A/N: Chapter 5 tells mainly about their voyage to Scotland and about some people Edith and Anthony met. I also replaced chapter 4 due to some minor corrections (typing + wording errors).

In addition I have to apologise that I forgot to mention that I borrowed the name "Strallan Park" from Ladyembth. I was thinking about a proper name of Sir Anthony's estate for some time – and suddenly there it was... in her story. Therefore: Thank you and sorry!

And now enjoy reading!

She'd never expected that Anthony had been serious about her talking to Frederick Waters, but the three of them met in the library the next morning. He encouraged his wife to explain her idea again and then they discussed the solution until luncheon. Although the steward followed her idea not completely, Edith was satisfied with the result. She had a share in the future of the estate.

"Thank you," she said later during their lunch.

"Thank you?"

"Yes, for teaching me that it matters, what I think," Edith explained.

"Of course, your thoughts, your ideas matter, my love," Anthony replied with a shake of his head. "I want you involved in the affairs of the estate. What mine was is ours now. It is the basis of our life and of our joint future. I could never decide everything on my own. This would be impossible."

Edith was very touched by his words. She wasn't used to be asked for her opinion about an essential issue. The last time she felt so much welcomed was during the war.

Her husband answered her shy glance. In such moments she appeared so young. Edith had always tried to hide in the shadows. She had done this before the war and she did it now. Although her confidence had grown during the wartime, she returned back to her shyness from time to time.

Anthony remembered the time they had met before the war very well and he regretted that he had fallen to her sister's lie back then. They lost more then four years.

"What is it?" Edith wanted to know.

He couldn't tell her. She would feel sad about his thoughts. Therefore he smiled at her and said: "I was just thinking how lucky I was to meet you again."

XXX

The next morning their journey to Scotland started. Edith and Anthony travelled to Ripon by car and caught the train to Darlington. She felt excited. The idea to spend their honeymoon in Scotland had been Anthony's. As he had told her, how much he loved the landscape and the people. Edith didn't care where they would go, if they would find a place far away from Downton. She knew that she had to face her family later, but she wanted some more time with the man she was married to alone.

"How are you?" Anthony asked.

"Just a bit tired," Edith replied. "It was early this morning." She smiled at him.

The landscape flew by the windows of the train. Edith leant against Anthony's body. Her hand rested on his hurt one. He placed his free hand on hers.

"I'm really curious about Scotland," she said after some moments of silence.

"You will like it," Anthony assured her. "The beauty of this land always left me speechless. Despite the immense technical development, many people think it would be a rough, forsaken land. Its inhabitants are often portrayed as grumpy and headstrong people, if you know them better you'll find them kind and frank."

"You really love it there, don't you?" Edith stated.

"That's the reason, why I thought we should go there," her husband confirmed.

Anthony tried to ignore the pictures, which manifested in his head as he felt her body so close to his. He wished this train trip would never end. Deep inside, he wanted her for his own forever. This cabin was like a bubble, like their own little universe.

Edith shared his thoughts. "Can't we just stay here?"

"Here?"

"Yes, in this cabin. We could travel on and on. Let us go far away on this train…" She smirked.

Anthony laughed quietly. "I'm afraid the journey of this train ends in Darlington, but…"

She looked at him with a disenchanted expression on her face. But he could discover some sparkling in her eyes.

"But I would go to end of the world, if you want it," he amended.

"This sounds satisfying," Edith replied and huddled against him. She didn't left this position, until they arrived at Darlington.

The train to Edinburgh would go in an hour and some minutes. Therefore Anthony had found some places in the waiting room for them.

"I go to find Megan and Peter and will try to get some tea for you," he said to Edith. Then he rushed out of the room, hardly catching Edith's "Thank you, darling".

Edith looked around. Even the waiting room for the first class was crowded with people. At this time of the day many trains seemed to arrive and leave Darlington. It was a busy place. Edith sat next to an older matron and her daughter. She suddenly became aware of her new state. Not even a month ago she had been forced to speak to the daughter. Now being obviously married the mother spoke at her.

"Are you going to London, too?" the woman asked.

Edith shook her head. "No, we're going to Edinburgh." She had never been great in conversation, but she tried her best to be polite. "But you are going to London, aren't you?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, we're moving there for some time. We'd never find a decent husband for my lovely girl here in Yorkshire after this terrible war, which took so many young men away…"

With a forced smile Edith looked over to the daughter. She felt pity for the young girl, who was flushed up to her ears because of her mother's words. She knew such situations very well. Not that Lady Cora Crawley would ever have done something like this to one of her daughters in public, but it was embarrassing even when it happened in private area. Even the compassionate glances of grandmothers and aunts could be very discomforting.

"Do you have children?" the woman wanted to know.

"No, no." Edith smiled. "We just married four days ago."

"A wise decision," the woman replied. "Better to marry someone much older than to be a spinster for the rest of your life."

"Mama," the daughter now exclaimed.

It was a love match, Edith thought with a mild smile. But how should stranger understand this, if her own family didn't.

"I always tell Laurentia not to be too keen on young men, especially officers. You did well, my dear, to choose someone settled and experienced…"

The glances Laurentia sent towards her mother could have been deadly, but Edith did her best to ignore the remarks. She better got use to it, because there would be more of them from other people in the future.

Anthony returned with a cup of tea and Edith felt relieved. "Peter is busy with the suitcases and Megan asked to assist him," he told her. "Or do you need her right now?"

Edith denied this question. "Thank you for the tea, darling," she added.

Before Anthony was able to replied, he heard the woman sitting next to his wife saying: "Watch and lean, Laurentia. Watch and learn."

He stared at her for a moment and looked to Edith then. His wife tried desperate to hide her amusement.

"Please don't feel disturb by my words," the woman said. "I'm only telling my daughter, that she should better take your wife as an example."

He didn't felt less confused, but Anthony answered politely: "Err… We don't feel disturb at all, Mrs..."

"Oh, your wife and I didn't meet properly. I am Mrs. Myers, Elisabeth Myers from Aycliffe. And this is my daughter Laurentia." The woman reached her hand out.

"We are pleased to meet you, Mrs. Myers," Anthony said perfectly phrased. "I'm Anthony Strallan and this is my wife Lady Edith." He bowed over Mrs. Myers' hand and Edith noted that he made a very good impression on this woman.

"Sir Anthony, we are delighted to meet you and your wife. Aren't we, Laurentia?"

The measure of ardour in Mrs. Myers' voice gave Edith an idea about the things she would tell her friends in London about this – hopefully – short meeting. In addition, she recognised that Anthony became fret. He was even less use to this kind of small talk than she was.

"Laurentia is going to find a husband in London. Do you think she will have bright prospects, Sir Anthony?"

"Err…" Her husband looked so helpless that Edith was attempted to keep him waiting, but in the end she wasn't able to be this cruel.

"The best and brightest, I would say," she therefore hurried to reply. "But Anthony, dear, we should perhaps look after Megan and Peter. I don't want them left alone in this unfamiliar area too long."

"Yes, you're right, Edith darling." Anthony's voice sounded quite relieved. He bowed again to Mrs. Myers and her daughter and offered Edith his arm.

They went away and tried not to hurry. The latter was a bit difficult, especially as they heard Mrs. Myers say: "This, Laurentia, is a real gentleman. You should choose the same way like Lady Edith and marry a decent older man…"

"I'd rather prefer a conversation with your grandmother in a bad mood than to go there back again," Anthony whispered.

"Well," said Edith as they stood finally outside the waiting room, "my decent older husband, shall we join now my decent maid and your young valet or shall we walk around a bit?"

"I'd prefer a short walk to the other end of the platform and back," Anthony answered with a far less burdened voice.

XXX

The second part of their journey took more time than the first one, but after a stop in Newcastle the train route followed the coast line. Edith couldn't stop to look out on the sea. She'd always loved the eternity of the horizon, which was only to spot on the seaside.

"After Yorkshire's endless green fields and meadows now the endless blue sea," Anthony murmured. "I'm sorry, love, that this part of our journey is so boring."

"Oh no, Anthony, it isn't boring anyway," Edith assured him. "I like to look at the water and to watch out for the waves, the seagulls and the ships far away."

He followed her eyes and spotted really a large vessel close to the horizon. The remaining time of the trip they spent telling each other what they spotted in the water or the air. It was quite amusing for both of them.

Arriving in Edinburgh Edith wasn't able to decide, whether Waverley Station was bigger than the station in Darlington or not, but it was definitely more crowded. She tried not to panic, but walked close to Anthony for losing him out of her sight.

Her husband noticed that she felt a bit claustrophobic. In addition Edith looked tired after the long journey. So, Anthony was glad as he spotted Harryson behind the barrier. The butler had been travelled a day earlier to prepare everything for their arrival.

"Harryson, it's good to see you," Anthony said.

The first answer was a slight bow. "Sir Anthony, Lady Edith," Harryson added. "I hope you had a pleasant journey."

"Yes, thank you, Harryson," Edith replied. She turned around looking for Megan and Peter, who cared for the luggage.

"You're tired, dear," Anthony remarked. "Let us go to the car. I'm sure Peter will handle the luggage perfectly." His wife didn't objected and so, he offered her his arm.

"I'm sorry," Harryson noted. "Unfortunately the chauffeur couldn't park the car close to the station. It was all crowded. Therefore it is a short walking, I'm afraid."

Anthony looked at Edith. "Does it matter for you? I mean, we could wait for the car here, if you like."

Edith shook her head. "I spent a large part of the day sitting in a train. A little walk won't do me any harm." She smiled at both men.

They crossed the street and walked slowly the way Harryson pointed them. Edith looked curiously around. Next to them was a fence, behind which a large garden filled with large amount of various colours stretched out. On an enormous cliff right the famous castle was placed high above the garden and right in the middle of the city.

"It's beautiful," Edith said in low voice. She was deeply impressed.

Before Anthony was able to answer, a woman rushed to meet them. "Anthony Strallan," she shouted. "What a pleasure to meet you again."

Anthony obviously searched through his memories for the woman's name. Finally he replied: "And it is good to meet you again, Lady Barrot How are you?"

"Very well, very well. Thank you." Lady Barrot showed a bright smile. "How long haven't we seen each other? How long haven't you been here for holidays? How are you?"

Edith felt nearly physically hidden by the woman's stream of words. She was surprised how well Anthony fought this.

"It has been a long time, indeed," he said. "And I'm fine. Thank you! My wife and I…" He moved the Lady Barrot's attention to Edith, "… will spend some days in Albarol Manor, not far from Dowies Mill."

"What an excellent choice, my dear Anthony! But I have to insist that you both will visit during your stay."

"We will, we certainly will," Anthony gave in, a bit too fast for Edith's taste. "Edith and I will be delighted to be your guests."

"Fine." Lady Barrot looked pleased. "I will send you a note tomorrow. But now I have to hurry. Elisabeth Finch is expecting me for tea. Good day!"

"Good day," Edith and Anthony replied in common, seeing Lady Barrot hurrying away.

"I'm really sorry," Anthony said when they reached the car and Harryson was out of earshot. "I know it wasn't fair not to consult you about this invitation, but I early learnt better to give in Melody Barrot's idea. Anything else would cause a far longer verbiage."

Edith smiled at him and quickly reached out to kiss his cheek. "Don't worry," she said. "I trust your decisions."