Author's Note: The day of the wedding has arrived, but will Rose become Duchess of Crowborough. Things are never going to be the same at Downton Abbey though.
Historical notes: Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, born Lady Georgiana Spencer, was a great society hostess during the eighteenth century. Despite her great beauty and sparkling wit, she had to endure a marriage in which her husband was in love with her best friend, and she had to put up with his illegitimate children living with them. She, herself, had an illegitimate child with the future Earl Grey, but she had to give her up to her lover's family. She was a distant aunt to Princess Diana and is now considered by historians to be a forerunner to the late Princess of Wales. A movie on her life called "The Duchess" starred Keira Knightley, and while it has beautiful costumes, I don't highly recommend it.
I do not own "Downton Abbey".
Update: I made some minor tweaks to this chapter. So I am reposting this.
Chapter Twenty
It was the day of the wedding.
Lady Rose MacClare woke up to torrential rain. It fitted her mood. She only saw bleakness in her future as she looked out into the wet streets. The water pounded the window as if mocking Rose of her bleak destiny. She can hear the knock on the door as the maids were bringing in her wedding clothes.
Rose could only see a blank stare as she looked into her full length mirror. Her wedding dress was magnificent and stylish. It was Ivory silk with lace overlay. The skirt was short at the front with a long back. There was layers of lace with crystals sewn on making the skirt fuller and longer than it was. Her veil was anchored by the Flintshire tiara, but it was done as a headband with white roses on either side. The veil was made of Flemish lace and fell like a waterfall down Rose's back.
She was every inch of a Duke's bride, but she felt nothing but emptiness. Her life was over before it began. The maids seem happier than she was. Rose could barely muster a smile as the veil was adjusted. She thought about all the society parties she must host, the balls to attend. Normally, the thought would have made her giddy, but knowing she was only there to be an ornament, she felt sick.
Susan came in and took charge. She dismissed the maids and did the minor adjustments herself. She had a rather unsettling smile on her face before she made her speech to her daughter. It did nothing to reassure Rose.
"My dear, see how silly it was to think that you should cancel the wedding." Susan fussed with Rose's hair. "You are going to be Her Grace the Duchess of Crowborough. You will be in one of the highest position in society. People are already talking about it, you know. They are saying you will be the next Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and a woman who can influence politicians. To think you want to give that up."
"I wanted to marry for love like the Crawley girls." Rose can barely contain her anger.
"My dear," Susan turned Rose around to look at her in the eye. "They may have married for love, but where are they now. Dear little Sybil is dead, and Mary was only married over a year before that careless husband of hers got killed in a silly wreck. Granted the Strallans may seem happy right now, but I'm sure when Sir Andrew Strallan finds out about Edith and that editor of hers, he would go straight to a solicitor's office."
Rose had a feeling that Andrew knew about Edith and Michael Gregson. How can he not? She also knew it didn't matter to the besotted man. Sir Andrew loves Edith, and in Rose's view that was the important thing.
"Our kind do not marry for love," Susan stated. "We marry for logical reasons."
"So that is why you and father are going to separate."
"We reconcile, my dear, because we know what's best," Susan's tone became harder. "Now it is time to go to the church.
It was still raining when the Grantham party arrived. Mary was stunning in her new Chanel dress though she frowned when Edith arrived wearing another Chanel. Edith also sported a new cropped hair cut. Mary for years was trying to decide whether or not to crop her hair. The new hairstyle was beginning to become more accepted as movie actresses sport it.
Edith sat next her mother with Andrew beside her. Both of them looked like they wanted to be somewhere else. Edith made small chit chat while Andrew realized that the groom hadn't arrived.
"What time does the ceremony start, Cora?" Andrew asked looking at his watch.
"Eleven," Cora replied now realizing the Duke's absence.
"Perhaps he's preening," Andrew sighed.
Meanwhile further back, John Bates was worried about another absence. Thomas Barrow was not seen coming down for breakfast. As the servants were gathered in a car to take them to the church, he did not come up. He was not in the church.
"Jimmy," Bates whispered to Jimmy Kent who was beside him. "Do you know where Thomas is?"
"No, though I know he wasn't looking forward to the wedding, and he wasn't in his room last night."
Bates raised an eyebrow. Jimmy shook his head saying he was up with Daisy listening to the wireless while making last minute changes to the food. Thomas left for the pub and didn't come back. Bates stroke his chin wondering about Thomas' behavior for the past few weeks. The man was not happy. He loses his temper more often than usual. His snakelike personality seemed to come full force as if he was scheming something. Than a couple of nights ago, he blew up on the new footman putting that personality to rest. Carson had to tell him off more than once. Even Anna knew better not to ask what's wrong with Thomas.
"Well, Barrow isn't the only one missing." Bates pointed to the front where the groom and his men were supposed to sit awaiting for the bride.
Susan Flintshire entered the church signaling that Rose was coming in very soon. The proud mother of the bride look every inch of a marchioness with her grey dress and matching hat. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the empty seats up front. She looked around to see if the Duke of Crowborough was coming in flustered in being late.
Rose and her father arrived at the church, but they were shock to find no organ music to greet their entrance. Tom Branson came up to the archbishop whispering if he has seen the bridegroom. The archbishop shook his head. Robert, Earl of Grantham nodded his head at Tom if the latter would go out to find him. Andrew was to go with him.
The two men went past the bride and her party to go into the rainy streets. They first went to Crowborough House to find it appropriately empty. They proceeded to comb all of Mayfair and Belgravia. There was no sign of the Duke.
A few hours later, Andrew got word the wedding party filed out of the church and went back to their homes with the family at Grantham House. He and Tom stopped at a pub in Westminster. Tom got them some pints, and they sat in the snug by the fire warming up before going back to the bewildered family.
"Tom, what do you know of the Duke of Crowborough?" Andrew asked his brother-in-law as they slowly drank the beer.
"He's a typical aristocrat," Tom shrugged. "Snobbish, arrogant, thinks he rules the world."
"Is that your opinion of all aristocrats?" Andrew joked thinking Tom was going back to his socialist roots.
"No," Tom smiled.
"I was actually asking if you know of a reason why a duke would jilt his bride on the wedding day."
"Why do you think your brother jilted your wife?"
"I don't know. I wasn't there to begin with," Andrew sighed. "He was always a bit foolish."
"I have to agree though he was a good man for the most part except when it came to that incident," Tom sighed. "I have a far more different theory why the duke is jilting Lady Rose."
"And what is that," Andrew can guess before Tom says it.
"I think the Duke likes other men," Tom whispered.
"How did you come away with that idea," Andrew shared Tom's opinions.
"He barely showed affection to Rose except for the fact she was some sort of prize." Tom expressed his suspicions. "He showed more interest in the male servants than to her."
"So where do you think this type of man before his wedding would go?" Andrew looked at his half full glass thinking outside of the talk.
"Bloomsbury?" Tom asked.
Before Andrew could say any more, Robert entered the pub. The two men were shocked that Robert found them in all the hundreds of pubs in West London alone, but it didn't matter as the earl's face was ashen.
"They found the Duke of Crowborough an hour ago," He said wiping his brow. "He was brutally murdered at some brothel in Soho."
The two men's stomach's turn at the news. It seemed Robert answered the fears that was back of both Andrew and Tom's mind but was not said. There was silence as the shock took over. There was going to be a scandal for sure, but there was also consequences for Andrew.
"So how did they discover the body?"
"Actually, one of the groomsman knew where the late Duke was going last night. The man wanted more fun than he had at his bachelor's dinner." Robert grumbled. "The police question the poor man, and he admitted to where the brothel was."
"It was one of those brothel's that employs rent boys, isn't it?" Tom asked which Robert nodded.
"Well, we better go home." Robert said motioning them to get up.
Andrew came home to his own house as Cora told him that Edith went home with a disappointed Eleanor. He found Edith quietly relaxing with a book and a cup of tea. She looked up to him as he gave her a kiss.
"I see Papa found you," Edith smiled.
Usually, Andrew couldn't resist smiling back but not tonight. There was a serious matter he needed to discuss with Edith. He indicated to Edith that he wanted to sit by her. He took her hand and breathed.
"You know that I am an heir to the dukedom of Crowborough." Andrew said looking at Edith's eyes.
"Yes, but I seemed to remember there was a male cousin that was an heir." Edith tried to remember a handsome young man she danced with in her season in London. "His name was Jeremy Strallan-Knightley. I thought he was the heir."
"He was killed in the war, and he wasn't the immediate heir, anyway." Andrew told her. "The baronet Strallans were descendent of the 8th Duke of Crowborough's second son Lord Charles Strallan."
"I remember Anthony telling me that. He was quite proud of his ancestor the 8th Duke."
He would be, Andrew thought.
"What I'm telling you is that I'm the last male heir to the Dukedom of Crowborough. I am now the 12th Duke of Crowborough."
Edith swallowed. She had at one time craved to be the Countess of Grantham. She was genuinely in love with Patrick, and she did foolishly chased Matthew in hopes to get the title. She looked back in shame though she never regretted her love for Patrick. It was just that she thought she would make a better mistress of Downton than Mary.
After much heartache which include giving birth to an illegitimate daughter that could make her a pariah, she found a man who truly appreciated her. He was her lover, confident, and best friend. In the short time she knew Andrew, she could discuss everything with him. She even felt brave enough to tell Jane. He loved her despite all the scandal it would cause if word got out. There was whispers, but her marriage protected her from the more vicious gossip.
Now for the first time, she understood the deep love her parents and even Matthew and Mary felt for each other. Anthony was only an escape from being a spinster, and her relationship with Michael was only for lust and for him to get a better position in society. Andrew respected her mind and opinion without Michael's fake regard. Andrew was not afraid to disagree with her, but he would see things her way.
Edith enjoyed being Lady Strallan. She always loved Locksley, and she already proved herself a capable hostess. To be Duchess of Crowborough means that her quiet existence would be over. She was expected to be a leader of society as a duchess was the highest position she can ever hope to obtain. Her children would carry the courtesy titles of Lords and Ladies.
She was frightened by the prospect of her new position. She remained calm as Andrew told her that he needed to see the solicitor tomorrow, but inside she was torn. The Duke of Crowborough's seat was in Sussex hundreds of miles from Yorkshire. She can no longer will be able to see Jane at a regular basis. She was mistress of a large, rambling estate that she had no idea how to run.
Andrew assured her that they will live in Locksley until next year, but eventually they must move to Ridgemore Hall which was the Crowborough seat near Hastings. The baronetcy was now once again a subsidy title.
How much one evening and one murder can change a life of a family.
Lady Mary Crawley was exhausted. She and her parents were up most of the night discussing the murder case. It seemed that their under butler was now a chief suspect. Robert gave very little detail, and Mary wished not to hear of it.
What Mary is not happy about was that the Duke of Crowborough's murder means that Andrew was now the Duke making Edith a duchess. She thought about Edith not having any of Mary's advantages. Now the tables are turned once again.
Mary thought she was living in a joke. The thought of Edith being a duchess normally would make Mary laugh if it weren't for the fact that she was never to be Countess of Grantham. That lucky person was probably not even born yet.
No, she better go to bed.
As she went past the stairwell, she heard a familiar giggle. She peered down to see Rose going out into the night possibly heading towards the club. Mary can only shake her head.