A/N: Wow. Well, that was longer than I planned. Let's just say that as a wife and mother there are weeks when it's difficult to find time to shut out all else and write. I truly am sorry, and I truly am immensely grateful if you're still reading. Holiday stories can seem out of step once the holiday passes, and here we are approaching Valentine's Day! I will finish this story, and in the spirit of the original gift, the finale will be brimming with the Christmas Spirit, which may not land right now, but that just means you'll have to come back and re-read this one next year. Once again, thank you for coming back if you have, and for your forbearance as life hands me delays.

Part V – Golden Geese

Anthony lay in bed, mid-morning sun pushing against his curtains.

Five golden rings…. He mused. Five golden rings…

All through his shower he pondered and brainstormed. Over breakfast, he consulted Google. His problem was that he was having trouble getting past the obvious: giving Edith jewelry. Google images certainly agreed with him, featuring an evocatively clad woman sporting a large finger ring, two golden hoops at her ears, a curling cuff on one upper arm, and a golden anklet above one foot. An enticing prospect to be sure, however, that was not the nature of these gifts, and it would leave out Marigold. Besides, if Edith were going to bedeck herself in such a fashion, he wanted to be able to enjoy it.

No, he needed something else with rings… And then an idea hit him. He Googled. 4. 13. Ha-5! Neptune has five rings! Now, what to do with that….? There must be a planetarium somewhere nearby…

As his transaction processed, his mind wandered. To Edith, of course. It seemed he thought of little else the past few days. And last night…it had been so good to see her, to physically be in the same space as her once again. Seeing her smile, hearing her voice, knowing her thoughts…seemingly small pleasures that filled him with a sublime contentment that he hadn't realized he was missing. It was as if he'd awakened from an emotional amnesia last night, as if his soul went 'Oh yes. That's how good it was.' Except somehow it was better than he remembered. Perhaps it was the holiday spirit, or alternatively, the holiday spirits, that had made him more vulnerable, less guarded than before, and in turn had intensified his attraction to Edith.

By the end of the night he'd certainly moved beyond merely "besotted," selfishly wishing he could have her all to himself, to be able to delve beneath the quick-witted, flirtatious banter necessitated by a group outing. Not that he hadn't liked her friends, or her convivial attitude. He'd enjoyed the evening immensely, and brought home a slight ache in his abdomen from laughing so hard.

A confirmation email blinged into his inbox, letting him know his order was complete. The planetarium was in Middlesbrough, not too far a drive. Still, it would be nice for Edith and Marigold to have dinner nearby… It might be too much for the mysterious benefactor to give her another dinner after the scale of last night's gift. However, as Anthony Strallan… And, if he were going to buy them dinner, might as well…

X

X

X

"What is it?" Marigold chirped, crawling across the sofa to lean over her mother's shoulder.

"It's passes to the Science Center in Middlesbrough, and tickets to a show at the planetarium."

"What's a planetarium?"

"It's a special theatre shaped like the night sky. This show is about the Christmas star."

"Cool!"

"So what do you think? You wanna hop up and get ready to go?"

"Yeah!"

And the little girl did literally that, springing from the couch and hurrying down the hall. Edith followed after.

Did you know that Neptune has five rings? Hope you'll enjoy these passes for a more low-key outing.

X

X

X

Edith laid her daughter's hoodie across her lap, adroitly extracting the reversed sleeves from where it had just been peeled off. December was starting to show its true colors, and there'd been extra bundling today. However, here in the planetarium it was crowded and slightly stuffy, with an air of anticipation as soft colorful lights illuminated the arced screen above. Several children bounced in their seats, as Marigold now did, all decked out in their holiday best.

"Look, mama!" the girl exclaimed, pointing to the shooting stars that were now beginning to soar across the ceiling.

Similar exclamations rang throughout the theatre, as the music started and the lights began to dim. Unconsciously, Edith looked down into her lap to check that both coats plus a hoodie plus her purse were there (typical mom security), and out of the corner of her eye she caught the impression of a tall figure slipping into a seat in the back row. Her mind automatically went to Anthony, as it had often in the past 20 hours. She turned to get a better look—and lo and behold, it was him! She smiled and raised one hand in a little silent wave.

"Hi," she mouthed.

He grinned back and sent his own "Hello."

And then the ceiling erupted into color.

XXX

The show ended, and Edith performed her check once again to make sure they weren't leaving anything behind. As she ushered Marigold towards the exit, she was aware of a slight anxiety. It was clear they were going to run into Anthony in the lobby, which meant she'd have to introduce Marigold. And a small part of her worried that he wouldn't like her, that he'd be put off by her maternal behavior. When he'd known her before she was far from motherhood, and last night she'd left that part of herself at home. It would be such a disappointment if Marigold scared him away, if he proved to be a lesser man than she took him for, just as they were…rekindling their friendship. Or whatever it was.

It was then with delight and relief that she witnessed the delighted smile that lit Anthony's face as they approached.

"Hello! I never guessed I'd meet you here today," Anthony said cheerfully. "How did you like the show?"

This was half-directed at Marigold, eyes twinkling.

She decided to reply.

"I liked the part where the stars danced!" she enthused, referring to the second part of the program, which was set to popular Christmas tunes, everything from White Christmas to Tchaikovsky's Russian Dance.

"I think that was my favorite part too!" Anthony agreed.

"Marigold, this is my friend Anthony. Anthony, this is my daughter, Marigold."

As Edith watched, Anthony kneeled down and put out his hand beseechingly, affecting the posture of a knight-errant.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady," he said gravely, before cracking a mischievous grin.

Those kind blue eyes and affable smile charmed daughter just as easily as they had mother. Marigold leaned forward and ringed her arms about Anthony's neck for a swift hug.

"It's nice to meet you, Anthony."

Then, all business, she turned to her mother. "Can we go to the play area?"

Edith chuckled.

"Yes dear."

She and Anthony followed the trail of children trooping towards the science center's discovery play area, featuring an intricate system of air pressure pipes through which colorful balls whizzed, a play spaceship with gears and lights and two oversized steering wheels, and a giant foam climb-on model of the solar system. While they settled themselves on a bench against the wall, Marigold shucked her shoes and made for the model of Neptune—balancing on two of its five rings.

Anthony felt a giddy laugh threaten to burst out of him. To see Marigold literally standing on his secret gift—it was just too much fun. Not to mention her socks were the reindeer ones he'd picked out for her, and she and Edith were wearing their matching necklaces. Even better, while Marigold played, he had Edith all to himself.

"I see Marigold is wearing her necklace today," he couldn't resist observing.

"Oh yes. She's hardly taken it off since we got them three days ago. It makes her feel very grown up to have the same necklace mummy has."

"She also shares her mummy's good looks," he said kindly, "she's lovely. You must be very proud."

Edith smiled the tender proud smile of all mothers.

"I am, of course. Though I'm not sure how much credit I can take."

"All of it, of course. Everyone knows—"

"Darling, remember to take turns!" Edith called suddenly. She turned to Anthony with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. You were saying?"

Anthony chuckled. "You've become quite the mum," he complimented.

Edith sighed melodramatically. "And don't I know it," she said.

"Surely it can't be that bad," he teased.

"Oh no, I love Marigold. It's just—parenting is definitely something that was meant to be done by two, and doing it one-handed…takes a lot out of you."

They were veering dangerously close to talking about Marigold's father, and though Anthony was naturally curious, he wanted to spare Edith the pain of recollection. So he said nothing.

"But I suppose I brought it on myself," Edith sighed, not without some bitterness.

A beat passed. Anthony still wasn't sure what to say, not wanting to make Edith feel worse. He hated himself for unwittingly steering the conversation down this path.

She gave a small huffing laugh. "It's funny that they used to talk of a woman being 'compromised.' Because that's so much of it. I compromised."

Edith wasn't sure why she was abruptly pouring out the quite intimate details of her emotional blunders with Michael. Except that she wanted to. She wanted Anthony to understand; because she trusted him as she always had, to know the worst of her and still be on her side.

She gave a melancholy little shrug.

"Which sounds like an excuse. I could say I thought I was protected. Or that I didn't realize the risks. But that wouldn't be true." Her eyes scanned the play area as she talked. "It all comes down to the little coercions that you allow when you don't want to lose someone. You think 'it can't do that much harm. We'll be careful.' You think you're both in the same place, want the same things. After all, you're in love. And then, when the going gets rough, you find out that's not the case."

She sighed.

"But I do love Marigold. I wouldn't trade her for the world."

"Are you sure? Because I just happen to have a world I'm looking to get rid of," he joked, and she gave a wry grin.

"No thank you."

"Is Marigold excited for Christmas?" he asked, steering the conversation into less stormy waters.

"Yes," Edith replied, "only I'm not sure she understands that it won't really be much. We're not going to my folks this year. But I'll save that sob story for another time."

"Well if it helps, I'm happy to hear that one too," he offered, his smile as compassionate as ever.

So Edith told him about last Christmas, when talk had turned to careers, plans, the future. Edith had tried to stave off questions about her finances, prospects, etc. Michael and Marigold had arisen in a roundabout way, and then her father had peevishly said:

"Can we talk about something else? This topic is giving me a bad taste in my mouth."

"I'm sorry?" Edith had retorted.

"It's just, talking about Marigold and how she….makes me….uncomfortable."

And Edith had erupted in a hurt and angry defense of her daughter. Which had only caused Robert to rail louder, bolster up his defenses and preach about children out of wedlock and proper behavior until Edith had fled upstairs, angry tears burning against her cheeks. She and Marigold had made a swift departure from Downton shortly thereafter.

At the end of the story, Anthony blinked.

"It's funny. In some ways that sounds just like Robert. And in other ways it sounds nothing like him."

"Really?" she scoffed.

"He loves his children and grandchildren dearly. He has always been devoted to you all. I can't imagine him rejecting one of them, no matter what the…circumstance of their birth."

Edith's sigh was heavier, more guttural this time, as if pushing past a heavy lump.

"Well, anyway, that's why we aren't going to the Abbey for Christmas."

"I'm sure you'll be very merry, just the two of you," Anthony said kindly.

"Yes, well…" Edith hesitated. Should she tell Anthony about "Santa?" After everything she'd just dumped on him, it was silly, but for some reason it felt, rather like introducing your fiancé to your ex. Which was terribly absurd. An yet… "…I think we will," she finished simply.

You certainly will, if I have anything to do with it, Anthony thought. But aloud he said,

"Say, I was planning to have dinner at a little place just down the block. Would you and Marigold care to join me?"

"Oh," Edith's face grew wary, he could almost hear coins clinking into piles in her brain as she did her calculations, "I don't know."

"I'd be so pleased if you did. My treat," he offered.

"Oh no! I couldn't ask you to do that! Anthony it's darling of you but—"

"You let me join your dinner last night. It's the least I can do," he insisted.

"Anthony, you know that's not…"

"Unless you don't want to have dinner with me," he said, knitting his brows in a beleaguered frown.

She laughed.

"Alright. You win."

Just at that moment, Marigold appeared at her elbow.

"Mama, I'm hungry," she pronounced.

"Hang on," Anthony said in exaggerated confusion, "I thought you said your name was Marigold."

Marigold giggled. Edith grinned. And Anthony soared.

XXX

Making Marigold laugh seemed to be Anthony's particular mission for the whole of their dinner at a local family-friendly pie shop; pulling faces, drawing silly pictures on the paper tablecloth, even conjuring shillings from Marigold's ears. Naturally Edith was powerless against such a barrage. Watching Anthony's paternal display, the simmering attraction of the evening before roared to voracious life. She examined him, wondering if the Anthony of before had been good with children. It occurred to her that there was so much she hadn't noticed about him then; things that seemed so obvious now. Yet some of this had to be new. This confidence, a sense of cat that ate the canary that made him bolder than she remembered. Like following her and Marigold to Middlesbrough…

But then, she reminded herself, he couldn't have known she and Marigold were going to be here. Her tickets had come from "true love." Though it certainly was quite the coincidence that he should be all the way out here, at the same show she and Marigold were attending… And he fit the profile: wealthy, local, generous, handsome… But there was no way Anthony had access to her financial records. He probably had barely even thought of her in the intervening years, much less scrutinized her bank statements. She was just conflating Anthony with "true love" because she was beginning to have amorous feelings towards him.

"Do I have something in my teeth?" Anthony teased, breaking into her reverie.

"Oh, uh no, sorry."

"Mama," Marigold chimed in, "have I earned dessert?"

X

X

X

"Hmmm…" Edith scrolled through the online catalog for The Tailor's Goose, a vintage clothing boutique for which "true love" had sent giftcards for she and Marigold

From the 16th Century to the 19th, a tailor's 'goose' was an iron with a curved handle in the nature of a goose's neck. Today it is a premiere online clothier. This should cover three items a piece for you and the little lady, as befits the day. Enjoy!

Marigold had already picked out a sweet little plaid pinafore jumper, a pair of high-waisted 1930's overalls, and a vibrant purple double-breasted midcentury raincoat. At length, Edith selected her items: first, a work outfit: a beautifully tailored Edwardian inspired blouse and a complementary high-waisted skirt. But for her third she chose something less practical and a little more daring. An evening dress in a 1940's style; a fantasy of subtly clinging chiffon with an elegant cascading skirt and long sleeves; shot with stripes of glistening gold sequins. It looked like something Ginger Rogers would wear, and she knew part of the reason she was attracted to it was the idea of Anthony standing in for Fred Astaire. Ok, perhaps it was quite a lot of the reason. She was well aware that she'd never find an opportunity to wear such a gown unless Anthony asked her to some swanky function. She didn't move in those circles these days. She was betting an awful lot on her own attraction without being exactly certain of his. It wasn't the first time she'd thought they were close to something wonderful, and the last time he'd not only not asked her out, they'd become estranged for the better part of a decade. There was a decent chance the beautiful gown would just sit in her closet. But heck, this was meant to be a gift, right?

Having finished her order, she closed her laptop and sighed lazily. Marigold looked up from where she was playing on the floor with a few toy horses, enjoying her first day off school for the holidays.

"Mama," the little girl rose and came to plop herself down next to her mum.

"Yes sweetheart?" Edith idly reached a hand to tousle her daughter's hair.

"Is Santa going to bring me anything on Christmas?"

"What?"

"Well, he's bringing all these presents for us before Christmas. Will he bring me anything for Christmas?"

"Don't you like your gifts?"

"Yes. I do! But, they're not what I asked for."

Edith felt her spirits droop a little. "True love" couldn't help her there. Too bad she didn't actually have a line to Santa.

"Well," Edith said trying to sound cheerful, "we'll just have to wait and see. Maybe he decided to give you all your presents early. But hey," she tilted her daughter's face gently so that she looked her squarely in the eyes, "gifts aren't what's important."

Marigold nodded. "What's important is family and friends," she recited. "Like Mr. Anthony."

Edith's gloom dissipated instantly. She smiled.

"You like Mr. Anthony?"

In response, Marigold gave a series of exaggerated nods.

Edith chuckled and swept her daughter into a hug. "You silly goose. I love you."

And then, as her mother started tickling her, all the girl could do was squeal and giggle.

X

X

X

X

X

The next day's gift arrived by special delivery that evening.

This one is simple (and a bit of cheat, as you'll see). Thirsk is hosting a Holiday Faire. I believe you and Miss Marigold will have a good time.

And I hope that you both have a very Merry Christmas.

XXX