A/N: My AU take on the principal M/M scenes in Season 2; written without regard to any spoilers, so no Lavinia.
October 13, 1914
Downton Abbey
"You have become a harridan, a termagant and a virago, all before your time!".
At every syllable Mary recoiled. Her grandmother had not talked to her like this since Mary had thrown one of Violet's best Spode tea cups at Edith more than fifteen years ago.
"And that is when you are not sunk in your melancholia for days on end. If you keep this up you are going to end up like the Lady of Shalott."
Her grandmother paused for breath and continued.
"You have kicked every cat. Cut all your friends. Upset every servant. Poor Edith is a wreck. Look at how wan your mother is".
Mary looked at her mother. Cora did look pale and exhausted.
"You are a spoiled, spoiled child. I blame myself as much as your parents" Violet glared at Cora. It was clear she did not.
"But there is a war on. We no longer have time for your shenanigans. It is time for you to grow up."
It had started innocuously enough.
Carson had served tea and left them. Mary had been stirring sugar into her tea when she realized they were both staring at her.
She smiled at them. "Yes?"
Her mother started. Her voice was low, her tone was serious. Mary leaned towards her to hear.
"Mary, there are two important things we must discuss with you."
"What? Has something happened? To father? To ... ?'" She could not say his name.
"Let her talk!" Her grandmother snapped at her.
Her mother continued. "No, as far we know nothing has happened to either of them". She paused and then went on.
"Firstly, today your father is signing papers at the War Office leasing Downton Abbey to the Army. It is going to be turned into a convalescent hospital for wounded officers. After their wounds have stabilized they will come here to recover."
"Surveyors will be coming next week and the builders will start working on the house on November 3rd. We have to be totally moved out by January 1st".
Mary looked around her. She loved this house. "What do you mean working on it? What about all of our belongings? Where are we going to go?" Her voice was getting higher. She felt herself getting shriller. She did not want want to lose control..
" I imagine they will be painting everything civil service green" her grandmother snapped.
Cora plowed on. "Walls can be repainted after the war. We will store as much as we can in the attics. We are also going to use one of the hay barns. It is a big job shifting 200 years of accumulated stuff and everyone will have to help. Including you."
"As for us, we are moving in with your grandmother".
Mary stared at them both. She counted to herself. "But there are only three bedrooms in the Dower House!"
"Yes, you and Edith will have to share". Her mother made it sound so reasonable.
"If we do, one of us won't survive the year!"
Violet held up her hand. "Easy. There may be an alternative if you would wait until the second item on the agenda."
Mary acquiesced and the three of them discussed the arrangements for the move.
Later after Mary had asked every question she could think of she poured them each another cup of tea and looked at them.
"I believe we have reached item two now". Mary relaxed, what could be worse that losing Downton?
Cora reached forward and touched her knee. "Mary, it is time to determine your future".
"My future, you can't ... I will..." And her grandmother went off like a bomb.
Mary leaned back in her chair and heard the entire litany of her sins and shortcomings up to and including "that Turk".
Finally her grandmother was winding up. "Mary you have botched your life doing it your way. Now you are going to do it our way" Cora nodded.
Mary opened her mouth to reply but her mother spoke first. "Mary, please do not misunderstand, you can decide what you want to do,but we are going to help you get there. Your grandmother is correct, you do have a way of making a mess of things".
Again Mary tried to defend herself but Violet cut her off.
"We have a question for you. And we do not any equivocation from you. No buts or ifs. We want a simple yes or no. So think carefully how you answer."
There was a long pause.
"Do you still want to marry him?"
A flood of memories swept Mary away. His eyes, his smile, the sound of his voice. The stillness she felt being with him, her breath suspended as she waited ... no, no he is saying no. No, No. Mary started to sob.
Neither one of them offered to comfort her. She finally recovered. She blew her nose and wiped the tears off her cheeks. She glared at them, the two harpys. They gazed back at her.
"Answer the question"
"But, but ..."
"Yes or no".
Mary looked down at her lap. She had wrung her handkerchief into a tight knot. The ache in her chest hurt so. "Yes".
"What? What did she say?" her grandmother queried. "Speak up girl."
"Yes!".
They smiled at her. Her mother stood, came over and hugged her. Violet rang for Carson. Almost immediately he came in with a tray. On it were damp and dry towels. He smiled at her.
Mary glared at him. "So you are in this too?" She accused.
"It is for the best. Freshen yourself up child."
Violet stood up. "Do not start without me, I will be back shortly". And left the room.
Mary composed herself. "What is going on?" she asked her mother.
Cora just shook her head. "Wait".
"What is the point, he doesn't love me." Mary snapped.
"On the contrary he loves you so much he has gone to throw his life away in the War because he thinks you do not love him. You love him and he loves you and everyone knows this except the two of you"
Carson gave a barely perceptible nod to her and left.
Finally her grandmother returned and Carson left to take up his post outside the door where he would continue to prevent any interruptions.
"Have you heard from him at all since the garden party?" Violet asked.
"No, he left right away to go enlist in Manchester. And he told his mother that he did not want any letters, nor would he send any letters while he was in training".
"Well that is blessing, it is hard to work around things if there are harsh letters being exchanged."
"Mary, there are two obstacles preventing your marriage." her grandmother started.
"There is the status of your virtue. Have you told him?"
"No".
"So this is an obstacle entirely in your own mind.. It is no impediment to him."
"But I have to tell him."
"In due course. In due course, but not before you have redeemed yourself."
"But how ..."
"By living the purest of lives. You will help his mother at the hospital. You will be another Nightingale. You will be surrounded by wounded heroes some of whose injuries will enhance their attractiveness. You will not succumb to temptation. Every letter his mother sends to him will not fail to mention the paragon in her midst. Then, in the fullness of time, you will throw yourself at his feet and confess all. He will acknowledge that you have fallen but by your actions deserve his mercy and he, being the good Christian gentleman that he is, will raise you up and forgive you."
Cora smiled at her and patted her hand. "Your grandmother makes it sound so easy but it will be very hard. You know how you love to flirt. All it will take is another misunderstanding and it will all be for naught"
Mary winced. Misunderstanding indeed.
Violet continued "Although it is a beam in your eyes it is less than a mote in his. Our bigger concern must be the beam in his eye. He is convinced that you do not love him for himself but merely for his prospects. As I told your mother and your aunt, if you would not marry him when he was poor he would not marry you when he was rich".
"But I ..." Mary started to protest but her voice trailed off.
Cora took her turn. "We know of your inner turmoil but he does not. Remember he is a solicitor and he looks at things with a legal eye. You must admit that there is not a jury in the world that would fail to convict you of gold digging based on the circumstantial evidence."
"So we are going to change your circumstances. You were worried about sharing with Edith. Cousin Isobel has a spare bedroom in Crawley House."
Mary now counted the bedrooms in Crawley House. "But the third bedroom is no larger than a closet..."
"His bedroom, he is not using it"
"But grandmother, it would be improper"
Violet sniffed. "How so, it is not like he would be in it at the same time as you".
Cora continued. "So you will not only work with Cousin Isobel, you will live with her. You will be the perfect middle class daughter-in-law. You will show him you can live the life you would have had with him had he been poor. Convince him of this and he will forget that he ever doubted you. And not to make a virtue out of necessity we are all going to have to live a middle class existence anyway. The War will see to that."
They all looked at each other.
"So will you give it a chance?"
"Yes"
Violet looked hard at Mary. "Excellent. He will have leave at Christmas when he finishes his officer training. It will your first test. But patience girl, patience. The stag was almost trapped once, he will be exceedingly skittish the second time."
Violet stood up. "I really must be leaving." She started out but stopped and turned back to Mary.
"And remember there are no guarantees. The War could change everything. He could be killed. He could come back maimed or mentally deranged. He could come back a stranger to you. Goodness, he could come back with a French wife. You could change your mind too. Maybe one of those wounded heroes we are about to be blessed with will be the one for you. Time will tell"
As she was heading through the door Carson held open for her she called over her shoulder "We three shall meet again".
