Riding
Gifts began pouring in once the invitations were sent out. Edith had finally relented on the guest list and her mother had invited well over a hundred guests. Mark had no family in England to invite and sent invitations to only a few fellow officers in his regiment. He doubted any of them would be able to attend but wanted to wait until he had a reply to select a best man. In this sea of English accents he would like at least one of his own countrymen with him.
Edith was getting more and more frustrated. Her father hadn't fallen for Mark's story about being busy with therapy and the few times Mark had accompanied her on an activity on the home farm, Lord Grantham had made it a point to ask when they would be back and been waiting for them when they returned. Mark's temper had almost gotten the better of him, but he was literally a guest in the man's home and in view of his future position in the family he put up with it for Edith's sake.
Edith was still performing the massage therapy every other morning. When her father had stopped them and protested, Mark had enough. He turned as fast as he was able and left Edith and her father standing in the hallway.
"Oh, Papa, how could you?" Edith said. She looked over the rail to the grand hall to see her fiancé making his way out the front door that closed a moment later with a loud bang. "We're not children. You're treating us like a pair of naughty youngsters."
"I want the man to treat you with respect."
"He does. He's very good to me. Mark's trying so hard to please you. Why can't you see it?"
"I see that he almost ruined your reputation."
"How Papa? By asking me to marry him and buying me a ring? He's allowing this ridiculous wedding when its not what either of us wants. It's no wonder Sybil and Tom told you after the fact. It makes me wish we had insisted on a small wedding. We would be married by now an we wouldn't be having this conversation." Edith finished her tirade and looked about nervously. She wanted to flee and was starting to feel ill from challenging her father.
"Oh very well," her father said. "Promise me you will be more careful in future. I don't want to see you hurt."
"We're adults Papa, who are getting married in a few weeks. Mark isn't trying to hurt me. He loves me. Please try to see that."
Edith went and got her jacket and headed outside. She had no idea where to look for Mark and asked one of the passing staff if they had seen which way Mark went. The man pointed in the direction of the stables and out buildings. It took Edith twenty minutes to find him. Mark had shed his uniform jacket, shirt and hat and was in his undershirt brushing down one of the mares in the corridor of the stables. Edith couldn't read the expression on his face and went to sit on a box of tack near where Mark was working. He continued brushing and not saying a word, then took some tools and checked the horse's hooves before he spoke to her.
"I'm good with horses," he said. "That's why I'm a cavalry officer. I like the way they move." He took out a different currycomb and started working on the mane. "I won't be treated like a naughty schoolboy, Edith. I think I should go and stay elsewhere until the wedding."
"No," Edith said. "I had it out with him. It's going to stop. We only have two more weeks and then it's done."
"You might be able to live under their control, but I can't."
"Mark, what are you saying? Have you changed your mind?"
"I haven't changed my mind. I want to marry you and take you home with me. What I'm saying is I need to find the part of me I lost on that battle field."
He was finished grooming the mare and moved to get a saddle and bridle.
"Mark, you can't!" Edith stood and put a hand on his arm.
"I can't live in fear," he said shaking her hand off and finishing with the tack.
He led the mare outside to a mounting block, and signaled one of the boys working in the stable to hold the mare while he mounted. He gripped a fistful of the mane in his left hand, gritted his teeth and swung his leg over the horse's back. He was still wearing his dress shoes instead of riding boots, but was undeterred.
"Mark, you can't! Wait!" Edith called to him desperately. "At least wait until I can change and go with you."
Mark didn't even glance at her, just picked up the reins and walked the mare out of the cobbled yard. When he reached the dirt lane he kicked the mare into a canter and headed off.
Edith was panicking.
"Saddle my horse!" she commanded the stable boy who had been holding Mark's mount. She gathered her skirt into a ball and ran back to the house as fast as she could. "What if he falls?" she thought. "Or jars himself? All of the progress he has made could be undone in seconds." She tore up the stairs, donned a pair of pants she used for working in the fields, pulled on her riding boots and ran back down the stairs.
"Edith what on earth is going on?" her mother called to her.
"I have to find him," Edith called back as she ran across the lawn towards the stable.
Edith's horse was saddled when she arrived and Lynch was standing by with a horse saddled to accompany her.
"I'm going alone," she informed him.
"Milady, your father wouldn't approve."
"I don't care what my father approves of at this moment," Edith replied. Right now she was cursing that she only knew how to ride sidesaddle, astride would have made so much more sense. She moved her mare in the same direction she had seen Mark go and put her into a canter. When she came to a fork in the lane she slowed her mount to a walk and decided to try the direction of the fields. Mark had been with her to check the crops a number of times and Edith hoped he had taken a track he might recognize. She was past the first collection of fields without any sign of him. She passed through a break in the thicket that separated the vegetable and grain fields from the hayfield. In the distance she could see a man on horseback talking to one of the men loading hay onto a cart. Edith breathed a sigh of relief and felt the panic and tension drain out of her. She headed his way at a slow trot.
"Lady Edith," the man supervising the crew tipped his hat to her before he went back to his work.
Edith nodded coolly to the man and looked at Mark. Her face betrayed her annoyance.
"It looks like they should have this field in by the end of the day," Mark said. "It will probably rain tomorrow. Where are you thinking of pasturing the cattle for the winter?"
They had turned their horses and were walking them away from the men back towards the lane.
"Mark Goward, you are not getting off that easy," Edith said. "You nearly scared me to death. What do you think you were doing?"
"Going for a ride, just like I have nearly every day of my life until I got hurt. Don't fret Edith. I'm fine. We should start doing this more often."
Edith looked at him with her mouth open. She didn't know what to say.
"When we get back to the house, do you think you could rub my shoulder for me. It's a little sore. Your father can even watch if it makes him happy, although that liniment is repulsive stuff. It might do him some good."
Edith snapped her mouth shut and kicked her mare into a gallop leaving him behind.
"Hey," he called after her. "What's your rush?"
Mark made it back to the stables just after Edith. He kick his feet free of the stirrups and slid off the horse keeping ahold of the saddle to keep from dropping too fast. One of the stable boys came out of the stable and took his mount. Edith was standing by the door waiting for him. He made his way over to her and pulled her into his embrace.
"Mark someone will see," Edith said, looking both ways. Her anger had dissipated on the ride back.
"I don't care," he replied. He lowered his head and kissed her thoroughly. When he was done he released her and headed inside to find his things. When he came out of the stable he was carrying his cane in his hand and not using it.
"Why aren't you using your cane?" Edith said.
"I was finished with it in a few days anyway. I'd rather go without." He took her hand as they walked back towards the house.
"Do I need to kick you in the shins?" Edith asked.
"Whatever for?"
"You said if you got anymore stupid ideas, I should kick you in the shins," Edith said. She was looking at the ground. She wasn't used to this more confident version of Mark and it was unsettling her.
"No, I think I'm fine. Thank you for remembering though. I'm going to take a bath when I get back. Would you mind giving me a massage when I'm done. I'm going to pay for riding after not being on a horse in so long."
"If you like," Edith said. "You aren't going to move out are you?"
"No, but I'm not going to sneak around either. The banns are read. Legally we are man and wife. We won't share a room until we've gone through with this ridiculous wedding to uphold propriety, but we need to set some ground rules with your family."
Edith broke out into a smile. She pulled his arm tight against her and looked up at him adoringly.
"I've found out about something I wanted to try," she said. Her eyes shifted every which way and she put her free hand over her mouth. "It's rather naughty."
"Is it now," he said. "You've peaked my interest."
"We could try it after your massage. We just won't use liniment."
"That would be a good thing," he said starting to chuckle.
They had made it back to the house. Lady Cora was waiting for them when they entered.
"Is everything alright?" she asked. "You left in such a hurry, Edith. I was worried."
"Everything is fine, Lady Cora," Mark said. "I took one of the horses for a ride. Edith was a little shocked. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take care of a few aches and pains before the ride catches up with me."
"Yes, of course," Lady Cora said. After Mark had left them she turned to Edith. "Edith you look a fright, what happened?"
"I think Mark's better."
"What do you mean? He's still limping."
"Not that, his body still has to get stronger. He is just different somehow, more in control."
"He did seem different."
"I'm going to go see if Mark is finished his bath and rub out his sore muscles."
"Edith, your father won't like you spending that much time alone with Mark this close before the wedding."
"Mark doesn't care if Papa likes it and you know I don't think I do anymore either," Edith said getting a dreamy smile on her face.
"Edith! What's gotten into you?" her mother said.
"I've got something I should have had a long time ago, Mama. Confidence," Edith said before she climbed the stairs, entered her fiancés bedroom and locked the door.