So sorry, I've been AWOL with my writing and have no compelling reason other than my muse has been in a lazy mood these last few weeks. I promise to try to rouse her and get cracking. After all, the holidays will soon be upon us and begging for lots of merry Andith fluff.
"You are planning to do what?" Robert Crawley bellowed at Anthony and Edith as they explained their plans.
Anthony felt Edith tense beside him and carefully placed his hand at her back, all the while keeping his eyes trained on her father. "We plan to marry, Lord Grantham, as soon as possible. And then we will travel north."
"But this is preposterous," he roared again. "I am surprised by you, Sir Anthony, that you would treat my daughter in such a manner. I thought you to be a gentleman."
"A gentleman?" Anthony fired back. "I cannot say what I am, except that I am the man who is soon to marry Lady Edith. If it is ungentlemanly to marry the woman I love and who loves me, then so be it."
"How can you say you love her, when you barely know her? You've only been here a month or two. And you say you have no memory of your time spent with her before, so it is as if you've only met. Yet you claim to love her and are demonstrating just the opposite by hastily marrying her and then dragging her away to Scotland. I won't have it!"
Anthony felt Edith's body begin to shake. Thinking she was crumbling in the face of her father's wrath, he accepted that this all might end in disappointment, even as he glared at her father. But Edith surprised him and stepped forward. "You may not care for it, Papa; but I will have it! I will marry Anthony and I will go to Scotland with him and then where ever else he might go after. And I will do it knowing everything I need to know about him, including that I love him. You will not stop us Papa. You might try, but I will not be kept away from Anthony. "
Robert huffed and then softened slightly in his posture and expression. "But at least wait to see if this treatment will work. If it does, then you can be properly married from here and begin your life together in a happy manner."
"No Papa, I will not wait. It will be wonderful if the treatment works and I do hope that it does. But I will be with Anthony no matter what. I would be content if he were to forego the treatment and for us to marry and move to Locksley tomorrow. "
Robert looked at her and then flashed an angry scowl at Anthony, who stood there stoically glaring back. Shifting his gaze back to his daughter, Robert huffed again. "I cannot give my consent to this madness," he said more quietly. "I simply cannot."
"That is your choice," Edith replied stiffly. "I don't need your consent or your blessing. I'm sorry that you feel this way but it won't change my mind. I will marry Anthony and as soon as possible. "
"Lord Grantham, as you say, I can only remember these last weeks here with Edith. But I assure you, my decision has not been a hasty one. I've given her happiness and welfare a great deal of thought, as I have my own. Beyond that, I know from somewhere deep within me that I love her. I may not be able to recall our times spent together before the war, but I find that in my heart, those feelings are not forgotten. For her sake, I hoped we might have your consent. As you say, I don't remember anything from before, so I don't recall our friendship. Consequently, for myself, I care little one way or the other if you grant your consent. I will do what my heart tells me to do in this and in all matters that concern Edith. She has convinced me that her happiness lies with me and I won't dishonor her by ignoring her certitude. Hopefully in time you will come to accept our decision, one I assure you we made together. We'll leave here with no ill feelings towards you but we will leave together and no one will interfere."
Robert glared at Anthony so angrily that he was sure the man's rage would explode. But instead of that, Edith's father simply barked, "We'll see about that. Surely Edith will be made to see the senselessness of this idea before you can go."
Anthony was dumbfounded by Robert's stance. He understood the man's objections to their plans, but didn't see the sense of his stubbornness. Still, he had to try once more. "I understand why you are objecting and I can't blame you for wanting to protect your daughter. You say I am being selfish, and perhaps I am because I simply cannot see a life without her there. But I do intend to do everything I can to see that she is happy and cared for. She will be my wife and I will take my duty towards her quite seriously. You'll always be welcome in our home, should you wish to visit. But do understand this, it will be our home, Edith's and mine, and I will not allow any interference. If you visit, it will be in support of our marriage and not in opposition to us."
Robert Crawley stared at Anthony speechless. Sensing that there was nothing to be gained by remaining, Anthony gave him a curt nod and turned to leave, catching Edith's elbow to guide her out of the room. Once they were out and the door closed behind them, Edith turned and threw her arms around him. "Oh my darling, I'm sorry he put you through that but I am so very proud of you."
Anthony wrapped his left arm around Edith and spoke softly. "I'm rather amazed at myself actually. I was afraid I might have a… an episode but I didn't feel it in the least. I felt… strong, stronger than I can remember ever feeling before. It is having you beside me, my sweet. Having you beside me and knowing we are together in this gives me all the strength I need." He kissed her forehead and then looked down into her warm brown eyes. "And now, I believe we have a wedding to arrange?"
Edith looked down shyly but smiling. Then looking back up at him, she nodded. "Yes, but first, should we go to Locksley and tell your sister? They are leaving for Cambridge tomorrow and I imagine she would be hurt if you didn't tell her."
Anthony gazed down at his lovely Edith and let a small smile work at his mouth. "Yes, of course. I only hope that she is more receptive than your father."
"As do I. But I think we've made our intentions clear enough so far. If she is as obstinate as Papa, then we simply must tell her, as we told him, that we are going to marry and will not allow any interference."
"Yes, but you are sure? I know I keep asking, but I just want to be certain, want you to be certain. Because once the deed is done, well… it will be done. And sometimes I feel as if you're getting the wrong end of the stick in all this. After all, I will be marrying a lovely young woman, half my age. And you, you will be getting a rather worn, broken man who will leave you a widow long before your time."
"Right or wrong end, I will be getting the stick I want, my darling," she replied. "And if I am widowed far too early… well, I'd rather suffer that and have whatever time we are given together than to lose one more moment with you. We are going to be so happy, so very happy. I just know that we are."
Anthony smiled nervously. Looking into her dark expressive eyes, he could almost believe she meant every word. "But if ever…. If you find you are not happy, you will tell me? I don't want you to ever feel must stay with me, be captive to my… burdens. If ever you want your freedom, all you need do is ask."
"Alright. If ever I feel that way, I will ask. That is easy to agree to because I know it will never happen."
An hour later they were at Locksley, facing Agatha and Alistair and hoping their news would be better received than it had been at Downton.
