Merry Christmas, Baby
The following day, Anthony and Edith met for lunch and the connection that they felt for each other the night before had not lessened with the absence of ball gowns and white tails. They talked and talked and talked as if they would never have enough time to say everything that they wanted to each other.
They continued to see each other every day, visiting the theater, art galleries, concerts; all the while growing closer and closer to each other. They talked, they laughed and they loved.
Edith was decidedly inexperienced in the bedroom department but when she and Anthony spent the night together for the first time, she couldn't imagine anything more perfect. There was no awkwardness as you would expect with new lovers, they were just Edith and Anthony as they always were.
He was so gentle and loving yet passionate at the same time. He left her in absolutely no doubt of how much he desired her, the effect she had on him as a man, but he made her feel so loved, so cherished that she cried with the intensity of the feelings.
Rather than tease her, Anthony took her in his strong arms and gently kissed her tears away.
As she fell asleep that night, Edith was literally surrounded by love. Her back was pressed into Anthony's broad chest, her head tucked under his chin and his strong arms and long muscular legs protectively wrapped around her. Neither had ever been so happy.
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As June rolled into July, Edith was faced with a dilemma.
Before she met Anthony, she had organized to spend her summer trekking across Europe. Much as she really wanted to take the trip, she couldn't bear the thought of being without Anthony for 7 weeks. Anthony picked up on her subdued mood.
"Sweet one, you've been very quiet for the last few days. Is everything alright? Have I done something to upset you?"
Typical of Anthony to immediately think that the situation was his fault.
"No, no! Its not you, you never could upset me." She was sitting staring at her lap, steadfastly not meeting his gaze.
"Its just, oh this is going to sound silly, before we met I had arranged a trip trekking across Europe for the summer but now that it's coming up, I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you for that length of time."
She looked up at him with tears threatening to run down her face.
Anthony pulled her into a deep embrace, holding her tightly to his chest.
"Oh sweetheart, that's not at all silly! You know I'll miss you terribly but you'll have the most wonderful time on your trip and you know I'll be right here waiting when you return."
She looked up at him from what she now thought of as her 'safe harbor', his broad chest and strong arms. All she saw in that warm, open face was love.
"Of course, I could fly out and meet you during your trip if you would like? Then we wouldn't be apart for so long?"
Edith was really crying by this point. "Oh yes, yes please Anthony! We've only just found one another, I can't do weeks apart."
"Then it's settled, we won't! Let's look at your itinerary and decide when it would be best for me to come and see you".
It was agreed that Anthony would meet Edith in Paris on what would be the half way point of her trip. It seemed apropos that they should meet in one of the most romantic cities on earth.
The following week, Edith went off for the first leg of her trip and Anthony, well he had some work to do…..
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Despite the fact that they had only been dating for a short while, Anthony knew without hesitation that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Edith and was certain that she wanted the same.
He knew that she had told her parents about him and that they were happy but they hadn't actually met yet – and if Anthony wanted to ask Edith a certain question when he got to Paris, then he really wanted to talk to her father first.
So, Anthony bit the bullet and called Lord Grantham.
Two days later, he was in the library at Downton Abbey to meet the man who, he hoped, would be his father in law.
"Lord Grantham. I'm delighted to meet you."
"Likewise Anthony, we've heard a lot about you. Its good to finally put a face to the name. However, I'm sure that you didn't come all this way just to introduce yourself, so what can I/we do for you?"
Lord Grantham was nothing if not a forthright man.
"I'll come straight to the point, Lord Grantham. I love your daughter with all my heart and I would like your permission to ask her to marry me."
"Please, call me Robert."
Robert paused while he gathered his thoughts.
"Edith has been through a lot over the last year, as I'm sure you know. I don't ever want her to be hurt like that again. You've only known each other a short time and, forgive me, you are quite a bit older than her."
"I understand your concerns, Robert, and all I can say is that I too have known sadness and loss. I know how fragile life can be and while I am older than Edith, I think we can both agree that she is an 'old soul'. Its taken me 48 years to find her, I don't want to waste any more time without her.
I never, ever imagined that someone like Edith would come into my life and I want to spend the rest of my life honoring and protecting her."
Robert was entirely unused to anyone speaking of Edith in such forthright and passionate terms and such, had trouble formulating a response. He sat quietly mulling over everything that Anthony had said.
"You love her?"
"I do. Absolutely and completely. I know we English gentlemen aren't supposed to express such emotion, stiff upper lip and all that, but there you have it. I love her."
"Then my dear chap, I wholeheartedly give you my blessing. When do you intend to 'pop the question'?"
"Oh thank you so much, Lord Grantham! Er, I mean Robert! Pop the question? Oh yes, I'm meeting Edith in Paris in a couple of weeks so its my intention to ask her there. I would like for us to be married before the autumn term resumes at the University in October."
"Well, good luck! Do call if you need anything!"
"Thank you, thank you so much Robert!"
And with Robert's blessing in place, Anthony continued working on the next part of his plan.
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A ring! Anthony knew that Edith wouldn't be satisfied with a modern piece. She was very firmly a vintage girl. Indeed, the fact that she was wearing a gown from the 1920s the first time they met only served to reinforce his assertion.
For a vintage ring, there was only one thing to do. She had to have his mother's Edwardian era pearl and diamond ring.
While he was in Yorkshire meeting Lord Grantham, Anthony went to his own ancestral home of Locksley and retrieved the precious item from his family's collection.
Edith meanwhile was immersed in the culture of the various countries in Europe. She loved the ruins in Athens, the pasta and wine at Lake Garda in Italy and the hiking in the Pyrenees between France and Spain was extraordinary. Yet, for all that, she missed Anthony with every breath in her body.
It truly felt like there was a part of her missing when he wasn't around. Their meeting in Paris could not come soon enough. She knew that after this time of absence, she was going to do her utmost to make sure they were never apart ever again.
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Anthony flew to Paris a couple of days in advance of Edith's arrival.
He booked himself into a suite at the Ritz and continued planning.
He decided that Paris was at its most beautiful when viewed at night and from a riverboat on the Seine.
After making some enquiries, he was able to privately rent a riverboat for just the two of them, complete with string quartet and a menu from one of the finest restaurants in Paris.
Under the stars, on the river, in the most romantic city on earth; this was where he would ask Edith to marry him. It was going to be perfect.
On the day of Edith's arrival, Anthony was at Charles De Gaulle airport in plenty of time to meet her flight from Barcelona. He could not contain his excitement at the prospect of seeing her again, pacing up and down the arrivals hall and checking the flight monitors every minute.
Edith's flight landed right on time and she came running through the arrivals hall, straight into his open embrace.
"Oh Anthony! Oh, God I've missed you so much! Edith almost sobbed into his shoulder.
"Hello my darling! I've missed you too. Oh how I have missed you!"
They were both quite beyond words, hugging and crying in the middle of the airport and not caring who saw them. All that mattered was that they were together again.
They eventually parted and, after collecting Edith's baggage from the carousel, began walking towards Anthony's rental car.
"Welcome to Paris, my love! It's a beautiful day and I am entirely at your disposal! So, what would my lady like to do?" Anthony exclaimed happily.
"Honestly, Anthony, I really don't care as long as we are together"
"Well, I took the liberty of booking a suite at the Ritz, I thought you might appreciate a little luxury after living in hostels for the last few weeks, so why don't we head back there so you can freshen up after your journey? Then we can have lunch and you can tell me all about your adventures. I have something special planned for this evening but we'll get to that later!"
Edith beamed at him and reached for his hand across the car console.
"That all sounds wonderful, thank you Anthony."
"I'm so glad we're together again, I've missed you, so, so much."
Anthony flashed her one of his signature smiles and placed the car in 'Drive'.
Edith was enjoying luxuriating in a hot bath with lots of delicately fragranced bubbles. Backpacking around Europe was all well and good but sharing dorms and showers was really starting to get old!
While Edith relaxed, Anthony ordered lunch which was delivered just as Edith emerged from the bathroom.
"Lunch is ready, my love! Now, I want to hear all about your trip!"
The two loves spent the afternoon, arms wrapped around each other, curled up on the sofa of their room, chatting and partaking of a delicious Ritz lunch.
After a delightfully lazy afternoon, it was time for Anthony to put all his plans into motion.
"Alright my love, its time that we were getting ready. I have a surprise for you!"
"I'm intrigued! And how should I be dressing for this surprise? I'm afraid I didn't pack any 'formal' wear. I'm sorry my love, I didn't think!" Edith said.
"Darling,, whatever you wear will be perfect." Anthony reassured her.
Once they were both suitably attired, Anthony in a navy suit and pale blue shirt, Edith in black trousers and cashmere sweater, Anthony ordered a taxi to collect them both from the Ritz and take them to The Marina De Paris.
Exiting the taxi Edith was bubbling with excitement
"Oh Anthony a moonlit cruise! Gosh how romantic! Thank you!"
"You're welcome, my darling", said Anthony as he took her by the hand and helped her onboard the vessel.
"Good Evening, Dr Strallan, Mademoiselle Crawley. Welcome aboard. Allow me to escort you to your seats." The Captain said politely.
"Dr Strallan, your champagne will be out momentarily."
The Captain discretely disappeared leaving the two lovers alone in the center of the dining room, under the stars. A string quartet, playing quietly in the corner.
"Champagne! You're spoiling me, my love!" Edith said excitedly.
"You deserve nothing but the best, sweet one." Said Anthony, reaching for her hand across the candlelit table.
At that point, Edith noticed something 'odd,'
"Anthony, where are the other passengers? We'll be taking off soon."
Anthony looked slightly embarrassed, "Ah well, the thing is, there aren't any. This evening is entirely for you. For us."
Edith's eyes widened with shock and a beautiful smile spread across her face.
"You did this for me? For us? We have this entire vessel to ourselves? Dinner, the band, everything?"
"I did and we do. I'm with the most beautiful woman in the world, in the most romantic city in the world and I didn't want to share that with anyone." He smiled shyly at her. "Forgive me?"
"Forgive you? Anthony, I will never know what I did to deserve you. I love you so much."
"As I love you, sweet one."
The Captain re-appeared with their perfectly chilled champagne, followed by a team of waiters and attendants to serve their extravagant dinner.
Sitting across from each other at their candlelit table, meandering their way along the Seine, Anthony raised his glass: "To us, my love".
"To us."
After their sumptuous meal, Anthony took Edith by the hand and led her to the small dance floor on the open deck.
"I remember the first time I asked you to dance, sweet one. I thought I must be dreaming, I still do"
"Every day with you is a dream come true, Anthony. You are my life" replied Edith
"And you mine, my darling" he murmured quietly as they continued to dance cheek to cheek.
Anthony knew the exact moment he wanted to propose - just as they were passing the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Captain pulled back the engines until the boat was almost stationary in the water alongside the cathedral. The band paused in their playing and Anthony dropped to one knee, taking Edith's hands.
"Edith my darling, I cannot begin to express how much I love you. Whenever I try to think of life before you, all I remember is sadness and solitude. When I think of my future, all I see is you.
I know we haven't been together long but I cannot imagine my life without you. You are the North on my compass, the moon to my tides and the beat of my heart.
Will you to me the greatest honor and privilege of my life and consent to be my wife?"
While Anthony had been taking, tears had begun to stream down her face.
Through her now free flowing tears, Edith replied: "Yes! Absolutely, unequivocally, now and forever, YES!
Anthony rose to his feet and took her in his arms. "Oh Edith! Oh you have made me the happiest man alive, my darling!"
Cheers were soon heard from the staff on board and Edith laughed shyly, burying her head into Anthony's chest.
"Congratulations Dr Strallan, Mademoiselle Crawley! More champagne!" exclaimed the Captain
Laughing and breathless, Edith and Anthony returned to their table, only releasing each other's hands so that Anthony could reach into his pocket for a small red velvet box.
"This, my love, is for you. I hope you like it." Anthony said, somewhat nervous about Edith's reaction to the ring.
He needn't have worried. Edith gasped when she opened the box to reveal the beautiful pearl and diamond vintage ring.
"Oh Anthony! Oh gosh! It so beautiful! Oh gosh!"
"I'm so glad you like it darling, it was my mother's. I thought you would prefer something vintage to a modern piece."
"Oh it was your mother's! That makes it all the more special! I love it and I love you. This has just been the perfect evening. I cannot wait to tell my parents!"
"Your parents already have a pretty good idea..." said Anthony, sheepishly.
"What? How?" Edith was puzzled.
"Well, the week you left for your trip, I knew I wanted to ask you to marry me so...I went to Downton to meet your Father and ask his permission. I wouldn't have felt right asking you without his blessing and I wanted everything to be perfect for you."
Edith was close to tears again as she whispered, "It is. You are perfect for me."
"When would you like to get married my love? I was hoping before the start of the autumn term? Of course we can talk about all of that when you return from your trip. We have all the time in the world" Anthony sighed happily.
"As soon as possible! I'm canceling the rest of my trip and we're going home to plan a wedding! I want to become Mrs Strallan as soon as possible!" Edith said, most adamantly.
Anthony chuckled, "Whatever you wish, my love, whatever you wish!"
The following morning, the newly affianced couple were on their way home. They had a wedding to plan!
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AN - Yes, I know the prompt was 'Their First Christmas' and we are getting there, honest! I think one more chapter will see this complete.
Apparently, brevity is not one of my strong points. My apologies!