A Teacher or a Leader? Chapter 21: Epilogue, a prime of miss jean brodie fanfic

Epilogue

Edward returned from Canberra a month later. Teddy and Edward's relationship never was the same as it was before Teddy left. Teddy resented his son's close relationship with Edward, and especially resented Jean and Edward's close relationship, though he tried not to show it. Teddy was never able to forge a close relationship with his son, as Edward had become his father figure, and because Duncan was never really relaxed around Teddy.

It took Teddy a long time to come to terms with the fact that his wife had slept with his cousin, though he tried not to show his wife his discomfort. He never really accepted it, though. Jean tried very hard to make him forget, but it took many weeks for their relationship to get back on track, and it took months to return to normal.

Teddy, however, continued to sleep with other women. He thought that Jean did not know, but she was quite aware of his affairs. After a year of his constant affairs, Jean sat down with Teddy.

"Teddy, we can't go on like this," she said. "I know that you are sleeping with other women, and I can't live like this."

"Go back to Edward, then," he spat.

"Teddy, I love you," she said. "And I don't want you cheating on me anymore. Please, darling, try to see it from my point of view – by cheating on me, you are saying that I cannot satisfy your needs. I need you, Teddy – I need you so much. I need your love, your affection... I need you. If you cheat on me again, Teddy, I will go back to Edward."

"Jean..." he said, reaching out to caress her cheek. She pulled back. "Jean, I am sorry."

"Don't apologise, Teddy; just don't do it again."

But he did do it again, six months later.

"I'm not going to let you do this to our family anymore, Teddy! You're not a good role model for Duncan, you're abandoning us, and you're not behaving like a husband and father! Teddy, I can't take this anymore, especially with the baby coming..." she stopped, clapping her hands over her mouth.

"A baby?" he asked, his eyes full of joy. "Oh, Jean, a baby?"

"Yes," she replied. "I'm due in November."

"Oh, Jean, darling!" he shouted, picking her up and spinning her around. "Oh, my darling, darling wife!"

"Teddy," she said when he put her down. "I want you to stay faithful to me – for my sake, for our family's sake."

"Of course, darling," he said, kissing her. "I love you."

Jean gave birth to their second son, William Alistair, on the eleventh of November, 1941. Duncan was four years old, nearly five, and he was very excited about his new brother's arrival. Teddy had been so supportive during her pregnancy – though he still could not accept the fact that Jean had slept with Edward, he was finally able to move past it.

After finally accepting the fact that she had slept with Edward, he stopped cheating on Jean. They were able to rebuild their marriage, start where they had left off. Finally, they were able to live in peace.

Jean, while she was very glad that Teddy had returned, longed for Edward. She was torn between the two men – her husband, who had abandoned her and their son for nearly three years, who had slept his way across Europe, who had loved her, but obviously not enough to stay with her; and his cousin, who had stayed with her when her husband had left her, who had taken care of her, who had helped her to raise her son, and who had loved her, even though she could not give him her whole heart. How could she choose between the two – the man she was in love with, who had abandoned her; and the man who was in love with her, who took care of her?

A year and three months after his return, Jean discovered that she was pregnant for the second time. She was very upset, especially as Teddy had not remained faithful to her. Six months after they had their first big row about his affairs, she found out that he had cheated on her again. They had another major row.

"A baby?" he asked, his eyes full of happiness. "Oh, Jean, a baby?"

"Yes," she replied. In for a penny, in for a pound, after all. "I'm due in November."

"Oh, Jean, darling!" he shouted, picking her up and spinning her around. "Oh, my darling, darling wife!"

"Teddy," she said when he put her down. She wanted to make her point clear. "I want you to stay faithful to me – for my sake, for our family's sake."

"Of course, darling," he said, kissing her. "I love you."

Teddy had been so supportive during her pregnancy, so kind, so loving, just as he had been at the beginning of their marriage. They were finally truly able to start again. And while Teddy had stopped cheating on her, he still flirted with nearly every woman he met. Jean could accept his flirting, though she did not like it – at least he was no longer sleeping with other women. He had also begun drinking heavily, apparently something he had begun during his exhibition in Europe. Teddy was not a violent drunk, but he flirted even more with women – even the maids – when he was inebriated.

Though Jean could accept it, she would often turn to Edward for comfort. Even though they were no longer intimate, Jean still relied on him, and, at times, wished that they could go back to the happy first days of their relationship on Matlock Island. She missed the love that she had received from Edward, missed the strength, security, and the comfort that he had provided.

Jean and Edward began to exchange love letters after Teddy had returned, even after Jean gave birth to her son. At times, when Teddy's drinking became excessive and he came home drunk, Edward's letters were Jean's only refuge.

My dearest, most darling Jean,

I know that Teddy's behaviour has not been easy for you to deal with, but please remember that I am always here for you. I love you, my darling, and I want you to be happy. Please come to me if you need anything, my dearest – I will always be there for you.

I love you,

Edward

Dearest Edward,

I love Teddy, but I don't like him very much when he drinks. It is even worse than when he was away in Europe, because then I could be with you. Edward, why does he have to be like this? I need him to be strong for me, for Duncan... And, Edward, I am pregnant again. I need him to be here for our new baby, but I want him to be here because he wants to be. The problem is that I don't think he does want to be here with me and Duncan. Edward, I just don't know what to do. And I don't know what I would do without you.

I love you,

Jean

When William was eleven, and Duncan fifteen, Teddy was diagnosed with cancer of the liver from his excessive drinking. The doctor did not catch it early enough, and he died three months later, at the age of sixty-one. Jean was only fifty when her husband died. He was buried in the Sydney cemetery. Three months after Teddy's death, Jean married Edward. They sold the house, putting the money in trust for the boys, and they moved to his house. Though Jean loved Edward, she missed Teddy.

Edward was the perfect husband – he truly loved her, and he loved Jean's sons as though they were his own. Duncan and Edward had an especially close relationship. Jean and Edward were happy together, and Jean's sons were happy, too. They had a very happy marriage, but Jean still missed Teddy, who had been the one true love of her life.

Things had changed in the past sixteen years – she was no longer a teacher, Teddy was dead, and she was married to another. And some things had changed for the better – Edward was a much better husband than Teddy had been – Edward was stable, comforting, and reliable, while Teddy had been passionate, tempestuous, and volatile. She loved both of them, though they were exact opposites, but she was happier with Edward as her husband. Teddy had been a marvellous lover, and was more temperamentally suited to being a lover, not a husband, while Edward was far more suited to being a husband.

Yes, things had certainly changed in sixteen years – for the better, and for the worst – but Jean had changed too. What she had wanted sixteen years ago – to go on teaching as long as she could – had changed to wanting to be Teddy's wife and bear his children. And now... now, she just wanted to spend the rest of her days with her rock, her strength, her husband – Edward.

THE END