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
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*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
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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.
What a wonderful Christmas gift for wildmagelet (which makes me glad, since she was so sweet to me) -- and for all the rest of us reading. ;) You have the characters and their voices down pat; I very clearly hear the actors' own voices as I read these lines!
Edith's internal monologue as she considers herself and her place in the world is very much as I imagine she would do, after seeing all the changes she went through in season 2. She has found ways of being strong and confident and needed, and of course she'd want to find a way to make that continue
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I'm sorry for the delay in replying to this. It had nothing to do with JF rather brutally ruining my idea of a driving reunion for Edith and Sir Anthony in the Christmas Special, more my sieve-like memory of late. At least the awkwardness of their meeting, and Edith initiating the promise of further developments between them, were guesses that came off!
It's lovely to hear you think the character voices sound right as this did cause me some hair-pulling. Once upon a time, it was going to be an M/M story narrated by Edith, with her coming to some realizations about herself as it went along. But Edith's own story seemed more interesting than attempting an M/M reconciliation influenced by the trailers I'd seen at that time, and writing it reminded me how limited options were for young women like her back then. It was nice to imagine her wanting to find a role for herself in a changing world; a continuation of the sense of purpose she'd felt during the war.
I like the way that Edith coming to know herself better has made her less
( ... )
I love this! A fantastic study of Edith and the way she's changed, and I've always had such a soft spot for her & Anthony Strallan; the way you envisioned their reunion was just lovely. ♥
I haven't quite forgiven JF in the Christmas special for making sure my imagined reunion for these two would have a fairly large snag attached to it, lol. But I still have hopes that the newly matured Edith, and a rather sad Sir Anthony, might have some interesting possibilities ahead in the next series. I'm delighted you enjoyed this, because I certainly enjoyed writing it, and thank you so much for commenting! :D
Thank you for reading and commenting! I also think Edith and Sir Anthony have some nice and interesting possibilities as a couple, particularly since Edith almost grew up and found some self-worth during the last series. Very glad you enjoyed this. :D
Looking at him as she prepared to turn the key, she knew there was nothing about him to give her sleepless nights, to make her heart race, and the old Edith, who’d have settled for any man who paid her attention, had long since gone. Transformed into a young women who didn’t know how to stretch her shaky new wings. But she’d once liked this man very much and watching him now, frowning as he looked at her mud-covered left wheel, she thought she could again. At the very least, she’d like to make peace with him.
This is great! I particularly love the way that Edith understands her interactions with Anthony Strallen before the war, and her understanding of how her dalliance with Mr Drake and credulousness with regard to Patrick have changed her.
She wants something and is willing to make it be Strallen, but knows she isn't the giddy schoolgirl about him that she once was. Very realistic and beautiful.
Thank you very much for reading and commenting! I like to think Edith matured a lot throughout series two, and certainly gained a sense of self-worth and an understanding of what she's capable of. Whether Sir Anthony now will hold the same appeal as for series one Edith, who would have grabbed him, or grabbed at pretty much anyone, is another matter. But I like to think that there may be a future there for both of them? ;)
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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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Edith's internal monologue as she considers herself and her place in the world is very much as I imagine she would do, after seeing all the changes she went through in season 2. She has found ways of being strong and confident and needed, and of course she'd want to find a way to make that continue ( ... )
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It's lovely to hear you think the character voices sound right as this did cause me some hair-pulling. Once upon a time, it was going to be an M/M story narrated by Edith, with her coming to some realizations about herself as it went along. But Edith's own story seemed more interesting than attempting an M/M reconciliation influenced by the trailers I'd seen at that time, and writing it reminded me how limited options were for young women like her back then. It was nice to imagine her wanting to find a role for herself in a changing world; a continuation of the sense of purpose she'd felt during the war.
I like the way that Edith coming to know herself better has made her less ( ... )
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This is great! I particularly love the way that Edith understands her interactions with Anthony Strallen before the war, and her understanding of how her dalliance with Mr Drake and credulousness with regard to Patrick have changed her.
She wants something and is willing to make it be Strallen, but knows she isn't the giddy schoolgirl about him that she once was. Very realistic and beautiful.
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I'm really pleased you enjoyed it. :D
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