Aftermath
Chapter 3
Edith had also invited her father's best friend, Shrimpie. She just wished her mother had had a friend that would convince her to give Robert one more chance. Bertie had even gotten involved. He had enough faith that they would work things out that he had booked a trip to Switzerland for them.
Edith had grown up with her parents talking about their trip to Switzerland after Robert had returned from the Boer War. It had been a reset for him. They had spent six weeks in a Swiss chalet with only a local lady coming with food daily. Bertie had cut the vacation that he very carefully planned down to four weeks, but it was even in the same chalet and with the same local lady cooking for them. She just hoped they could get things worked out.
Shrimpie understood perfectly what his purpose was and was in complete agreement. Robert and Cora belonged together. Edith hated seeing her mother so miserable. She had lost weight and her hair was now turning gray. Most of her friends had abandoned her when the rumors surfaced, Mary had treated her horribly and she had lost the home that she loved. The one advocate that Edith didn't anticipate was Bertie's mother, Mirada. While Cora had been staying with them, the two women had struck up a bit of a friendship and Mirada had quietly agreed with Edith, despite her very strong morals.
All of Edith's planning and scheming may backfire, but she could not give up hope that there was still something left of her parent's marriage, one that Edith had always envied. She had seen a bit of a spark when Cora had passed Patrick over to Robert. A hint of sadness and mutual love towards the baby boy. She was sitting at her desk, daydreaming when Bertie came up behind her.
"Your papa and Shrimpie are playing a game of billiards and Mama and your mama are talking in the garden. It isn't as tense as I was afraid it would be." Bertie said.
"I think they don't want me to be uncomfortable. Is this foolish? Should I just leave them alone?" Edith asked Bertie. He sat down in the chair next to her desk and propped his head up with his hand.
"I don't believe so. I see something too. I think they can forgive one another, but the problem will be Mary. She has really hurt your mama. Not allowing her to take any pictures of Sybil, not allowing her to see the children; including Sybbie. I don't know if there is any going back from that. She's too hurt to be angry, but I am afraid that your papa will be angry once he finds out." Bertie said.
"I didn't know about the pictures. That's why she looks at the one on my dresser the way she does. I do know that Tom has assured her she can see Sybbie whenever she would like, but she can't go to Downton and Tom is far too busy to take Sybbie to London." Edith said as she played with her pen.
"Your mama is a good mother and she will always love Mary, but Mary can be very…hard. I think your mama sees that as a failing on her part." Bertie said as he stood up.
"Its not. Mary just always felt very justified. God knows, I've felt her wrath." Edith said.
"People in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks, and Mary is in a glass village." Bertie said before walking away. Edith looked out the window and smiled at Cora and Mirada walking in the garden. The two women were in deep conversation about something. Hopefully about Cora's marriage.