I can't believe it. It seems that my "creative powers" for Edith/Anthony are back. Actually I wanted to write this story already last autumn, but it didn't work - until today. *happysmile*

As angry as I was about what happened to my favourite DA ship in the end, I was more angry about the fact that there wasn't any screentime for Anthony's proposal. But nothing could be simpler than have my own ideas about that. ;-)

Hope you enjoy reading.

A proper proposal

Sir Anthony Strallan felt more comfortable on this evening than he had ever expected. He wasn't sure what really had happened or why he had been suddenly asked to join this dinner after all, but he was delighted.

Lady Edith had tried to persuade her father to re-invite him. That's for sure. But Sir Anthony couldn't imagine that the Earl Grantham was so easily convince in this matter. Sir Robert had been clear, very clear during their talk some days ago.

From the few words he had shared with Edith earlier he understood that her American grandmother had intervened or something. According the glances Lady Violet sent towards him, it must have been the American lady. No doubt.

The evening, however, was a very unusual one. There had been trouble in the kitchen, the Countess had told her guest. But he had to admit that the problem was solved well. Most of dinner guests were amused by the unusual procedure and so was he. The Dowager Countess had murmured something about a behaving like savage tribes, but nobody was listened to her carefully.

"She looks like an old marabou watching other birds catching the better fish", Isobel Crawley whispered to him. Sir Anthony chuckled. An old marabou, indeed. What an apposite comparison!

Let me call you sweetheart. I'm in love with you, sang Mrs. Levinson.

The lightness of the music and the beauty of the evening made Sir Anthony feel vibrant. For a tiny moment, standing there next to Edith let him forget all difficulties, which burdened on him.

Nobody paid attention to them, wherefore Edith used the moment to move closer to him. She didn't look at him or whispered a word. She only took a step closer to him. Her back and his torso nearly touched. He was able to inhale the sweet scent of her perfume. It felt like the room was spinning around; with both of them alone in the centre.

Anthony wasn't able to resist. He placed his hand carefully on her shoulder blade. Her skin felt warm through her dress. Edith sighed softly. He heard her delight in this sigh as well as he felt her body's reaction.

Edith, he thought. Sweetheart.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure that nobody have seen us?" Anthony Strallan felt a bit nervous.

Edith laughed quietly. "Yes. I don't think that anyone noted."

She looked at him still smiling. He was here with her. Anthony attended this dinner party despite her family's attempts to separate them. Of course, she had hoped that the second letter by her father would convince Anthony that he was welcome at Downton Abbey, but having no idea what both had discussed some days ago, she was afraid that she had lost him forever.

But she didn't.

After her grandmother had finished her spontaneous entertainment programme, Edith had taken Anthony's hand quickly and had directed him to the small room next to the staircase. Although the door had been closed behind them, she didn't let him go. This warm, soft hand made her feeling calm and self-assured.

She had been sure about the things she wanted all the day, but his slight and gentle touch of her shoulder had made her head spinning. Now, here alone with him Edith wanted all the things she had heard and read about. She was in love with him and wanted to tell him this and… she wanted to be kissed by him.

She released his hand, let her fingers wander over the lapel of his tail coat. His eyes followed her doing, but he didn't intervene. Edith's hand finally rested on his waist with its palm placed close to his heart.

"Your heart is beating so calm and regular", she wondered. Her face followed her hand. It was placed on his waist, too.

In an unconscious reaction his healthy arm embraced her body. He looked down at her and could hardly believe his luck. This beautiful young woman in his arm was his, his completely and without any doubt.

Her golden hair tickled his nose as he placed a kiss on it. Anthony didn't feel as relaxed as his heartbeat might lead Edith to believe. In fact, he was pretty nervous. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't want to spoil this moment.

"You won't leave never ever again, will you?" Edith wanted to know.

"Never", Anthony replied. "I will be with you until the end of my days."

"Do you promise?" she asked still caught in his embracement.

"I do so."

Edith lifted her head. "If we stay here for the rest of our life, I'm sure nobody would find us."

Anthony looked around. The room looked very unused indeed. "Yes, maybe", he finally answered. "But in the end, I don't think that we have to hide us from the world."

"No", Edith agreed. "We don't have to." She felt incredibly happy. Finally there was something, someone, who belonged to her alone. She wasn't sure whether it felt the same for Mary and Matthew. Sybil and Branson had definitely become an item. Everybody was able to recognise this. But was her older sister able to feel true love?

"What do you ponder about?" Anthony's gentle voice wanted to know.

Edith said nothing for a second than she answered: "I was thinking if anybody else is feeling as happy as I am right now."

Her face was glowing and the deep affection in her smile, in the brightness of her eyes convinced him definitely. This was the right moment. Anthony felt it and wasn't willing to miss this opportunity. Now he was strong enough to fight his fears, his doubts. He couldn't kneel down without everybody noticing what had happen between them afterwards, but he could speak out the one and only question.

"Lady Edith Crawley, would you do me the honour of marrying me?" he asked her with the most gentle smile Edith had ever seen on him.

"Yes, Anthony," she answered without hesitation. "I will marry you."

The kiss, which followed, was careful placed on her lips. Edith wasn't disappointed, but she was longing for something more passionate. Therefore, she leant deeper in his embracement, pressing her lips on him.

"I love you", she told him after the kiss.

He smiled at her with a slightly tolerant look. "I love you, too, my sweetheart", he replied.

Edith answered his smile.

Suddenly his look became sorrowful. "What is it?" she asked him concerned.

"This all happened so suddenly… One day your father told me that I have to leave you alone. The other you are accepting my proposal. I… I don't even have a ring for you."

Her continuing smile wiped away his worries. "I don't need a ring now." Edith was very sure about this point. "The only thing I need, I want is you."

"But", he insisted. "Our story is so unusual. At least, I want to do one thing proper." This was more easily said than done. The only jewellery, he had at his disposal, had belonged to Maude. But as much as he had loved Maud, it was out of the question to offer Edith a ring which had been used by his late wife. All of his mother's jewels were in London. Surely his sister would be delighted to give some of them to his future wife, but it would take days until they would arrive in Yorkshire. What an imbroglio!

Lost in mind and still trying to solve this matter, his fingers slipped into the pocket of his waistcoat. There it was. Although, he never left the house without it, he didn't thought of the little thing hiding there in the first place. It was unusual, too, yes, but suddenly he couldn't think of anything better as his engagement present.

Edith looked surprised at the little white stone in Anthony's hand.

"I know it is a bit uncommon, but I ask you to take this as the sign of my love and my promise", he said. "I found it in a small river in France during the war. We rested there after a long march. The river's water was the first clear water we had seen for weeks…"

The stone glittered in the spare light of the room. Edith touched it carefully and finally took it out of his palm.

"It is my lucky charm", Anthony added.

"I will take it as the sign of your love", Edith answered. "And I will give it back to you on the day after our wedding." She leant in for another kiss, the stone carefully enclosed in her fist.

Many whisper and some stolen kisses followed on this evening. In the end, it hadn't been the proper proposal he or pretty much everyone would have in mind. But, in fact, her love story wasn't a usual one, why should his proposal be standard.

"You have given me back my life", he later told her and he had never been more certain about something.