Seems I have some 'splaining to do. Guest left a review that told me that chapter 35 was a repeat of 34 with one added scene. And sure enough, Guest was right. I chalk it up to being distracted while posting and own up to it. I misedited (if there is such a word) and didn't double check my efforts. I am very sorry for the confusion. So, here's what should have been posted to begin with.
While Edith took her time upstairs, Anthony attended to his Christmas "plans" and snuck down to the kitchen with an unwrapped box. "I wonder if I might impose on you for a bit of help with wrapping," he asked Mrs. Cox, his cook.
Mrs. Cox, who had her hands full with a bread dough, looked up from her kneading at the baronet. "Of course, Sir. Just give a minute to cover this dough and wash me hands."
"Thank you," Anthony said with a smile as he took one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Mrs. Cox soon joined him, picking up the paper Anthony had taken from his jacket pocket. "Oh my, this is pretty," she commented as she unfolded it and began the task of wrapping Edith's gift. "I know Lady Strallan is going to be very pleased with this," she said as her hands worked the folds of paper over the box.
"Really? You haven't seen what's inside the box," Anthony commented with surprise.
"I haven't. But I have seen how she looks at you and how every word and every gesture from you makes her smile. Any gift you give will be a treasure to her, if ya don't mind me saying so."
"No, no I don't mind at all, Mrs. Cox. And thank you for your help, with this and…well, with everything you do around here."
"Its me job and I coulna be happier doing it for ya, Sir Anthony. You and yer family have always been good to me. Coulna imagine being anyplace else."
Anthony looked into the woman's kind face, complete with a bright smile, and marveled at just how lucky he was, in spite of his injuries.
Once back upstairs, Anthony placed Edith's gift under their tree in the library and went in search of his wife. He found her soaking in her bath. "I'm rather lazy this morning, I'm afraid," she told him with laughing eyes when he closed the door behind him. "Well, a good soak in warm water always helps my sore muscles," he replied cheekily.
Edith giggled as she toyed with her soap. "And just why is my husband here while I'm… well, bared?"
"Your husband simply needed to gaze on his good fortune, sweet one." His eyes raked over the length of her in the bath water which, of course, stirred sensations that were best left undisturbed at the moment. Still… one couldn't help but admire what was on display. "I was having a conversation with Mrs. Cox and was reminded of just how fortunate I am and felt the need to come tell you."
"We are fortunate to have Mrs. Cox," she agreed. "All the staff, really; they are wonderful."
"Yes, of course. And I do feel fortunate in them, but mainly I was referring to the little minx who has insisted on sharing my life. I just wanted to come tell you how much you mean to me, Edith; how very lost I would be without you." Her eyes turned up to him, all seriousness now. "And I could say all the same to you, my darling man. I have never been so happy as I am here with you."
Something rather primitive stirred in Anthony, something possessive and Neanderthal really. This woman was his, by her own choosing… and his and his chest tightened as he realized he would do anything to keep her. Occasionally, he'd had the thought that a day might come when he would have to release her and let her find happiness elsewhere. But as he gazed down into her bright doe-colored eyes and at her endless legs and everything in between, he knew he would never let her go, not until his dying breath. "Edith, I do love you, you know."
Her smile lit the room. "I know and I can feel it everytime you look at me, darling. And I love you too, ever so much. Now, if you'd hand me that towel on the bench behind you, I'll just get out of this bath and we can…"
"Oh my sweet, as much as I would love to follow on with what I think you are about to say, I'm not sure I'm quite up to it after such a wonderful morning already. But I do know Mrs. Cox has prepared a marvelous breakfast. Should I ring for your tray?"
Edith took the towel he was handing her and smiled. "No. I'll eat downstairs with you. I'm sure the day will come when I prefer to eat in bed as Mama does, but for now, I'd rather join my husband."
Mrs. Cox had indeed prepared a fine breakfast and the couple enjoyed in immensely as Anthony sorted through the post and Edith perused the paper. "Ah," Anthony mumbled as he inspected one letter.
"Darling?"
"Erm… a letter form Dr. Rivers. He suggests I arrive in Cambridge on the seventh and has arranged rooms for me near his."
"So soon?"
"Yes, well… he did say after the first of the year."
"Right." Edith looked contemplative and Anthony could almost see the thoughts forming in her head. "We'll go earlier then so we can have a day or two there together and I can help you settle in."
Looking back down at the paper in his hand, Anthony sighed. "Rivers says again that You shouldn't…"
"He can't possibly think that I will simply put you on the train and shuffle you off into oblivion? I won't do it, Anthony; for both our sakes, I just won't do that. I need to see you settled there, to know where you are. And I think, I hope, that you want me there too, for just the beginning anyway."
"Sweet one, you know I want you with me, always. I'll write him today and tell him our plans and let him know that his notion of me leaving you here just won't do."
"Thank you, darling."
They sat in the library, Anthony writing his letter ever so slowly with his left hand. Edith was on the settee, her legs curled under her, reading. It took almost all of Anthony's concentration to write, since he was naturally right-handed, but he was getting better with his left hand he noticed when he sat back a moment to consider his wording. He heard Edith move behind him and turned to see what she was about. A small grin poked at his cheeks as he saw her approach the tree.
"Anthony, you've put a present under the tree."
"I have sweet one."
"For me?"
Of course."
Her eyes were so bright and her face almost glowed in the sunlight pouring in from the window behind the tree that it made Anthony's chest fill. "Normally I don't feel compelled to open my gifts early but right now I do," she told him.
"Oh? I wonder why that might be?"
She turned to face him more directly and smiled. "Because it is from you."
"Ah, so if it were from… say, Father Christmas, you wouldn't be so tempted?"
"Anthony Strallan, you know very well that I find everything about you very tempting."
Anthony chuckled. "Well, sweet one, you're just going to have to wait until tomorrow."
Edith flashed a pout at him before turning her attention back to the box. "Very well then, if you insist. But for that little bit of meanness, Anthony Strallan, I shan't put your gift under the tree until the very moment before we open."
Anthony stood and walked over to her. "Sweet one, I'll have you know that just having you here with me is the very best gift I could ever hope for. I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you have wrapped for me under the tree tomorrow, but it can in no way measure up to all you give me with your presence. "
"Oh you, just for that I'll have to give you an early gift tonight."
"And what might that be?" he said, knowing full well what she intended.
"You'll just have to unwrap me and find out," she said cheekily as she turned to go back to her reading. Anthony chuckled again and turned his attention back to his letter.
Just a little P.S. here: Anyone planning to see the new movie? I've watched trailers and it does look interesting but darn it, Edith is still with Bertie and Anthony is nowhere to be seen!
