Previously:
Eryholme, Yorkshire, England, April 1920
She felt his hips jerk and heard his groans become louder and tighter, the familiar signs that his control was slipping. She held tight to him, her limbs wrapped around him, moaning into his ear to push him closer to his limit, her own release just moments away.
He resorted to deep thrusts, pushing as deep as he could, on the verge of coming apart. There was no thought paid to his terrible ordeal of earlier, nor their plans for the future. He didn't think of anything but Mary, how incredible she made him feel, and all the love and desire he felt for her. He heard her cry seconds before he felt her clench around him, the warmth of her release triggering his own spend, and he roared in triumph, in gratitude, in relief and in bliss as pleasure crashed through him and he melted into her.
Her eyes blinked open, her body delightfully limp as he withdrew and rolled off of her, careful to spare her his full weight. Her hand went up and pushed her hair away from her face, the back of her hand coming to rest on her forehead as she took deep breaths, her skin warm and flushed.
"I see," he muttered.
"What?" she asked, turning her head to look at him, his face showing just as much sated exhaustion as her own.
"That word," he explained, smirking lazily at her. "I see what you mean, now."
She laughed and dragged herself over to him, resting her head on his shoulder. His arm came across her bare back.
"Rest," she muttered, closing her eyes. "Rest up and I'll teach you another word or two."
She grinned as she felt his fingers move down her arm and over to lightly tease her breast. Her own hand massaged his stomach. Apparently he wasn't quite ready to go to sleep just yet.
"Why don't you let me guess?" he asked, and they slowly played with each other, knowing they would both soon recover to go again.
Chapter 37: Building a New Kingdom
Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England, May 1920
Edith walked out the front door, stopped and stood waiting on the firm gravel of the driveway. She rubbed her hands together nervously as she watched the saloon car come up the road, growing larger and larger as it neared. She held her hands clasped together in front of her, then dropped them to her sides, then brought them back together again, willing herself to calm down as the motor came to a stop, the rear door opening before Albert could step forward and open it himself.
Alex emerged from the rear seat and nodded to the surprised footman. He approached Edith and smiled politely. Stopping before her, he touched the brim of his hat and nodded.
"Lady Edith," he said warmly.
"Sir Alex," Edith replied. "How do you do?"
He leaned towards her to kiss her cheek. She extended her hand to him instead. They both blinked in shock as they belatedly realized their mistakes, and struggled for a moment, fumbling before Alex finally was able to capture her fingers in his and squeezed her hand cordially.
"Very well, thank you. I'm pleased to be here," he said, smiling at her as they turned towards the door.
"Mama and Papa are at Eryholme with Mary and Matthew, and Sybil is at work, I'm afraid," she apologized, giving him a wry smile. "They all pass along their greetings, and regrets that they aren't here to welcome you, but everyone is rather busy with hosting the Rothschild delegation. You're stuck with me, it seems."
"A no finer consolation prize could I possibly imagine," he replied, keeping a respectful distance as they came into the Great Hall.
"I expect you'd want to wash off the train," she continued, smiling demurely as she was still focused on his last compliment. "Albert will be taking care of you. You're free until the gong."
"If it's not a bother, I was hoping to take a walk, actually," he said. "It won't take me long to freshen up."
"Ah, yes, well the weather is quite nice," she said. "Enjoy your stroll."
He blinked and frowned for a moment.
"Erm…yes, well I was…wondering…if you might accompany me?" he asked. "It's been so long since I was last here, I wouldn't want to get lost."
"Oh…my…erm…yes, of course," she recovered. "You can go on up to the Bachelor's Wing and I'll go and fetch my hat. I can meet you back here in a few minutes, then, when you're ready to go."
"Excellent," he said, smiling and nodding to her. "I won't be long."
They both paused at the foot of the stairs, each one waiting for the other to go ahead first, She finally went ahead, and he fell in step next to her. They ascended the stairs in silence, casting uneasy glances at each other every few steps.
"That's you that way," she said, waving towards the Bachelor's Wing. "I'll see you downstairs."
He nodded and turned away, Albert following dutifully behind him with his luggage.
Taking a deep breath, she turned and went to her own room to ring for a maid to assist her with her hat.
Eryholme, Yorkshire, England, May 1920
"It's not Waddesdon Manor, obviously, or even Downton, but I find that I quite like it," Mary said, walking along the worn path leading from the house to the stables. "It's ours, mine and Matthew's, and there's something to be said for having a proper family home to call one's own."
"I could not agree more," Lady Anne replied. "I think it's lovely. You know as well as I do that having a large property isn't necessarily the done thing these days. So many families have had to sell off and move."
"I've heard, yes," Mary said carefully. "Though, we will live at Downton one day, when Matthew becomes Earl of Grantham. For now though, Eryholme is enough."
"You've updated it quite well," Lady Abigail noted. "I was rather impressed by the ensuite bathroom in my room."
Mary smiled and nodded.
"And how is Matthew finding working for us thus far?" Anne asked. "Please be as forthright as you wish. Julien says that each time he asks, Matthew says everything is fine, but Julien worries, you know. He so wants this to work out."
Mary looked at her with a polite smile, seeing whether she could divine anything from her expression.
"Matthew is quite pleased with the arrangement, yes," she said finally. "He isn't one to be overly effusive about his job. He'd rather define himself as a husband and father than as a lawyer, though his career is quite important to him. I believe that he does draw a great deal of satisfaction from working again, but it's been so long since he last practised, you know, going back to the beginning of the War. He's just being careful to not set Julien's expectations too high, is all."
"I'm afraid it's far too late for that," Anne laughed. "Julien adores him. As do the rest of us. His work thus far has been exemplary. I hope you won't find this ridiculous, Mary, but we're all so very pleased to have found the both of you, and your lovely family. It's just so nice to have proper friends."
"It is," Mary said cordially, nodding and leading them past the stables and towards the gardens at the back of the house. As they went, she spied Diamond peeking his head out from his stall. The horse snorted towards her, then pulled back.
Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England, May 1920
Edith kept her gloved hands linked together in front of her as she walked along at Alex's side. Her back was straight and her head raised. Mama and Granny would be so proud, she thought wryly. Here she was hosting a man all on her own, and carrying herself with perfect posture on top of that.
"It has been a bit of a transition adjusting to being back in London," Alex said, drawing her back to their ongoing conversation. "It's nice to keep busy. Sometimes if I have too much time to myself, I find my thoughts can wander rather dangerously. Having said that, I am quite happy to be back in the country. It's a welcome change to wander vast fields without worrying that an artillery shell will fall at any moment."
She laughed kindly at his joke. She didn't know how appropriate it was to be making light of the horrors that he and Matthew and all soldiers had endured in France and elsewhere, but she was happy to humour him.
"Well, it's good to see you back, and in such good health," she noted. "I must tell you that after working in the convalescent hospital, and seeing the poor fellows who came under our care, I worried for you."
"Did you?" he asked, glancing over at her curiously.
"Yes," she replied, swallowing nervously. "As did Mary and Sybil. You must know that our family holds you in very high regard, both as Matthew's friend and for serving King and country. We were quite relieved that both of you survived."
"Thank you," he said, looking out across the fields as they went on.
Edith looked away and pursed her lips, a fluttering in her stomach causing her to take a deep breath as she drew whatever courage she could muster.
"Sir Alex," she began. "Might I ask you a rather personal question?"
"Of course, ask me anything," he replied, smiling at her. "Though your sister will tell you that I make no promises to answer such inquiries."
She smiled and nodded in understanding. "Well, it's just that I've been curious about something, and haven't had the chance to speak to you properly about it. It's not the type of subject that I was comfortable raising in our letters."
"Now you have me intrigued," he said. "What is it?"
She looked down at the ground before speaking. "It's only that we haven't seen each other since last summer when you came to Eryholme, and introduced me to Sir Edmond. I've been in London several times since, but you haven't called upon me. I suppose I'm wondering what your intentions are," she said, finally lifting her eyes to look at him.
He blinked in surprise. "You're rather direct, Lady Edith," he said.
"I normally wouldn't be. My sisters are far more bold," she said. "However, Mary told me that when she had dinner with you in London, you did express an…interest…in me."
"I did, yes," he replied, nodding his head.
"And you asked her to let me know," she pressed on.
"I expect she would have regardless, but yes, I did ask her to advise you as such," he confirmed.
"So now I am asking you, directly," she stated. "If you believe that I currently have an understanding with any man, be it Sir Anthony Strallan or anyone else, and this is why you have kept a polite distance, even in your letters, then you would be wrong."
His eyes widened slightly at this information.
"I enjoy Sir Anthony's company, but I have not discussed my future with him, and truly, I shall make no promises to you, either. But if you do not at least inform me of your intentions, then I'm sorry, but I'm simply not the type of woman who is able to decipher the will of men through subtleties alone," she finished, her voice speeding up as she tried to get through her speech as quickly as possible.
They continued walking before Alex stopped and turned to face her.
"Lady Edith," he began, coughing quietly to clear his throat. "I'm afraid it has been years since I last courted any woman, let alone one of your esteemed quality. The rules for such things appear to have changed in this new world. What has not changed is that I am just as…intrigued…by you as I was in the early days of our acquaintance. I have greatly enjoyed our letters, and I suppose I was afraid that to be as open with my feelings as you appear to be requesting would cause inconvenience and difficulty for you, in light of Sir Anthony, or anyone else."
She regarded him carefully before replying.
"And if I didn't have any other suitor, what would you say then?" she asked.
"Well, erm," he said. "It was my hope that we could spend some time together during my visit here, and upon my departure, I would ask you whether you would be amenable to spending more time with me, perhaps beginning with luncheon the next time that you are in London?"
She allowed a cautious smile to cross her lips.
"I would like that, yes," she answered. "And that goes for both suggestions."
He smiled and held out his arm for her. "Brilliant," he said.
She smiled back and took his arm. They resumed their walk with her pointing to the Temple of Diana in the distance.
Community Centre, Village Hospital, Downton Village, Yorkshire, England, May 1920
"Mr. Roberts, I was hoping that we could discuss my wages, sir," Bradley Johnson said quietly, staring down at the notepad sitting on his lap.
"I'm terribly busy, Johnson," Sybil said in an authoritative voice from the other side of her desk. "Don't you have work to do?"
"Uh…yes, sir," Bradley struggled, frowning as he looked over his notes. "Might I make an appointment so we can speak at a time that is mutually convenient for both of us?"
Sybil smiled and nodded her head. "Well, I don't see any reason why not," she said. "Let's say tomorrow at 4 o'clock?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," Bradley said with relief, looking up at Sybil expectantly.
"That was very good," she said, smiling encouragingly. "You handled my attempted deflection politely and professionally. Excellent!"
"Thank you, Lady Sybil," Bradley said sheepishly.
"All right, now tomorrow, I want to work on the actual meeting itself. You'll need to think about how much you want to be paid and have that number prepared before we meet. That way, when we have our negotiation, you have both a starting point and a goal that you want to achieve," she said.
"Well, I'd be happy with anything, Lady Sybil," Bradley said, rising from his chair as she did the same.
"Yes, I know you would be, Bradley, but you owe it to yourself and to other workers like you to try and get what's fair. Remember that employers will try and use you as an example for anyone who is hired in the future. It's easy for them to say 'well, I only pay Bradley a few guineas, so that's what you're getting' when what's fair is considerably more," she said, picking up her purse and walking around her desk.
"But how do I know what's fair, Lady Sybil?" he asked, following her as she left the room and headed down the hallway for the front door.
"See if you can find out what some of the others are being paid," she told him. "Then, see where you fit in. Mr. Roberts may try and cut you off a bit because you're the new boy, but it should come down to who is better than you at your job."
"Well, that's no one, Lady Sybil," he said.
"Well, then I should think you ought to be paid a wage that values your skill," she said, looking up and smiling at the taller man as they went through the doors and stepped outside.
"Thank you, Lady Sybil," he said, escorting her over to the waiting car. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
"Tomorrow. Goodbye," she said politely, nodding to him, then glancing at Tom briefly before she stepped into the backseat of the car.
Tom gave the tall man a passing look before he walked around and got in the car. Putting the motor in gear, he quickly drove away from the kerb and back towards Downton Abbey.
"Is that one of your projects?" he asked lightly after several minutes. "The one who you said was funny and cute?"
"His name is Bradley Johnson," she replied, looking out the window. "And yes, he's coming along. He's learned quite a bit and has grown in confidence. He just needs a bit of practice and I think he'll do quite well for himself."
"And he's going to be practising with you, is he?" he asked.
"Of course. Who else?" she replied. "It is why he's one of my clients, after all."
"Of course," Tom said tightly, looking ahead at the road.
"How is your schoolteacher?" she asked crisply, still looking out the window. "Any more evenings at the pub that she's arranged for you?"
He frowned and glanced back over his shoulder before facing front again. "She's well, I expect. I haven't spoken to her since she bought me a pint to thank me for rescuing her."
Sybil did not respond to that, though she did smile as they continued on home.
Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England, May 1920
"Sir Alex seems rather cheerful tonight," Mary noted, sipping her champagne. "He's glanced over at you no less than five times since we all came through."
Edith blushed and swallowed a particularly large gulp of champagne.
"We've been…getting along…during his visit," she muttered.
"Getting along quite well," Sybil added. "She kissed him last night."
Edith gasped and glared at her sister. "Sybil!" she hissed.
"Goodness, Edith, I haven't given you enough credit," Mary said easily. "You aren't being idle at all."
"It wasn't anything sordid," Edith replied. "We were relaxing last night by the fire, just having pleasant conversation, and he…well…he asked if he could kiss me, and I said yes."
Mary and Sybil exchanged a knowing smirk.
"And?" Mary prompted her sister.
"And…it was rather…nice," Edith admitted. "And we may have ended up kissing more than once."
"You siren," Sybil teased.
"Well, good for you, Edith," Mary said, nodding her head. "Sir Alex is a far better catch than poor old Strallan, to be certain."
"I'm not comparing them," Edith said. "And Sir Anthony is neither poor, nor old. I'm not thinking very far ahead."
"Well, that's wise, because Sir Anthony is coming to dinner later in the week," Sybil noted.
"What?" Edith exclaimed.
"Mama mentioned it to me," Sybil explained. "They're inviting a number of neighbours and villagers, to show the Rothschilds how adored the family is, I expect."
"Well, that's quite convenient, isn't it, Edith?" Mary asked smugly. "You can have Sir Alex and Sir Anthony duel for you and the victor wins your hand."
"Sir Alex is leaving in the morning," Sybil noted.
"A pity," Mary said.
Edith frowned and took another drink.
"I'm biased, of course," Julien said, smiling sheepishly. "I will always prefer our homes in France. However, Downton Abbey and Eryholme are each very impressive in their own ways."
"Julien is being kind," Matthew said, smiling at Alex.
"Actually, I don't think there's any real argument here," Alex said. "Julien, if you brought Matthew to a French chateau, he would probably be preoccupied with what the maintenance cost would be."
They all laughed at that.
"Matthew," Robert called, coming over and grinning jovially at them. "We're going to have a bit of a billiards game amongst the fellows. Come along, won't you?"
"Of course," Julien said, raising his glass to Matthew.
Matthew glanced at Alex ruefully. They all finished their drinks quickly.
"I think I'll politely decline," Alex said quietly. "I'm not really one for billiards."
"I'm sure that Robert will understand," Matthew replied. "Behave yourself, won't you? Edith is a Lady with a flawless reputation, you know."
Alex snorted and shook his head as Matthew and Julien left for the games room. After a moment, he looked across the room to where Edith and her sisters were gathered. Catching her eye after a while, he began making his way over to her.
"Lord Grantham was trumpeting the land development plans that you're overseeing," Marek said, smiling as he and Mary moved across the dance floor. "A very ambitious project."
"It is," she said. "I suppose it will take some getting used to when some of our lands are occupied by houses and streets, but it's all for the better, so change we will."
"We had to do something similar with one of our properties in Buckingham last year," he replied. "It isn't easy, but it is worthwhile, I assure you."
"You did?" she asked, looking up at him with renewed interest.
"Yes," he said politely. "Should you ever have any questions or need assistance or advice, please do call upon me."
"Thank you, I shall keep that in mind," she answered.
They continued to dance, Mary resuming her polite expression as they turned. She was rather perturbed when she saw her Papa and husband steal away earlier. It had been a long day already, with the formal dinner and now the reception and dancing. Taking off to go and play billiards was hardly proper behaviour with such esteemed guests all around. Marek was one of the few men to stay behind, and so when he asked her to dance, she agreed readily, if only to maintain the pleasant relations they were all enjoying. Thus far, the Rothschild visit had gone wonderfully all around.
"I must say I was rather surprised at all the empty homes that we passed on our journey over," Marek mused. "I know it's been difficult for some families, but seeing it up close was rather shocking."
"It is," she agreed, shivering slightly. "It's strange to think that some of the homes I visited as a child are now nothing but empty ruins and divvied up lands. It makes me even more determined to ensure that Downton survives."
"I agree. Our way of life must continue, even in a changed form," he said. "It's why my family has grand plans for the future, and you have a part to play in those plans, Lady Mary."
She looked up at him curiously.
"You and Matthew," he continued. "We aren't against sharing the profits should his counsel prove wise. I can tell you already that Julien has been able to use some of his opinions to our advantage. So, as my family prospers, so shall yours."
"How splendid," she said guardedly.
"Very," he replied, smiling at her as they began another song.
"Do you know anything about that man that Mary is dancing with? Marek Rothschild?" Edith asked.
"I've only met him briefly," Alex replied, smiling at her as they danced. "Why?"
"No reason," she said. "Sybil and I were just wondering. He danced with her quite a bit when we were at their home in London."
"I'm sure it's all just for the sake of propriety and to maintain the developing ties between your families," he said.
"Oh, I trust Mary. She's loyal to Matthew, no question," she said quickly. "It's Mr. Rothschild that I don't know."
"Well, I can try and find out for you, if you like," he asked in amusement. "Though I won't promise I'll discover anything particularly noteworthy. Families like the Rothschilds go to great lengths to ensure very little is known about them that they don't want known."
"No, it's quite all right," she said. "If Mary isn't bothered, then I shouldn't be, either."
"Good," he said. "I was hoping I would not be spending my last night here discussing your sister."
She smiled at him playfully as they continued to dance. "And what were you hoping to do, Sir Alex? Suggest that we go into the small library again?"
He looked at her with wide eyes and she held his gaze boldly. Between the thrill of holding his attention and the buzz of the evening's festivities, she was behaving entirely contrary to how she normally would, and it was quite fun.
"I was actually going to apologize for taking liberties with you," he admitted. "Though I will admit that I enjoyed it…very much."
"As did I, at the risk of sullying your image of me," she replied.
"It didn't, and it hasn't," he said.
"I…" she struggled, looking away for a moment. "I should tell you that I am so very glad you came to visit. However, I feel I owe it to you to say that Mama has invited Sir Anthony to dinner tomorrow."
He blinked, though his stride remained smooth and assured.
"Well, that will make for a pleasant evening," he said.
"I would still like to see you for luncheon in London, if you were still inclined," she managed. "I don't want it to seem as though I'm stringing you along or forcing you into some sort of competition. I can't say how I feel, definitively. But you must know that I do care, if that means anything."
"It does," he said finally. "And yes, I do want to see you in London. Very soon."
She smiled as they kept dancing, though she was not entirely relieved.
Eryholme, Yorkshire, England, May 1920
"What do you think he was referring to when he said they had 'grand plans'?" Mary asked, pulling back the blankets and sliding into bed.
"If I had to guess, it would be something to do with the banks," Matthew replied, putting his journal away. "I think that Julien wants to consolidate the assets of nobles in Britain and safeguard them away."
"But why? Papa and many others already have long established relationships with their own banks," she said, coming to his side and playing with his fingers.
"Yes, but all of your father's banks are in England," he replied. "The advantage that the Rothschilds can offer is that they have banks in other countries. If there were places that had more favourable tax laws, for example, then in theory it would make sense to move one's money there, rather than keep them here within the reach of the authorities."
"Is that even possible?" she asked.
"I don't see why not," he answered. "I think that Julien and Marek and the rest of them want to create a process that allows the rich to send out their money as easily as possible, and once that process is in place, they'll market it and sell it accordingly. I haven't looked at the issue specifically in the assignments that I've done yet, but then I'm not the only lawyer working for them."
"Interesting," she noted, settling down next to him. "Marek also mentioned they had experience with land development on the scale of our project. That could prove useful."
"Given how successful and secure their family is, anything we can do to mimic their ways would be helpful, yes," he replied, stroking her back. "I still don't know what makes us so special that they want to strengthen the bonds between our families beyond that of mere employer and servant, but if it helps us at all, then I won't question it further."
"Hurrah," she said mischievously. "I was growing rather tired of dealing with all of your paranoia."
"It was hardly paranoia," he said. "I simply like to know who I'm dealing with. Don't act as though you aren't curious, yourself."
"Curiosity and suspicion are very different," she noted. "Anyway, their visit has gone even better than I could have imagined. The staff have all performed wonderfully, all of our events have been well attended and well managed and Lady Anne appears entirely impressed with us."
"Julien as well," he said, laughing a little. "Whatever charm exists in Yorkshire, they have been bewitched by it."
"Speaking of falling under a spell, Edith and Sir Alex have had quite a time together these past few days," she said, smiling playfully. "Sybil tells me they've been inseparable. If we aren't careful, they may end up betrothed before the end of Summer."
"Don't you think she needs to sort out how she feels about Sir Anthony, first?" he asked. "Alex isn't making any demands of her, yet, but I imagine he won't be too open to seeing her on a casual basis for too long. He doesn't do casual."
"She needs to sort herself out, that's true," she replied. "How anyone could prefer Sir Anthony to Sir Alex, I'll never know."
"I don't think it would come as such a shock. After all, you threw me over for him at one time, didn't you?" he said, smirking at her. "Who can tell what lurks within the complicated heart of a Crawley woman?"
"You love bringing that up," she huffed, rolling her eyes. "Perhaps if you hadn't been so rude to me about the entire thing and handled it more smoothly, I'd have come around to you far sooner."
"I was rude?" he repeated, looking at her incredulously. "That's rich."
"All right, perhaps rude is a bit too harsh a word, but you must admit that assuming I actually did prefer Sir Anthony to you, rather than calling me out for my behaviour did not exactly further our relationship, did it?" she asked pointedly.
"Would you rather I have confronted you and demanded that you choose between us? Would that have had you swooning into my arms?" he shot back.
"Maybe," she said lightly, arching her eyebrow. "Seeing you with your back up was a bit of a thrill in those early days. It made the boring middle-class lawyer from Manchester seem far more exciting."
"You're mocking me, now," he grunted.
"Not at all," she said, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. "Why do you think I kissed you the night of Sybil's misguided attendance at the by-election? Not only were you the shining knight, but she told me that you punched a man while defending her."
"And that…excited you?" he asked, looking at her curiously. "The idea of me fighting?"
"The idea of you standing up for our family, and yes, being willing to knock a man down," she admitted. "Considering that I thought you preferred nothing but books until then, to be told about your…prowess…affected me profoundly."
"Crikey," he exclaimed.
"That was years ago, though," she added. "I was younger, and much more foolish. I cared about things that seem rather inconsequential now."
"Are you saying that you don't care about my prowess anymore?" he joked.
"As much as I do admire your strength, and your fitness," she said, kissing his cheek and pressing herself closer to him. "I am far more impressed by your ability as a father, and partner, and provider. There are plenty of mindless brutes in the world. I'm much happier with a real man."
He grinned and turned his head, kissing her as his hand came up to cup her face.
"Have I ever told you what was running through my mind that night when we kissed in the dining room?" he asked, kissing her again.
"Several times," she replied, her hand moving down his body below the blanket. "But do tell me again."