A Sunday tea party wasn't exactly the thing, Edith was longing for the whole week, but she had promised her grandmother to attend and the young woman knew that there wasn't any excuse, which would be forgiven, if she didn't appear.

I feel like being on a cow market, Edith thought. She remembered that her father had taken her to a cattle show once. It had been years ago. She remembered being very young then. Right now, she would give a lot of things to be at Downton, sitting with a book in the library, while her father was working on his desk. She had always loved these calm mid mornings free of talk, but full of silence harmony.

This afternoon in her granny's town house was the complete opposite. Of course, her admirers were invited and both tried to get in touch with her for an urgent talk. Edith was aware of the things going on. So, she tried very hard to avoid an encounter. How could she find the possibility to escape? She was sure that she didn't want to marry one of them how disappointed her family might ever be.

"Edith looks a bit nervous" the Dowager Countess noted. "Do you think she'll change her mind in the very last minute?"

Lady Cora shook her head. "No, I don't believe so. Edith wants to be happily married, I'm sure."

"Then you would finally have one daughter married. That would be a progress for sure."

"May I remind you that I already have one daughter married?" Her mother in law's statement made Lady Cora furious, but the old lady wasn't content to give up.

"May I remind you that it hardly counts in the society to be Mrs. Thomas Branson?" Lady Violet insisted.

"It counts for Robert and for me." The Earl's wife was now really angry. "Even you should recognize how happy Sybil is."

The Dowager Countess chuckled sarcastically, but she didn't reply. In her eyes the marriage of her youngest granddaughter to a chauffeur was still a mésalliance. The girl might be happy, but she herself would never be pleased with this serious slip. Hopefully Edith would go the right way. The young women nowadays were so fully of silly ideas.

Lady Cora decided to leave her mother-in-law. She would assist Edith to bring the matter to a satisfactory end.

"Are you fine, dear?" she asked her daughter. "Your grandmother thinks you would look nervous."

"I'm perfectly fine, mama" Edith replied, but obviously she was lying.

"There is nothing to be frightened about" Cora told her. "I'm sure at least one of them might propose today."

That's exactly what I'm frightened about too, Edith thought, while her mother went on: "The only thing you have to do is to encourage them a bit."

Edith wouldn't dare to encourage even one of them. She wasn't fond of being given away to the bravest bidder, to the one, who was bold enough to face her as well as her father. Maybe she should send her father a letter begging him to object every upcoming proposal, but in the end she knew that he wouldn't do this. As well as her mother he wanted Edith to be settled in a good marriage.

With these thoughts in mind Edith gave up. She first spoke to one marriage candidate and then to the other. Afterwards she fled her grandmother's house immediately.

The note Anthony Strallan received from Lady Edith confused him a bit, but he recognized that in one way or another her handwriting was indistinct and in some parts hard to decipher. She had had to write the lines in hurry. This as well as the point that she asked for immediate meeting worried him. Something had happened. That was for sure. Something she couldn't name in a letter.

It finally took twenty minutes and he was on his way to the small park near the river, which Lady Edith had chosen for their meeting. He spotted her at once. She looked particularly nervous and walked eagerly up and down. As she spotted his figure, she hurried to meet him.

Her look and the desperate impression of her eyes forced him to forget all etiquette. "What happened?" he asked without any formal welcome. "What is wrong?"

"They proposed" Lady Edith stammered.

"Which one?"

"Both."

Sir Anthony felt like someone would stab a dagger in his heart. "Both?" he repeated slowly. "And which of these proposals will you accept?"

She looked at him clearly unwilling to believe that he wanted an answer to this question. "Don't you care?" she asked with a quiet, but clear voice. "Do you really not care?"

His heart broke immediately. She seemed so distressed and in need of protection that he put every element of doubt away. No matter, if it was right or wrong, he wouldn't be able to leave Lady Edith to someone younger or only healthier.

"Of course, I care" he said and reached his arm out to her.

She fled into his embracement. This time she leant her head on his shoulder. She didn't worry what someone passing the park might think. He felt that she was crying. Her shoulders were shaking what persuaded him to deepen the embracement.

"Please don't cry" he begged.

"I'm sorry" Edith whispered. "I have no right to burden you with my problems."

You have every right to do so, Sir Anthony thought. It was crystal-clear that he wouldn't let her go anymore. She belonged to him once and forever. His fingers reached for her face. He gently touched her skin.

Please don't look at me, Edith asked in silence. Not now. She was sure to look completely tear-stained, wherefore she hid her face deeper on his shoulder. But Sir Anthony didn't give up. His fingers carefully lifted her chin. He looked at her and smiled tenderly. Even now with her face covered with tears her beauty overwhelmed him. He had missed this feeling of entire affection for a very long time.

He kissed her. When his lips touched hers, Edith rested her hand on his neck. Her world was completely upside down and she was in need for a fixed point to focus. It was such a moment when one wished it would never end. She felt love and a desire as deep as she never felt before.

Their kiss ended all too soon. She wanted to protest, but his gaze begged her to say nothing. Anthony's hand took hold of hers. "Would you allow me, Edith, to travel home and to speak with your father?"