Would You?

Tom Branson pulled the Renault up to the gate of the airdrome just outside of Bridlington to inquire after the men he had been sent to pick up. The sentry at the gate directed him down the line of tents to the Officer's Club at the far end. Once he had located the club and stopped the motor, he took the opportunity to survey the airdrome. The Officer's Club looked more like a shack that had been patched together from a collection of rough boards. Canvas tents were lined up in three neat rows along the area he had just driven through. The sound of the engines could be heard as a constant drone with planes landing and taking off. Not far from the Officer's Club was a collection of green biplanes with an air sock dancing in the breeze above them. In the distance was the skeleton of a large building with a curved roof that was under construction. Other than the biplanes it looked to be what Tom assumed every other military station looked like, a collection of tents with men going about their business. He had heard the planes were dangerous. Up close they looked even flimsier than they did from a distance. It was a bit exciting and at the same time daunting to think of going into the sky in one of the wood and fabric machines.

Just then three men emerged from the Officer's Club and approached the car.

"Were you sent from Downton Abbey," one of them inquired.

"Yes sir, I'm here to collect a Captain William Bellamy and two of his comrades."

The three men looked at each other at the sound of his accent. They didn't say anything until they got into the car.

"Can you tell us where to get some Irish whiskey around here?" asked one of them. He had a French Canadian accent. "We hear its almost as good as the stuff back home."

"There is a pub on the way, that may have some," Tom said in a non-committal tone. Irish Whiskey was contraband and he could be in a lot of trouble if anyone found out he had helped them to procure some. "Bloody hell," he thought to himself. All he needed was to deliver these three to the door of Downton hammered out of their minds on drink. During the drive the men didn't address him again until they had made their stop at the bar. They returned with a full case of whiskey and in good spirits. They had been inside long enough Tom suspected they had stopped for a pint or two as well as the case of alcohol.

"Can you put this somewhere for safe keeping until tomorrow?" Captain Bellamy asked him. "The lads back at the field are going to love this stuff."

"Certainly, Sir."

"We hear there are two more daughter's, other than Bill's girlfriend," the third man who hadn't said anything up to now commented. "What can you tell us about them? Are they pretty?"

"They are my employers daughters, Sir. I really can't comment."

"Oh, Come on. Are they pretty or not and better yet are they spoken for? We're not going to tell."

Tom sighed. These three were on the make for more than just a little female companionship. He couldn't blame them. It was rumored that fliers had shorter life expectancies than regular soldiers and after seeing the planes they flew it was no wonder.

"They're all pretty," he said at last. "The youngest is home from a training course in London for a few days, but I believe she's spoken for." He didn't add, "By me and if you touch her I'll push your teeth down your throat," even though he would have liked to.

"That leaves you two to fight it out over the eldest," the one they called Bill said.

"Good luck with that," Tom thought but wisely remained silent.

When they finally arrived at Downton the household was lined up in two reception lines. Sybil was home for two days from London and smiled at Tom when she thought no one else was looking. Captain Bellamy was busy being introduced to her father and the other two fliers were so busy staring at the house and the line up of servants they didn't see much else. Of course the servants had been all a twitter with the prospect of three fliers being at the house overnight and were busy watching them and trying not to be caught staring.

"We've arranged to take you all riding this afternoon," Edith said to Bill. "I hope you all ride?"

"Don't be daft, Edith," Mary cut in. "They're all colonials of course they ride."

They were headed into the house. Edith could feel Bill stiffen slightly at her side.

"That is not necessarily true, Lady Mary," Bill said. Edith slipped her hand to his for a quick squeeze.

"Oh, the tales of cowboys and Indians are false?" Mary said with raised eyebrows and a look straight down her nose at him.

"I personally have never met an indigenous Indian," he said. "Charles there is from Alberta so he is the closest you'll find to a cowboy, but he's a lawyer in his other life not a farmer."

"And what do you do in your other life?" Mary asked him condescendingly.

"I live on a large production farm and my family owns a cannery. I'm not a cowboy," he said with a level gaze. "When I'm not flying kites that is." He turned and looked at Edith with a smile.

Mary rolled her eyes slightly and headed for the stairs. The one called Charles could hold his own with Lady Mary and he moved to speak with her. The other one, who had been introduced as Renee, was busy chatting with Lady Cora and Lady Sybil.

The men were shown to their rooms and soon rejoined the others to head to the stables. Mary and Sybil were both accomplished riders who liked to ride fast and attempt every jump. They were soon far ahead with the other two fliers, leaving Edith and Bill to catch up to them later.

"I warned you, my family could be a bit much," Edith said.

"We're adults. We can take care of ourselves," Bill said with a small smile. "I'm just glad you like farmers."

He reached over as he maneuvered his horse close to Edith and kissed her.

"I've been waiting for that all week," he said. "Do you think the others will miss us?"

"Mary is too busy playing hostess and Sybil won't care," she said. "Let's stop up here."

They stopped by a small meadow that was shielded from the lane by a heavy line of trees. They dismounted and tethered their horses in the meadow. As soon as they were well out of sight of the lane, Bill pulled Edith into his embrace and kissed her thoroughly. Edith couldn't help but giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Six months ago if you had asked me, I thought I would never kiss anyone. Now, I'm here with you. It seems surreal."

"Do you think your parents like me?" he asked between kisses.

"They'll like anyone who wants to take me off their hands," Edith said turning her eyes down.

"Edith," he said pulling back slightly. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Why not?"

"I like you," he said suddenly sober. "You're the only girl I've met since I've been over here that knows the first thing about farming."

"That's hardly complimentary," Edith said.

"I meant it as a compliment. We have things to talk about. What would I talk to your elder sister about? I would find her boring. You're anything but boring."

Edith smiled and looked at him coyly in an attempt to flirt.

"There are those who would disagree. I was lucky when I met you," she said after a minute.

"That you are," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into his embrace.

Edith was thoroughly enjoying herself and slid her fingers inside the buttons of his shirt. It wasn't long before his jacket was on the grass and she was laying on it. His shirt was open and she was running her fingers through his chest hair. She was nervous when he ran his hand up her side and cupped her breast, but soon relaxed into the sensation. He opened the front of her blouse and kissed her milky white skin and ran his lips along the top of her chest just above her corset. Edith could have stayed all afternoon and evening experimenting with his touch, but soon she got up and started buttoning her blouse.

"What's wrong?" he asked leaning back on one elbow and making no move to do up his shirt.

"Mary will be suspicious if we stay out any longer," she said. "She'd just love to tell Papa we were off on our own."

Bill nodded. "We can't have that now can we? I would just have to marry you on the spot."

Edith froze in her ministrations to her attire.

"Don't even joke about something like that."

"Why not?" he said. "Would you?"

Edith sat back down with a thump. Her mouth was open slightly in shock.

"I barely know you."

"There's a war on. There isn't time. You haven't answered me."

"Yes, yes I would," she said with a smile. She leaned back towards him and placed her lips on his. Her hand brushed over his bare chest.

"When do you want me to talk to your father?"

"Later, not now. Its nice to have this just between us for a bit."

"If you want," he said. "We better go back or the lads will think I've been captured by enemy spies."

The dinner and evening continued into the small hours of the morning. Renee could play the piano and kept them entertained with round after round of the latest songs. Edith was having a lovely time dancing with Bill. She could feel Mary glaring at her but didn't care. Bill seemed to have no inclination to pay the slightest attention to Mary and Edith was basking in his attentiveness. Once everyone retired for the evening Edith sat in her room, reliving the events of the afternoon and evening. She wanted to go down the hall to the bachelor's wing and find Bill, but thought better of it. She would not give Mary the satisfaction of catching her out. She would bide her time and make plans to get together with him somewhere where they wouldn't be discovered.

The next morning Sybil and their father had taken the early train to London by the time Edith was up. The men were assembled in the dining room for breakfast and Bill asked her to take a walk with him once she had finished eating. They walked the grounds together until they came to a secluded spot in one of the gardens. They came together so quickly Edith bumped her head against his and knocked her hat crooked. His hands were everywhere and Edith wasn't much better as she ruffled her fingers through his hair and squashed herself against him. Soon enough Edith could hear the unmistakable sound of Branson pulling the Renault up to the door to take the men back to the base.

"I don't want to let you go," she said playing with the buttons of his uniform jacket.

"I'll be back soon enough," he said.

"Not soon enough for me."

"You think you can come up and see me?"

Edith nodded and snuggled closer.

"I'll write," he said, before they headed to the waiting automobile.

"Well?" Lady Cora asked Edith once she had gotten her alone. "How did things go?"

Edith looked at her hands and blushed.

"He asked me Mama. He'll talk to Papa when he sees him next."

"Edith are you sure? He seems like a nice young man, but you barely know him."

"I know him enough to say yes, Mama. After all there is a war on, how much time do any of us have really?"

"I don't know what your father will say."

"Hopefully he will want to see me happy," Edith said.

"Of course he does, Dear."

Mary came into speak to her mother and stopped when she saw Edith there.

"What are you discussing?" Mary asked.

"Captain Bellamy has asked your sister to marry him," Lady Cora informed Mary.

"I don't know what you see in him," Mary said to Edith. "I found him rather dull."

"Funny," Edith couldn't resist a jibe back. "He said rather the same thing about you." Edith gave Mary a self-satisfied smirk just before she got up and left the room.