Stormbraver
Chapter 1:
Home of Alex and Anna Lewis, Rosedale, Toronto, Canada, January 21, 2017
'This has been an absolutely crazy morning. Here's what we know – the video of Henry Talbot that was obtained by the Daily Mail was recorded sometime in the summer while the actor was in Australia filming Thor: Ragnarok. Based on what we know, and there's entertainment media all over the world looking into this now, no other cast members were at this party, so no Chris Hemsworth, no Tom Hiddleston, no Mark Ruffalo, as far as we know…'
Anna looked up at the television mounted on the wall, barely able to process what she was seeing. Watching the video of Henry doing drugs was shocking enough, but nothing compared to what she imagined the fallout would be. The media was all over the story like rabid hounds on fresh meat. It was a dream headline – Famous, handsome, successful actor caught behaving very badly. Blogs and gossip websites were lighting up with speculation and numerous theories and rumours. When scandal hit, the first rule was to try and get out ahead of it, control the narrative and point it in the direction you wanted so you could do damage control. So far, there had been no word from Henry or his team, and it seemed now that the leaked video had gone viral, there was no controlling the storm that followed.
"I don't bloody care what he gets up to, but now my name is all over the news," Mary sneered, pacing back and forth, her phone in one hand, her headset in her ear. She had been talking to Lady Rosamund Painswick, her agent and aunt ever since the story broke some ten minutes ago.
As co-stars on the hit show, Paladin, Mary and Henry were two of the more popular television actors in North America. Beyond the screen, they had carefully crafted the impression of a possible romance, never quite confirming or denying if they were together, and playing off the interest of their fans and the media's hunger for juicy gossip. While in reality, Mary couldn't stand Henry, she tolerated him and did her part to keep speculation about their rumoured romance alive. It had increased her profile, allowing her to take advantage of Henry's popularity, while also building her own. It wasn't an ideal arrangement, and she often regretted it, but it served a purpose. Now though, the danger was she would be linked to Henry's scandal as a result, and all the work she had done to build up her image might come crashing down.
'What's interesting to me, and what people want to know, is what did Mary Crawley know about all this? Now, she wasn't in Australia with him, we know that. They've never actually confirmed they are even a couple. But, we're hearing that Henry threw some pretty crazy parties in London, in Paris, and in Toronto where they both film their show. You have to wonder how could she possibly not know, if they really are as close as they seem to be.'
Mary turned and glared at the screen. Every mention of her name made her cringe. With gossip flying about, it would be easy for industry types, studio executives, the powerful figures that she desperately wanted to impress, to jump to conclusions. She had spent the better part of the past two years developing this 'showmance' with Henry, leading everyone to speculate if they were together, a glamorous power couple. If he was caught doing drugs and partying with strippers and prostitutes, her name and reputation would be dragged down with him, and all the doors that she had painstakingly pried open through her hard work and discipline would be slammed shut.
"Get a hold of Henry. Get a hold of his people. Get a hold of someone and find out what the hell is going on, and what are they going to do to fix this!" Mary ordered, her voice full of fury.
Deluxe Guest Room, The Westin Chicago River North, Chicago, Illinois, USA, January 21, 2017
Matthew sat up in bed, staring at the television screen, the volume turned way up. His mind was racing, a million thoughts running wild as he tried to make sense of what he was watching. He always knew that Henry liked to indulge in all manner of vices, but he never imagined anything like this. It wasn't as if he was ignorant to drug use among the rich and famous. Being an actor meant living a rather nomadic life, always being one performance away from either making it big, or being unemployed and broke. Back when he was struggling, he saw all manner of coping mechanisms. Some people smoked weed to relax, others drank themselves stupid on a regular basis, there was even the odd sex addict. He had seen people dabble in the harder drugs too – amphetamines, crystal meth, cocaine, what have you – it was all readily available, and everyone knew how to be discrete about it.
Apparently, Henry had fucked up, and how.
His thoughts turned to Mary and he glanced at his smartphone. She hadn't replied to his texts, but that wasn't surprising. She was likely in crisis talks with her aunt Rosamund and Anna, her personal assistant and best friend. Matthew was never in favour of Mary's fake romance with Henry. Years ago when he first met him in England, he put him in the same category as all the other arrogant pricks who just wanted to get Mary into bed. Since moving to Toronto and getting back together with her, he learned that his suspicions were confirmed. Henry was a gifted actor, that was obvious, but he had a ridiculous sense of entitlement, was in love with all the attention, accolades and plaudits he received, making the common error of believing in his own greatness.
Well, he was going to have more attention than he wanted now.
He wondered what Mary was thinking, what her next move would be. Her name was being mentioned all over the news, everyone recklessly speculating as to whether she knew about Henry's drug use, whether he was cheating on her with these strippers and escorts, or whether she knew all about it. One disgusting reporter even had the nerve to suggest she was in on it, that she attended the same parties in Toronto and partook in all the same debauchery. Watching her name bandied about without any factual proof enraged him.
Suddenly, the short distance between Chicago and Toronto seemed gargantuan. He was still in for another week of filming on Black Panther and she was busy shooting the first episodes of the new season of Paladin. He wanted to go to her, support her, help her get through this, but all he could do was sit and wait for her to reply to his messages.
Blinking at the screen, a thought occurred to him. Even if he was back in Toronto, what would he do? If faced with this scenario and Mary asked him for advice, what would he say? Sure, he could hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right in the end, but what did that mean? He needed a plan. The woman he loved was in danger due to the thoughtless and reckless actions of her bastard of a co-star. He had to do something.
Picking up his phone again, he pressed a speed dial button and brought the phone to his ear, quickly calculating the time change between Chicago and London.
"Hello," a pleasant voice answered.
"Hi, Phyllis? It's Matthew," he said.
"Matthew!" Phyllis said, her voice serious with concern. "Hello! How are you? Is everything all right? How's Mary?"
"I haven't spoken to her yet. She's probably dealing with her aunt Rosamund to try and get a handle on all of this," he said.
"Yes, yes, of course," she said. "We've been watching the news since the story broke. I must say, it sounds so dreadful!"
"Yes, it does. Phyllis, can you get Joe on the line? I need to speak to both of you," he said.
"Right away, Matthew. Hang on. I'll go and get him. He's just in the kitchen," she said.
He took a deep breath and waited for her to fetch her husband, his agent, Joseph Molesley. If Matthew was going to put something together to help Mary, he would need help.
Apartment of Mary Crawley, Trump Residences Toronto, Downtown Toronto, Canada, January 21, 2017
"God, they're here already," Mary whinged, looking at the television as the news broadcast showed a live shot of the street outside of her building, paparazzi and reporters milling about for any glimpse of her. "You would think there were far more important things going on in the world than a Mary Crawley sighting."
Anna nodded sympathetically. They had come here on Lady Rosamund's instructions to pack some of Mary's things to take back to Anna's. Her suspicions had been proven correct. The media were out looking for Mary, and coming and going from her apartment would become difficult and annoying. There were guards and bellmen to secure the parking entrance and exit, but she didn't want to have to put up with the mob everytime she felt like going out shopping or to and from work. She also didn't want to be locked up in her own building.
"They won't know you're staying with me. That will keep them away from you while we wait to hear from Henry," Anna said.
Mary nodded as Anna went back into the bedroom to finish packing. Mary went over to the kitchen and got a bottle of water. Her phone had been buzzing all morning, concerned messages coming in from everyone. In addition to her friends and some of her castmates, Mum, Sybil, Edith and Matthew had all texted and called. She would get back to them eventually but for now, she just wanted to talk to Henry and get to the bottom of all of this.
She drank her water and sighed, looking out the window and wondering if the paparazzi had infiltrated any of the surrounding office buildings to try and get a photo of her. In the beginning, the idea of a 'showmance' with Henry, or with anyone, didn't appeal to her. She wanted to be known for her acting, for her talent and dedication. Getting attention based on who she was dating was as insulting as the public putting undue importance on her English accent, or her bra size, or any other superficial tidbits that had nothing to do with whether she was a good actress or not. But she had seen for herself what a difference the gossip made.
It began innocently enough. Since she and Henry had numerous love scenes on the show, fans would comment on how much chemistry they had, how good they looked together, and speculation would rise. The more appearances they made together, the more people began wondering if they were dating in real life. Photos of them were splashed all over the Internet, and she was being talked about even when the show wasn't on. The buzz about her and Henry kept her relevant all year-round, and so she encouraged it in subtle ways, standing a bit closer to him, smiling at him, laughing with him a bit more than usual. He had taken full advantage, kissing her cheek whenever he could, often putting his hand on her back or looking at her adoringly when the cameras were on them. He tried to escalate their relationship, but she told him repeatedly and in no uncertain terms that she wasn't interested. Her mild annoyance with him had turned to full-on dislike when he continued to pursue her, even after she and Matthew got back together. On numerous occasions, she considered ending the 'showmance'.
If only she had.
"All set," Anna declared, coming back out in the living room. "I've packed about a week's worth of clothes. Hopefully by then you'll be able to get back in here unnoticed.
"Thanks, Anna," Mary said genuinely, smiling at her assistant. "I've been thinking though. Your house may not be the right place to go. Everyone knows you're my assistant. If they are able to track me down there, it will cause all sorts of problems for you and your neighbours, and I don't want that."
Anna frowned in confusion. "All right, well then where will you go? Another hotel? They've probably got spies all over downtown."
"You're probably right," Mary agreed. "That's why I need to find someplace where no one knows me."
Painswick House, Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, England, January 21, 2017
Rosamund frowned as she typed away on her laptop. She usually didn't mind working on a weekend, but today was proving quite disastrous thus far. The clever bastards at the Daily Mail had waited until a Saturday afternoon to break their story about Henry, knowing that it was morning in North America and they had the entire news wire to themselves. Since the video went online, she had fielded calls, texts and emails from around the world, agents relaxing at home and suddenly thrown into the fray, reporters looking for a comment from Mary, even Robert and Cora had messaged her wanting to know what was going on.
It was going to be a long day.
In a rather ironic twist, her carefully planned strategy for Mary was now the cause of her problems. By never confirming or denying any relationship with Henry, they allowed speculation to run rampant now. Ignoring the story would be suicide, even though there was technically nothing to link Mary to the video at all. Issuing a statement denying the relationship would call into question all of their behaviour to date, and make Mary seem manipulative and conniving. Rosamund didn't even want to think about the reaction if her niece came out in support of Henry.
She frowned and replied back to yet another agent saying that she was still looking into the matter and that no, she hadn't yet heard from Henry or his people. She could hear Mama's voice in her head, berating her for getting Mary into this mess in the first place, questioning if she had been right to trust her career to her management. If Violet Crawley's health wasn't deteriorating, she might even call her. As it was, she was rather relieved that Mama would never know or remember any of this.
Her eyes widened as the call display on her phone lit up. Clearing her throat, she answered the call as pleasantly as possible.
"Kevin, hi," she said.
"Rosamund," he replied curtly. "Look, I'll get to the point. Obviously, we're scrambling a bit over here to deal with this story about Henry. I wanted to keep you in the loop since whatever decisions we make about the show will affect Mary as well."
"Of course," she said cautiously.
"I've been on the phone all morning. I'm supposed to be at my son's basketball game right now and I've had to skip it. Anyway, as you can expect, the advertisers aren't happy, the affiliates aren't happy, and I'm definitely not happy. We haven't bothered to ask Henry for an explanation. The video speaks for itself," he said.
"Yes, it most certainly does," she agreed.
"I have to tell you, right now, we're leaning towards cutting the show. The only thing we're discussing over here is whether to finish out the fifth season or pull the plug immediately. None of our advertisers wants to be associated with Henry, and obviously, the network isn't thrilled about what kind of image this presents. We've spent a ton of money on the new season already, but we may just have to eat that to save the rest of our schedule."
Rosamund's eyes went wide in shock. "Cancel the show? That seems rather drastic. Surely you can proceed without him? That was already on the table anyway, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, but obviously this is a game changer. We were going to ease things along slowly, get Tony established on the show and shift the focus more to Mary's character. That would have set us up well for Season 6. If Henry stayed, we had a bunch of different directions we could go, and if he left, we would be prepared. The whole production is tainted now. I don't know if anyone wants to touch Paladin after this."
"I fully understand that tremendously difficult spot you're in," she said evenly. "But I assure you, Mary had nothing to do with any of this."
"That doesn't really matter, does it? Her name is out there. People are talking about her almost as much as him, and none of it is positive. Some of the people here are wondering if we were to continue, if there wouldn't be questions about her, too. We can't have the media digging into the backgrounds of all of our talent. The focus needs to be on the shows, and if Mary is involved, I don't know if that will happen."
Her chest tightened, alarm bells ringing in her head. "When will you make a decision?"
"We need to figure this out pretty quick. Henry's people tell me that they'll be putting out a statement shortly, but I don't see how we can go forward with him. It's just a question of what we do with the show now. I've got another meeting. I'll get back to you."
He hung up before she could reply. Closing her eyes, covered her mouth with her hand, feeling lost and helpless. It was one thing to deal with the media and Henry's agents. The network was another story altogether. Rosamund had debated pulling Mary from Paladin after this season anyway. She wanted her to move on to more lucrative and high profile opportunities in films, but she wanted it to happen on her terms. If the show was cancelled, the stigma could follow Mary throughout her career.
Swallowing nervously, she went back to answering messages, and sent another urgent text to Henry's agents, demanding that they get back to her immediately.
Deluxe Guest Room, The Westin Chicago River North, Chicago, Illinois, USA, January 21, 2017
Matthew frowned as he scrolled over his laptop screen, going over the different emails and attachments that Joe and Phyllis had sent over. The television was still on, the news anchors having moved on to other stories, but jumping back in every fifteen minutes to remind everyone of the developing scandal involving Henry. Even when they had nothing new to say, they just played a clip from the now infamous video again. More views. More clicks. More furore. By now, the West Coast would have picked up the story, and he imagined there were frantic conference calls happening all over the place. Even Alex, his best friend and Anna's husband, had texted from Los Angeles with a bewildered 'WTF?!'
Henry and his team had been remarkably quiet so far. Matthew was expecting a statement from them at any moment, but as the minutes passed, he wondered what they were up to. Would Henry have the audacity to claim that it wasn't him in the video? Would he conjure up some excuse to try and downplay the apparent seriousness of it all? Matthew wouldn't put anything past him. Coming off his Golden Globe victory earlier this month, he thought he was the King of the world.
His eyes went wide as he heard the familiar ringtone of Usher and Alicia Keys' My Boo playing from his phone. Going over to the coffee table, he grabbed it and answered the call.
"Hello? Mary?" he asked anxiously.
"Hello, darling," Mary replied, her voice sounding tired. "What's new?"
"Oh, nothing," he said, sitting down on the sofa. "Just sitting here watching United, you know. Lazy Saturday morning."
She laughed. "God, I love you. United aren't even playing."
He chuckled. "Thought you wouldn't know."
She sighed heavily. "Well, this is a right mess I've gotten myself into, isn't it? No less than I deserve, of course."
"Mary," he began.
"No, please don't," she said. "I was a fool, and I'm being paid out for my foolishness. Tying myself to him, God, what was I thinking?"
"It did work for a while," he reminded her, though his voice lacked conviction.
"And now it's gone and blown up in my face," she said bitterly. "I used him because I wanted to become more well known, more famous. Well, I'm certainly that now."
"Have you heard from him?" he asked.
"No," she replied. "He's going to release a statement in the next short while, but his team aren't replying to Aunt Rosamund's calls, and he hasn't answered mine, not surprisingly."
"What a fucking idiot," he said, shaking his head. "What are you going to do?"
"I have no idea. Things are falling apart up here. The network's suspended filming for now. They're considering pulling the show. The paparazzi are staking out my building. There's rumours that Thea's had to talk to the studio to reassure them about Shattered. It's all a mess."
He blinked in surprise. He and Mary had just wrapped filming on Shattered in September. It was his first major motion picture and was scheduled for release in March. They were due to begin promoting it next month.
"So you're bunkered in at Anna's, then?" he asked.
"No, actually. I didn't want to risk it. If they find me through her, they'll bring the mob to her doorstep, and I couldn't have that," she said resignedly.
"Oh, right, that's smart of you. So where are you, then? Not back at yours, surely?" he asked, worried for her safety.
"No, I packed up some of my things and escaped before they caught sight of me. I snuck over to your place, actually," she said.
He blinked in surprise. "Oh. Well, that's quite brilliant, although now I'm worried that I might have left the place a mess."
She laughed and the sound of it made him smile. "No, it's fine, really. Anna's gone out for groceries and I have an entire closet full of your shirts to lounge in. Since I don't have to go to the studio tomorrow, I can hole up here in complete anonymity. I even went in through the back entrance so the concierge wouldn't see me."
"He can be trusted, I'm sure," he said. "For one thing, he doesn't watch Paladin so he won't know who you are. All he cares about is hockey."
"Lucky for me. If only I could figure out what to do next so easily," she said, sighing in frustration.
"Well, I have an idea. I don't know if it's any good or not, but I was thinking about how you might respond," he offered.
"What is it? I'm willing to listen to anything," she said.
"I know you can't really ignore the story, but maybe if you changed the focus a bit then the press wouldn't be so obsessed with whether you had anything to do with Henry doing drugs or not," he explained.
"And how would I do that?" she asked.
He took a deep breath. "Well, we could go public."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Go public? You and me?"
"We wouldn't need to make a production of it," he explained quickly. "Just post a few photos online, I could have Joe be ready with the obligatory 'Mary and Matthew are old friends' or whatever, and it just might confuse the media enough to wonder who exactly you're with."
"Oh, Matthew, I'm afraid it isn't so easy as that," she said.
"I'm not suggesting it's an instant fix," he said. "However, at least this way you have more control over the story, and can distance yourself from Henry. Maybe some reporters will think you're just trying to save your own skin, but we don't need people to believe us. We just need them to consider the possibility that you were never with Henry."
"I think it'll just come off as a desperate play," she said ruefully. "Besides, I don't know if it even sends the message that I want. It will make me seem as if I'm trading off, hiding behind a man in a moment of crisis, defining myself by my relationship status once again. Nothing will have changed."
He frowned. "Well, it isn't as if Henry and I are at all comparable."
"You will be in the eyes of the fans and the media," she grumbled. "No, I don't think that makes sense."
He rolled his eyes. "All right."
"God, this whole thing is so ridiculous," she complained. "So he did drugs at a party in Australia. It isn't as if that's overly egregious."
He blinked in shock. "Not overly egregious? He's a drug addict, Mary."
"Oh, Matthew, you needn't be so dramatic. I'm sure he just does it recreationally," she muttered.
"What? An addict is someone who abuses substances despite consequences. Whether it's alcohol, drugs, sex, whatever. He can't have possibly been so stupid as to think no one at that party would record him, and he did it anyway. It seems pretty clear to me," he said.
"I'm not condoning what he did," she said defensively. "But it seems the reaction to it has been rather overblown. Cancelling the show just because he was caught doing drugs? Honestly?" she said.
"Darling, people get sacked for far less these days. Henry always had a pristine image. Your show is racy and deals with mature subject matter and all that, but Henry's milked the whole 'squeaky clean' thing since he came over here. There's no way he gets caught doing drugs and the powers-that-be just let it slide, and they shouldn't," he said firmly.
"Yes, I understand all of that," she said in exasperation. "I don't care about Henry's image. I care about whether or not I still have a job, and if you expect me to just happily go along with the network pulling my show over this, you're mad."
"That's not what I'm saying at all," he complained.
"Whatever. This has been the absolute worst day," she said coldly.
"Did you know?" he asked cautiously.
"What?" she exclaimed. "No! Of course I didn't!"
"Well, he supposedly had wild parties in Toronto. I can't imagine you wouldn't have been invited," he suggested.
"What are you implying?" she demanded. "You think that I went to these parties of Henry's and did lines of cocaine with him, do you?"
"No, that's not what I meant," he grunted in frustration.
"Well, what do you mean, then?" she snapped. "I told you that there was nothing between Henry and I. Are you saying that you now think that I…hang on…it's Aunt Rosamund. Hopefully she's finally heard from Henry's people. I've got to go."
She hung up before he could say goodbye.
Groaning, he put the phone down and slumped back on the couch. He wasn't entirely confident of his plan, but it was at least an option, something that Mary could consider. To have her dismiss it so quickly made him feel as though he had failed her somehow, that he wasn't helping her when she needed it. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the television, the video of Henry smoking a glass pipe playing for the umpteenth time.
Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England, January 21, 2017
"I don't understand. The man's her co-star, nothing more. Why would anyone presume to think that she had any involvement in this?" Robert asked, frowning at his wife as they both watched the television.
"Some people think that they're dating," Cora explained patiently, her eyes on the screen as the news anchors repeated the same script. 'Our top story today, once again, is the video of actor Henry Talbot caught apparently…'
"But why would they think that? She's with Matthew," he noted.
"No one knows that except for us," she replied quickly. "And Mary has done nothing to dissuade the rumours of her involvement with Henry. In fact, she's encouraged it."
"Why in dear Heaven would she do that?" he asked, completely flummoxed.
"Nevermind that," she said. "The point is that there's a reason why her name keeps coming up now, and why she has to respond to it at some point soon."
"My God," he said, shaking his head. "And here I thought that our scandal would be all we had to worry about."
She turned and looked at him pointedly. "We don't have a scandal, and neither does Mary. So long as she and Rosamund manage this correctly, it'll all fade away soon enough."
"My darling, I believe you are severely underestimating the fascination that people have with seeing those of our class fall," he said gravely.
They both turned and looked at the television as the news anchor cut into the broadcast.
'We're going to cut away now as we have word that Henry Talbot will be releasing a statement momentarily. Of course, we've been following this story all morning, from when the video of the actor apparently smoking crystal meth at a party in Australia surfaced. Mr. Talbot is in Toronto filming the current season of Paladin, and we will bring you his statement as soon as we receive it.'
Cora glanced over at Robert, the two of them sharing a concerned look.
The Residences of Maple Leaf Square, Downtown Toronto, Canada, January 21, 2017
Tony Foyle sipped his tea, standing in the middle of the living room in his bathrobe as he watched the television. Like the rest of the entertainment world, he was following the drama over Henry with avid interest. Not only was he interested for personal reasons, but the entire reason he was in Toronto was to work on Paladin with Henry and Mary. The video threw the entire production into chaos. He now waited for Henry's statement that was promised to be released imminently.
His assistant, Alexander Green, came into the living room, holding Tony's wireless phone headset in his hand.
"It's Lady Mabel," Green said, handing Tony his headset.
Tony nodded and tucked the headset into his ear. "Hello, dear," he said crisply. "Are you watching?"
"Of course, I am," she said. "I can't wait for the show to begin."
"What do you think he'll say? He wouldn't dare deny that it's him?" he asked.
"Oh no, no, no, he wouldn't attempt such a ridiculous ruse. Men like Henry love power, control, being on the front foot all the time. He'll be aggressive, offer a token apology but appear defiant at the same time. He'll play his part, darling, rest assured."
"I suppose we'll see," he said, looking up as the news anchor said they were cutting to a live feed from the office of Henry's lawyers.
Ironically, the room could have been taken from the Paladin set. It was one of those boardrooms on the 50th floor of a downtown office tower, all glass walls, towering bookshelves full of legal texts and floor-to-ceiling windows. The lectern, made of fibreglass, appeared modern and sleek, centered precisely below the law firm's prominent logo.
A tall woman came into the shot and stepped up to the dais, placing a tablet down before her and nodding to the assembled media. She was wearing a black miniskirt, white blouse, and grey blazer, a sparkling diamond ring on one finger to match her earrings. Her blonde hair was tied up in a tight bun.
"That's his lawyer?" he asked.
"One of them, probably," she replied. "They chose a woman to appear more trustworthy. If she believes Henry, then so should we. Sending a man up to read his statement would have seemed too arrogant."
"She looks arrogant enough," he remarked.
"Shh, listen," she said.
'Thank you, everyone, for coming on such short notice. I'm sure you all understand that Mr. Talbot has been affected quite profoundly by this morning's story in the Daily Mail. He asks for respect and privacy as we continue to investigate the matter. I have a statement from him which I will read shortly. We won't be taking any questions afterward and our client will not be doing interviews until we gather further information. Written copies of the statement will be posted to all of Mr. Talbot's social media accounts shortly and hard copies are available at front reception.'
"She's quite direct," he said.
"I like her. She set the tone and the parameters of the press conference right from the off," she commented.
'To my family, friends and fans, I sincerely apologize for the pain caused by the story published today in the Daily Mail. At this time, I can confirm that I am the individual in the video. The rest of the allegations in the story, including quotations from supposed anonymous sources, are unfounded and categorically denied. For those who are disappointed by my actions in the video, rest assured that I am even more disappointed in myself. In a single moment of weakness, I allowed myself to be influenced by nefarious people who clearly did not have my welfare in mind. My association with those individuals ended long ago. While this does not excuse my behaviour, I wish to assure all of my supporters that such a grave error will never happen again, and that I will do all in my power to earn your forgiveness and trust once again. My fans have made me who I am today, and from the bottom of my heart, I am so very sorry, and will never let you down.
To my colleagues, especially my dear Paladin and Thor families – your support and kind words today mean more to me than I can ever express. All that we have accomplished together cannot be tarnished by my one indiscretion, and I thank you all for continuing to believe in me. Most importantly, to my dear Mary, I am not worthy of your unwavering support. Thank you for keeping me going.'
Tony shook his head as the news broadcast cut back to the anchors, who promptly displayed the text of Henry's statement and began analysing it.
"The arrogant bastard," he sneered.
"I told you, darling," she said smugly. "Completely predictable."
"Is it enough, do you think?" he asked.
"It's a great start," she replied. "What the network decides to do is the next question."
"What about Mary?" he asked.
"She's right where we want her...reeling," she said, laughing merrily.
Deluxe Guest Room, The Westin Chicago River North, Chicago, Illinois, USA, January 21, 2017
"Fucking little punk ass bitch!" Matthew said tightly, glaring at the television. He turned away, a scowl on his face, unable to read Henry's statement any further, the words burned into his memory. He wasn't surprised that Henry was far from contrite, but to give the impression that he had all these people on his side, almost condoning his behaviour was ridiculous. It was the last comment about Mary that infuriated him the most, however. She couldn't possibly be supporting him, could she?
He checked his phone. No text from Mary. She was probably just as shocked by Henry's statement as he was and most likely was busy trying to figure out her next move. A flash of trepidation entered his mind as he thought of Lady Rosamund giving her advice on this. Surely even she wouldn't try and spin this somehow to keep the 'showmance' going?
His mind was working too fast, his anger growing by the second. He hated Henry for getting caught in a compromising position. He hated himself for not being at Mary's side. Though he didn't want to admit it, he hated her for not getting out ahead of this, doing something definitive. She didn't have to go along with his plan, but she had to do something. With Henry releasing his statement, he was now driving the narrative, and was dragging her along with him. All the world believed that his statement confirmed what they suspected – that Henry and Mary were a couple, and moreover, that she was standing by her man through the scandal.
"Fuck!" he shouted, his hands balled into fists. He felt useless, weak, ignored and forgotten all at once. Spinning around, he stormed over to his suitcase and grabbed his gym clothes and trainers, throwing them over his shoulder. Changing quickly, he searched around the room for his earphones, finally finding them in the closet, buried in the pocket of his coat. One of the televisions in the fitness centre would most likely be showing coverage of the scandal, and he needed his music to drown out the sound.
Home of Alex and Anna Lewis, Rosedale, Toronto, Canada, January 21, 2017
Anna stared at her computer, her eyes moving around the screen, shifting from an email, to a chat screen, to a web browser and back again. She moved between applications quickly, processing all the information and deciding whether it was something she could use, or just leave in the background and come back to it later.
Once she had Mary set up at Matthew's apartment, she came back home. It was easier for her to coordinate things from her own office, and she was paranoid that if she was seen entering and exiting Matthew's building too often, someone would discover Mary's whereabouts. Mary was constantly speaking with Lady Rosamund, and kept Anna updated via text. After Henry's ridiculous statement to the press, they were scrambling to find out whatever they could before Mary responded.
Henry's scandal only mattered insofar as it might affect Mary's career. She didn't care if his name and reputation were ruined. It was far more important to figure out what the repercussions would be, and so that's what Anna focused on. All morning, she had been in constant communication with her numerous industry contacts – other assistants, staff who worked at the networks and studios, even secretaries at the talent agencies – they controlled the flow of information, and so they knew what decisions were made almost as soon as their bosses made them.
The big concern right now was how the network would react. Filming on Paladin was suspended until further notice, and Lady Rosamund reported that the advertisers and affiliate stations were not happy, to say the least. Whether Henry being caught doing drugs was an actual serious offence according to the media and public opinion was one thing, but if the corporations that paid the bills said it was, then it was. With the scandal mere hours old, this could still go a number of different ways. They had to find out if the network would at least commit to finishing Season 4, whether they would let Henry back on set, and what their plans were for Mary going forward. If sacking Henry would appease the sponsors, then there was still a chance that the show would go on with Mary as the star. Before she could make any statement of her own, she had to know which way things were leaning.
Anna frowned as the call display popped up on her screen. She pressed her headset to answer.
"Hi. I can't really talk right now," she said crisply.
"I know," Green said. "Just wanted to check in. Tony's worried about Mary, and I'm worried about you."
"We're both fine, thanks, all things considered," she replied. "We're in crisis management. I'm trying to find out what the network wants to do."
"So is Tony," he said. "He's got his agents making calls. He left The Walking Dead so he could work on the show, and they promised him a significant role. He's more concerned about Mary right now, I think, but he's got his team looking into things."
"No sympathy for Henry, I gather?" she asked.
"They aren't exactly friends, as you can well imagine," he said, chuckling. "Anyway, I'll let you go. If Tony hears anything, I'll let you know, and I'll make some calls of my own, too."
"Thanks. I'll talk to you later," she said, hanging up the call.
She went back to her computer, checking on various leads and so far finding nothing more of value. The person she most needed to speak to was her husband. As a financier for the entertainment industry, Alex was connected with every studio and major advertiser. Even though none of his clients were involved with Paladin, he knew about every deal and move in Hollywood before they happened, or had the means to find out. He had been in Los Angeles for the past week meeting with clients, and they were due to reunite at the SAG Awards a week from now. That was another thing that was up in the air – whether Mary would even go amidst all the gossip, and whether she would accompany Henry as she had in the past.
A wave of relief filled her chest as the call display window popped up with her husband's smiling face on it. She opened the video conference and smiled at him.
"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded.
"Hello to you, too, love," he said pointedly, frowning at her. "Sorry, but I've been a bit busy dealing with some colossal fuck-up by this douche on an annoying show."
"Haha," she answered. "Did you find out anything?"
"Say you love me first," he said.
"God damn it, Alex!" she sneered. "Just fucking tell me!"
"Such language! You kiss your husband with that mouth?" he shot back.
"Not anytime soon if you keep this up!" she retorted. "Babes, come on, I love you, you know that. Now tell me what you know."
He smiled at her pique. "The network isn't releasing a statement. They were considering it, but they're going to keep it quiet for now. They've lost one sponsor for sure and affiliates in Boston and Mexico are threatening to pull the show. The next 48 hours will be crucial. If they can appease the affiliates, then there's a good chance they'll finish Season 5. The sponsorship dollars are already allocated anyway, and they don't think there will be much of a loss in viewership, besides. If I had to bet, I'd say there's no way there will be a Season 6, regardless of whether Henry's involved, or not."
Anna frowned, nodding grimly at the news. "What are the chances they could find someone to fill the funding void for Season 6?"
"It depends on what the budget is, I suppose. They would be saving on Henry's salary potentially, so that would help, but if Mary tries to demand a raise, that might kill it right there. They're already paying Tony more than her for this season, so presuming that he would come back, that's already extra salary that they can't afford," he said.
"Wonderful. So either the show gets cancelled, or it goes on only if she takes a pay cut. That's fantastic," she said sarcastically.
"What did she think about Henry's statement?" he asked.
"She wasn't surprised, really, though that part at the end made her see red," she replied. "He did that all on his own. Their side didn't clear that with any of us."
"Well, it certainly sounds like they did," he noted. "And it fits with all the speculation about the two of them."
"Yeah, it looks pretty tidy, I know," she said. She blinked suddenly as a thought entered her mind. "Matthew knows that we had nothing to do with that, right?"
"I don't know. He hasn't answered my texts and his phone is going straight to voicemail. He's probably in the gym working over a punching bag, picturing one man's face in particular," he said.
"Oh God," she groaned. "I'll mention it to Mary, but I don't know if she'll have time to talk to him."
"He's stewing," he said. "No one can get through to him now. Just have to wait for him to come out of it, and hopefully, he doesn't do or say anything stupid."
"Right," she said resignedly. "Well, I better get back to it. I'll tell Mary and Lady Rosamund what you found out. Thanks, babes. Love you."
"Love you too," he replied. "Call me when you can."
She blew him a kiss and signed off, switching to her chat conversation with Mary and filling her in.
Lee Garden Restaurant, Chinatown, Downtown Toronto, Canada, January 21, 2017
The bells hanging above the door rang happily as Mary opened the door and ducked into the restaurant. She kept her sunglasses on, glancing around at the round tables covered with white tablecloths, the blackboards and papers covering the green walls, listing the menu written entirely in Chinese. The place was barely a quarter full, and she walked briskly to the back, ducking through the kitchen and into a small room near the back entrance.
"Ah, hello, darling," Henry said as she closed the door behind her. "Green tea?"
She frowned at him, coming over and taking a seat at the small table. He poured her tea into a small porcelain cup and set the pot down.
"I was going to order chicken fried rice and sweet and sour pork," he said. "Would you like anything?"
"No," she said coldly. "I'm not here to eat, Henry."
"Well, I'm sure you won't mind if I do," he said easily. He pressed a button on the wall and a waiter immediately opened the door and stuck his head in, disappearing as soon as Henry ordered his food.
"Go on and try the tea. It's quite good. I even cleaned your cup before you got here. They can be rather sloppy about such things here, I'm afraid," he continued.
She eyed her cup suspiciously, then took a sip, the hot liquid warming her.
"I suppose I should be grateful that you didn't want to meet in a much more public place," she noted. "Come here often, do you?"
"The owner knows the benefit of being discrete, and how generous actors can be for the privilege," he replied. "I don't really see the need for secrecy, but I knew you would want to get together somewhere away from prying eyes, so this private room will suit."
She put her tea cup down and looked at him carefully. His hair was perfectly styled, as usual, his tall and lanky frame dressed in a navy blue cashmere sweater, jeans and boots. He looked like the Henry she knew – handsome, at ease, just a hint of mischief behind his bright eyes and playful smirk – rather than a man who was all over the gossip pages.
"You know why I'm here," she began. "You had no right to mention me in your statement, let alone lie."
"Lie? I did not such thing. I said that I'm not worthy of your support, and I certainly am not," he said easily.
She rolled her eyes. "You called me 'my dear Mary'."
"You are dear to me, you know that," he said, smiling as he reached across the table for her hand.
She scoffed and pulled her hand away. "You also mentioned my 'unwavering support' when you didn't even return my agent's calls all day."
"Are you saying you aren't supporting me?" he asked with feigned concern.
"You didn't even ask me if I was before you released that bloody statement!" she snapped. "And you knew very well how that would be interpreted! Everyone thinks we're together!"
He sat back and smiled. "Really? The same way that everyone thought we were together after you lured me back to your hotel in New York just so the media would jump all over it? The same way that everyone thought we were together when you smiled at me in every interview, on every red carpet and at every photoshoot? The two of us being together isn't news, Mary. The speculation has run rampant for two years. You should know. You've been feeding it."
"That's different," she said. "We both agreed to put those hints out there and let the fans and bloggers run with it."
"So you're saying that it's all right for people to think we're together when it suits your purpose, but not when it suits mine, is that it?" he asked, looking at her pointedly.
"For God's sake, Henry, don't try and spin this!" she said tightly. "You fucked up. You have to face the consequences of that, but don't bring me into this. You had no right."
"Oh fucking grow up, Mary," he said, frowning at her. "You think this is going to hurt me? It'll blow over by the end of the week, and if it doesn't, so what? Having my name mentioned throughout the news cycle is never a bad thing."
"How can you say that?" she demanded. "You're not worried at all?"
"Why would I be?" he asked. "What's the worst that can happen? I'm hot right now, Mary. I've got two Emmys, I just won the Golden Globe and I'll be picking up my third Actor this weekend. They got a video of me smoking meth. So fucking what? You know I'm not the only one in the industry who has."
"You think you're still going to win next weekend after this?" she asked in disbelief.
"Mary, voting has been going on since last month. Do you honestly think that anyone voting this week is going to change their minds because of this? Even if some do, it won't be enough, not with the majority of votes having already been cast. Even if I don't win, it's not as though they can pull my nomination now," he said.
"You're actually going to show up at the ceremony?" she said incredulously.
"I already have a blue pocket square to match your dress," he said, smiling knowingly.
"You're absolutely delusional," she stated.
"And you once again have made the mistake of thinking that your opinion means anything," he said plainly. "Let's assume that the network sacks me from Paladin. All right, fine. The show's over anyway. They were never going to commit to a fifth season built around you and Tony, so releasing me early is no loss. I've got three movies releasing this year already, and two filming in the summer. Marvel's not going to reshoot Thor just because of this. My career won't suffer one bit because of this. Maybe I might have to take a few months off. Fine. I'll go to the Caribbean. Months from now, this will all just be a funny anecdote. Who knows? It might even make me more attractive. Everyone loves a man with a bit of a bad side, don't they?"
She swallowed, part of her disgusted with how reckless he was being, and yet another part of her feared there might be more than a little bit of truth to what he was saying. The industry was fickle, and the attention spans of the public even more so. Henry was a bankable star. Would that really change just because he liked to party?
"I did you a favour, Mary," he continued. "You don't need to do damage control, or try and spin this, or whatever ineffective strategy your aunt Rosamund might come up with. You just need to keep quiet and go about your business. If the network decides to finish Season 5, then you know what you're doing until June. If they don't, you're free to look for other projects. Shattered is coming out in less than two months. If you're as good in that as you say you are, then the studios should be all over you. Be honest, you weren't completely committed to going back for another season of Paladin anyway, not without me. So, you see? This could all turn up golden for you, as long as you don't screw it up."
"As long as I go along with your deception," she said bitterly.
"I'm sorry, was I the one to come up with the idea of a 'showmance'? If I recall correctly, it was originally your aunt's idea, wasn't it? I'm willing to bet that if you were to tell her the exact details of our conversation, she would agree with me in the end. After all, she's very much of a similar mind, isn't she? Pragmatic to the end," he said, smiling at her.
She frowned at him.
"Shall we call Lady Rosamund and find out?" he asked, picking up his phone from the table.
"No, there's no need," she said.
"Very well," he said. He paused while the waiter came in and served his food, then continued after the man had left. "So, I don't see how this is a problem. Everyone wins in the end."
"Not everyone," she said.
"Oh, right, there is that boyfriend of yours, Matthew," he said, pretending not to remember his name. "He seems the self-righteous type. Let me guess, he thinks drugs are bad for you, yes? I'm sure his opinion of me has just plummeted in light of today's news. Well, he might be a bit put out if you continue our relationship, but he'll come around. He knows how important your career is to you, after all, and he would never do anything to get in the way, would he? No, of course he wouldn't. He loves you. Aww, the sweet thing."
"Don't you dare speak ill of him!" she hissed. "Matthew is a better man than you'll ever hope to be!"
He laughed heartily, reaching out with his chopsticks to bring more sweet and sour pork to his bowl. "Maybe he is, maybe he is. But you know, I like being me. I'll take my life over his, and it's not even close."
She couldn't take it anymore. His smug expression, his arrogant attitude, his carefree, blasé view of everything. All that she had worked so hard for, fought for, was threatening to crumble because of his stupid mistake and he didn't even care.
She rose from her chair and turned for the door, the air in the small room suddenly feeling hot and stifling.
"I'm flying to Los Angeles on Tuesday," he called out, picking up a piece of pineapple and bringing it to his lips. "I'll have my people send Lady Rosamund my itinerary so we can coordinate our arrivals."
She stopped, her hand on the door, her shoulders tense. Looking back at him over her shoulder, her eyes blazed with fury.
"You do that," she said, then opened the door and left, imagining the grin on his face as he watched her go.
Deluxe Guest Room, The Westin Chicago River North, Chicago, Illinois, USA, January 21, 2017
Matthew drank his Coke, glancing out the window at the tall office buildings and the Chicago River. The downtown looked quite dreary in winter, though there were still numerous hardy souls out for a jog. His script sat open on the settee, stuck on the same page for the past hour. Going to the gym hadn't cleared his mind. A soak in the tub hadn't, either. He was too worked up to take a nap, and it was too cold outside to go anywhere, not that he even wanted to. The dinner hour was approaching but he didn't have an appetite. Truthfully, he didn't have any desire to do much of anything.
His phone sat next to his script, a number of text messages and calls left missed and unanswered. Alex had been checking in every twenty minutes. He didn't want to talk to him. Even his mother had called. He certainly didn't want to talk to her. He wished today had never happened, he wished that Henry had never released his statement. He wished that Mary's silence didn't fill his head with so many deplorable thoughts.
When they were back at Downton Abbey for Christmas, she had mentioned something about how easy their relationship had been so far. When they dated years ago, before she rejected his proposal, before the break-up, it seemed they were pulled in a million different directions. They were both emerging actors, struggling to get noticed, to book jobs, to build their careers. As a result, they were stressed out much of the time, and if he was honest, he would admit that they fought a lot. They would fight about the smallest, stupidest things, then get over it and have make-up sex, only to go through the same cycle days later. When things were good, they were really good, but when things were bad, they were at each other's throats, no quarter given.
When they started dating again back in July, they both were determined to do things differently. They talked more. They shared their feelings, rather than keeping them bottled up and becoming passive aggressive. It wasn't perfect, but it was much better than before, and Mary had mentioned something about how being in Toronto was a bit of a blessing for them. Filming Shattered together over the summer had let them live in their own private world, with few distractions or obstacles to come between them. They were being paid to spend every day together essentially, and were more in tune with each other than they had ever been before.
Now, as he sat in Chicago and she was in another country, he felt as if this was their first true test as a couple. He had endured her 'showmance' with Henry for months, had to stand idly by as she walked the red carpets at awards shows on his arm, had to watch silently as the trailers for Paladin were released and every single one of them featured numerous hot scenes of her character kissing and having sex with Henry's. Those moments annoyed him, but they were quickly forgotten because soon enough they were back in Toronto and he had her all to himself again. This time, he wouldn't see her again until next weekend in Los Angeles, and even then, he certainly wouldn't have her to himself. The SAG Awards would be yet another reminder that he was an outsider, a part of her world, but not entirely in it.
He finished his Coke and sighed. If this was a test, they were failing miserably.
A knock at his door roused him from his wallowing and he stared at the door in confusion. Getting up, he walked over to open it, wondering who it could be. The only people he knew in Chicago were his cast mates and crew on Black Panther, and none of them had any reason to come to his hotel.
His mouth fell open when he opened the door and saw his guest.
"May I come in?" Mary asked, looking at him guardedly.
He swallowed, then stepped aside.
She walked past him and into the room.
"This is cosy," she remarked, taking in the room as she went over to glance out the window.
"How…" he sputtered.
"I just caught the 4:10pm direct flight out," she explained, turning and looking at him. "With the time change I landed at 5pm, and here I am."
He nodded slowly. "Were you recognized?"
"I think so. It was a small plane, but thankfully no one said anything," she replied.
"I see," he said.
"Since it's the weekend and I don't have to work next week now, I thought I'd come down. Anna will meet me in Los Angeles in a few days ahead of the SAG Awards, so there was no real reason to stay in Toronto," she continued.
"I see," he said.
"And I missed you," she said softly, looking down at the floor. "I didn't like how we ended our last conversation, or, how I ended our last conversation, and I can only imagine how well Henry's statement must have gone over with you."
"Or didn't," he said wryly.
She smiled cautiously and nodded. "Anyway, I thought why bother staying at your apartment, wearing your shirts, sleeping in your bed, when the real thing was just a short flight away?"
He nodded and willed himself to move forward, coming before her, leaning in close. "I hope I live up to expectations, then."
She looked up at him, her eyes softening. "You always do."
He hugged her tight, kissing her cheek and swaying slightly.
"Mmm, God, you have no idea how badly I needed this," she said shakily, kissing his cheek.
"I think I understand completely, actually," he whispered.
Eventually, he led her to the bed and they sat down facing each other. He reached up and wiped her tears from her cheeks, causing her to smile.
"I love you," he said. "I will always love you. I hate what happened today, but only because I hated seeing you go through the wars without me. I know you're strong and you can handle it, but I just…I wanted to be there for you."
"You were. You are," she said, caressing his cheek. "Today just reminded me of how lucky I am to have you, to have a real man in my life, someone who knows who he is and doesn't play games. It sounds so basic, but it's such a rare thing. I was running around all day today trying to react to everything, come up with the perfect response. I was so terrified that I might make a mistake, say the wrong thing and jeopardize my career. I'm still afraid of that, really, but I remembered something this afternoon, something very important, and just in time, too."
"What's that, pray?" he asked.
She smiled. "I remembered that the entire reason I got into acting in the first place was to forge my own path. I didn't want to be bound by Granny's legacy, or Mum's. I didn't want people to see me and think 'oh, that's the Earl of Grantham's daughter' or 'that's the girl that comes from an acting family'. I wanted people to see me for me, and to succeed or fail on my own terms, and no one else's."
He nodded in understanding, recalling all the times back in England when she made bold career moves just to separate herself from the pack, and from her family past.
"So if I'm really so brave, why have I been so eager to define myself as Henry's co-star and rumoured girlfriend?" she continued. "Coming over to North America, I thought the rules here were different, and I was so eager to appease everyone that I lost track of what made me happy."
He nodded, impressed by her determination and the confidence in her voice that had been missing when they spoke earlier.
Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it briefly, then set it aside.
"Can you turn on the TV, please?" she asked.
"Uh, sure," he said, looking around the room. He got up and went over to the small desk and got the remote control, then pointed it at the television.
"It's on E!," he said sheepishly. "It's been on that channel all day."
"I was watching it, too," she said, nodding.
He came back and sat down next to her. "We can watch something else, if you like."
She reached over and took his hand, bringing it up to her lips and kissing it tenderly. "Just watch," she said, holding his hand on her lap.
He looked at the screen, watching as the familiar 'breaking news' music and graphic played and the news anchor came in.
'This just in – we have an official statement from Lady Mary Crawley. There has been rampant speculation all day as to whether we would hear anything from the multiple award-nominated actress, and rumoured girlfriend of Henry Talbot. In his statement released earlier today, Henry thanked Mary for her 'unwavering support'. Now, we have her comment on the Daily Mail story that broke this morning, and the video of Henry appearing to smoke crystal meth at a party.'
Matthew blinked and looked at Mary. She was looking at the screen. She squeezed his hand and he held tight to hers in response. He turned back to the screen, where the text of Mary's statement was scrolling next to a photo of her at the Golden Globes.
'I was as shocked as anyone to read the story in the Daily Mail this morning involving my co-star, Henry Talbot. I have known Henry for six years, going back to our time in England, and I was extremely disappointed by his behaviour. While I have always respected Henry as an actor, and enjoyed working with him on Paladin, a show that is dear to us and so many people across the world, his private life has never been of any interest to me, and that is especially true today. I will have no further comment on this matter, which has nothing to do with me. I hope that Henry can get the help that he needs, and I remain committed to my show, the hard working and dedicated people who give their all everyday to put it together, and the millions of fans who support us, for which I am forever grateful.'
Matthew turned off the television once the news anchor was done reading Mary's statement. He didn't want to hear the analysis, the nit-picking, the parsing of Mary's every word for some hidden meaning. He turned and took both of her hands in his.
"I may lose my show," she said quietly.
He nodded. "You might."
"The press will haunt me over this. Just because I said I wouldn't have any further comment doesn't mean they'll leave me alone," she said.
He nodded again. "Most likely not."
"The next few months could be quite painful," she said, cringing slightly.
He watched her closely. "They could be."
She found his blue eyes. "From now on, though, it's on my terms."
He pulled her into his embrace, rubbing her back as he felt her finally let go and lean into him.
"I'm with you, darling, no matter what."
