Lady Violet insisted that they should all go to Locksley together to collect Sir Anthony's wedding ring. Perhaps she was afraid that he wouldn't return otherwise.
Violet told Travis to prepare for the wedding, they would all be back in an hour or so.
When they arrived at Locksley, Violet told Tom to accompany Sir Anthony into the house while she and Edith stayed in the car.
"I won't run away", Sir Anthony said. "But I don't blame you for thinking I will. So please come with me, Tom."
Tom noticed that he wasn't Mr Branson to Sir Anthony any longer, as he had been the same morning. But of course, they were going to become brothers-in-law before the day was over.
The two men left the women in the car and headed for the open door where Bunter, Sir Anthony's old butler, stood waiting for them.
"I'm getting married today", Sir Anthony told Bunter. "To Lady Edith Crawley. Please see to it that the bedroom next to mine is in order. The one on the other side of the dressing room. Nothing special, just get it cleaned up and put in new sheets for my wife to sleep in. And plenty of fresh flowers. And have my own bedroom and the dressing room fixed up a little extra as well."
"Certainly, Sir."
"My wife will need a study of her own later on, but I think we had better let her choose herself which room she wants to use for that."
"Very good, Sir."
"And tell Mrs Brown to prepare a small special meal for me and my wife when we get back here in the evening. Eight o'clock will be fine, I think. Something very nice. Lobster, perhaps, if you can get it, or some other seafood, then a steak perhaps. And raspberry meringue would be a nice dessert. But those are only suggestions, I trust Mrs Brown to choose something suitable herself."
"I will tell her that, Sir. And help her order any food she will need."
Bunter was of course utterly surprised by this sudden turn of events, but he had learnt to keep a straight face. He wondered how Mrs Brown would react, though. She would probably be very happy. It was the first time since that unhappy day, that their master had taken the slightest interest in food. Most days he didn't even notice what he was putting into his mouth, no matter what she cooked. And he didn't eat much of it anyway, he was starting to get frightfully thin.
...
After giving Bunter his instructions, Anthony led Tom to the library to collect the ring.
"I have it in the safe here", he said. He removed one of the paintings from the wall and started opening the safe under it, not caring if Tom could see what combination he was using. Then he took out a small box.
"It is the wrong date on the inscription, of course, but it will have to do anyhow. We can change it later", Sir Anthony said with a sigh. "The rest of the inscription reads My darling Edith with all my love. Which is still true, of course. And I'm glad there wasn't enough room to put in my dearest darling."
"Yes, perhaps she wouldn't have liked that", Tom said, feeling very sorry for this very kind man who had loved and lost and was now about to marry the love he had lost. Without getting her love back.
"I only wish I had married her that day. It would have made things so much easier for all of us."
"Well, we all make our mistakes", Tom said. "Better late than never, I think."
Tom thought of asking Sir Anthony why he was doing this, but perhaps it was obvious. Because Sir Anthony loved Edith and both Tom and Anthony knew how badly an unmarried mother and her child would be treated in society.
"I hope you will agree to be my best man, Tom", Sir Anthony said then. Tom nodded, so Anthony handed him the small box.
"And yes, the note", Anthony said as he saw Tom's note on the library table. "You had better get rid of this", he added, while he gave it to Tom. "I don't think any one of us would want Lady Edith to see it."
"No", Tom said, putting the note into his pocket. "I will burn it as soon as I get back to Downton Abbey."
"Thank you for writing it. I think you did the right thing in coming here for me", Anthony added.
"I could see when you left that day that you really didn't want to leave her", Tom said.
Anthony looked intently at Tom for a moment.
"You were right, of course", he said then.
Tom only nodded.
"But I think we had better go back to the ladies now", Sir Anthony said with a crooked smile. "Before Lady Violet thinks I have left through the back door."
...
They all returned to Downton Church for the wedding.
As Tom was preparing to do his duties as a best man, he thought of how very glad he was about the outcome of his desperate idea the very same morning. He was going to miss Edith at the breakfast table the next morning, of course, but at least this saved them both from having to marry each other.
"Dearly beloved..." Reverend Travis began.
He hadn't got any further than that when he was interrupted by a pained echo from the past.
"I can't do this!"
...
AN: Thank you for reading! Thank you for all your kind and interesting reviews!
The story isn't quite over yet, as you can see. Please keep reading! Next chapter up on Friday, I hope.