What really happened in Dublin (chapters 5 and 6 of At last, my love has come along if you're confused/can't remember) in full! It's silly. Very silly. I couldn't seem to stop myself. No real purpose to this really, but I hope you enjoy it all the same!
In Dublin's Fair City
Mary tucked her blouse back into her skirt and patted her hair before following her slightly swaying fiancé back into the pub; the hot and clammy air surrounding her and filling her lungs as she went back through the door, a stark contrast to the cold and crisp air outside. Oh she would get him back for that… She felt herself blush as she remembered the feel of his lips on her neck, of his hands under her blouse, stroking over…
"Mary, I think we need to go back. Edith is about to pass out!" Sybil filled Mary's vision and indicated to their middle sister, who was resting her head on the table, holding one hand to her forehead, her blonde hair already unravelling from its formally neat knot. "Oh and Evelyn left. He said he'd write to you soon though." Mary smiled and nodded, glancing at Edith, something else catching her eye…Matthew and Tom returning to the table with another pint of Guinness each. Clearly, they didn't consider it time to go just yet.
"That's your last one Tom, we need to go home," Sybil sighed and rolled her eyes as her husband slung his arm round her shoulders, kissing her cheek before taking a long swig of the beer. Mary rubbed Edith's back and helped her into a more upright position.
"It's alright darling, we're going back shortly, and you can go to bed," she bit back a smile as Edith merely nodded then groaned at the movement. Tom and Matthew laboriously emptied their glasses, to the annoyance of the Crawley sisters, taking their time until the closing time bell was rung by the landlord and everyone was turned out to the streets.
Mary and Sybil walked slowly with Edith between them, while Matthew and Tom strode ahead, joining up with some of Tom's friends that they had met earlier. All of a sudden a loud cheer came from the group of in front of them and the three women stopped and looked on in horror as the men all started singing.
"In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone!" They all linked arms and staggered along the street awkwardly, still singing and cheering. "As she wheeled her wheelbarrow, through streets broad and narrow, crying cockles and mussels alive, alive!"
"Oh for goodness sake," Mary muttered. "Do you think we could pretend that we don't know them?"
"Well we could try!" Sybil replied with a smile. "But I don't know how successful it would be!"
It didn't take them long to get back to the house, and they sighed again as they saw Tom and Matthew clinging to the front door, bent double with laughter.
"Now you need to be quiet, it won't be fair to wake Kathleen or Mrs Doyle!" Sybil spoke harshly to the two men, who were now wearing expressions as if they were children that had been caught stealing sweets. She sighed and stroked her hand across her stomach. The baby was being a bit more active than normal. "Mary will you take Edith up?" Mary nodded and gently tugged on Edith's arm, helping her up to their shared bedroom and into her nightclothes.
"Thanks…Mary…night," she mumbled, and Mary smiled as seconds later her sister let out a soft snore.
Back in the sitting room, things were a lot livelier. Tom had produced a glass bottle of clear liquid and was pouring small amounts into the two glasses that Matthew was holding.
"Mary, would you care for some?" Matthew stuck the glass under her nose and she winced as the sharp smell burnt in her nose before he pulled it away and took a sip, squeezing his eyes shut and coughing as he swallowed.
"Oh, no, thank you. What is it?" She sank onto the settee next to Sybil, who was wearing an expression she'd never before seen on her youngest sister, and followed her gaze to their significant others, who were now filling up their glasses again.
"It's potcheen…potato whiskey. Cheers!" Tom held his glass to Matthew's and they both took another sip, making all sorts of unusual sounds and faces as it went down.
"Mary, I'm going to make some tea. Just…keep an eye on them will you, and tell them to keep it down." Sybil left the room before Mary had a chance to respond. They filled their glasses and knocked back the clear alcohol once more, and again, and a third time, all the while laughing more and more hysterically, before finally collapsing on the settee opposite with loud sighs, occasional giggles still bursting out of them.
"What's so funny?" Mary's voice was like ice, not that either of them noticed. She'd never seen Matthew drunk before, and she wasn't sure that it was something that she wanted to see again.
"Oh nothing, cheer up my darling!" Matthew slurred and smiled, swaying even though he was sat back against the cushions. "We're on holiday! All play and no work make Matthew…not a dull boy!" He smiled, pleased that he was making sense, to himself anyway. Mary rolled her eyes again.
"Yeah…iss alright Mary. I'll look after him. We're brothers me and Matthew. Well we will be. When you make an honest man out of him!" He nodded, trying to look solemn and sincere, but instead emphasising just how drunk he was.
"I never had a brother," Matthew exclaimed suddenly with a sigh.
"Iss alright Matthew. You and me. I'll be your brother," he reached for Matthew's hand, almost as if to shake it, but he seemed to forget that he was holding a glass and the bottle, and spilt some of the potcheen across them, causing both to burst into uncontrollable laughter again.
"Never had a sister either," in a few seconds Matthew had adopted the expression of a forlorn child, and was staring at his glass, not really directing his words at anyone in particular. "I would have liked a sister. Sybil's like a sister. And Edith. Edith's tall. Mary's tall. Mary's pretty. Mary loves me. Me from Manchester…oh that rhymes!" His voice dropped to a loud whisper, not realising that Mary could still hear him. He looked over and caught her eye and she couldn't help but give a small smile at the boyish expression on his face.
"Sybil's pretty. She's the most prettiest girl I know. And she loves me. I don't know why but she does. She's so pretty. And we're having a baby. A baby!" He looked at Matthew wide-eyed, as if only just discovering this information. "Me and Sybil will be your brother and sister! Iss alright Matthew. Iss all alright. And Robert… Robert…" Tom trailed off, squinting as he held up his glass and examined it, smiling when he realised it wasn't empty.
Mary groaned and rolled her eyes, tired of their nonsensical rambling, and stood up to go and find a cloth so that they could mop up. Just then Sybil re-entered carrying a small tray with a cup of tea each for her and Mary, and a cloth.
"This isn't the first time," she smiled wryly at Mary's raised eyebrow before throwing the cloth at Tom, who ignored it as it landed on his head, still giggling with Matthew. "When I told him I was pregnant, he went out and came home several hours later in a similar state."
"Didn't you mind?"
"Of course I did, but I'm not his keeper, just like he's not mine. We're both adults," she frowned and Mary wondered where her sister's train of thought had taken her. Sybil handed a cup to Mary and sat herself down, still protectively rubbing her swollen stomach. Mary watched her with interest. Of course Sybil would be an excellent mother; she had already shown herself to be an excellent nurse. Sybil gasped suddenly.
"What is it? Are you alright?"
"Yes. Baby is kicking. He's very lively tonight," Sybil smiled at Mary and reached for her hand. While both of her sisters had gently touched the bump, neither of them had felt the baby moving. Sybil placed Mary's hand just on the centre of her belly.
"There, that's where Baby has been kicking this evening," something moved and Mary gasped at the same as Sybil, their eyes meeting and broad smiles spreading across their faces, Tom and Matthew quite forgotten for a moment.
"That's…wonderful!" Sybil nodded, still smiling. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by boisterous laughter coming from the opposite settee. Both women snapped their heads round in annoyance. Tom had put the cloth on his head like a scarf.
"Matthew, Matthew, Matthew…look, I'm like a lady. I'm the Dowager Countess," and on that they both started laughing again, gasping for breath as if it was the funniest thing that either of them had ever seen. Both Sybil and Mary briefly shut their eyes and sighed. It was a very good thing that Granny couldn't see what was going on, she would probably hit them both with her cane, grandsons-in-law or not. They watched with narrowed eyes but arched eyebrows, an inherited look from Granny, as Tom handed the scrap of material to Matthew who put it on his own head and asked if he looked pretty.
"He is handsome, he is pretty, he is the belle of Dublin city," Tom wailed before they both started laughing again.
"I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision when I said yes," Mary murmured to Sybil who was taking a sip of her tea.
Sybil snorted, "You're not the only one! At least you're not married yet!" They shared a smile. A loud chuckle caught their attention. They'd stood now, drinks in hand and were facing each other, swaying unsteadily on their feet. "Oh now what are they…"
"Right, on three… Three…I'll tell me ma when I go home…she took my hair and my comb…she is handsome and pretty, she is the belle of Dublin city! No that's not right!" Tom practically shouted at Matthew, who hadn't spoken, and who looked so serious that Mary had to bite back a small smile in spite of the irritation she currently felt towards him.
"Oh will you two pipe down! Mrs Doyle will be so angry if you wake her!" Tom looked at his wife and nodded once before turning back to Matthew and speaking again, but this time in a stage whisper. Sybil sighed and rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her tea and sinking back against the settee.
"One, two, three…I'll tell me ma when I go home, the boys won't leave the girls alone, they pulled my hair, they stole my comb, but that's all right till I go home," he then nodded at Matthew and they started to awkwardly move around each other… Oh lord they were dancing. Trying to dance. Mary copied her sister's actions from a moment ago. It was like looking after a child, well, so she imagined anyway.
"She is handsome, she is pretty, she is the belle of Dublin city, she is courting one, two, three, please won't you tell me who is she?" They sang…no not sang, that was too specific a term for whatever it was that they were doing, wailed was probably more accurate, and danced around the small space between the two settees, sloshing their drinks over the floor…and then somehow a leg or a foot or an arm caught in the wrong place and both men crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs, tears rolling down their faces as they kept on laughing.
"That is it. Bed. Now. Both of you," Sybil had stood and was almost shaking in anger, arms cradling the bump.
"Darling, don't stress. It can't be good for you, for either of you," Mary looked kindly at her sister, before turning and looking sternly at both men, their faces dropping, all of the mirth and merriment instantly forgotten as they struggled to their feet. "I think it's a good thing that you didn't break anything." They nodded, sensing that anything they said now would not go down well with either Crawley woman.
The four of them struggled up the stairs as Tom and Matthew found it difficult to maintain a sense of balance and practically crawled up after the first few steps, while Sybil and Mary attempted, and failed, to keep them upright.
Once they had eventually made it to his room, Mary told Matthew to sit on the end of the bed while she hunted out his pyjamas. He started to undress, almost unconsciously. His jacket was quickly discarded to the floor, followed by his waistcoat, then his shoes. He only struggled when it came to taking off his tie; it felt so strange, like he had more fingers than he normally did. Mary watched him fumble for a moment before going to help, placing the cotton pyjamas next to him. He looked up at her in surprise, as if he'd forgotten that she was there. He gazed at her as she stood in front of him, her hands making quick work of his tie, his mouth open in wonder, eyes drinking her in…this beautiful, so beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman. Why…why was she marrying him? Why did she love him? She met his gaze and smiled warmly, affectionately, at him. He moved his hands to her hips and pulled her towards him as much as he was able to…then he leaned up, tilting his face to hers. She sensed his intention and bent her head, their lips meeting in a soft kiss, her hands resting on his shoulders. He pulled away and wrapped his arms tighter around her, resting his head against her, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by his love for her. She lifted one hand and smoothed it over his hair, gently stroking his head, her other wrapping around his neck, her fingers lightly touching the skin just under his collar.
They stayed like that for a while, strangely comfortable. Mary quickly pressed a kiss to the top of his head and tried to pull away, at the same time that he pulled her to sit on his lap, the movement from each causing them both to topple backwards onto the bed with a muffled yelp. His arms stayed wrapped round her and she curled up against him, thinking how nice it would be to be able to do this all the time. June suddenly felt a bit closer than it had before.
"Love you Mary, lots and lots," he mumbled against her hair. She smiled and was about to reply when…he let out a loud snore. She sighed, frustrated, extricated herself from his embrace and started to undress him with a practiced efficiency. Socks first, then his trousers, grateful that he couldn't see her blushes as she pulled at the material from around his hips, tugging it down his legs. She decided not to remove everything though. Now was not the time for…that. She unbuttoned his shirt, allowing her fingers to lightly skim across his chest, marvelling at how soft and smooth and warm his skin was. She was suddenly overcome with an urge to kiss it…but she resisted. He was unconscious after all. She quickly redressed him in the pale blue cotton and tucked a blanket around him, and tried not to think of all of the times that she had performed the same task when he'd been injured, when he hadn't been hers. He let out another snore, and she smiled. It was a good thing she loved him so much. She kissed his forehead, at that moment feeling more like a parent than a fiancée, and went to her room.
Breakfast was a slightly subdued affair. Sybil and Mary looked up from their newspapers as Edith walked in, looking a little paler than usual.
"Good morning, how do you feel today?" Mary arched an eyebrow and beamed at her sister, feeling no effects of the previous night.
"Oh I'm alright," she smiled and accepted the plate of food off the maid. They ate in a companionable silence, all of them thinking that it had been many years since it had just been the three of them for breakfast. The door flung open and both Tom and Matthew staggered in, dressed but looking a bit unkempt, red-eyed and unshaven. They grunted their greetings and sank into their chairs, both slouching as they reached for a drink. Their food was placed in front of them and they both paled and grimaced.
"Good morning dear, how are you today?" Sybil's breezy tone was full of mischief and Mary and Edith smiled.
"I've been better," Tom groaned and took a tentative sip of the coffee in front of him. Mary, Sybil and Edith finished eating and sat back to watch as Matthew and Tom poked their food around the plates, occasionally having a sip of their drink or a small bite of toast.
"Well we should start getting our things together," Mary smiled and stood and headed out of the room, quickly followed by Matthew. He caught her elbow and gently urged her through the kitchen door and out into the small garden at the rear of the house.
"What is it darling?" She was too calm, too serene…was she amused? He frowned slightly, his head too fuzzy to process much.
"I um…well that is…I" he coughed. "I want to apologise." He was looking at his feet. As much as he would like to, he could not bring himself to look into her eyes.
"Apologise for what Matthew?" She tried hard not to smile as he started shifting on his feet, a deep red flush rising up his face. He coughed again, his hands twisting together.
"Well, for last night. I erm…may have got carried away. And I want you to know that I'm…I'm sorry," he coughed again, his voice dropping to barely a whisper. "It was wrong of me…and we…we should have waited until our wedding night." Another cough. "It's not how I intended…things to be. I wanted it to be special…" he trailed off, unsure of what else he could possibly say to rectify things. "I'm sorry." She bit back the laughter that was bubbling within her and nodded as if considering his apology, even though he was still staring intently at his shoes. He looked so embarrassed, so anguished. Time to have a little fun.
"Oh darling, it was special. I never thought I would experience something quite like it! It's taken the surprise away…I know what to expect now, when I become your wife," his head shot up, catching the light, teasing tone in her voice. He looked at her face, her eyes bright and sparkling, and a large smile that she was trying to hide.
"You're teasing me," it was a statement, a realisation. He frowned.
"Of course I am darling. You were very drunk and then you passed out, and I put you into your pyjamas," her smile broadened, remembering that brief, tantalising touch she had allowed herself. "Of course we didn't do anything. But thank you for apologising anyway," she leaned in and kissed him, not allowing him any room to argue or protest or…do anything but kiss her back. She pulled away and laced her fingers with his, gently pulling him back inside to get ready to go home.
Fin.
Thank you for reading! Any feedback is always appreciated!
A/n: The two songs are 'The Belle of Dublin City' and 'In Dublin's Fair City', which are both traditional Irish folk songs, from around the 1880s. Both songs have been sung by The Dubliners and you can find them on youtube. (Also Mrs Doyle and Kathleen are the Branson's servants, just in case you were wondering.)