Author's Note: I want to thank AnneBronteRocks and Failed to De-Anon for your lovely reviews. Reviews are very important because it helps me decide what direction I'm going with this little epic, and how I'm doing in my writing process. It is completely optional but very much appreciated.
I do not own "Downton Abbey. That belongs to Mr. Fellowes and ITV/Carnival Films.
Chapter Ten
Lady Edith Strallan was nervous. As the train pulled into Downton station, Edith could feel her stomach fluttered as she saw Andrew's children and their governess waiting for them at the platform. As they stepped off the train, the children turned out to be as shy as their new stepmother though Edith detected a sigh of relief from Joshua.
Andrew embraced both of them before introducing them to Edith. They shared many picnics before, and last week they had tea with her along with her mother and sister. It was still the first time Edith was presented as their new mother, and Edith did not know how to react.
Edith prided herself of having maternal instinct something her sister Mary did not have naturally. She visited the nursery far more often than even Tom, and being a mother herself, she understood the importance one has to her children.
Still she was not used to ten and eight year olds. Sybbie and George were still very young while ten year old Joshua is about to start Rugby and soon Eton. Eleanor has her governess. In Edith's experience, governesses were a person of fear.
The governess in question though was a sweet face though plain woman a year or two younger than Edith. She smiled widely as Edith extend her hand for her to shake.
"You must be Miss Rogers, I'm Lady Edith Strallan." Edith said.
"Yes, we met when you and Sir Andrew took the children out for a picnic." She had a very kind voice.
Unbeknownst to Edith, Evelyn Napier stepped out of the train and was right behind her. He coughed a little to make himself known. Edith turned surprise that Evelyn would want to be introduce to the governess.
"Miss Rogers, may I introduce to you Evelyn, Viscount Branksome?" Edith introduce them.
"So you have to deal with those hooligans all day," Evelyn shook the young woman's hand.
"Do you know the children, Lord Branksome?" Miss Rogers asked.
"Yes, I spent three weeks with them in Paris last year." Evelyn told her of his relationship with the Strallan family. "I just came back to London from visiting my estate when Sir Andrew called to ask me to stand up for him at his wedding to an old friend of the family."
"So you came along with the honeymoon?"
"Well, I'm here to serve as a buffer when they tell Lady Edith's family than I must go to my estate tomorrow."
"Oh." Miss Rogers suddenly grew shy realizing she was beginning to become too familiar with an unattached lord.
"Come on, this can't wait forever." Sir Andrew put a hand on Evelyn's shoulders to tell him that it was time for them to face the music.
"I'm glad Papa married that one," Joshua whispered to his sister before they went to the car. "The other one was far too scary."
The whole household was gathered to greet the new family. Robert, Earl of Grantham stood like a proud patriarch that he was with his wife and dog by his side. Anna Bates was holding a present for the children which was one of Isis' grandchildren who was born three months before.
The car pulled up and the children clambered out while the grownups went up to Lord and Lady Granthams.
"Lord Branksome, what a nice surprise," Cora smiled at the old family friend.
Mary was not happy to see him among other things. Their last meeting didn't go very well. Evelyn tried to reason with Mary about Sir Andrew's courtship with Edith. Mary would not listen to him, and the viscount left that very evening on the last train.
"I was the best man at the wedding, and I thought I might accompany the newlyweds here to help face the music."
"You didn't need to come," Cora was obviously very happy. "We are all happy to see Edith settled, and we have some surprising news we received today."
Everybody turned curious on what news that Lady Grantham mentioned. Still there was the greetings, and Anna presented the children with the new Golden Lab puppy. The children were soon in the garden with their governess, Isis, and the new puppy while the rest went back in the house.
"We haven't had time to get your wedding present ready," Lord Grantham said as the party was now in the library. "We did have the puppy ready for the children."
"Thank you Lord Grantham, you didn't have to give the children a wedding present." Andrew replied.
"I wanted to. They are now my grandchildren so they will be treated as part of the family as much as George and Sybbie are part of the family."
"Thank you,"
Robert looked over the rest of the family as they wait for the Dowager and Isobel to arrive. Cora and Edith were discussing Rose's engagement to the Duke of Crowborough while Tom and Evelyn were talking about estate work. Mary was by herself at the window trying not to look at the happy party. Andrew thought it was now time to talk to Mary.
He left Robert, and he went up to Mary. She clearly didn't want to speak to him, but Andrew needed to air out their differences.
"Mary, I know you are a bit shock about my sudden marriage to your sister."
"That is putting it mildly, Sir Andrew." Mary caustically said.
"I know you probably not like hearing this, but I hope we can someday be friends."
"Well you are now my brother-in-law, and your estate is across the village. I suppose we can be friends when I'm sufficiently over you." Mary gave him a smile and extend a hand.
Andrew did more than that and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Mary immediately felt guilty over her immature behavior. She saw that Sir Andrew loved her sister the way Matthew loved her, and maybe that was the problem. She knew now that Matthew would never come back even in the guise of a different man. She was able to tear herself from the window and offered a humble apology and a warm congratulations to her sister.
Evelyn, Viscount Branksome found himself going to Mary's spot and looked out of the window. It seemed Isis was getting more exercise than she had for a year as the Strallan children played with her and the new puppy. His eyes fell on the pretty Miss Rogers who was throwing sticks for Isis to catch.
He looked over at Mary. He wondered why for over ten years he had been pining over her. When he first came to Downton, he brought the Turkish attaché, Kemal Pamuk who successfully seduce the Lady Mary. He tried to forget about her by courting and being engaged to a girl who he can't recall, but Mary haunted him.
He saw her during the war, but she was already engaged to Sir Richard Carlisle, the newspaper baron. She was then married to Matthew Crawley only two years after the war. While he was sorry to hear of Mr. Crawley's death over a year later, he couldn't help thinking that God provided him another chance.
He didn't plan on visiting Downton so soon after Matthew's death, but his new position brought him to Yorkshire. He thought Mary was pleased to see him, and Evelyn secretly hoped that this time he can start his courtship anew.
It was not to be. Mary was never going to be happy for a man just to worship her. She must be challenge, and Evelyn wasn't the one to challenge her. His boss Mr. Charles Blake was the man. It didn't help that Lord Gillingham was also after her.
So Evelyn left for the continent. He traveled to France and Italy with a stopover to Switzerland. There he met Lady Edith who had escape England to hide her shame of having a child out of wedlock. Evelyn entertain the thought of marrying her to restore her reputation and be closer to Mary.
Edith saw through him. She refused his proposal of marriage though she didn't entirely dissuade him for a future courtship. He went back to Paris where he met Sir Andrew and his children. By the time he came back to England for his father's funeral, Lady Mary was driving away her suitors and making a play for Sir Andrew.
Evelyn knew that he wasted years in the hope to make Lady Mary his. It was time to move on. He politely left the room to go outside to join Miss Rogers and the children.
"Is everybody waiting for me?" Lady Rose MacClare swooshed in as everybody was waiting for dinner.
She had just arrived from London and still wearing her travel clothes. She looked out of place with the evening gowns and suits the rest of the family were wearing.
"No not really Rose," Mary quipped "But I heard that you have some news."
"Oh yes," Rose gave her brightest smile. "I'm engaged to the Duke of Crowborough."
"Yes, well congratulations, Rose," Robert said rather unenthusiastically. "I hear your father and mother are coming back for the wedding."
Rose nodded. Mary thought that this was Rose's way of being the dutiful daughter by marrying rather high. Maybe since her plan to shock her mother by marrying a jazz bandleader failed, Rose would shock her mother by marrying extremely well though Mary since learn that the Duke of Crowborough was not the type of man any woman should marry.
"Yes, the wedding is set for September in London." Rose said. "It's going to be at St. Paul's Cathedral with the Archbishop of Canterbury, himself presiding."
"This is going to be even bigger than Mary's wedding," Edith whispered to Tom which he in turn hid a snort.
Carson announced for dinner, and the conversation continued. Both Mary and Edith joined forces to quip about the increasingly over the top wedding.
"Why can't you marry at St. Mary's here or that lovely church in Duneagle?" Edith asked during soup.
"Oh Edith, that is fine if you are going to marry a baronet or even a future earl," Rose pushed those suggestion aside. "But I'm marrying a duke."
"The cathedral at Ripon is perfectly adequate," Mary was not looking forward to spending London in September.
"Isn't there some nice churches in the actual town of Crowborough?" Edith gave another suggestion.
Rose put down her napkin. She was tired of her cousins' instigation on her impending marriage. As far as she was concern, they were jealous that neither of them married higher. Rose could see the male members of the family weren't much help.
Robert barely approves for some reason. Tom would get rid of dukedoms if he was in charge. Sir Andrew could barely disguise his dislike for her fiancé. Only Cora was supportive as Violet didn't say anything for once.
"Do you think we were hard on Rose?" Edith asked Mary after supper as they sat in the drawing room.
"Certainly not," Mary whispered. "I'm sure you heard the rumors about him."
"I've met one of his 'friends' when I was stepping out with Michael." Edith shook her head. "He's only marrying Rose to get an heir."
"His heir is your husband," Mary pointed out. "You don't seem to care."
"Phillip Crowborough's seat is in Sussex." Edith said thinking of Jane only a mile away. "Plus an estate in Durham, and castles in Scotland and Ireland. I don't care to be mistress to four houses."
"Five if you count Crowborough House," Mary mentioned the London house.
"I have a house in London," Edith sighed. "Then there's Locksley. I wouldn't trade them for five Capability Halls."
"At least Mama trained both of us to be good mistresses. I doubt Cousin Susan gave Rose pointers of managing five large houses."
It was then the gentlemen came back from their talk in the library. Sir Andrew whispered to his wife's ear that it was time for them to leave. Evelyn was staying with them at Locksley so he also went with them. They all said goodbyes as they drove off to start their new life.
It was a typical foggy morning when Mr. Peterson, butler to Mr. Michael Gregson came up to the flat as it was his usual routine. The well trained servant didn't like being employed by some newspaper editor, but one has to get work somewhere. Besides, Gregson paid better than the Royal Family.
Peterson prepared his master's breakfast before going into the bathroom to prepare for a bath. He went into the bedroom. He didn't notice his employer on the bed as he was getting his clothes and towels ready for the coming day.
Finally, it was time for the butler to wake Gregson up.
"Sir," Peterson shook him. "It's eight o'clock."
It was then Gregson fell over cold. Peterson felt panic overtaking him. He went over to the phone.
"Police, I think I have a possible suicide."