Out in the country,

Far from all the soot and noise of the city,

There's a village green.

It's been a long time

Since I last set eyes on the church with the steeple

Down by the village green.

Village Green – The Kinks

x-X-x

It didn't seem like a bad idea when they were leaving the city. Edith seemed t abide by the traffic laws… then they reached the winding, empty country roads.

"Driving rather fast, my love." Anthony observed cautiously.

"Isn't it marvelous? Nothing quite like an impressive piece of machinery and using it to its fullest capacity." She glanced over at him with a coy smile, her fingers brushing over his upper thigh before returning to the stick shift.

"Yes, marvelous." He couldn't help but stare at her. The wind whipped through her hair, mussing her copper curls. Despite the chilly November weather she had insisted on leaving the top down for a little bit.

Edith drove for most of the journey, they swapped when they stopped to fill the tank. Anthony drove at a more leisurely pace, the pair enjoying the browns and oranges of the lingering leaves as the sunset. It was dark by the time they reached Locksley, but fortunately the lights of the house were on and glowing in the darkness, like a beacon guiding them in.

"Oh…" She breathed softly as he pulled the car to a stop.

"What is it?"

"I forgot how beautiful Locksley was."

"It's always a pleasant surprise when I return. More beautiful than I remember, not unlike yourself."

"Hmm?" She shifted her focus back to Anthony. "What do you mean?"

"When I close my eyes I see you, perfect and glowing, like our first night out in London. And I think how could she possibly be this beautiful? Then I wake and find you next to me and realize I wasn't even close to remembering how stunning you are. You constantly take my breath away."

"Really, Anthony…" She reached over and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. "You say the most wonderful things to me and I'm never quite certain if I express the same emotion to you."

"As long as it's there you needn't say anything, darling."

"At the very least I could show you." She smiled, pulling him close enough to kiss. "I can think of any number of ways in which I might show you."

With that, Edith easily moved into his lap, settling as best she could in the limited space. She had a rather deft hand when it came to unfastening his trousers, a skill that he had nothing but the utmost respect and appreciation for. He in turn made quick work of her knickers, leaving them just bare enough for the important activities and covered enough to stay warm from the crisp evening air. Both were quiet happily ensconced in their private world that neither were quick enough to acknowledge the headlights or the crunch of shoes across the gravel drive or Robert Crawley calling out, "Anthony, old chap, is that you?"

They heard nothing until it was too late.

x-X-x

"When I asked you to bring Edith home this was not what I meant." Robert bemoaned as he paced the blue library of Locksley. Anthony and Edith sat together on the sofa, Cora in a nearby chair, all made dizzy by Robert's inability to stay still.

"It isn't the end of the world, papa." Edith offered calmly.

"He's twenty-five years your senior. What is this precisely? Are you a couple? Are you just having…?"

"Sex?" Edith supplied without thinking. Both of her parents recoiled at the word as if they had been burned. "You realize that Mary has sex in your house, and Sybil for that matter. I don't think it's the most outlandish notion that I should have an adult relationship as well."

"Sybil? What do you mean… Cora?" Robert sputtered, turning to face his wife.

"Don't concern yourself, Robert."

"Don't concern myself? Apparently Sybil is… ah… active. And this evening I witnessed one of my oldest friends molesting my daughter in a Rolls Royce."

"Consensual molesting." Anthony interjected.

"Yes, quite consensual. We're a couple, we… well, we love each other." Edith admitted, her tone even.

"In love? You're…?"

"Robert, go wait in the car, calm down." Cora finally instructed. Her husband nodded blankly and moved for the door. "So you're in love?"

"Yes, mama."

"After what? A month?"

"It isn't as though we're strangers."

"No, Anthony knew you as a young child."

"Which she no longer is and I see her as the woman she is now." Anthony argued carefully.

Cora stared at the couple for a long moment, simply observing them in silence.

"Very well. I should go before your father gives himself a stroke. We'll see you two tomorrow for dinner."

"Well…" Edith began.

"It wasn't a request."

"Yes, mama."

"I assume you'll be staying here?"

"Yes." Edith answered.

"Very well. I'm glad to see you, regardless of the circumstances." Cora said, pulling her daughter into a hug. "Walk me to the door. Good night, Anthony."

"Good night."

"You're certain about this?" Cora asked as soon as she was alone with her daughter.

"Entirely certain."

"I have a list of very nice young men, all eligible and ready to settle down."

"I love Anthony, mama. And he loves me."

"Then you'll have my support in this endeavor."

"Thank you." Edith smiled, hugging her mother again.

x-X-x

"They're gone." Edith grinned, settling onto the couch next to Anthony. A tray of tea sat in front of them, brought up by the butler who had slipped into to greet Anthony while Edith was seeing to her parents.

"That wasn't exactly how I saw that going."

"You didn't plan on being caught by my parents on the front seat of your car?"

"Oddly enough, no. That didn't strike me as the likely scenario." He laughed.

"Let's have our tea and go to bed."

"I thought your father was going to kill me when I told him it was consensual."

"It's probably for the best that I kept my comments to myself."

"What comment was that?"

"That he should be happy it was a Rolls Royce and not a cheap vehicle." Anthony let out a bark of laughter at that.

"Yes, some how I don't think that that would have helped the situation."

"Definitely not."

"We never really discussed telling your parents. Are you all right?"

"I'm here with you, how could I be anything other than perfect?"

"You look a bit uneasy." He murmured, pushing a few curls away from her forehead.

"Dinner tomorrow night is going to be an event."

"Nervous?"

"Terrified."

"We'll face it tomorrow." Anthony reassured her, taking her hand in his. "Let's go up to bed."

"Yes, I quite like that idea."

"Don't worry, darling. How bad could it be?"

x-X-x

I see the bad moon arising.

I see trouble on the way.

I see earthquakes and lightnin'

I see bad times today.

…

There's a bad moon on the rise.

Bad Moon Rising - CCR