Just as Mrs Smith entered the kitchen she heard the bell ring in the study. She passed the empty bowl to Daisy, her daughter and maid of all work and went to see what her employer wanted although she already had a good idea.
As she entered the room Sir Anthony stopped looking at the paperwork he had been pretending to be doing and gave her that nervous crooked smile of his.
"Ah, Mrs Smith. The doctor has informed me that Lady Edith requires a few days of bed rest before she can leave. I assume you have made sure she has, and will continue to have, everything she needs to make her stay as comfortable as possible?"
"Of course, Sir. She has finished a bowl of soup and now she is resting. Would you like me to let you know when she awakes so you can go up and see her, Sir?"
Anthony shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I think it will be best if I stay out of Lady Edith's way. I know you know of our history together."
Mrs Smith just rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to go to him and box his ears.
"How are you feeling, Sir? Hope you are not coming down with a chill? It's just people in the village were wondering how you managed to get so wet by just rescuing Lady Edith from the beach? Is there anything I need to look out for regarding Lady Edith's health?" Mrs Smith replied.
"Only the things the doctor has told you to look out for, and as for my state that day may I remind you it was raining and I had left the house without an umbrella?"
Before Mrs Smith had a chance to say anything else he dismissed her from the room and let his thoughts drift back to the day he found Edith on the beach.
He had heard of a young widow with a baby who had just moved into a cottage just outside the village. He had also heard of the poor baby's death but he had no idea that the poor woman was Edith until he saw her walking along the beach that day.
His heart broke for her when he realised what heart ache his sweet one had gone though. He wanted to go to her and offer what little comfort he could but he was afraid he would be the last person she wanted to see so he just stood back watching her from a distance not caring that he too was being soaked to the bone by the rain.
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw her walk into the sea. Before he even realised what he was doing he had run over to her and pulled her back towards the beach.
He remembered just standing there in shock not knowing what to do or say next until she slapped him and tried to go back out to sea. He remembered hanging onto her for all his life was worth. If she had not fainted he knew he would have probably drowned with her.
After she had fainted he lifted her over his shoulder with strength he thought he had long ago lost and not knowing what else to do he carried her home telling Mrs Smith that he had found her passed out on the beach.
The last thing Anthony wanted was for the truth about how he found Edith to come out, he was afraid that she would be placed in a mental hospital.
The thought of his sweet one being locked away forever in one of those places filled him with dread and he swore to himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure she would remain free, and in time he hoped she would find the strength to move on from her loss and rebuild her life.
But he now realised that if people in the village were gossiping he would have to talk to Lady Edith to make sure their stories matched.
While he was thinking of the best way to approach her there was a knock at the door.
Seeing that it was nearly tea time he told Daisy to come in and he began to clear a space on his desk so she could place the tea tray down.
However as the door opened instead of seeing a young maid with a tea tray there stood Lady Edith.