Thank you all so much for continuing to read and review. More over the top romantic fluff...
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Anthony's chauffeur drove them up to the Dales for a leisurely spin and back again. Anthony had been right and a little fresh air drove away the last of the sadness that the crème de menthe and a relaxed luncheon had not. It was still just a little cold in the open-topped car, even under the blanket Anthony had placed over both their knees more for her own comfort, and for the sensation of being under the same cover as Edith, than for his own warmth. Edith was very happy to be out in the countryside, enjoying both the sunshine and the feeling of heat from Anthony as she tucked into his side.
"I haven't asked how your arm is. How insensitive of me!" Edith suddenly exclaimed.
"No, my dear, I take it as a compliment. I can't have been suffering from it too obviously, can I? I've got a strange sensation there, which I presume to be pain which isn't properly registering because of my war wound. But it is not unpleasant, and it is healing well. Mrs Oakley washes and dresses it as well as the best nurse."
Edith went quiet, suddenly quite jealous of Mrs Oakley.
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When they returned from their jaunt, Edith suggested playing cards. Try as she might to let Anthony win, Edith won every hand, and she suspected…no, she knew that Anthony was letting her win.
"It's called reverse ambition, my sweet" murmured Anthony with an elegant, mischievous smirk. He hadn't really noticed the endearments creeping into his every utterance to Edith. "I want to know how many times and how badly I can lose to you without your being able to over take me."
"Really? Well, we'll see about that!" And Edith promptly managed to 'lose' to him three times in a row.
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Oakley came in around four o'clock with the tea, and asked whether Lady Edith would be staying to dinner. Anthony looked at her pleadingly.
"I do hope you will."
There was something about his desire that she should stay that was more than just politeness, or even friendliness. There was something he needed her there for.
"If I'm not outstaying my welcome, I would love to stay to dinner, thank you, Sir Anthony. Thank you, Mr Oakley."
"Shall I inform Downton, my lady?"
"Thank you for thinking of that, Mr Oakley. I'd be grateful if you could."
"Very good, my lady."
The big beaming smile on Anthony's face as he poured the tea for them was all the confirmation that she needed.
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"Would you thank Mrs Oakley for that delicious dinner for me, in case I don't get down this evening?" Anthony said to Oakley as he cleared the last of the dinner plates away.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Sir."
Anthony leaned to him and asked in a whisper "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, Sir" replied Oakley sotto voce.
Anthony returned his attention to Edith.
"Would you care to take an after dinner turn with me around the orchard?"
"But it's dark…"
His eyes burned at her, bluer than she'd ever seen them before.
"Trust me?" he said holding out his good hand to her. She put her hand in his.
"Always."
"Would you fetch our cloaks please, Oakley?"
Oakley bowed as he left.
"I know you have something afoot, Sir Anthony, but I can't make out what."
"Then you will have to wait and see, Lady Edith."
He led her out to the hallway where Oakley was standing holding Anthony's opera cloak and hat, and something red which Anthony took from him. As he spread it out, Edith could see it was a long ladies' cloak, hooded, made of red velvet lined with red silk with a delicate filigree pattern traced out round the edges in gold thread. It was beautiful.
"Sorry, but that isn't mine" Edith began.
"But…it is" said Anthony quietly and simply. "I bought it for you eighteen months ago as one of your wedding presents. I intended to give it to you on the honeymoon that never happened. It would please me very much if you would allow me to give it to you now."
Edith was close to tears.
"Oh Anthony…well, of course, but…oh, it's beautiful."
He draped it carefully over her shoulders and she fastened it with the chain at the front. Oakley put Anthony's cloak over his white tie and tails, handed him his top hat, then opened the front door for the couple. Anthony offered Edith his arm, and she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, almost shaking with anticipation.
Once they were outside, Edith squeezed Anthony's arm.
"We're a bit over dressed for a stroll in the garden, aren't we?"
"Merely keeping up standards. I take my position in the county very seriously." He tried to say it with deadly earnestness, but couldn't quite keep the giggle out of his voice and smile.
"And can I ask whether I am supposed to be Little Red Riding Hood?"
"Oh, blast! I hoped you wouldn't think that"
"Sorry!"
"I just thought the colour would suit you…and it does. Well, if you do have to cast yourself in that role, may I be the woodcutter?"
"You're far too well dressed for that, but yes. Anyway, you've proved yourself to be my rescuer already."
With a mixture of pride and desire catching his breath, Anthony had no words to continue the analogy. They walked a little further by the side of the house.
"What a very clear night" Edith observed. Anthony looked up to see hundreds of stars illuminating the night sky.
"My father used to take me out star-gazing. We'd lie in one of the fields away from the lights of the house and he taught me the constellations that way." He drew his gaze from the heavens down to Edith's upturned face, rapt at his words.
"I've never told anyone about that before. It's my most precious memory of my father."
They turned the corner at the back of the house to the orchard behind. Edith stopped and stared. In each tree were hung at least five jam jars each containing a night light. Down each path between the lines of trees were more candles, all giving a soft, enchanting glow.
"Come" Anthony murmured gently taking his arm from Edith's and casting it around her shoulders.
"It's…it's so magical!" she whispered.
"I had the very devil of a time trying to convince Hargreaves the gardener that I wouldn't set fire to the entire orchard and the house with it. But, as you can see, in the end I prevailed. I wanted everything today, and tonight, to be perfect. I've got so many things wrong in the past…"
He withdrew his arm, took his hat off and placed it on the ground. He then took both her hands in his good one and knelt before her.
"My dearest darling, we've been through so much, both of us; and I dare not hope that you can forgive me for all my mistakes. Nevertheless, will you marry me?"
Looking into Anthony's eyes, sparkling in the candlelight, and knowing that today had indeed been perfect, and not just because of the cloak and the candles and all the other little expressions of affection Anthony had paid her, it was all Edith could do to nod her agreement through her tears of joy.
"Yes, a thousand times; and, of course I have forgiven you, you dear idiot!"
"I promise you that this time, all will go to plan!"
"I didn't doubt it for a moment, my love" she said.
Anthony started visibly at her endearment. He got to his feet, more eagerly than was probably seemly, and placed his arm around her waist inside her cloak, a serious look on his face. The last time he had proposed to her, they had been in the middle of a very strange dinner party, surrounded by her family and her family's friends, so he had not had the chance to kiss her then. He had never had the belief that she was really his, that he had any right to kiss her afterwards.
Now, here on his own estate, gaining courage from the earth to which he was tied by blood and breeding, and from the love shining in her softly illuminated eyes, he knew that her kiss was a prize he had won. All he had to do was claim it. Very slowly, very gently he pressed his lips to hers. For both of them the kiss was full of still, quiet promise like today's warm early summer's day after years of unforgiving winter. He pressed his mouth to her again without really retreating, and she passed her hands over his chest under his tailcoat up to his bare neck. When she opened her lips to him he felt something in him break, like ice falling from his soul. He was totally lost in her, pulling her to him closer still, his body remembering what it was like to be a man making love to the woman he adored, and who adored him. She really did want him; it wasn't the kiss of a romantic young girl who didn't know what she was doing. He let go some of his restraint and passed his tongue over her lips and was surprised and aroused beyond his expectations when she responded in kind.
His kiss was not what Edith had expected. In fact, nothing today had been as she had expected. She didn't know what had given Anthony this extra confidence he'd had today, but she gave thanks for it whatever it was. He was so much more demonstrative and…well, ardent than he had ever been before. It was marvellous. He was still her wonderful, awkward, shy Anthony, but with a breathless excitement about him. And this kiss…this first kiss…was it still their first kiss, or did his little renewals count as separate caresses?…oh she had no words. She just kissed him back as she had done a thousand times in her dreams.
Anthony left her mouth and trailed his own down her neck, moving his hand from her waist down to her derrière, simultaneously pulling her to him and pressing himself closer to her.
"My darling, the world would be so wonderful if only I could make sweet love to you…"
"Then…why don't you?" she whispered huskily.
"I couldn't dishonour you like that. But, please, my sweet, let us not have a long engagement."