AN: After seeing Season 3, Episode 3, I jumped up and yelled "What." I was upset for a few days and wondered if I could finish this story. However, these two have fascinated me since Season One. I have enough stories in my head to ship these two through at least two centuries. Hopefully, all of the rest of the Anthony/Edith writers will do the same. So here is the last chapter. Two people who found each other again in spite of everything, everybody, and even themselves. They have walked through fire and have come out as one.
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Hopefully you will like my next Edith/Anthony story. Sorry, I just can't let them go.
As the room was getting light, Anthony kissed Edith and silently slipped back to his own room. Loving her as he did, he didn't want anyone to know they had spent the night together even though he knew Claudia Gervis had planned it that way. Once back he rang for the valet and started getting dressed. Today was going to change his life forever – and he smiled as he knew in a good way. He had been letting the age difference between Edith and him prey on his mind, but last night convinced him that he could love her as she should be loved. You think too much, he chided himself. You love each other. Let it be.
Edith woke to find Anthony gone. At first she panicked, but then settled back down in the warm bed and let the flood of emotions wash over her. She had made love to the man she had wanted and loved for over four years. It was the most wonderful night she had ever had and she had slept so soundly. Suddenly she jumped out of the bed, turned around and looked at the sheets. There wasn't any trace of their lovemaking on them. That is why he had put his dressing gown over the sheets; he didn't want anyone talking behind their back – didn't want any evidence that they had spent the night together.
Oh, how she loved him.
Helen came in, drew her a bath, helped her get dressed and did her hair. Looking in the mirror she knew she looked different, but hoped no one else would put things together.
She walked out into the hall to see Anthony sitting in a chair reading a paper. He got up, looked around to see if anyone was there, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her like he had done the night before.
He took her breath away.
"Good morning, darling" he said as he winked at her, took her arm and led her downstairs to the dining room where they had a light breakfast before heading home.
Before getting into the car Claudia Gervis gave him a hug and said, "We will see you later today."
Edith heard Anthony say, "Thank you, thank you for everything!"
The drive home was uneventful, although Edith clung to Anthony's left arm like a drowning man would cling to a life preserver.
He reassured her that everything would be alright. They would be married that afternoon, have a small dinner buffet at their home and prepare for their wedding trip on Tuesday. He smiled and pulled her close. "Don't worry so much darling, there is nothing your father can do. And besides if he continues to object, I will just have to tell him that you have to marry me." He joked as he kissed her soundly,
"You wouldn't, oh Anthony tell me you wouldn't say anything about last night" she said as she jerked forward and turned to face him.
"Darling, of course not. What happened last night was between us and us only. Besides your parents would never let me in Downton again if they thought for an instance that I had de-flowered you."
"De-flowered me," she laughed quietly so Carl the chauffeur wouldn't hear. "What kind of an old fashioned word is that?"
"One that old fashioned, old men like me use," he smiled as he again pulled her close.
"Don't call yourself old around me. I like mature much better."
She suddenly noticed that they had pulled into the long drive that led up to the Abbey. She gripped his hand tighter as Carl pulled to a stop and Anthony and Edith got out.
"Good morning Carson, beautiful day isn't it?" Anthony said as he and Edith breezed past, heading first for the dining room and then the drawing room.
Robert, Cora and Mary were just finishing breakfast when Anthony and Edith came through the dining room door.
"Good morning, you two," Cora said. "Did you have a nice evening at the Gervis'? Have you had breakfast?"
"Yes, we have, Anthony answered. Ate early and left early. I wanted to be sure to get Edith home in plenty of time."
"Time for what?" Mary asked. She recognized the flushed look on Edith's face only too well. It was the look of a woman in love – and one who had been loved with kissing, petting, and . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Lord Granthan," Anthony started. "Last night I asked Lady Edith to marry me and she accepted. Needless to say she has made me the happiest of men. I know that this is sudden, but she has agreed to marry me this afternoon in Strallan church. I leave on Tuesday, and I want her to come with me. We have waited far too long to be together." He finished as he looked at Mary.
Robert and Cora just looked at Anthony and then Edith. But before either of them could say anything, Edith said gently, "I know all your objections to us getting married. I have heard them for over four years. But what the two of you don't understand or won't understand is that I love Anthony. My life is nothing without him; and it never will be. If you try to stop us, I will leave with him now and be with him until we can find a magistrate. Sybil left to be with the man she loves, and I swear I will too."
Robert slowly stood and said, "Strallan, you know our objections were never about you personally. We just wanted Edith to have a full happy married life. He emphasized married. I won't stand here and lie to you about your age difference not being important. It was to us before the war and it still is. We want Edith to be happy with a family of her own. And also your . . . . . . ," he gestured towards Anthony right arm.
"Lord Grantham", Anthony said, " I was only wounded in my arm, and while I will never have full use of it, I can raise it up to my waist. Also, my fingers are beginning to work again. I don't need a nurse or anyone to look after me. I can do that myself. I can cut up my own food and do other everyday things that most people take for granted. It is only my arm that gives me difficulties. The rest of me works just fine."
"Good God man, there are women present." Robert said in a shocking voice.
Mary put her hand over her mouth stifling a laugh as she looked at her sister. One thing was now for sure about Sir Anthony Strallan. He certainly wasn't as dull as paint.
Cora slowly rose to her feet and said. "You obviously have been thinking about this for a long time. I agree, you two have waited far too long. Maybe the one thing we never noticed is that Edith, you are an old soul. I don't think a younger man would ever appeal to you. Life is too short to live it in misery. But I want to see you married in a church instead of in front of a magistrate. I don't know about your father, but I will be there this afternoon" she said as she shot Robert a withering glance.
With that she went to Edith and pulled her close. Whispering in her ear she said, "Edith, I am so sorry about what happened of Friday. Please forgive me. I love you very much."
"Oh, Ma'ma, everything is the way it is supposed to be. Of course I forgive you, I love you."
Anthony smiled and taking Edith's arm he said, "I will be back here at 3:30 to pick Edith up. Everything has been in motion for about a week with the hope that Edith would say yes. There will be a dinner buffet at the Park after the ceremony. We want as many people there who want to come."
"This is a big day for us – a very big day. The happiest in my life." He finished.
Edith walked with him to the front door. Before he had a chance to turn to her, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.
"Kiss me like this at the altar. Let's give them all something to talk about – especially Granny, if she comes." She laughed.
He stood there utterly mesmerized by this woman he loved . He would have been so lost and lonely if she hadn't come to his house that day, told him she wouldn't give up on him, and then made it possible for him to save face and spend time with her. This was one clever woman. He would have to be on his toes from now on. He had met his match.
She followed him out to the car and kissed him again.
Walking back into the Abbey, she saw Mary standing at the foot of the stairs.
"You better be careful, you lips might get chapped." She laughed.
Edith just looked at her and smiled. Obviously Mary had meant the things she had said to her the day before, and deep inside, Edith was glad.
"What are you going to wear, Mary asked.
"I don't know. I didn't think about it. I have a new ivory suit that I had made around Christmas, but it is rather severe for a wedding dress. Frankly Mary, I love him so, I would marry him in a burlap sack."
"Come with me," Mary said. "I think I have just the thing."
Going into Mary's room she opened her armoire and pulled out a beautiful dress that Edith had never seen before. It was white with a light blue underskirt. It had lovely long sleeves and a neckline that came just to the collarbone. The neckline was edged with small seed pearls, and because the dress was silk, it shimmered when the light hit it.
"Oh, Mary, this is beautiful, when did you get it?" Edith asked as she caressed the fabric.
"I got it in London the last time I was there. I got it to take on my honeymoon, but somehow I think it would make a better wedding dress."
"Really! You would give it to me to wear today?" Edith asked. "Why would you do that after everything our lives have been?"
"Edith, the war made all of us all grow up¸ even me. Matthew has made me see that at the end of the day we are sister, and all we have. When Granny, Ma'ma and Pa'pa are gone, it will only be the three of us. It has taken me a long time to realize that. Marriage can have its rough spots and frankly I would like to know that I have my sisters to talk to." Mary said matter of factly.
"So, what do you think will it do? You are smaller than me, but Anna could probably take it in and have it done by this afternoon."
"Oh yes, Mary, thank you! Thank you so very much," Edith said as she hugged her sister for the first time in many years.
"You will be back in time for my wedding, won't you? I don't know if Sybil will be coming and I would like one of my sisters to be there." Mary asked .
"Yes, I don't know exactly where we will be, but I know Anthony will bring me back – and not the day before. We will be back in plenty of time. I wouldn't do anything to spoil your day considering what you are doing for me."
Anna worked on the dress and the rest of the family, including Robert as well as the downstairs staff got ready for the big event.
When Edith finally put on the dress, it fit as if it had been made especially for her.
As Cora came in, she gave a gasp and put her hands over her mouth. Edith was standing in the light from the window and the scene was breathtaking. She shook her head, her daughter was beautiful. But she knew that love did that to people.
"Sir Anthony has just arrived, she said. He is pacing downstairs with your father. Robert told him that we would bring you to the church, but he said he was going to take you. So, I want you to put this coat on over your dress so at least he won't see that until the last minute. "
O'Brien had reworked a small white hat that Edith had worn earlier in the year. By putting some new netting on it became the perfect complement to her dress.
As she walked down the stairs and across the entry, Anthony and her father just stood there and stared.
Whatever they were expecting, they got more than they had bargained for. Robert looked at his middle daughter. She was beautiful. She didn't look like Cora or him. She looked like her paternal great grandmother, whose picture hung in the gallery upstairs. He had never noticed the resemblance before, but now as she walked toward him with her dress and red hair shimmering in the light, he suddenly remembered the grandmother he had loved so much as a little boy, Vivian. Tears sprang to his eyes.
"Thank you for coming pa'pa." she said as she took Anthony's hand and walked out to the car.
"Robert darling, what is the matter, Cora said looking at the tears in his eyes.
"I'll show you later when we get home", he said as he took her arm and walked to their car where Mary and Matthew awaited them.
The ceremony was perfect. Robert walked his daughter down the aisle of Strallan Church. It was much smaller that Grantham, but somehow appropriate for this special ceremony. Robert and Cora held their breath as Anthony placed the ring on Edith's finger, but because the fingers on his right hand worked, he had no trouble. The ring was a perfect circle of diamonds. As the ceremony finished and before he kissed his wife, Anthony leaned down to her and whispered, "I will never give up on you – and you will never give up on me" and then gently pulled her to him and kissed Edith Strallan for the first time.
After everyone left their wedding dinner, even her grandmother, Edith and Anthony walked upstairs to their bedroom. She told him that she wanted this night to be as the previous one had been, beautiful and erotic. As she waited for him in their bedroom, she thought about what he had said to her in the church. She smiled as she thought about those words, I will never give up on you, you will never give up on me. She would have to tell him later that she thought it should be their family motto.
She was standing in the middle of the room looking down at her beautiful wedding ring when she heard the door open. He looked just as he had looked the night before; tall, handsome, and finally all hers. As she walked toward him she untied her dressing gown and let it drop to the floor. Untying his dressing gown she pressed her naked body against his as she moved her arms up his chest and around his neck and said in a voice filled with love and desire,
"What took you so long?"