Chapter 5: Overwhelmed
Bertie Pelham breathed a sigh of relief. He finally had a moment of peace. A moment of silence. Ever since he had arrived home, there had been one "crisis" after another. Somethings could be solved easily... others not quite as easy.
Bertie had found his small house had been packed up while he was gone and his things moved into the master bedroom. He had been immensely thankful that he thought to keep his copies of "The Sketch" hidden in a drawer of his desk. His mother may have insisted everything be moved, but she knew how particular he was about his desk. It was left to him to do.
Other things had popped up as well... and the state of the estate was needing his attention. Looking over the books, Bertie realized that allowing the public into the house might help with the situation. While his mother may not approve, it might help revive Brancaster back into the place of history and charm that he knew it could be. He would have to make sure the resident historian, Jacob Marles, was available to to do tours for the memory of Edith and her family doing it made him laugh.
Once again, the thought of Edith made him sigh. He hadn't broken the news about the non-engagement to his mother yet... and to be honest, he wasn't sure why. Ever since he had begun to read his journal over again, he had begun to realize that this relationship might just be strong enough to survive it.
Tonight, I am sleeping at Downton- the home of my beloved Edith. When I rang her up to let her know I would be in London later this month, she invited me here. I couldn't help but smile at the invitation and eagerly accepted. Ever since her Father had gone through that horrific incident at dinner, Edith has stuck quite close to home. I am glad that she was able to call me and seek comfort from my words after it happened...
After several stolen kisses on the drive up to the mansion, I was taken aback at the size of Edith's home. It's not as near as big as Brancaster, but it is sizable. Once again, I can hardly imagine her moving to a agent's cottage... Oh yes, Edith drove me to the home. She is full of surprises... and I love learning more about her each day.
Dinner was a sizable affair. We had it in the small dining room since Earl Grantham couldn't come down. As I listened to their plans, I couldn't help but take over. It was just impossible for me not too... no guides, no real plans... so, I stepped in to help. Lady Mary didn't seem pleased with me taking over, but it was something to be done.
Seeing Lady Mary's name reminded him of the newspaper one of the servants had laid aside for him. He picked it up and flipped through it searching for the mention of the Crawley family... Ah, there it was... Lady Mary Crawley had gotten remarried ... to Henry Talbot. He wished Henry luck for he found Lady Mary to be slightly frosty in her reception of him and Edith. Her reaction to the happy announcement of his engagement to Edith still made him cringe... but, she had found happiness with Henry. Was it possible for him to find happiness with Edith?
Another thing intrigued me... Edith went to visit the night nursery before going down for dinner. She introduced me to Master George, Sybbie and Marigold. There is something special about Edith's relationship with Marigold, but I can't put my finger on it...
Instinct had proven him right... there relationship was special... it was a mother-daughter one. While he wished he had time to reflect more on that revelation, duties as the new Marquess called his name.
Bertie finally collapsed on his bed... simply thankful and grateful for the end of the day. He knew now that a new agent must be found sooner rather than later, but until then, he would have to cover both duties. A silver lining of that problem was it kept him away from his mother's prying eyes and her questions. He repicked up his journal and read the next night's entry... which was short.
After Edith said that her way of life is rather strange, I find I'm agreeing with her... This way of life is changing. Women, such as Edith, are making strides toward living their own lives. They can drive cars, own flats and run their own magazines. I'm seeing more and more servants choosing to better themselves than stay stuck in the same pattern as their parents... I can only hope that I can make the move into the future without staying stuck like a rut in the past...
With that last line, Bertie knew he had hit the nail on the head. He needed to move forward into the future. He had already accepted that Edith would continue working after they got married... it was such a deep part of her that even now he would hate for her to give it up. Now, it was up to him to accept the fact that she wasn't as simple as she could be.
two chapters in one day... call it inspiration struck late at night... I have an idea how I want to end this story... but I have to figure it out first... I'm saying two more chapters and this thing is done... after that, I may need another idea...
Reviews, comments, suggestions and/or ideas are this writers food.