trust his voice.

"Thank you, Edith. I will not fail you."

They stood there quietly, eyes shut, arms holding each other for a little while more, before they became self-conscious. Anthony cleared his throat.

"Well, we'd best be trying to get some sleep, then. It's going to be a big day!"

He called for Stewart who took Lady Edith's hand and led her safely to the door where she opened her eyes and called out 'good night' to them both.

Stewart walked to where Anthony had been standing, eyes still closed.

"She's gone, Sir." He touched Anthony's shoulder, only to cause him to double up and release the sobs he'd held back.