AN: This story explores the possibilities of what could have happened had Mary and Matthew met before 1912. There are a lot of changes of perspectives in this story. I am playing around with letting the format of the story mirror the characters feelings but I have no idea whether this is working. Based on the plotline of this story one (not the only!) of the dominant feelings is confusion which I hope to have captured without actually confusing the readers. Does this make any sense? I hope it does.
I've posted the Prologue and the first chapter today, so you'll get an idea of what this story will be like.
Kat
September 1910
Downton Abbey
"Mary, Edith, there is something I would like you to do."
"What is it Papa?"
"We've been invited to an extended family reunion in Liverpool and I think that at least one or two of us should make an appearance there. But your mother and I will still be in New York, your grandmother cites her age, and Sybil is too young. So I want you to go. Try not to fight in front of our extended family please."
"Papa, we'll try but can't promise anything."
"I trust you know how to behave."
Manchester
"Oh this is nice. We've been invited to a family reunion in Liverpool. It says they've invited the Earl of Grantham as well."
"I don't care about him."
"He is the head of our family, Matthew."
"Of our very extended family. Mother, I have never met that man. I am sure he does not even know that I exist."
"Well, I've met him once and he was very nice. His wife as well. She's American, you know."
"And that makes her a queen."
"No. I didn't say that. I just said that they were nice people. Matthew, if you want to be a successful lawyer it might not hurt to be in the Earl of Grantham's good books."
"That means you want me to accompany you."
"Yes."
