A/N: More fluff to come, but first our girl will have to fight the dragon. Enjoy!
On her way to the talk with Mrs. Craig Edith left the hall and went downstairs to the kitchen. After half of the stairs she heard people chatter.
"I think," a woman's voice said, "she far too young for this house. I'm not sure what the master thought about marrying such an inexperienced, young woman."
Edith stopped her walk down. The servants were obviously talking about her.
"But she grew up in a large house," Megan was to hear. Her slight Irish accent was well known to her mistress. "I know her a bit and I'm sure she'll manage."
"A large house, yes, but with a lot of staff to work for them," the former female voice replied. "None of these Crawleys has to do much, but just lives for the day."
Still hidden in the dark of the stairs, Edith blushed. It was so unfair to hear them saying this after all the things her family had done during the war. These people knew neither her, nor her family, but were gossiping about them. She felt angry.
"You should stop talk like this," a younger, male voice answered. "Someone could here you." This voice had to belong to the young footman. He wasn't like Thomas, but he also didn't fit the image of William that Edith had still fresh in her mind. Daniel was somehow a mixture of both.
"I don't mind," the female voice replied. "I'm always saying, what I've got in mind."
Enough is enough, Edith thought. She didn't want to be caught eavesdropping. So, she hurried light-footed upstairs, opened the door again and closed it with a clear noise. Then she stepped downstairs again.
"Good day," she greeted as she entered the servants hall. "I hope everyone is fine."
"Yes, Milady," was the common answer. The women curtsied and the two men in the room jumped up from their chairs to bow immediately.
"You asked for a talk, Mrs. Craig." Edith turned her attendance to the elderly woman she remembered to be introduced to her as the cook. "Can we discuss your questions here?"
"As you wish, Milady," Mrs. Craig said in return.
Daniel, the footman, hurried to offer Edith a chair. She sat down, smiled polite and offered Mrs. Craig the place next to her. She was still angry about the gossip, but tried to hide this.
"I better go to ask Mr. Harryson, if somewhere my help is requested," Daniel murmured and fled the room.
"And I think, I should watch after the motor," the other man, being the chauffeur, added.
After the two men leaving only Edith, Mrs. Craig and Megan remained in the room. Her maid was busy with some needle work, Edith recognised. She was sitting on the other end of the long table, watching the two other women from the corners of her eyes. Edith was very thankful knowing her in the room, too. She trusted the maid more than she had known until this moment.
"So, Mrs. Craig," Edith finally started again, "what do you need to know?"
The cook eyed the young lady up and down. Than she said: "It's about the plans for this week and for the days, when you'll return from Scotland. Are there any changes in the food planning so far, Milady?"
Edith shook her head. "Not at all, Mrs. Craig. My husband relies on your skills for such a long time. So, I'm sure, your planning for the next days will be perfectly fine. Regarding the plans after our journey please tell me how far in advance you need to knows about my ideas."
Mrs. Craig shrugged her shoulder slightly. "Two weeks in advance might be sufficient," she said aloud. She wasn't use to have someone in house she had to share her ideas about dinners or food with. Sir Anthony had always left these decisions to her – and had been satisfied with this every time.
Her counterpart nodded. "Very well," the young lady said, "I'll send a message in due course before our return."
"I'm planning to cook Sir Anthony's favourite dish tomorrow. Do you mind, if I do so, Milady?" Mrs. Craig smiled over-polite.
Edith hesitated. Actually, she had no idea, what her husband's favourite dish was. There was a fleeting memory about a certain dessert, not more. She had to ask him later, but now she wasn't willing to leave herself wide open. "No, Mrs. Craig, thank you. That sounds very promising for me."
"Fine." The cook looked pleased. "And will you entertain, Milady? After your return, I mean."
"Certainly we will entertain," Edith replied. They would surely invite her parents, her family later. "But there aren't any fixed plans so far. I'll also let you know this as soon as possible."
"And what about the regular dinner guests? Will they call as usual?" The look on Lady Edith face satisfied Mrs. Craig.
"The regular dinner guests?" Edith had no idea, what the other woman was talking about. Of course, Anthony had his own friends. Some of them she had met before the war and, of course, they would entertain them, too, but she never thought about entertaining them on a regular basis before. She struggled for a moment. Then she faced Mrs. Craig's eyes. "I think I have to talk with my husband about this matter. You'll hear about this soonest."
Their little struggle exhausted both women. Edith thought she did well, not perfectly, but well. "Is there any further question we have to discuss?" she asked politely.
"So far, all my questions are answered," Mrs. Craig replied.
"Very well. Growing up in Downton Abbey, I have to confess that I'm used to a housekeeper managing most of the household, but I'm pretty sure, Mrs. Craig, that we both will manage this household in harmony. I want my husband to be proud of his home and I'm sure, we will be able to do so." Edith rose from the chair, nodded first to Mrs. Craig and then to Megan with smile, before she left the servants hall with her head held high.
XXX
Anthony Strallan had decided to show his wife the fields of their estate and the tenants' homes first. It was a lovely day and he'd love to go for a run with horse and carriage. He could handle the cart with one hand only - he was used to it now - and didn't therefore depend on the chauffeur or on Edith to drive the car.
Edith had been sold on his idea at once. She was excited about every moment she was able to spend with him alone on their first day as married couple. "Everything done?" she asked him referring to the letters, which had arrived in the morning.
"Yes," he replied, "everything is perfectly done and finished. How was your conversation with Mrs. Craig?"
"I think I did well. Maybe she was trying to test me. I hope I passed that test." Edith made a face.
Her husband laughed. "I'm sure you did." He kissed her cheek. It felt so right to be there out in the sunshine. He couldn't imagine how it would be without her, his dearly loved wonderful wife. Deep inside him he still felt guilty of his former reluctance of a marriage, even a deeper relationship between them. It was only thank of her stubbornness and her belief in her true feelings that their wedded bliss was now possible.
He sighed.
"Is everything all right?" Edith asked tenderly.
"Yes, it is, my love," he told her. "I'm only a bit sentimental."
"You are allowed to be," she answered. Her body was leaned against his. They sat very close at the carriage's bench. He smelled the scent of her hair, the note of her perfume. Everything was perfect and he begged that this would never change.
"Anthony…"
"Hmm."
"Anthony, what is your favourite dish?" Edith demanded to know.
He laughed. "My favourite dish? Why do you ask?"
"I only want to know." His wife wasn't willing to reveal the reason.
"Very well, my favourite dish is kidneys in sour sauce." The sound Edith made in answer to this information, made her husband laugh ever louder. "So, dear, tell me the reason for this question… please."
Edith shook her head, but the expression of her face was a desperate one. She was slightly blushed and looked so sweet that he couldn't help, but to kiss her. But not even this got her to respond to.
Finally he found the answer by himself. "Let me guess," he started. "Mrs. Craig told you that she would prepare my favourite dish."
She nodded. "For tomorrow's dinner," she confirmed.
"But, Edith dear, when you tell her to cook something else for you instead, I'm sure, she will pleased to do so. You're the lady of the house. You make the rules."
Edith shook her head a second time.
"I see," he guessed. "She told you, she would do so, and you confirmed not knowing what she would prepare for tomorrow's dinner."
"Yes," his wife confirmed. "It would be a great victory for her, if I would now ask for something else."
Anthony found his wife very young is this moment. Wherefore her life had been always a fight until now, a permanent struggle with her sisters, she was still prepared to contest for everything. He had to teach her carefully that life was different know.
"Fine," he answered still smiling. "Perhaps you should try tomorrow and maybe you'll find out that Mrs. Craig's way for this dish is very tasteful. Is there anything else?"
"Yes," she admitted. "Please tell me about your friends, who you're entertaining regularly. I didn't know about this either…"