Lady Edith's grandmother had often told her about her very successful first season in London 1863. Edith was pretty sure that the old dear was exaggerating. It was hard to believe that Granny had ever been the ravishing young beauty she claimed she had been.

Just a few days ago Granny had told Edith another story about her first season, a story Edith had never heard before. Sir Anthony's parents had met on the very first débutante ball Lady Violet had been to, the same one where she herself had first met Patrick Crawley, her future husband and Edith's grandfather. Granny had said that the Strallans had been the big scandal of that ball, dancing together for most of the evening. They were both too old for that really, Jonathan was somewhere around fifty and Elizabeth maybe forty.

"I never saw any of them at a ball for the rest of the season", Granny said. "The next ball Elizabeth's sisters were chaperoned by Lady Louisa, their sister-in-law. Sir Jonathan and Lady Elizabeth got married soon after. I guess she was happy she had finally found someone who wasn't embarrassed to be with her. She was ridiculously tall, taller than her son, I think, at least she was quite a bit taller than her husband. Probably the tallest woman in England, ever."

"I think they had to marry as well", Lady Violet continued with a disapproving look. "Their daughter, Emilia Cheetwood, was born at least a month too early after their wedding. Imagining that, such old people not being able to control themselves!"

Edith had found this story very romantic. And it was nice to know that Anthony's parents and her own grandparents had met at the same ball. It showed that she and Anthony were ment for each other, she thought.

...

Edith herself had never been a success at a ball. She was a débutante in 1912, the same year as the Titanic had gone down with Patrick Crawley and his father on board. After that no one had really cared about the London season and Edith going to débutante balls, least of all herself. It had all been forgotten until the next year, and her family hadn't made much fuss of it that year either. Not at all like Sybil's first season the year after that.

They seemed to have expected Edith to be a failure and a disappointment, right from the beginning. And perhaps she had been that.

Until she was chosen by Sir Anthony Strallan.

...

Maybe Edith's family still thought her a failure, but at least she was going to get married tomorrow.

Edith couldn't sleep the night before her wedding. She was too full of happiness and excitement. Tomorrow her adult life was finally, finally going to begin. She was going to become a married woman, married to sweet and wonderful Anthony Strallan. She was going to start living her life with someone who loved and adored her and thought she was lovely and funny and beautiful. And who had told her that she had given him back his life.

It was so wonderful, so romantic. So perfect. She had such a beautiful wedding gown, she was sure he would like it. And she was going to wear the Grantham tiara. Anthony always noticed what she wore, it was such a blessing to be loved by a man who was so attentive of her. A man who didn't think she was part of the furniture.

And then they were going to Italy together! She couldn't think of a place she would rather go with him. The music, the paintings, the old buildings. It would be wonderful.

After that she was coming back to be the lady of the house at Locksley. And perhaps - hopefully - the mother of her and Anthony's children.

...

Lady Edith couldn't sleep. It was two o'clock in the morning the night after her wedding. It was supposed to be her wedding night, but she was still a virgin. She could do nothing but lay there in bed, eyes wide open. She was sure this wasn't what Sybil had meant when she asked which night she wouldn't be able to sleep. And this was supposed to be the happiest day, and the happiest night, of her life!

But it hadn't been as it should have been. Not at all like it should have been.

Her mind was full of conflicting emotions. Love and fear and humiliation. But not hate, at least she felt no hatred for Anthony. She knew that she could never hate him, whatever he did to her. And she knew she really had pushed him. Pushed him and pushed him again. She would never have done that if she hadn't been so sure that he loved her. But she wasn't so sure about that any longer.

She was still sure she loved him, though.

The wedding had started out well enough. He had been standing there waiting for her at the altar, taller than all other men. He had smiled at her and called her his sweet one.

She had been so happy when Travis started the ceremony. Then something absolutely incomprehensible happened.

Anthony suddenly blurted out: "I can't do this!"

Then he started to talk a lot of nonsense about it all being wrong. About him not wanting her to waste her life on him. Not wanting her to throw away her life.

It was all so incredible. Because it was exactly the opposite of what she thought she was doing. With him she was at long last getting a life. She would be able to move away from Downton where she was constantly looked down upon, and move in with him, who loved and appreciated her.

Didn't he notice how happy he made her?

So Edith grasped his hand in hers and held it tight. She didn't dare to let go of it, she was so afraid he would leave her. She tried to tell him how happy he made her, but it was difficult to find the right words.

Then she heard Reverend Travis say: "Might I suggest we all take a step back..."

...

And now she was lying here in bed. Wide awake. Still a virgin.

It was not at all what it should have been, but then again it could have been so much worse.

So she reached out her hand and stroke his sleeping face, careful not to wake him. And she placed another gentle kiss on her husband's cheek.

She was still a virgin, but she was no longer a spinster. She was a wife.

Lady Edith Strallan.

...

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