She met him at one of her Aunt Rosamund's many soirée's. It wasn't that she was looking really, he just wouldn't leave her alone all evening and he was somewhat amusing. And so when at the end of the evening Lord Dunsmore asked her to luncheon the next day, Lady Edith Crawley found herself accepting.

The following morning Aunt Rosamund asked about him and Edith explained his apparent interest.

"Why yes, of course," Rosamund offered after Edith's explanation. "He's been shopping for a wife for some time now. He was mad about Lady Margaret but she bore him no living children. Now that she's passed, he's looking for someone who will give him heirs, no doubt."

"Oh, I see," said Edith, somewhat put off by the notion of being the man's brood mare. "So his interest is because I appear young enough to satisfy the requirement."

"Yes, I would think so," Rosamund replied. "But he isn't a bad sort, even if he is past his prime."

"Granny objected to Anthony because of his age," Edith lamented.

"Yes, well… Sir Anthony is at least ten years younger than Dunsmore and in much better condition, I would think. But Dunsmore is an earl, like your father, and so has that in his favor." Watching the disappointment on her niece's face, Rosamund continued. "It might work out quite well. I shouldn't think you would be burdened with him too terribly long and you'd be well taken care of upon his death. And if you were to provide him with an heir…well, so much the better."

"But…" Edith couldn't quite put into words how awful it made her feel to think that his only interest in her was to give him an heir. Finally, she shrugged. "I'll go to the luncheon and then…well, I just don't think I can…." Sighing she finally exclaimed, "He isn't Anthony and so he'll never make me happy."

Rosamund patted Edith's hand knowingly. "No my dear, he isn't your Anthony. But he is rich and you will be well set. And he isn't a bad fellow."

And so Edith's life seemed to just happen along, with her attending one function after another with Lord Dunsmore until finally he asked the question that had been on everyone's mind and she accepted. At least she wouldn't be the spinster any longer and she would have her own house to run and perhaps, with luck, perhaps children.

They were married in a small ceremony at Downton and after a short honeymoon, took up residence at his home in Somerset. Edith occupied herself with refurbishing her rooms and freshening some of the more public rooms on the main floor for the first few months. Dunsmore was attentive and caring and while she had grown fond of him, love was not in their vocabulary. She did her duty to try for an heir and managed to get through it by imagining another in her bed. Their son was born fourteen months after their marriage. Once it was announced that the baby was a boy, Dunsmore in his joy gave Edith permission to settle on a name.

Looking into the brilliant blue eyes of her baby, Edith was reminded of the eyes of another and knew what she wanted his name to be. Delighted with her choice in names, William Dorset, Earl of Dunsmore announced to the world that his son was Robert Anthony, named for both grandfathers. Edith chose not to reveal the man she had been thinking of when naming her baby. But in her heart, little Robert Anthony should have been another man's baby because in her mind, that is who she was thinking of when the child was conceived. She knew that to be true because it was Anthony she closed her eyes and dreamed of whenever William came to her bed.

Once the heir had been produced, William and Edith spent less and less time together and his visits to her room all but stopped. Edith was relieved to not have to tolerate him in that way and spent her energies on her son, letting her imaginings see Anthony in the baby's features. He was the source of her happiness now. At times she wished for another child but since it wasn't William's child she wanted, those feelings didn't surface often.

It was William's suggestion that they spend Christmas at Downton. "I have little left in the way of family," he told her, "and I'd like my son to grow up knowing he has family."

Edith wasn't thrilled with returning to Downton. Her family had made peace with her marriage but she knew the comments that would be made when William wasn't present. And with Mary's recent announcement that she was expecting, all the positive attention would be on her and Edith feared that her son would be lost in the excitement of a possible new Downton heir. But she remained quiet on the subject and their bags were packed and they departed for her childhood home.

It had rained the last few days and as they left Ripon in the car, the roads were muddy and barely passable. Edith held young Robert in her lap as she sat next to William, who grumbled about the state of the road. Just as the car seemed to gain traction through an especially rough patch of mud, a lorry rounded a corner and slid straight into them. The last thing Edith was aware of was the feel of her baby being ripped from her grasp as the car rolled over and slid down a hill.

So sorry I've been gone. RL has just been a mess lately. But I'm back with this one. It'll be several chapters and I do hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think...