Happy ending...

.

From then on, Anthony and Edith made sure that they stole a few moments as they said goodnight, just to kiss and reassure each other that their 'good behaviour' at other times and in company was only convention. This solution worked well, and with all the preparations to be settled and all the busy-ness of the wedding the rest of the engagement flew by.

At dinner the night before the wedding, Edith was wearing a peach velvet dress trimmed with purple ribbon. Anthony knew he'd been staring at her over dinner, but it was so close to the wedding now – just over twelve hours – and he thought that, at last, he could cut himself some slack. He wasn't left alone with Robert in the dining room this time after the ladies left, for which he was grateful. Tom had been chatting about something or other, while Anthony made polite non-committed responses. Suddenly, Robert seemed to make up his mind about something.

"Anthony, I've been meaning to say to you…and I don't know how we've got to this point without my finding a suitable moment…but we'd all be very happy if you and Edith wanted to live here after you get back from honeymoon."

Anthony was stunned.

"That's…that's very generous of you, thank you Robert. But Locksley is my home. It always has been. I realise, though, that it would make sense, and of course I'll discuss it with Edith."

"Yes, yes, think it over." Anthony was relieved that Robert didn't seem too disappointed by his answer.

"Please do. I could do with another ally in the house!" Tom's remark was given with a smile, but it was obvious to Anthony, if not to Robert, that it was genuinely felt.

"You'll always have that, Tom" Anthony reassured him.

.

"May I say how stunning you look this evening, my dearest?"

They were standing by the front door. Carson had just left the two of them together, Edith helping Anthony with his coat. She blushed at his words as she was smoothing the heavy coat onto his shoulders, but before she could think of a suitable riposte he had spun around and caught her up in his good arm, pulling her to him. He kissed her urgently, as he had wanted to all evening. She threw her arms around his neck as best she could to respond to his caress.

"My darling" he whispered when he reluctantly freed his lips from hers "it appears you are marrying a man whose self-control you have ripped from him! I can't keep my eyes off of you when we are in company, and when we are alone…"

"That's just how I feel about you, my love!" she breathed, her hand on his cheek.

"God knows why!"

"Because you are the most beautiful, sweetest, most loving man I've ever met! I've told you before: don't do yourself down."

"No, my sweet one."

"Now go home before I seduce you and ruin all Mama's plans!"

He kissed her again before leaving, both of them smiling and slightly breathless.

.

"I now pronounce you man and wife."

Mr Travis breathed a sigh of relief that nothing untoward had happened, and even turned a blind eye to the rather involved kiss that Sir Anthony was giving his new bride. After all, it only lasted a couple of seconds, and then they began to walk down the nave, arm in arm, and the Vicar thought he could relax again.

"I haven't had a chance to say how devastatingly beautiful you are in that dress, Lady Edith" Anthony murmured as they were smiling at the guests packed into Downton Church.

"And I haven't been able to tell you how handsome you look, Sir Anthony, in your new morning suit" Edith replied.

"You got a new wedding dress; I thought 'why shouldn't I have a new outfit too?' "

He helped her into the Rolls and followed himself. The car moved off on its short journey to Downton Abbey for the reception. Anthony wore his trademark crooked smile as he admired his wife.

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" she asked, amused.

"If I did that, my dear, I don't think we'd be able to get out of the car until it was time to leave for the honeymoon. No, I will mark my marriage by turning over a new leaf and finding my discipline again. We will arrive at your parents' house dignified and stately: just what they won't expect!"

"I think that might be grounds for divorce, Sir…refusing to kiss your wife" Edith smirked.

"Oh! Well, if that's the position…you drive a hard bargain, Lady Edith Strallan."

With that he kissed her lightly on the cheek. Edith hit him with the bouquet and grabbed his lapels, drawing him into a proper kiss, at least as much as they could, they were giggling so much.

.

Violet took another glass of Champagne from one of the footmen.

"Do you think she's really happy?" she asked Mary.

"Without a doubt, Granny. I'm very happy for them both, as you should be."

"I've never done anything I should have in my life. I find it much better to do what I want to do, and make everyone think of it as the thing that should've been done. That way round suits me much better."

"Granny, you do realise all your granddaughters took after you?"

Mary smiled a self-satisfied smile to herself as she walked away from Violet's astonished expression. She wasn't really noticing where she was going in the milling crowds. Afterwards she couldn't really say whether he bumped into her, or she bumped into him, but a tall man of about thirty-five suddenly was making contact with her more forcefully than was polite, or indeed, intended.

"Good heavens! I'm so sorry, so very sorry. Please accept my apologies. Let me get you another drink." The man found a nearby footman and procured another glass for Mary.

"Thank you…er…"

"Lord Anthony Gillingham. Aren't you…?"

"Lady Mary Crawley."

Lord Anthony took Mary's hand and kissed it.

"I'm charmed to meet you, Lady Mary" he smiled.

.

It was all that Sir Anthony and Lady Edith Strallan could do to stay relatively upright on the drive back to Locksley. Edith began kissing Anthony's cheek and jawline before they'd left the drive at Downton. Between that and the Champagne Anthony thought he might faint from pure joy. He'd done it! After nearly ten years, he'd actually married Lady Edith, the woman of his dreams. How could he, how could any man stay calm and composed with this angel of a girl trying to seduce him in the back of his own car!

"Do you remember when you took me for a drive in this car, before the War?"

"I was meant to be courting Mary. History repeats itself, doesn't it? Yes, of course I remember. It was during that drive that I fell in love with you."

"And I you."

"You can't have, not that early. You were, what, nineteen? What would a beautiful nineteen-year-old see in a forty-year-old codger?"

"Anthony! You promised me you were not going to criticise yourself or disbelieve my affections any more! I did fall in love for you on that drive. I fell more in love with you when you took me to that concert in York."

"We should have been married that year. I'm sorry, my darling. I've wasted so much time."

"Perhaps we had to go through all that to really appreciate each other. And I do appreciate you, my husband."

Anthony saw the love in her eyes and knew it to be true.

"I love you. I love you so very, very much, my wife."

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Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, and sticking with me while I explored the ramifications of the entail.

I hope you don't mind the lack of a wedding night: there are so many wonderful stories by talented writers that include one. And I don't want to exhaust my muse, because the next story is going to be much, much fluffier than even these last few chapters. Watch this space!