Part XXI:
The rest of the week passed by in a rush as Cora finished the final details for the party. Mary spend her time working with Tom on estate matters and with Edith and Gorge. Sybbie and Rose worked on the clothes. Going through all of them and finishing a lot of them by the time Saturday rolled around. Edith for the most part helped her mother and rested. She had begun to get headaches during the day time but after the first few days of telling her mother and sister and the two of them keeping her in her bed she decided to keep the rest of her headaches to herself. Violet, Isobel, and Tom were still unaware of what was going on. Although Violet suspected but felt it was her right as grandmother to be told instead of confronting Edith or even Cora.
Saturday arrived rather quickly for the residents of Downton Abbey and the sun shone bright over everything that had been set up the previous day. Mrs. Hughes was instructed to keep Edith hydrated at all times and she took her job seriously. She even instructed Mrs. Patmore to have a picture of lemonade full to the brim at all times of the day for Lady Edith. Rosamund arrived that morning and helped with the finishing details while she watched Edith very closely. She thought it odd that her niece held her head slightly at an angle and her eyes ever so squinted as though she was in pain. She asked her if she felt she should be carrying anything and after her niece assured her that her mother was only letting her lift the lightest of the boxes she backed off and simply kept a keen eye on her.
Once the party started Sybbie was allowed to wonder around the games and treat stands by herself as long as someone from the family could see her at all times. She was thrilled at the prospect and took advantage of her new found freedom. Georgie stayed in his mother's arms as Mary didn't want him getting hurt. Cora chuckled at her daughter's carefulness as she watched her carry the baby around to each of the stands and explain each one to him. Edith was walking around trying to ignore the raging ache in her head and the feelings of nausea. She didn't want to miss the party as she always enjoyed them and her mother had worked so hard on it. Tom simply wondered around with Rose keeping a keen eye on his daughter as she wove around people in an attempt to be a grownup. Rose chuckled at the little girl as she indulged herself in the fun of the day.
Just before the end of the party the Robert arrives. He stepped out of the motor and snuck up behind his lovely wife. He put his arms around her waist and grinned as she turned around with a look of shock that quickly turned to tears of joy. They shared a chaste yet loving kiss as the family rushed over to the happily reunited couple. Mary greeted her father with a kiss on the cheek as he tickled George's tummy. He was so happy to be home. He had missed his family dreadfully and hearing his grandson's giggle made him content in that he was home where he could live without the drama he had endured while in America helping Harold. He shook Tom's hand before Rose gave him a peck on the cheek. Edith was the slowest over to their group as she was feeling awful but put on a smile as she kissed her father's cheek. Her mother and sister, in the excitement of Robert's return, did not see how sick she really was.
Sybbie ran to her grandfather with sticky hands and a big grin. He quickly picked her up and hugged her. "Now how is my favorite granddaughter?" He asked her. Sybbie giggled. "Donk! Guess what?!" She asked him excited to finally tell the secret she had kept for almost a whole week. "What?" He asked amused at her enthusiasm. I bet she did something mischievous, he thought as he waited for her answer. Rose looked at Sybbie worriedly. "Auntie Eddie's having a baby!" She yelled.
Everything went silent as those who did not know processed this piece of information. Those that already knew paled. Robert looked shocked and turned to look at his youngest daughter. "Edith. Is this true?" He asked in a quiet emotionless voice. Edith bit her lip to keep the tears at bay as she nodded terrified as to what his reaction would be. "Say it." Robert said just as quiet as before. "I I'm p-pregnant papa." She said quietly as her voice cracked. Robert stood stock still as Tom took Sybbie from Robert in case he dropped her. Cora placed a hand on Robert's shoulder to try and placate him. "Pregnant? Pregnant!" Robert bellowed. "How could you be so stupid?! Whose is it? Who's is it?!" He demanded. Edith began to panic as she started to cry. "M-Michael G-gregson's." She cried. Robert stood in front of his daughter angrily. He couldn't believe it! His daughter! His red headed baby girl was having a baby. Out of wedlock! Everything he had known and was taught growing up was telling him to cast her out. But as he looked at his little girl sobbing. He couldn't do it. He couldn't cast her aside as if she was filth. But he wasn't sure if he could look at her again. At least not for a while yet. He quickly turned on his heel and mumbled that he needed to lie down as the journey home was tiring.
Edith watched him go with dread. He doesn't love me anymore, she thought. Mary and Cora held her tightly as Rose held onto George. "Give him time sweet." Cora said. "This was a huge shock to him." She said. Edith didn't say anything as the stress of her father's reaction, his actual reaction, and how she'd been feeling all day hit her all at once. She threw up all over herself and her mother and sister. They quickly rushed her inside to clean her up and put her to bed.
Sybbie looked at her father with tears in her eyes. "Did I do something bad?" She asked. Tom sighed. "No little love you didn't know any better." Sybbie nodded as she sniffled. Tom and Rose put the two kids to bed before going to bed themselves.
After the three women were cleaned up and Edith was lying in her bed Mary went to her room to go to bed hoping her father wouldn't hurt her sister. I cannot lose another sister, she thought before she fell asleep. Edith laid awake for several minutes as she calmed herself down. She was afraid this was it. She was afraid he would kick her out the next day. She thought he hated her. Those were her last thoughts before she drifted into a fitful sleep.
Part XXII:
After Cora was ready for bed she went to the dressing room and dismissed Bates as Robert had just finished getting ready for the night. She made him sit on the small bed in the room and shook her head at him. "Did you have to throw a fit out there?!" She demanded. Robert glared at her. "What was I supposed to do!?" He yelled. "I love her but for crying out loud she's having a baby! She's not even married yet! What will our friends think?! Our servants?! We'll be pariahs in our own society! In our own home! By all rights I should have her cast out and sent away to have the baby before leaving it with someone else before coming back home!" Cora stopped him in his rant. "You will do no such thing! Our daughter and third grandchild will live here! Do you understand me Robert Crawley?!" She yelled. Robert sighed. "I can't do this right now Cora. I still need to process this. Edith. My little girl with her nose in a book is having a baby. My baby is having a baby!" He yelled before sighing. "Please let me think. We can talk in the morning." He said. Cora sighed and nodded before going into her room and going to sleep.
Robert stayed up most of the night simply thinking about the situation he now found himself in. He knew he couldn't cast his own child out. He just didn't know what to do. All he really knew was that Gregson was going to pay dearly if he ever showed his face around Edith again.
(This is the tenth chapter for Breakfast Woes. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to all who have read and reviewed! It means the world to me! Oh and the questions I was asked in the reviews I can't answer right now as although I have an idea of what will happen things could change as I write it. Read and Review. Thanks! This takes place in the 4th season. I do not own Downton Abbey no matter how many stars I wish upon. It belongs to Julian Fellows.)