a/n: Thankyou for all the lovely responses. If you reviewed I'm very grateful, and it's nice to see some fellow Edith supporters!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Downton Abbey.
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"Carson told me that you had a telephone call today, Edith." They were sat around the dinner table – would they ever get used to Sybil's absence? – when Cora said this. It provided the opportunity for Edith to broach the subject that had been dancing around her head all day.
"Yes. It was Dorothy Madison."
Mary snorted in distaste. "Not that frightful girl. What did she want?"
"Actually, she's asked me to move to London with her. And I've said yes." Any qualms Edith had had about the prospect vanished as she looked at the expressions round the table. Mary looked utterly dumfounded. Her mother had a frozen half-smile on her face as if she didn't quite know if Edith was joking or not. Robert, however, looked angry.
"You've said what?" His voice was very cold.
"I told Dorothy I would move in with her. Her father has got her a flat in Bloomsbury, but she needs to have another girl with her. She asked me and I thought it sounded good fun."
"And what do you plan on doing 'in London'?" Now her mother had realised she was being serious she had a hostile look in her eyes.
"I'm not sure yet. Dorothy always wanted to write a gossip column for the papers, so I suppose she could do that. I might work in a shop or something – I miss practical work." Edith felt excitement flood through her as she thought that suddenly her life had endless possibilities.
"Work in a shop?" Her father bellowed.
"Edith you can't be serious?"
"Why not? Evelyn Napier's sister works in Harrods. I'm sure I could too."
"Elizabeth Napier has no prospects." Her mother dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand.
"Do I? What are my prospects?" Years of frustration and disappointments were boiling to the surface. "I am 25. I am unmarried. I have no real education. I know you all think that I'm destined to be the spinster Aunt of Downton forever, but perhaps I'm not ready to consign myself to that fate just yet. You've spent all your time securing Mary's future, but you've forgotten mine."
Her patents both felt a twist of guilt at this speech. Edith had been more perceptive than they had given her credit for. Maybe they could have spent more time on her.
"Why must you always act like a spoiled baby, Edith." Mary sighed. "Whenever someone isn't talking about you for five minutes you have to make some dramatic bid for attention. You're about as likely to go to live in London as I am to fly to the moon.
Edith bit her lip. "That isn't fair, Mary."
Their mother smiled placatingly. "She's right though, isn't she? You don't really want to go and live with this Dorothy girl, do you? Maybe we can send you to Aunt Rosamund's for a few weeks if you want to see London. Or perhaps your Father can let you do a bit more driving, can't you Robert?"
"No, Mama, you don't understand. I want to do this. I think I have to. Now Sybil's gone – "
This was enough to push Robert over the edge. He slapped his hands down onto the table with a loud crack and stood up. "No! There is no need to bring your sister into this!"
Cora looked distressed. "Robert please, sit down. Let's talk about this properly."
He shook his head. "I refuse to spend anymore of my time arguing with my daughters about their ridiculous plans for their future. I'm tired of it. He began to walk out of the room, rubbing his forehead. "You can do what you please, Edith. Just don't expect me to support you."
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In the end it was all settled quite quickly. Edith had refused to back down, even after her mother tried to guilt her into staying by using Sybil's departure as weaponry.
"It's soon after your sister left. It upset your Father and I very much. Couldn't you wait just a year ir two before you try your plan? Will you do that for me, Edith?"
Saying no to that had been very difficult, but she had braved it through her Mother's reproachful glances and her Father's silence. It had all been made easier once Dorothy had actually come up for the weekend and painted this new life of theirs in exciting colours. Edith had been relieved to find that she liked Dorothy enormously. She was funny and intelligent and she made Edith feel nervous in the best way. You never quite knew what would happen when she was around. She had also been astonished to discover that Dorothy liked her. She wasn't used to people liking her when they didn't have to. It was a novelty that, for once, there was someone who actively wanted to be her friend.
Their relationship had been cemented during dinner on the Saturday evening, when Dorothy had, very cleverly, stood up to Mary. At the time, Mary had made one of her characteristically snide comments about Edith "going to London to work in a grocery shop." Dorothy had looked at Edith who had blushed and looked at her plate, before turning to Mary.
"I suppose you'll be quite lonely once Edith has left?" She had asked in a perfectly polite society-voice.
Mary had smiled. "I'm sure I'll manage."
"What do you do with yourself all day, Mary?" Dorothy had asked.
"I keep myself quite occupied."
"Do you read?"
"Not particularly, no. Sybil was the reader." Ignoring the sharp intake of breath that reverberated around the table at the mention of Sybil's name, Dorothy continued the questioning. "Do you involve yourself with charity work."
"No. You are showing me up to be quite selfish!" Both women laughed matching, icy laughs.
"Surely not, Lady Mary. Perhaps you ramble? The countryside here is so beautiful."
Robert came to Mary's rescue, even though he what been quite unaware that the conversation was anything other than friendly. "Mary doesn't walk. I don't think I've seen her in the fields since she was a little girl."
"I hunt." Mary said shortly.
"Gosh, you must be dreadfully bored outside the hunting season." Dorothy took a sip of wine and smiled brightly. "Maybe you'd benefit from working in a grocery shop!"
The whole table had laughed, including Mary, but Edith could see she had been rattled. Edith had looked gratefully at Dorothy, who had flashed her the wickedest grin she had ever seen, and a covert wink.
When they had parted at the train-station on Sunday morning, Edith had felt like she was bidding farewell to an old friend. As they stood on the cold station platform in the bright sunlight they chattered easily until the train arrived. As they said their goodbyes Dorothy embraced her and kissed her on both cheeks. "Oh we are going to have the most fabulous time, darling. I just knew you were the person I wanted to live with."
"I'm terribly glad you asked me. I'm surprised you want to live with someone as dull as me." Edith said.
"Edith, you aren't dull!" Dorothy shut the train door and pushed her head out of the little window. "Not dull in the slightest!" As the train pulled away she waved wildly, her green hat making her distinguishable even after her face had blurred into her hair.
Yes, Edith considered on the drive back home, she was looking forward to living with Dorothy Madison very much.
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"So you're really going then?" Mary was sat on the edge od Edith's bed, watching her fill trunk after truk with clothes and jewellery and linens.
"Yes." Edith replied. She would rather have done this alone.; Mary would ruin the gravitas of the moment by demeaning her, she was sure of it.
"Have you told Sybil?"
"I wrote to her yesterday to tell her my new address. If I get letters then you can get Carson to send them on."
"You seem awfully cold about it all, Edith. I would have thought you might be sad to leave Downton."
Edith paused in folding a dress. "I don't feel sad at all. I'm more than ready to leave. I think I did a lot of growing up in the war, and I'm not ready to go back to how I was."
Mary looked at her. "You make me feel childish for wanting to stay here all my life. I should like to be like Granny, living in the Dower House when I'm 80."
"Well then I'll be Aunt Rosamund. I'll live in a big townhouse in the middle of the city with expensive jewellery. I don't think I shall mind growing old alone as much as I once thought." Edith was telling the truth. Over the last few months she had resigned herself to an unmarried, childless life and mad her peace with it. She had even begun to enjoy the prospect of a future with only herself to answer to.
Mary gave one of her rare, sincere smiles. "I shall always invite you for Christmas."
"Will you invite Sybil, too?"
"Oh, of course. By then she'll have a whole troupe of children – the Irish always seem to have thousands, don't they? I expect they'll be bringing them up with all their queer ideas."
"We'll be inundated with little Socialists at the dinner table!" They were both laughing now.
"I do miss her." Mary said quietly.
Edith sat down on the bed beside her. "So do I."
"I wish Papa had never employed him. Sybil would have been all right if he hadn't filled her head with silly ideas."
"She's always had silly ideas, you know that. And it wasn't Tom's fault. All they did was fall in love, you can understand that."
Mary sighed. "I suppose I can."
Edith patted her hand. "We will all be fine, you know. We will all be happy eventually."
"You read too many novels."
After Edith had finished packing, the two sisters felt that it was time for their farewell.
"I know we haven't always been the best of friends, but I shall miss you Edith." Mary kissed her sister on the cheek.
Edith felt oddly gratified. "Thankyou Mary. I will miss you too, I suppose."
"We have been beastly to eachother over the years, but I would like to part as friends."
"Edith nodded. "Of course we will. I think this will be good for us."
"We need each other now, don't we?" Mary put her hand on Edith's arm for a moment, and then she was gone. Maybe they were both finally tired of fighting.
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Part Three is already written so should be up soon. If you've read and enjoyed please review, if you haven't enjoyed then please tell me how to improve!