When I started reading this, for the first paragraph or so it was almost amusing, having come straight from Tonks and Remus's world - and Tonks's head - into Lady Edith's thoughts and life, but another few paragraphs and I was totally engrossed. The blessing in this case, when the characterisation is PERFECT, is that I can see the scenes unfolding in the places familiar from the show and I was literally hearing the actors' voices speak your lines. They never once seemed wrong or jarring in any way. Your Mary is just...yes, perfect. Her speech patterns, the reflection in her words and attitude of how she's slowly changed since we first met her, you captured it all perfectly.
I LOVE that you gave me the beginnings of renewed Edith/Sir Anthony, but in a very believable way. It could never have been a Great Romantic Reunion anyway, as mutual need and hopefully liking between them hadn't had a chance to deepen into anything approaching love before Mary scuppered it. What you've presented here is exactly how I'd imagine a reunion between them taking place.
And Edith. You've made me appreciate her even more. I'm seriously going to have this fic in my head when I watch the Christmas special and season 3 now. Little details like her noticing her father wincing at the talk of war widows but not knowing why; and her reference to "Little Anna" - there's a mixture of new empathy and but still just enough condescension for her character. Some of my favourite lines:
“Such a nuisance,” Mary used to say bitterly, whenever the succession crisis was discussed, “being born an inferior son.” “But much better than being born an inferior Mary,” Edith would think in turn.
So she would not sit down quietly and wait for life to visit her again. Because it might not.
“Damask, I was thinking, to match the roses ordered for the formal gardens. Scarlet’s too bright and crimson too obvious. It would never do to be obvious.”
“Don’t,” Mary said. “Don’t?” Edith was startled. The dark eyes met hers. Hard and weary. “We deserve each other, he and I,” Mary said simply. “Now let me be.”
But just the whole thing. Do share this one as well; it would be criminal to keep it private!
Thank you again, so much. I can't believe you managed two fics in totally different genres, and yet each of them is one of the best I've read for ages.
*facepalm* I was clearing out my inbox, and came across this sitting there and thought, "Oh, I've surely replied, I remember talking to Laura about Edith and Downton..." And then I checked here and aagh! I'm very sorry, I could have sworn I had done so.
Now I did intend to make this primarily an M/M fic, with jealous!Richard forever lurking and pointing out that Mary was hardly being fair to him, and with Edith narrating her own somewhat biased view of it all while having her own adventure at the same time. But once I started with Edith it was hard to switch the focus to the other story, and I did feel that I was anticipating the Christmas special with it all from the clips I had seen. (I did have the get-together in the snow planned, but I'm quite glad I didn't second guess anything else that might happen!) Much as I love Mary as a character, I got to synpathise somewhat with middle sister Edith during the second series after not liking her at all during the first. It was fascinating to wonder what might be going on in her head at this time, to try and write her as both snooty and vulnerable, and to wonder whether the war really did do her several unexpected favours.
I know I have said to you that I was slightly horrified, lol, when JF ruined my grand idea of Reunion by Car, and suddenly swapped to a hitherto unexpected "I'm not worthy of you!" R/T twist. But even on screen their meeting up was wonderfully awkward and yet with some promise of this going somewhere next year, so hopefully I'm not too many miles away with this. Edith strikes me as a girl who wants a purpose in life, and now Sir Anthony may well have given her the ultimate one in himself.
This one caused me a lot more hair pulling but it was also a pleasure to write, so it's lovely to hear you enjoyed it. ♥
I'm so excited about seeing what happens with Edith and Sir Anthony next season (which I'm assuming is a horrendously long time off!), more so than any other storyline, I think. (Although I'm curious to see whether Matthew and Mary actually make it to the altar - I hope so, it's not like there's no room for dramatic conflict within a marriage as well as a courtship! And to see what happens with Sybil. It's terrible, but I'd kind of love to see her as a feisty flapper, even with a child, so if Branson could get himself arrested or something...)
I'm obviously a sucker for these opposites attract, love with obstacles storylines.
You say the nicest things for me to read first thing! :)
Also sharing the Edith/Sir A. excitement. I need a couple with problems to root for and they're it now. Did you see the apparent quote from Elizabeth McGovern re two weddings in series three? JF has surely got to make the most of M/M finally walking up the aisle. I wondered if there would be one last rattle of the Pamuk affair, as Bates is really in jail as much for attempting to keep Vera quiet about that as anything else. Will Mary and Anna be able to sustain their 'more than mistress/servant' relationship? But, really, the most exciting part will be seeing Mary's wedding dress! Yes, priorities: I have them.
Oh Sybil. So wasted last year; she must surely be due a meaty subplot this time round, and I don't just mean being pregnant. Lots going on in Ireland and the suffragette movement at this time, and hard to imagine her sitting there quietly knitting booties.
I LOVE that you gave me the beginnings of renewed Edith/Sir Anthony, but in a very believable way. It could never have been a Great Romantic Reunion anyway, as mutual need and hopefully liking between them hadn't had a chance to deepen into anything approaching love before Mary scuppered it. What you've presented here is exactly how I'd imagine a reunion between them taking place.
And Edith. You've made me appreciate her even more. I'm seriously going to have this fic in my head when I watch the Christmas special and season 3 now. Little details like her noticing her father wincing at the talk of war widows but not knowing why; and her reference to "Little Anna" - there's a mixture of new empathy and but still just enough condescension for her character. Some of my favourite lines:
“Such a nuisance,” Mary used to say bitterly, whenever the succession crisis was discussed, “being born an inferior son.”
“But much better than being born an inferior Mary,” Edith would think in turn.
So she would not sit down quietly and wait for life to visit her again. Because it might not.
“Damask, I was thinking, to match the roses ordered for the formal gardens. Scarlet’s too bright and crimson too obvious. It would never do to be obvious.”
“Don’t,” Mary said.
“Don’t?” Edith was startled.
The dark eyes met hers. Hard and weary.
“We deserve each other, he and I,” Mary said simply. “Now let me be.”
But just the whole thing. Do share this one as well; it would be criminal to keep it private!
Thank you again, so much. I can't believe you managed two fics in totally different genres, and yet each of them is one of the best I've read for ages.
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Now I did intend to make this primarily an M/M fic, with jealous!Richard forever lurking and pointing out that Mary was hardly being fair to him, and with Edith narrating her own somewhat biased view of it all while having her own adventure at the same time. But once I started with Edith it was hard to switch the focus to the other story, and I did feel that I was anticipating the Christmas special with it all from the clips I had seen. (I did have the get-together in the snow planned, but I'm quite glad I didn't second guess anything else that might happen!) Much as I love Mary as a character, I got to synpathise somewhat with middle sister Edith during the second series after not liking her at all during the first. It was fascinating to wonder what might be going on in her head at this time, to try and write her as both snooty and vulnerable, and to wonder whether the war really did do her several unexpected favours.
I know I have said to you that I was slightly horrified, lol, when JF ruined my grand idea of Reunion by Car, and suddenly swapped to a hitherto unexpected "I'm not worthy of you!" R/T twist. But even on screen their meeting up was wonderfully awkward and yet with some promise of this going somewhere next year, so hopefully I'm not too many miles away with this. Edith strikes me as a girl who wants a purpose in life, and now Sir Anthony may well have given her the ultimate one in himself.
This one caused me a lot more hair pulling but it was also a pleasure to write, so it's lovely to hear you enjoyed it. ♥
Reply
I'm so excited about seeing what happens with Edith and Sir Anthony next season (which I'm assuming is a horrendously long time off!), more so than any other storyline, I think. (Although I'm curious to see whether Matthew and Mary actually make it to the altar - I hope so, it's not like there's no room for dramatic conflict within a marriage as well as a courtship! And to see what happens with Sybil. It's terrible, but I'd kind of love to see her as a feisty flapper, even with a child, so if Branson could get himself arrested or something...)
I'm obviously a sucker for these opposites attract, love with obstacles storylines.
Reply
Also sharing the Edith/Sir A. excitement. I need a couple with problems to root for and they're it now. Did you see the apparent quote from Elizabeth McGovern re two weddings in series three? JF has surely got to make the most of M/M finally walking up the aisle. I wondered if there would be one last rattle of the Pamuk affair, as Bates is really in jail as much for attempting to keep Vera quiet about that as anything else. Will Mary and Anna be able to sustain their 'more than mistress/servant' relationship? But, really, the most exciting part will be seeing Mary's wedding dress! Yes, priorities: I have them.
Oh Sybil. So wasted last year; she must surely be due a meaty subplot this time round, and I don't just mean being pregnant. Lots going on in Ireland and the suffragette movement at this time, and hard to imagine her sitting there quietly knitting booties.
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