Understanding

Mark went to his room, chucked his hat on the girly vanity, pulled off his tie and dropped his jacket and overcoat on the bed. He paced back and forth for a bit to allow his temper to calm down. He hadn't been prepared for the scene he had walked into. He still didn't see why they would have all jumped to the wrong conclusion so quickly. He was concerned for Edith. She was obviously upset and he needed to talk to her.

He went down the hall to knock on her door. There was no answer. He tried the handle and found the door was locked.

"Edith, open this door and let me in. We aren't getting anywhere this way." Still nothing. "Edith, please talk to me."

Finally, he heard the lock click and the door opened. Edith had her arms wrapped around her waist and had obviously been crying.

"Edith, please tell me what's wrong."

"I was so worried," she said. "I thought everything was happening all over again. We heard about the accident, and then nothing. It's been over a week since it all happened. Why didn't you call?"

"I was trying to give your father a cooling off period. Letting things settle a bit. I'm sorry you where so worried. I didn't think that you would think I was involved in the accident."

He moved to put his arms around her but she didn't reciprocate.

"I can't go through that again. I just can't," she said.

"You're not going to loose me. You're being silly."

"I'm not being silly. People die. You said so yourself."

"Edith," he let out a sigh. "I don't know what to tell you to reassure you. Maybe I should have called, but you shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"How could I not? You don't know what it was like before. He was so alive and full of life one minute and then gone the next."

"You don't think I know what it is like?" Mark pushed her away from him. "Let me tell you something. I have ordered men to their deaths. Not one or two but hundreds. Do you think what I was doing in the Dardanelles was a game? This isn't your father's war of guts and glory and leading a charge against a bunch of under equipped locals. This war is about going up against a well-equipped enemy that neither side has a hope of winning. Stop grieving for one person and grieve for an empire that is killing a generation because of the poor leadership of a few at the top. Come and talk to me when you've dried your tears and are making some sense."

He turned and left Edith standing in the middle of the room, slamming the door on the way out. Edith stood stock still for a moment, before she threw herself face down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

Mark wasn't at breakfast the next morning when Edith put in an appearance. He wasn't in his room either when she went to look for him. He had unpacked his parcels and the bed was made. Edith headed down to the officer's recreation area where she finally found him sitting playing cards with a group of other men. He looked up when he saw her but continued on with his game.

"Drat him," Edith thought. "He isn't going to make this easy for me." She took a breath and stuck on her best drawing room smile. The men were just finishing up their game when she approached.

"Mark, would you like to go riding with me? The rain has stopped. We could make an day of it."

"Yes, certainly," he said. "I'll just go up and change."

"That's fine. I'll meet you back here in say twenty minutes?"

He nodded his assent before he left to change. He hadn't made a move to kiss her cheek or touch her in anyway. Edith was doing her best to portray an outward calm while all the while her heart was doing flip flops of dread inside her chest. She went to order a take away lunch from the kitchen they could take on horseback and then went and changed into her riding cloths.

She met Mark back by the doors. She noticed how dashing he looked in his riding uniform. His shoulders were starting to fill back out and his limp was less pronounced that it had been just over a week ago. One of the maids approached with a satchel packed with their lunch. Mark took it from her and swung the strap over his shoulder before they left the house.

"How was London?" Edith inquired as they walked towards the stables.

"Fine. I don't want to talk about London, Edith. What is really bothering you? Have you changed your mind?"

"No!" Edith exclaimed. "I haven't changed my mind. I am worried that we will get married and in a few years you'll be feeling well and look at me and realize just how dull and boring I am."

"You're not dull and boring. You're anything but."

"You say that now, but what about later."

"No one can know what is coming. Can't you just relax and enjoy the moment?"

Edith was distracted as their mounts were brought out of the stables and lead to the mounting blocks. It had been raining heavily for the last four days and the horses were rambunctious from their lack of exercise. Edith mounted first. She hadn't replied to Mark until she was seated and ready to go.

"I could have relax perfectly well if you had the decency to call or write me while you were gone."

She walked her horse out of the yard and took off down the lane as soon as she cleared the cobblestones.

"Edith!" Mark yelled behind her.

Mark mounted as quickly as he could and took his mount out of the yard behind her. With the correct boots and apparel he found his seat easily and took off after her as fast as he dared on the muddy ground. When he rounded the third bend in the lane he spotted Edith's horse prancing in the grass on the side of the road. A large puddle covered a good twenty feet of the lane and Edith was nowhere to be seen. His heart rose into his mouth as he pulled his mount to a sudden stop that sent clods of mud flying everywhere.

He scanned the puddle for any sign of her, then moved his mount to check the long grass on either side of the road. He spotted her lying on her back in a tangle of dead weeds and long grass. He dismounted paying no attention to his own safety and went to her side.

"Edith, Good God. Are you all right? Wake up," he said patting her cheek. He could feel himself starting to panic. He had seen fallen men in battle and tended to injuries numerous times but this was totally different. If anything happened to her he didn't know how he could go on.

Mark quickly checked her over to see if anything was broken, then tried rousing her again.

"Wake up, Edith, talk to me. Tell me you're alright," he pleaded.

Edith groaned and slowly opened her eyes.

"I'm alright I think," she mumbled. "You need to teach me to ride astride. That side saddle is useless." She blinked her eyes a few times and put a hand to her head. Then closed her eyes again.

"The ground is spinning and I am lying on it," she mumbled.

"I'm so sorry I didn't write or call you," he said. "Can you forgive me? I'll never go without contacting you again. I don't want to loose you."

"You're not going to loose me, silly. I've fallen off a horse I'll be alright in a minute." She slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position then attempted to stand with Mark's help. He pulled her close against him until her world stopped spinning.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think or consider how you might feel. Please forgive me," he continued to plead.

"Just don't ever do it again," Edith said. She had slipped her arms around him and was holding him close.

"I won't. I promise you. You can come with me wherever I go. I don't think you're boring. I like how you think and how you are. You're everything to me. How could that be dull?"

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Very well then, I'll forgive you on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You teach me to ride astride."

"I think that can be arranged," he said before he kissed her deeply.

He released her slowly to make sure she could stand on her own before he went to catch their horses that were now busily munching grass beside the lane. Edith went to wait by her horse for him to help her mount.

"You're not riding side saddle," he said.

"Then how do you expect me to get back? It's a long way."

"On my horse."

"Mark!"

He grabbed the hem of her dress and ripped it up towards the waist so she could get her leg over the saddle.

"Don't argue." Once he had boosted her onto the horses back, Mark placed his left foot in the stirrup and swung up behind her just behind the saddle. His left arm circled Edith as he took the reigns.

"Consider this your first lesson," he said as they headed back towards the stable with her mount at the lead. They were almost back to the stable when one of the stable boys spotted the two of them covered in mud and started walking up the lane to retrieve Edith's horse.

"Still love me?" Mark whispered in her ear.

"Till we're old and grey," Edith replied.

"Till we're old and grey," he whispered into her ear.

the end