Chapter 9

It was early evening when Anthony said he had to return to Locksley, citing estate business. Edith's face fell, but he pulled her close.

"I'll see you tomorrow, my darling," he whispered, nuzzling her neck affectionately and smiling as he saw the corners of her mouth turn up into a beautiful smile.

"I'm worried about talking to the police," she whispered.

"Just tell them the truth about what we found, what you heard and saw," he replied. "You haven't done anything wrong; you did your best to make Matthew comfortable so right is on our side."

"Won't you get into trouble for threatening him with your revolver?"

"I was preventing his escape." Anthony replied, "I would not have hurt him," he indicated his arm, "I have a gunshot wound myself remember, so it is not something I would wish on anyone else, even lowlife scum like Sir Richard Carlisle."

"He wasn't very nice to you," Edith said, "if you had hurt him, I would not have blamed you."

"True gentlemen do not shoot each other in peacetime." Anthony replied.

Anthony's chauffeur had returned to pick him up, but Edith had promised him they would go out for a long drive the next afternoon, so that they could spend some time together and discuss preliminary wedding plans.

"Until tomorrow my darling." Edith whispered.

"Until tomorrow, my sweet one," he kissed her hand.

OO

Sybil and Tom had gone out for a drive.

Edith wandered into the library. She ran her fingers along some volumes of poetry. Lord Grantham's library was more for show; indeed Edith suspected that some of the exquisite leather-bound first editions had never even been opened. It could not compare to Anthony's library at Locksley, with its roaring fire and well-loved well thumbed volumes.

Violet sat there, drinking tea and leafing through a society magazine.

"I'm sorry Granny, I didn't realise you were in here." Edith said.

"Mary was very upset." Violet said, "Do you think there is any chance for her and Matthew?"

"I really don't know, Granny," Edith sighed, "What Sir Richard said, letting out the Kamal Pamuk business when he knew Matthew would hear him, was very wrong. If he had to find out at all, it should have been Mary's place to tell him."

"I quite agree," Violet said, "Thankfully not all men are like Angel Clare. But there are precious few decent men left."

"Don't I know it!" Edith exclaimed.

"You've landed on your feet this time, Edith." Violet said, "Sir Anthony may not be an extrovert, but he has proved himself more than worthy of you today. I told you that your turn would come."

"You did Granny, and to my shame I did not believe you. But I won't pressure him, because I sense there are things related to his war experience that he is not quite prepared to deal with yet. I would not have appreciated him, had we married five years ago. I did not realise until he turned up this morning, which already seems a lifetime ago after what happened today, just how much I had missed him."

"Or how much you loved him?" Violet said.

"That too," Edith smiled.

"Do you think you can cope with his injury?"

"Of course I can. We will need to be around to prove to Matthew that an injured arm doesn't mean the end, but then he has already faced the prospect he might not walk again and come through that."

"I'm very proud of you, Edith dear."

"Thanks Granny."

OO

Mary was very quiet at dinner. Edith had half expected her sister not to show at all, but Mary was hardly the self-pitying type. Sybil shot Edith a few worried glances, which Edith returned, but no one said anything and they tried to keep the conversation on lighter matters.

Mary retired to her room soon after dinner, despite her sisters' attempts to engage her in group pursuits, such as playing cards or checkers.

Edith was headed for bed herself later on. She had planned to spend the evening thinking about Anthony, and the forthcoming experiences they would share.

She looked forward to going out for a drive the following day. Anthony had been rather surprised when she had said she could drive. She knew that driving must be one thing he would miss.

She heard sobbing, quiet at first and then more anguished. She gently knocked on the door. Sybil was not far behind her as hers and Tom's room was further along the same corridor. Tom had already gone to bed.

"Mary, it's Edith." she whispered, "Sybil's here with me. Can we come in?"

Mary came to the door and opened it a crack,

"Alright, but quickly because I don't want Mama to appear and see I've been crying."

Edith and Sybil went into the room. Mary sat on the bed, wearing her nightgown.

"I've lost him." Mary sobbed. "He will hate and despise me for what I did. Cousin Isobel says I'm not the first lady to make such a mistake."

"You're right, you're not." Edith said.

"I wanted him to know, so he could make up his own mind, but now Richard has spilled the beans."

"Matthew still will make up his own mind." Sybil said.

"I'm scared," Mary whispered, "What if he really doesn't want me? He will have enough to cope with when he realises he has lost the use of his arm."

"Then you will need to convince him that it doesn't matter, that you love him because of the injury." Edith said, "I think I know what I am talking about here."

"But Anthony has had more time to come to terms with and accept his physical limitations." Mary wailed, "Matthew has to accept that Richard shot him because of me, and that is without having to come to term with the Pamuk thing. That's on top of learning that he won't be able to drive and I can't chauffeur him around. At least you can drive, Edith, so Anthony won't have to miss out on that."

"I'm sure Tom could teach you to drive." Sybil said, "After all, he taught Edith and she drives almost as well as him, if not better." Sybil flushed, "Just don't tell him I said that last bit."

"I haven't got the patience." Mary said.

"I didn't think I had it either." Edith said, "But I had the determination to learn."

"You need to think positive." Sybil said, "I realise that's probably difficult right now, but you really won't know until you talk to Matthew."

Edith handed Mary a handkerchief.

"Come on, dry your tears. Sybil and I are right behind you on this. Sometimes love has to be fought for, especially if the man in question means everything to you and you know that you will never love another man while he draws breath."

"Look at the way I had to fight for the right to love and marry Tom," Sybil said, "But I would go through it all again tomorrow if I had to, because I love him so very much."

"If you want Matthew you have to fight for him," Edith said. "If he won't see you tomorrow, well then you go back every day until he agrees just for the sake of peace."

"But wait until tomorrow comes." Sybil said, "Just be who you are, because we know that you love Matthew. You have us behind you, and Tom and Anthony will support us in this."

"Matthew has enough sense to realise that Anthony is the one person who can truly understand." Edith said, "Okay so he was shot in wartime and Matthew was shot out of petty jealousy, but the end result is the same. Don't write him or the situation off until you have to, and hopefully that day will never come."

They left Mary after that. She seemed a lot calmer in herself.

Finally Lady Mary Crawley fell asleep.

After all, tomorrow was a new challenge.

Author note: I wanted to write after all tomorrow is another day, but Gone with the Wind had not been filmed at this time, I'm not even sure when it was written so someone would have hauled me over the coals for that. So I paraphrased.