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Edith Crawley

FACE-CLAIM: Laura Carmichael

STATUS: semi-active

ORIENTATION: panromantic bisexual

BIOGRAPHY:

Edith Josephine Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham (née Crawley; born 1892) is the second daughter of Robert and Cora Crawley, sister of Lady Mary Talbot and the late Lady Sybil Branson, granddaughter of Violet Crawley, sister-in-law of Tom Branson, Henry Talbot, and the late Matthew Crawley; and the aunt to her nephew, George Crawley and her nieces, Sybbie Branson and Caroline Talbot.

Her father's sister, Lady Rosamund Painswick and her deceased husband Marmaduke Painswick are Edith's aunt and uncle. Also, her mother's brother, Harold Levinson, is her uncle. She is second cousins with Lady Rose Aldridge, Rose's sister Lady Annabelle and James MacClare, Earl of Newtonmore, and her second cousin-in-law is Rose's husband Atticus Aldridge, and her first-cousin-once-removed is Rose's mother, Susan MacClare, wife of Hugh MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire.

In 1925, she married Herbert "Bertie" Pelham, 7th Marquess of Hexham. As the Marchioness of Hexham she outranks the female members of her immediate family, including her mother. She has a daughter, Marigold, by her deceased lover, Michael Gregson, and in 1927 she revealed she was pregnant with Bertie's child.

Edith has strawberry blonde waves, delicate lips, a light complexion, a long nose, and a slim figure. Although she is not considered as beautiful as her sisters, Mary Talbot and Sybil Branson, and her second cousin, Rose Aldridge, she is always glamorous and fashionable.

Edith's greatest struggle in life has been to stand out and be appreciated for her own talents. Of four prospective romantic relationships (Patrick, Strallan, Gregson and Bertie Pelham), each failed to materialize into something happy or lasting, until Bertie Pelham. It has gotten to the point where she is described as 'Poor Edith,' due to the amount of suffering and heartache she goes through. However, this finally ended when Edith married Bertie Pelham, the new Marquess of Hexham when he apologized for his behaviour and asked her to give him another chance. Years of resentment have built a fierce rivalry between her and her sister Mary to whom she displays her mean, jealous, and cruel side.

However, Edith is a survivor (if something of a notoriously bad planner) and she continues to dream of a life filled with love and a family of her own and remains in pursuit of that. While concerned about class distinctions, like every woman of her status in that era would be, Edith has never let them stop her, in between attempts to help others or prove her worth. She learns how to drive and volunteers at the Drake family farm, tends to the wounded as head of non-medical welfare when Downton Abbey is a convalescent home, fought to have William Mason brought to Downton and then attended to him in his dying days, and wrote a popular editorial column before eventually running the magazine despite protests from her family. Years of change and loss have seen a softening of Lady Edith. She is less snobbish and more devoted to her family, even going as far as to make greater efforts to have a happier relationship with Mary which they do to some extent.

After taking over The Sketch magazine business, she has become much more independent and involved with affairs outside Downton Abbey. Due to disagreements with her chief editor, she has learned to be more assertive and more savvy about the business world.

Lady Edith Crawley is the second daughter to Lord and Lady Grantham, born in 1892. During the first series Edith is often said to be the "forgotten" one. This is because she was seen not to be as pretty and smooth-talking as her older sister Mary and less daring and passionate than Sybil, the youngest. Her rivalry with Mary is further fueled by the fact that Edith genuinely loved the dead heir, Patrick, but she stood no chance to win his affection once the beautiful Mary decided to pursue him. Everyone favoured the engagement to keep the money in the immediate family, despite the fact that Mary was no more than fond of Patrick. After initially trying to woo Matthew Crawley, she begins a relationship with Sir Anthony Strallan. Towards the end of series one he is on the verge of asking for her hand, but changes his mind when Mary implies that Edith was simply leading him on for her own amusement. At the time Anthony Strallan seemed to be Edith's last chance at making a successful marriage, and Mary intentionally intervened in revenge, because Edith had written a letter to the Turkish Embassy in London informing them about the exact nature of their attaché's death in Mary's bed.

During the Great War, Edith steps out of her comfort zone. She was the first of the Crawley family to learn how to drive an automobile, taking lessons from the family chauffeur Tom Branson. Upon the outbreak of the First World War Edith uses her driving skills to work on a local farm driving tractors, much to the bemusement and gratitude of the farmer. She starts a relationship with him, eventually sharing a kiss, although his wife is an unknown spectator to their embrace. She receives a letter shortly after this saying that her services will not be needed at their farm anymore. Edith is at first saddened by this, because she felt she had a purpose working on the farm. She decides to ask her sister Sybil what to do about her situation and Sybil encourages her to work as a convalescent helper. She is cheered by this, although it exposes her to the horrors of war firsthand while helping Sybil and the nurses care for the wounded soldiers. As a result, she becomes more sympathetic and is commended by a visiting general Matthew brought back to Downton while on leave. When an injured veteran claiming to be the late Patrick Crawley comes to Downton to convalesce, Edith believes his story. He tells her he always knew she loved him and wants to marry her once the family accepts him again. Edith believes "Patrick" whereas most in her family do not. When Patrick suddenly leaves, he leaves her a note that reads: "Dear Edith, it was too difficult. I am sorry. P. Gordon." She cries that they drove him away by not believing him.

After the war ended, she tries to resume a relationship with Sir Anthony Strallan, but he refuses as he sustained a severe injury that rendered one of his arms useless and does not want to tie her down to a disabled veteran.

Sir Anthony Strallan eventually proposes to Lady Edith and they become engaged. Some of the family doesn't really approve of the marriage, but they allow it for Edith's happiness. They are set to marry but Anthony has second thoughts and jilts her at the altar, leaving Edith devastated, believing she is destined to the life of a spinster. However, soon after, she receives a very interesting proposition to write in a newspaper. Her family of course do not approve with the exception of Matthew and Tom. She wants to move on and make something of her life, so she accepts an offer from the editor of the Sketch, Michael Gregson, to write in a regular column on issues which modern women are faced with. It soon becomes clear that Gregson is attracted to her. However, it is revealed that he is married to a woman who has been confined for years to a mental asylum due to insanity without any chance of divorce. On learning about this, Edith wants to resign her new position but reconsiders after he pleads with her to stay on.

When the family goes on vacation to Scotland, Michael makes the decision to follow Edith. He stays not too far away from Duneagle Castle, claiming he is attending a sketching and fishing holiday which causes Mary and Matthew to become quite wary of him. Cora and Robert decide to invite Gregson to dinner at the castle because Cora expresses a desire to meet him. At this dinner, Edith asks Michael why he is there, causing him to profess his love for her and that the reason he followed is because he wants her family to accept him. She tells him she does not see a happy ending for them. After an afternoon fishing with Matthew, he determines that Michael's love is good and honest and he and Mary agree that they think he is going to propose. However, upon discovering that Michael has an insane wife who he cannot divorce, he decides Michael is wrong to pursue Edith and tells him to say his last farewell to her that evening. He does so but is surprised when Edith tells him she doesn't want this to be their last evening together because she does love him.

In the six months which followed the trip to Scotland, Michael and Edith had grown closer. On Valentine's day, he sent Edith a card and invited her to attend a party in London with him in order to introduce her to his literary friends. He met her at the railway station. At the party, Edith and Michael, during a moment together, almost kiss before another guest interrupts them.

She later attends dinner alone with him at the Criterion where he tells her some of his plans to get a divorce. He tells her that, in Germany, he can be granted a divorce on the grounds that his spouse is mentally ill. This means he would have to become a citizen of Germany. Edith seemed surprised to hear that Michael would be willing to move countries for her and become German for her, especially so soon after the Great War. They then kiss without worry of being seen in the restaurant

Before Edith left London to return to Downton, Michael tells her although he has begun the long process of becoming a German citizen, he also wishes to try and gain her father's approval before their marriage because he thinks this is the only way they can have a future together. She suggests he visit Downton but he is a little worried about that. She suggests he attend an upcoming party at Downton, which he agrees to do. While he is there, she tries to encourage her father to talk to him more. Later, as Michael prepares to leave for Munich to finalize his citizenship change and divorce, she signs a document he gives her, entitling her to more control over his own assets. He starts kissing her, and she ultimately does not resist. They spend the night together.

Unfortunately, her Aunt, Lady Rosamund Painswick confronts her after her maid spots Edith returning to the house at six in the morning. Edith defends Michael and insists she trusts him, and is upset when Rosamund reminds her of what happened between her and Sir Anthony Strallan. Edith is upset by this, saying it was unkind. She also does not feel sorry for her night with Michael, but Rosamund warns her that one day she may be sorry, because, she insists, not everything will change.

But after Michael leaves for Germany, time goes by and Edith receives no word from him and has no idea what has become of him. Her mother at first remarks he is probably busy. Her father is certain Michael will be fine, both he and Violet ultimately telling her to be patient. Nevertheless, Edith loses hope of seeing Michael again, but she still wants to know what happened to him.

Edith has lied to her mother about why Michael has gone to Germany, remarking he was sight-seeing. She later makes a secret trip to London to see a Dr Goldman. Later, as Edith's worries intensify, Cora assures her daughter that if something terrible had happened they would have heard by now. Then one night Edith receives a letter in the evening post from Dr Goldman.

She realizes she is pregnant with Michael's child. Robert tries to comfort her later when he finds her distraught. But she pushes him away, insisting that whatever he might say about his love for her, that she was never loved as much by him as her sisters. Rosamund later asks her what is troubling her. Edith confesses the truth, including that she has been considering getting an abortion for fear of becoming an outcast, despite loving Michael still and having wanted this child. She goes to the clinic with Rosamund (who is opposed to Edith's decision), but then decides at the last minute not to do it after seeing another woman there crying. She admits that the truth will soon break out among the rest of her family.

But by the time of the local bazaar, the family still does not know about Edith's condition. Rosamund suggests Edith travel to the continent, to Switzerland, ostensibly to "learn French" but in truth to give birth and then have someone adopt her child without anyone in England knowing. Edith is not too happy about this plan because she wants to be a part of her child's life and upbringing.

When Rosamund visits Downton for the bazaar and mentions the possibility of going abroad and taking Edith with her, Mary questions Edith, citing she never wanted to learn French and immediately suspecting it is an "incognito" search for Michael. Tom reminds her that it is a serious situation, for which Edith thanks him. Violet soon sees through this plan but agrees with Rosamund. She promises to remain silent about Edith's secret and support her. Still, Edith is in despair, beginning to wonder if God does not want her to be happy.

By the summer of 1923, Edith has given birth to a baby girl in Genéva, having left her with an adoptive family. In despair for having left her daughter in a foreign country, she decides she cannot go on like this and against the advice of her aunt and grandmother plans to return to Switzerland, retrieve her child and put her in the care of Downton Abbey estate tenant farmer Timothy Drewe and his wife. Her hopes are dashed further at seeing Michael again, and she feels she owes something to their child, knowing that Michael has given her power of attorney in his absence, and may well have left her everything in his will.

Edith regularly visits Yew Tree Farm to see her daughter Marigold. Her visits make Margie Drewe suspicious of her attachment to both her husband and Marigold. Mr. Drewe later asks Edith to meet him and tells her of this suspicion. Edith accidentally tells Drewe that Marigold is her daughter, by saying, "Well, that's better than the real reason." Drewe then reveals he had known about the connection since she asked him to take Marigold in. She asks him if he thinks she should control her feelings. He tells her he could but doesn't feel she should, because in his opinion, mothers should love their children. He says she needs a way to live the truth without telling the truth.

Whilst overseeing some maids, Mrs. Hughes finds a misplaced German primer book that belonged to Michael Gregson, and decides to return it to Edith, who asks for it to be left in her bedroom. Gazing at both her daughter's photograph and Michael's signature in the book, grief overcomes her and she throws the book, and it lands too close to the fire. Fortunately Thomas Barrow is patrolling the gallery later on, smells the smoke and, after raising the alarm, carries her to safety. The fire brigade, led by Drewe, eventually arrives and puts out the fire before any damage beyond Edith's room is done. As her bedroom is ruined, Edith sleeps in her father's dressing room. She tells her mother that she feels so stupid for starting the fire, but Cora dismisses it.

Edith goes to thank Drewe, and he tells her he has come up with a way for her to take a greater interest in Marigold, but Mrs. Hughes is nearby and overhears their conversation. Later she and Anna, while Edith's room is being cleaned, find the photograph of Marigold as a baby underneath Edith's pillow. Anna gives it to Mrs. Hughes, who holds onto it.

Mr. Drewe proposes making Edith a benefactor for Marigold, perhaps even a godparent. His wife however objects, remarking that her sister was named godmother to Marigold at her christening. She also, not knowing the truth, feels Edith is treating Marigold like a doll and notes, like Edith's family, that she might lose interest in Marigold someday. Drewe insists she won't lose interest, but Mrs. Drewe isn't convinced. Robert remarks that maybe Edith is doing this because she needs someone to love, with everyone coming to the conclusion that Michael Gregson is most likely dead.

One day, Edith agrees to look after Marigold while Margie is out. Margie returns to find the house empty, only to see her husband, Edith, and Marigold admiring pigs. Edith takes her leave, but Margie insists now that Edith cannot have their child. She even accuses her husband of being soft for Edith now. He angrily replies she is the one who is soft, soft in the head.

Later, he goes to Downton while the family are entertaining Russian refugees. Edith admits that she may have annoyed Margie, but Drewe tells her now that she must stay away, not forever but for now she must stay away. Edith takes the news very hard and goes past Mrs. Hughes and Anna to her room in tears. But when Rosamund and Violet discover Edith brought Marigold back from Switzerland, they propose sending her to a boarding school in France. Edith is horrified and tries to persuade her grandmother that there must be a way for Marigold to remain in her life. When she fails, she instantly begins making a plan of her own.

After Edith receives word that Michael is dead, she decides to leave Downton Abbey while her family are at the races (except for Tom, whom she says goodbye to before she leaves but does not explain where or why she is going). Edith then goes to the Drewe's cottage and explains to Mrs. Drewe that she is Marigold's mother, showing her a copy of Marigold's birth certificate (she had signed it with her real name rather than a false one as Rosamund wanted her to do, because she knew she might need proof one day). Although Mrs. Drewe does not take the news well at first, she accepts it and allows Edith to leave with Marigold, giving her the girl's teddy bear. Edith then travels to London (presumably) to a hotel room she had booked, and plans to celebrate her newfound happiness with Marigold, for although she admits being together is currently "not ideal" it is still "such an improvement on being apart."

Cora then learns the truth about Edith and Marigold from Mrs. Drewe. She is furious with Rosamund and Violet for keeping her in the dark about her third grandchild, and for learning that it was their suggestion of sending Marigold away that drove Edith to run off. She insists that they must find her and listen to what she wants.

Rose's suitor Atticus Aldridge suggests they should contact the London office of Gregson's publishing company, which Edith had inherited. As hoped, they find Edith there. She is upset that Cora has learned the truth, while Cora is disappointed in Edith using Mrs. Drewe the way she did. Edith insists she is not coming back but agrees to talk to her mother privately after Cora threatens to openly discuss the situation in front of Edith's new employees.

Edith reveals she was at first considering going to America, dropping her title and inventing a dead husband. But she chose not to go through with that plan for two reasons: she would prefer Marigold grew up English, and she does not want to let the magazine business fall into ruin. She was then considering passing Marigold off as her orphan godchild. Cora instead asks that she bring Marigold home, on the pretense that she is adopting her because the Drewes can no longer afford to raise their friend's child. Rosamund protests, but Edith agrees, insisting that neither her father nor Mary can ever know the truth.

Mary objects to the plan, but Edith successfully "adopts" Marigold and begins raising her in Downton. Robert soon figures out the truth due to Edith's "obsession" with Marigold and the girl's resemblance to Gregson, but Cora asks him to not say a word, even to Edith, for a little while longer. Robert agrees and thinks he will love his new granddaughter.

Later while the family is holidaying at Brancaster Castle in Northumberland, Robert reveals to Edith that he knows about Marigold and says they will do their best for her, for both Edith's and Gregson's sake. Edith is visibly touched by her father's kindness, and later Tom reveals to her that he too has figured out who Marigold is and agrees to keep silent too. She also befriends Brancaster's agent, Bertie Pelham.

Edith receives a telephone call from her editor, Mr. Skinner. Cora asks if there was a problem, to which Edith responds that "there is always a problem," and that Skinner does not like working for a woman. Edith and Rosamund visit her new London apartment that she inherited from Michael and discuss Edith's future. Edith visits Mallerton Hall with her family.

Edith goes to London again, this time receiving more problems from her troublesome editor Mr. Skinner. However, it was a problem closer to home that reaches a breaking point for Edith. Her sister Mary took Marigold and Mrs. Drewe was very overcome, which meant that she has definitely not gotten over Marigold, even though it’s been months since the little girl left Yew Tree Farm. Edith then later attended the Moulton Fat Stock show with her entire family, which ended in tragedy when Marigold went missing. Mr. Drewe then suspected his wife of taking Marigold back to their home as she and their family truck were also missing. Edith along with her parents and Mr. Drewe drive to Yew Tree Farm where Mr. Drewe reclaims Marigold back and hands the little girl back to Edith. Edith is overjoyed when she is back. Later the Drewes leave Yew Tree Farm and Edith thinks it to be for the best to avoid any more problems.

Edith then goes up to London again to check on the Sketch magazine but when she heard that the articles need to be printed by 4 am and Mr. Skinner hasn't really done anything much, she fires him. Luckily for her, she meets an old acquaintance Bertie Pelham, whom she danced with at Brancaster castle. Bertie asked her out for a drink but when she told him she couldn't and why, Bertie immediately offers to stay up late and help her out.

Fortunately after long hours of work, the magazine articles are printed and are sent to be delivered. Edith thanks Bertie and is very grateful for his help. The two discuss Edith's purpose of being an editor whilst having coffee. In the aftermath, Edith attends the wedding of Carson and Mrs. Hughes, where she along with the rest of her family are overjoyed at seeing Tom coming back and staying at Downton for good. She later opts to appoint a woman editor for her magazine.

Edith meets Bertie Pelham in London again where they discuss their own personal lives. Edith then invites Bertie to her flat for pre-dinner cocktails while he can pick where they're going for dinner. Bertie and Edith discuss recent events while drinking cocktails and get ready to go. Bertie helps Edith with her evening fur coat, and Edith asks him how he knew to choose the Cafe de Paris, since that was her favorite place. Bertie admits that he knew they liked the same things which made Edith turn around to look at him admirably and staring into his lips. Without thinking, Bertie kisses her. Bertie then admits his feelings for Edith to which she is amazed. She along with the rest of her family, are shocked when Lord Grantham vomits out blood due to a burst ulcer.

Edith invites Bertie to attend Downton's open house event to raise money for the local hospital. Edith meets Bertie at the drive, where they kiss again. She later takes him to the night nursery where she shows him Sybbie, George and Marigold.

Later, Edith invites her new editor Laura Edmunds to join her family and Bertie Pelham in seeing Henry Talbot race at Brooklands. Whilst they were watching, the event ended in tragedy due to Charlie Roger's death in a car accident. The family along with their guests have dinner at Rosamund's house. Edith and Bertie talk in the drawing room during the small hours where Bertie proposes to Edith. Edith is glad but she has yet to give him a proper answer although she asks if she can take Marigold with them, putting of the reason that she is very fond of her without revealing the real reason why. They then kiss before Bertie leaves.

Edith debates on whether to accept Bertie Pelham because he is now the new Marquess of Hexham due to his cousin Peter's unfortunate death in Tangiers. Everyone is delighted except for Mary, who plans revenge on her sister. Edith is afraid about telling Bertie the truth about Marigold, but Mary "accidentally" corners Edith into revealing to Bertie the fact that Marigold is her daughter. Bertie excuses himself and calls for a taxi. He breaks off their engagement when they talk later before he is due to leave, where he admits that he would still have married her even if what Edith had told him about Marigold was true, but, as she later put it herself, she tried to trick him, and he couldn't marry someone who couldn't trust him with the truth. Regardless, they wish each other good luck for the future, and Edith, who is heartbroken, decides to go to London. As she is packing her things, Mary comes into her bedroom and tries to apologize to Edith by claiming that she didn't know that Edith never told Bertie about Marigold. Edith, who is completely furious, lashes out her true feelings towards Mary by calling her a “nasty, jealous, scheming bitch” twice. Edith then leaves for London and picks up Tom along the way, she feels that Bertie will not come around about her supposed trickery towards him.

Edith meets with her secretary and her new editor, and they find out that Cassandra Jones, an individual who is interested in writing for Edith's magazine, is visiting the office for an interview. All three are unsure if that individual is the "real" Cassandra Jones, so if they feel that the latter is the real person, they agree on the code word "bananas." Cassandra Jones turns out to be Spratt, Violet's butler.

Edith comes back to Downton for Mary's wedding to Henry Talbot, and after a rather sweet conversation, they reconcile.

After Mary's wedding, Edith smilingly watches Sybbie, George and especially Marigold play tag and running around her late sister Sybil's grave.

Edith and Bertie meet up at The Ritz, a plan orchestrated by Mary and her aunt Rosamund who plays along. Rosamund then leaves and Edith and Bertie find themselves alone dining together. Edith is initially disappointed to see Bertie again and revealed that he broke her heart, but she did understand why he did it. However Bertie is apologetic and claims that he still loves Edith and wants her back to marry him. He tells her that he would have come back even if Mary hadn't telephoned him, and also that his mother doesn't know that they ended their relationship, and Edith says they have. But she claims that she has Marigold and Bertie has his mother and asks if he'd be able to withstand the gossip they would receive about Marigold and debating whether to tell his mother. Bertie however says that he still wants Edith regardless and they initially planned to keep his mother in the dark regarding Marigold. With their engagement back on, Bertie invites Edith and her parents, Lord and Lady Grantham to Brancaster Castle to meet his formidable mother. Mrs. Pelham is delighted and suddenly reveals her moralistic personality and how she expects her son to live up to it. During this time, she also reveals her dislike of the late Lord Hexham, and says he had no morale sense to which Bertie sternly shuts her down for. Lord and Lady Grantham are shocked by Mrs. Pelham's behavior. Edith then decides to tell Mrs. Pelham of her past regarding Marigold being her illegitimate daughter. Although Mrs. Pelham is against the marriage, referring to Edith as damaged goods and she knows it herself, Bertie stands up to his mother and claims he will marry Edith, nonetheless. Then at dinner, various guests of the nobility are invited as Bertie plans to announce his engagement to Edith. Mrs. Pelham interrupts him before he can do so, thanking everyone for being there and showing her support. Bertie then stands again, still intending to announce his engagement. However, Robert whispers to Mrs. Pelham that she should speak now or she'll lose her son forever, so she interrupts Bertie again and announces that Bertie is to marry Edith. After the dinner is over, Mrs. Pelham is won over and claims that Edith is a woman of birth and brains and was unimpeachably honest with her, having been willing to deny herself happiness instead of getting glory by deceit and thus should be applauded.

After arriving home, Edith thanks Mary for what she did to bring her and Bertie back together. On New Year’s Eve, 1925, Bertie and Edith finally get married with everyone in attendance, including Bertie's mother, at the St Michael's church at Downton. When Edith tells Mrs. Pelham that she hoped she wouldn't disappoint her, the latter replies by telling her to just love her son, and she wouldn't be disappointed in that. Bertie and Edith then leave for their honeymoon and share a happy kiss in the car as they drive away.

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#muses #(bio; edith crawley) i'd like a life

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