It's been awhile since I've posted for this story but a guest reviewer has been hoping for an update, so you can thank them for getting the ball rolling. It's not very long and I'm not that pleased with it but you can see that Edith and Anthony certainly have a difficult road ahead them. Thanks for continuing to stick with me and this story. xx You'll recognize the material from canon.
Anthony started to speak, then paused, opened his mouth once again before shutting it just as quickly. Staring at the ground, he shuffled his feet back and forth a few times before glancing up at Edith.
"Surely you can't think that I would ever do anything to harm a child" the baronet frowned, "especially if that child belonged to you?"
"I'd like nothing more than to believe you, Anthony," the strawberry blonde sighed, "but, I've already placed my faith in you on two occasions, only to be disappointed both times."
"But I would never hurt your child" he reiterated, "surely..."
"I would never have thought you'd hurt me" the redhead's voice trembled, "but I was wrong. At the garden party, I was so sure you were going to propose but then Mary interfered and you believed her. Did it never occur to you to come to me and allow me to explain why she'd say such horrible things. Was I disappointed that you didn't propose? Of course, but I believe it was the fact that you so easily accepted what Mary said as truth that hurt me the most."
"I would think my actions that day proved we did not know each other well enough to be considering marriage at that particular time."
"I agree but it wasn't reason enough to completely sever all ties. At the very least, we were friends, quite fond of each other, were we not? We might have continued seeing one another in hopes of our relationship developing into something deeper."
"I made a mistake" the baronet murmured, bowing his head, "a terrible mistake. I know that now, perhaps we can..."
"That was painful enough" the strawberry blonde interrupted, "but your behavior on our wedding day...It should have been the happiest day of my life, instead I..." she shook her head and sighed, "I felt so betrayed."
"I'm sorry, so very sorry for subjecting you to such... such scandal and... and humiliation" Anthony stuttered, reaching for the young lady's hand but Edith, with a bitter laugh quickly stepped away, avoiding his touch.
"I wasn't concerned with that. Oh, my family was, of course, but I" she paused, fighting back tears, "I only cared that I had lost the man I loved, the man I trusted, the man with whom I wanted to spend my life. The man I thought loved me." she wailed, succumbing to the emotions she'd barely managed to keep in check over the past few months.
"Edith, I never meant to hurt you. I..."
Once again the young woman laughed bitterly causing the older gentleman to stop and stare questioningly in her direction, "What?"
"I'm simply reminded of a conversation we had in your library" Edith replied quietly, "one in which I said, I know you don't mean to hurt me and you responded with, of course not, it's the last thing I'd ever wish to do. And yet you did."
"Please try to understand" Anthony implored "I thought it would be best, in the long run, for you not to be tied to someone as broken as me."
"Did it never occur to you that I didn't care. That I loved you just as you were, broken bits and all."
"Yes, you made it perfectly clear that I was to be your life's work" Anthony spouted angrily. "I'm a man, Edith, albeit a broken one but still a man. Not some project to be taken on out of pity and..."
"That's not what I meant and you know it. Why must you insist on twisting my words and using them against me especially when it has nothing to do with issue of trusting you with my child!"
"I fail to see what our past has to do with your concern that I might hurt your child."
Taking a deep breath, Edith released it slowly, "Before the war, we were to be engaged but you left the garden party without any explanation as to why you didn't propose. After the war, we took up a second time but, lo and behold, just as we were about to say our vows, you walked away. You need to understand Anthony, that from my vantage point, it seems, based on our history, that whenever we reach a monumental moment in our relationship, you have a tendency to do a runner. Raising a child will be an enormous responsibility. How am I suppose to trust that, while I'm in labor or at any point in the next eighteen years, I won't, once again, be left to cope on my own?"
The sting of the truth of Edith's words struck Anthony like a slap to the face and the older gentleman, filled with remorse and shame, hung his head, unable to bear the look of intense scrutiny she cast in his direction. He simply stood there, staring at the floor and wondering if he'd ever be able to repair the huge rift between them.