The New Normal

by Apollo888

Mary and Matthew are expecting their second child, and go through all the changes that such an event brings to their lives. A Mary and Matthew modern story set in the Breaking Bread modern AU. The sequel to Adultery, followed by Allurement.

Author's Note:

My first Mary and Matthew modern AU was Breaking Bread, and the response to it was both humbling and inspiring. Whenever I return to this universe, I feel so grateful to everyone who have supported me. It's a good bet that I may never have written modern AU at all if not for all of your wonderful comments, reviews, follows, favourites and feedback.

This story continues from Adultery and the final scene of There's Something About Christmastime. Mary and Matthew are now expecting their second child, and find out that what they experienced the first time with George may not be exactly the way this pregnancy goes.

---

The New Normal

Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England, New Year's Eve, December 2018

Carson picked the tray up off the marble countertop, steadying it in front of him before he turned and headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, each step assured and measured, his back straight, chin raised. The sweet smells of holiday baking followed him up to the main floor, the sound of his polished shoes on the polished floor ringing out crisply as he came through the Great Hall, past the towering Christmas tree and over to the sitting room. Normally the big house would be quiet at this time of the afternoon. Even when Lord and Lady Grantham had guests over for tea, their polite conversation never carried outside of the parlour. Today, though, was a different matter. Before the long-time family butler came through the sitting room and even reached the parlour, he could hear lively banter and the scurrying of little feet, signalling a joyous, and far too rare occurrence.

The entire Crawley family was home.

The sight that greeted him filled him with so much pride and satisfaction that it almost broke his stoic demeanour. Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, and his wife, Cora, were sitting on chairs on one side of the antique coffee table, with Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess, and Isobel Crawley, one of their oldest friends, seated on the sofa opposite. The three Crawley sisters – Mary, Edith and Sybil – all up from London for the holidays, were sitting on the other two sides of the table. At the far end of the room, Matthew Crawley, Mary's husband, and Tom Branson, married to Sybil, were playing a game of keep-away with a large plastic ball. They were tossing it to each other as Mary and Matthew's son, George, all of 17 months old, squealed happily while running back and forth between his Papa and Uncle Tom.

"Ah, Carson," the Dowager Countess spoke up as he brought the tea tray over. "Must we trouble you with such a task? Surely one of the footmen is available?"

"I've kept them in the kitchens, Your Ladyship," Carson replied with a nod of his head. "The silver needed polishing for tonight's dinner and festivities."

"Carson, you needn't go to so much trouble," Isobel said, looking over at Violet before smiling at the butler. "It's just us. We're hardly esteemed guests deserving of such treatment."

"On the contrary, Mrs. Crawley, I owe you nothing less than my best effort," Carson said, bringing the tea tray over to the sideboard and taking out cups and saucers from the cabinets.

"Dear Carson," Mary said, smiling as she glanced over at her mother. "He would do wonders for our house if we could only lure him to London."

"You know there is nothing more ill-bred than to steal other people's servants," Robert noted drily.

"But you aren't 'other people'," Mary said sweetly, smiling at her father. "And Carson brought me up. It's only right that he help bring up George with the same steady hand."

Carson couldn't help but smile as he prepared tea for the family. He had seen all three Crawley sisters grow up from precocious little girls to sophisticated modern women, but Lady Mary was easily his favourite. It made him proud that she would even consider bringing him to London to help her run her household, though the idea of leaving Downton Abbey had never entered his mind.

"If you feel so strongly about it, then ask Carson whether he would like to leave and go work for you," Cora said, smirking at her eldest daughter.

"Matthew doesn't think we need a butler," Mary said, looking over at her husband petulantly.

"Matthew doesn't think it's fair to put Carson on the spot," Matthew replied, meeting his wife's pointed glare. "And Carson belongs here at Downton Abbey. He sees George plenty when he comes to London. Right, George? You like Carson, don't you?"

The little boy blinked several times, trying to decipher what his father was asking him.

"George, say 'Carson'," Mary called to her son.

The little boy looked blankly at his mother, then back to his father, a bewildered look on his face.

"Carson, George," Mary said patiently, smiling and nodding at him, then gesturing over to the butler. "Carson."

"Car-so!" George babbled finally, looking over at the butler, then from his mother to his father and back again.

The rest of the family smiled at the infant's antics as Mary and Matthew both applauded their son encouragingly.

Carson chuckled as he brought the tea tray over and placed a full cup before Lord Grantham and each of the ladies, just the right amount of milk, sugar or honey added, pursuant to their individual preferences. He placed the pastry tray in the centre of the coffee table and put plates and small forks neatly in front of each person.

"Carson, if it were up to me, you would be coming back to St. James with us. However, I already put up with enough of Matthew's whinging. The last thing I need is something else for him to complain about," Mary said.

"Very good, my Lady," Carson said warmly, meeting her gaze and nodding his head. "Most kind of you."

Matthew looked over at Tom and rolled his eyes.

George took advantage of the lull in the game to barrel into his father and tackle him about the legs. Matthew grunted and laughed, deliberately falling down and pretending that his son had knocked him off his feet. George shrieked in victory and clambered all over his Papa, who promptly wrapped him in a hug and tickled him all over.

"Matthew!" Mary groaned, frowning at the sight. "You'll make him untidy! I just fixed his hair!"

Matthew sat up and brushed his son's dishevelled hair, doing very little to restore it. "See? All fine," he said, giving his wife a hopeful smile.

Mary rolled her eyes and turned away, shaking her head and sipping her tea.

"Come on, my boy," Matthew said resignedly, picking up his son as he got back up to his feet. "Let's go find Nanny and see about getting you looking more normal."

"You can have her put him down for his nap while you're up there," Mary ordered as they walked past. "He's late for it as it is, thanks to your swanning around with him, and the last thing we need tonight is for him to put up a fight going to sleep."

"Yes, dear," Matthew called sarcastically over his shoulder as he took George from the room.

"I sometimes wonder if I'm not raising two little boys," Mary said, looking over at her mother-in-law in exasperation.

"I'll have to take some of the blame for that," Isobel replied cheerfully. "Matthew being an only child meant he missed out on having a playmate growing up. It appears he's making up for lost time."

"Don't make excuses for him. You did nothing wrong," Mary said, smiling at her knowingly. "He's just such a child sometimes, is all. He's supposed to be the disciplinarian of the two of us, and yet he and George are as thick as thieves. You should see whenever I try and have George go down for a nap or send him to bed in the evenings. Matthew begs me to let him stay up longer."

"I think it's cute to see them playing together," Sybil said as Tom came over and put his hands on her shoulders. "It isn't as if you'd ever horse around with him."

"I play with him, but not all the time the way Matthew does," Mary replied haughtily. "I'm his mother, not his playmate. As parents, we need to establish proper boundaries. George is very impressionable at this age. He needs to learn that there is a time to play and a time to be calm and composed, and not just roll around on the floor constantly with his Papa and run around the house at all hours like a couple of hooligans."

Edith smirked as she sipped her tea.

"I should like to see how you are when you have a little girl," Cora said, smiling at the thought. "I don't think you'll be quite so composed yourself."

"Hardly," Edith remarked, chuckling at her mother. "Mary will be teaching her the difference between Prada and Chanel before the child can even walk."

The group all laughed at just how very apropos the prediction seemed.

"Haha," Mary replied drily, giving her sister a wry smile. "You may be able to test that theory come next Summer."

It took everyone a few seconds to stop laughing and understand what Mary had said.

"What?" Cora exclaimed, lowering her tea cup and saucer that was poised below her mouth. "What are you saying?"

Mary merely smiled mysteriously and took another sip of tea.

"Oh God in Heaven!" Isobel gasped breathlessly, a silly grin filling her face.

"Mary," Sybil asked, her eyes wide in anticipation. "Are you really?"

"Six weeks," Mary declared happily. "Yes, Matthew and I are having another baby, hopefully a girl this time."

"Oh my darling!" Cora practically squealed, putting her tea cup down and going over to take her daughter's hands in hers. "Such wonderful news! Were you going to keep it from us this entire visit?"

"I was just waiting for the proper time," Mary replied, smiling as she accepted congratulatory hugs from the other ladies. "Matthew said we should wait until three months have passed, but I see no need. I feel perfectly well."

"It must be a relief to know what to expect this time around," Sybil remarked.

"It is," Mary agreed, nodding her head and reaching for her tea. "I haven't had as much nausea, though it is early, mind."

"How absolutely wonderful," Isobel said, sharing a knowing look with Cora. "Matthew must be over the moon."

"He is," Mary said. "I'm hoping that he'll be more under control with this one and not get on my nerves as much. So far, he's been all right, but I suspect he's gone out and bought another set of pregnancy self-help books without telling me."

"What happened to the books he had when you were pregnant with George?" Robert asked.

"I threw them all in the bin," Mary said.

The ladies all laughed and looked at each other in understanding.

Tom and Robert exchanged a sympathetic smile for Matthew's sake.

---

Once George finally fell asleep for his nap, Matthew came downstairs to find that Mary had already shared their news with the family. He accepted the belated congratulations from everyone and was soon driving his mother and Violet back to the Dower House. Tom and Robert made themselves scarce, and Cora went to go oversee the kitchen ahead of dinner, leaving Mary to take a walk across the snow covered grounds with her sisters.

"I can't believe you're pregnant again!" Sybil squealed happily, hugging her sister as they traipsed across the worn path behind the big house. "I expected you would wait a while longer before even thinking of having another child."

"Two was always the plan, at a minimum," Mary said, shrugging her shoulders and leaning into Sybil's embrace. "We didn't want to leave too much of an age gap between them. Anyway, we didn't entirely plan for it. We agreed to stop using birth control and if it happened, it was meant to be. And so it has."

"You're very lucky," Edith said.

"I am," Mary agreed, smiling as she looked out across the fields. "And I'm much more at ease this time. I know how long I'll be able to work, how to take care of myself, what's going to change in the coming months. There's much fewer surprises after going through it once already."

"Pregnancies aren't exactly alike, though, are they?" Sybil asked.

"Not exactly, no," Mary said. "But I think it's really a matter of degree. I know I'll have sickness, and bloating, and aches and pains. It just depends on whether it'll be as bad as it was with George, or better. Plus, there's benefits from knowing what's coming. Rather than wonder what's wrong with me for crying over something silly, or forgetting where I put my keys yet again, I can embrace it instead."

"You're going to revel in your mood swings and baby brain, are you?" Edith asked, laughing at the thought.

"Why not? May as well enjoy it," Mary joked.

"Well you're not even showing yet," Edith said. "You look even better than you did before your first pregnancy."

"Thank you," Mary said proudly, smiling at her sister. "I'm determined to stay in better shape this time, so it'll be easier to bounce back after. I'm convinced that one of the reasons I was so tired the first go around was because I stopped exercising too early. I probably won't keep up with spin class but I'm going to do more yoga and pilates."

"Good," Edith said. "That will help me go more often."

"Catherine and the other girls will be coming too, as usual," Mary said. "What about you, Sybil?"

"I'm in, just as long as you don't do those horrid early morning sessions," Sybil complained. "Those were ridiculous."

"No, it'll be in the afternoons," Mary said. "I'm going to start taking longer lunches. It'll make it easier to last the whole day in the office and will be a nice break."

"What about Matthew?" Edith asked.

"He doesn't do yoga," Mary replied.

"That's not what I meant," Edith replied, looking at her sister pointedly. "What about your sleeping arrangements?"

"Oh," Mary exclaimed, blinking in realization. "Well, unfortunately his days are numbered, I'm afraid."

Sybil laughed. "Poor Matthew. So you're banishing him to a guest room, are you?"

"Not yet," Mary said defensively. "And I don't want to sleep in separate rooms, but it's better if we just accept that my hormones will be raging soon and I won't want anything to do with him. We tried to fight through it when I was pregnant with George and it just led to more arguing and neither of us getting any decent sleep. He's accepted it this time…grudgingly."

"So long as you make it up to him now while you're still able to," Edith joked.

Mary grinned and looked down at the ground.

"And you, Sybil?" Edith asked, looking at her youngest sister. "When are you going to give George a cousin? Mama is wondering, you know."

"God, do I," Sybil grumbled. "She mentioned it the other day. We're quite eager to start our family, actually, but our schedules are so frantic right now. We barely manage to have dinner together, and we're both exhausted most nights. These past two weeks have been the most we've seen each other in months."

"Ah," Mary said, smiling kindly. "Well, don't wait too long hoping for the perfect moment. I assure you, there's no such thing. All you can do is prepare as best you can and realize that your entire world will change when it happens."

"I know, I know," Sybil said, shaking her head.

"At least you've got a husband," Edith said ruefully. "At the rate I'm going, I'll have cats before I have children."

"I thought you had a date to an office holiday party before we came here?" Mary asked.

"I did, but it wasn't anything special," Edith answered. "No one's dazzled me so far. And dating is so annoying these days. Finding someone, texting, making plans to meet, trying to get to know each other in just a few hours, then wondering if there will be a second date. It's exasperating, really."

"Perhaps you shouldn't rely on an app to find the one," Sybil teased.

"How else am I to do it?" Edith whinged. "I'm past my clubbing days and neither of you have anyone to set me up with."

"I tried," Mary said. "It's just that every eligible man I know is either not your type, or gay."

"I'll take gay. At least he'll be good for shopping and conversation," Edith muttered.

The sisters laughed as they reached the familiar bench beneath the towering oak tree where they had often played as children. Taking a long look at their family lands, they turned around and headed back to the house, gossiping and laughing as they went.

---

New Year's Eve dinner at Downton Abbey was a casual affair, or, at least casual by Crawley family standards. Christmas Eve dinner was a grand event with numerous guests and seemingly endless courses, immaculately dressed servants moving all about the dining room with military precision, catering to their every need. New Year's was just the family, along with Matthew and Isobel. There was potato and leek soup to start, roasted pork belly for the main and trifle for dessert, and everything had far less production to it. They all still dressed up, of course, with Matthew wearing Armani black tie and Mary in Versace, but without guests to worry about, they could all chatter away freely, the conversation topics ranging from the government recently voting to extend the time to negotiate the UK's exit from the European Union to Tom's trip in a week to Leicester to watch his beloved Munster play in the European Rugby Champions Cup.

"You should go along with them, Robert," Cora said cheerfully. "You like rugby, and Leicester isn't far."

"I invited him," Tom said, smiling at his father-in-law. "He'll only go and watch if Yorkshire Carnegie's playing."

"Well, that is my club," Robert replied, shrugging at his wife.

"Papa can have my ticket and Mama and I can go the spa," Sybil joked, smirking at her husband.

"Since when do you enjoy the spa?" Edith asked.

"Since I don't have to pay for it," Sybil retorted.

"Next time, Tom. I promise," Robert said, nodding to his son-in-law.

"Careful, Papa," Mary teased. "If Munster wins, they could be playing Saracens in April, and we'll surely crush them."

Matthew huffed and took a sip of his drink.

"I didn't know you followed rugby," Isobel noted, smiling at Mary.

"Oh, it's just a casual interest," Mary replied, reaching for her glass of water.

Sybil gave Matthew an understanding smile. He tried to return it, but didn't quite succeed.

"Well, if they advance, then we can all go and watch," Robert declared.

Tom's face lit up in anticipation.

"That does sound like fun, doesn't it?" Isobel said, looking over at her son.

"Quite," Matthew replied politely.

After the dessert course, the ladies went through to the sitting room while Robert, Matthew and Tom stayed behind for port. It was a rather archaic tradition, but one that the boys had gotten used to over years of dining at Downton Abbey. The Earl was quick about it, having given up smoking cigars some time ago, meaning they would all be reunited soon enough.

"Was that really necessary, what you said earlier about Munster?" Sybil asked Mary quietly as the sisters sat together on the sofa while Mama, Granny and Isobel took tea on the other side of the room.

"What are you talking about?" Mary asked in confusion.

"You only have a 'casual interest' in rugby?" Sybil repeated. "Come on, it's bound to bring up bad memories for Matthew!"

Mary blinked in surprise. "Why would it? He knows that I follow Saracens."

"He knows that you started following Saracens because they're Charles' team," Edith added. "It's a bit inappropriate to mention your ex-boyfriend at the dinner table, isn't it?"

"Excuse me?" Mary asked, frowning as she looked from one sister to another. "Need I remind you that I'm Matthew's wife, and I'm pregnant with his second child? I hardly think he has any reason to be concerned or insecure. I just made a passing comment, that's all."

Sybil and Edith shared a wry smile.

"Do you remember that trip you took to Bath with Charles years ago to watch Saracens play?" Sybil asked.

Mary looked down, arching her brow as she tried to remember. "Barely," she said slowly. "Saracens won, I know that. We didn't do anything else particularly fun. What of it?"

"Do you remember that Matthew invited you to watch United play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that same day?" Sybil pressed. "He ended up going with Tom. When you didn't show up, he was gutted."

Mary's mouth fell open in shock. "What? But we didn't have firm plans! It was just a suggestion."

"But you didn't tell him that you weren't going, and you certainly didn't tell him that you were going to Bath with Charles instead," Edith said.

"Which he found out from Tom, since you mentioned it to us," Sybil finished.

"Be that as it may," Mary stammered. "What's the bother? That was ages ago. He's obviously gotten over it seeing as he's never mentioned it to me."

"He's never mentioned a lot of things that bothered him back then," Sybil said. "At least, not to you."

Mary frowned and shook her head, sipping her sherry.

"Just try and be…nicer," Sybil suggested.

"Please," Mary scoffed. "Matthew knew the woman he married. He's not nearly as vexed by my behaviour as the two of appear to be, I assure you."

Sybil and Edith looked at each other, then sipped their drinks as the men came into the room to join them.

---

"3…2…1…Happy New Year!" Robert called as they watched the large clock above the mantle turn to midnight.

"Happy New Year, darling," Matthew said, smiling and kissing Mary chastely.

"Mmm," she hummed, patting his cheek affectionately.

They all exchanged hugs and kisses, wishing each other a happy new year.

"2019, my goodness," Violet said, shaking her head. She blinked in surprise as she felt her smartphone ringing in her pocket. Taking it out, she looked at the screen and nodded. "Ah, it's Rosamund."

"Tell her we all said 'Happy New Year'," Cora said as Violet answered the phone to speak to her daughter.

"Remember when we bought Granny her first cell phone and she couldn't even turn it on?" Mary asked, smiling at her sisters. "Now look at her doing video calls with everyone."

They all laughed knowingly.

"All right, girls, your turn!" Cora said, sitting down and waving to her daughters.

The three Crawley sisters shared a smile and walked around to stand together in front of the fireplace as everyone took seats around them.

"Everyone has to sing this time," Sybil pleaded. "At least after the first few verses."

Edith fetched her guitar and strummed it to ensure it was in tune. She felt rather ridiculous playing a guitar while wearing an evening gown, but this was a Crawley family tradition, and so she didn't think too much of it. Normally they would gather in the music room where she would play the piano, but this was far easier.

The sisters each hummed a note to get in tune with Edith's guitar. She began the song with a brief intro, then nodded for Mary to sing the first verse, as they'd done since they were young children.

"Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?"

Mary fell back into her old routine of looking to the back of the room while performing. She didn't see Matthew or any of her family, focusing on a point in the distance, her posture perfect, hands joined together over her stomach as she sang.

"For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne. We'll drink a cup of kindness yet for the sake of auld lang syne."

Sybil smiled at Tom as she began her part. Though she didn't have the vocal training of Mary, her higher voice was a nice contrast with her sisters'. As much as the three of them always complained about singing this song each year, the truth was they all looked forward to it, and given how often they would sing together whenever they were in the car or relaxing at home, it didn't take much encouragement to have them perform.

"And surely you will buy your cup, and surely I'll buy mine. We'll drink a cup of kindness yet for the sake of auld lang syne."

Edith's verse followed, and the three sisters harmonized the chorus together, smiling at each other as they went. Matthew watched them closely, remembering all the years that he sat in this very spot, before Mary knew of his feelings, when they were just best friends and nothing more. Over the years, they had attended different schools, dated other people, and lived in separate cities, and though they hadn't spent every New Year's at Downton together, this night, and this song, always brought back memories. He was here now with Mary as his wife, their child sleeping peacefully upstairs, and another on the way. As Sybil waved her arms, imploring everyone to sing along, he couldn't help but laugh before adding his baritone to the chorus.

---

"Congratulations, mate," Tom said, patting Matthew's back. "It's really great news."

"Thank you," Matthew said, nodding his head as they put their billiards cues away on the wall rack. "The plan was to wait a while longer before saying anything, but I suppose I knew Mary wouldn't be able to keep it secret."

"I wonder if she waited for you to leave the room on purpose before saying anything," Tom chuckled. They left the games room and wandered the darkened corridors leading back to the Great Hall and the grand staircase up to their bedrooms.

"She most likely did," Matthew said drily. "When you're married to a Crawley girl, you learn to expect these types of things."

"You more than me, mate," Tom said pointedly.

"Everything all right with Sybil?" Matthew asked lightly. "I hope you don't think we're putting more pressure on you two."

"No, no, it's fine," Tom said, sighing slightly. "We're both rather impatient, of course, but we know it'll happen at the right time for us. Between you and my sister, we're well behind anyway, so there's enough babies to distract the grandparents on both sides for now."

"Technically, Edith is supposed to be next, so you've got a fair amount of time, I'd say, unfortunately," Matthew noted.

"Yeah," Tom agreed. "It's crazy, right? Edith's so nice, you'd think she'd have found someone by now."

"Well, she did," Matthew said as they came into the Great Hall and headed up the stairs.

"Yeah," Tom said ruefully, shaking his head at the thought of Michael, Edith's cheating ex-boyfriend. "Fucking bastard, he was."

"Anyway, just relax and don't get obsessed," Matthew advised. "You'll drive yourself mad thinking about fertile periods, what to eat, and everything else. It's better to just be calm, make time for each other and go from there."

"Easy for you to say," Tom joked when they reached the upstairs gallery. "Night."

"Night, Tom," Matthew said, nodding to his brother-in-law as they went their separate ways.

---

"There you are," Mary called, a slight note of annoyance in her voice as Matthew came into the bedroom. "I was beginning to think you were going to keep Tom downstairs all night."

"Hardly. We just played three games, that's all," Matthew replied, smirking as he crossed over to his dressing room. "I won, by the way."

"Congratulations," she said sarcastically. "You know that he and Sybil will never get pregnant if you monopolize all of his time."

"That's hardly anything to be concerned about," he replied from the other room as he undressed and put on his pyjama trousers. "Besides, it's none of our business."

"They want a baby, Matthew," she retorted, frowning at her reflection in the vanity mirror as she rubbed cream into her hands. "We don't need to be involved, but you shouldn't be getting in the way either."

"I'm not having a conversation about your sister conceiving a child, or our role in such an endeavour," came the answer. "They'll figure it out, darling, on their own, with no intervention from us or your parents."

She rolled her eyes and huffed, put her creams away and got up from her vanity, going over to the full length mirror and adjusting her silk robe.

"I'll be glad to get back home," she said idly. "George is losing his routine, and I need to get back to work."

"It's only just Tuesday," he said, coming out of the dressing room and circling the bed towards her. "If we leave Thursday, it'll be the weekend practically. I'm not going into the office until next week."

"If we leave tomorrow morning, I can be in the office by the afternoon, giving me two and a half days of productivity before the weekend," she countered.

"Didn't you give Anna the week off?" he asked, coming up behind her. "What could you possibly have to do that can't wait until next week when the rest of the world is back to work?"

"There's always something, Matthew," she said, arching her eyebrow at him in the mirror's reflection. "Those of us who run our own businesses must be ever vigilant. We don't have staff, junior associates and partners to carry the load for us whenever we want to go away for a few weeks. My clients expect me to be available to them at all times, so I must show them that I am. Going back to work a few days after New Year's is fair enough, particularly since we've already been here since before Christmas."

"Thursday noon, and you can work from home when we get back, go in on Friday morning," he offered.

"Wednesday morning," she insisted. "And I'll consider being home in time for dinner and working from home in the evening, that is if my desk isn't a complete mess."

"I suppose I should be grateful you aren't demanding that we leave after breakfast in the morning," he said ruefully.

"Yes, you should be," she replied triumphantly, nodding as she crossed her arms in front of her.

Their eyes met in the mirror. He pursed his lips, staring at her intently. She lost her smile and swallowed before lowering her eyes.

"Are you ready for bed?" he asked, his hands trailing lightly up her sides and pausing at her hips.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Show me," he ordered.

She lifted her head and found his eyes in the mirror. Holding his stare, her hands untied the sash of her robe, allowing it to fall open. Pulling the two sides apart, the silk floated off her shoulders and fell at her feet, revealing her red bra and matching panties.

He smiled, his fingers moving up to stroke her cheek lightly, then moved down her neck, along her shoulder and traced the edge of her bra above her cleavage. Her skin prickled from his touch, her body warming beneath his hand.

"This," he said lightly, ogling her raised breasts in the mirror. "Looks even better on you than I imagined when I bought it."

She took a sharp breath as he reached past the silk and touched her breast, warm and sensitive. His eyes devoured her body one inch at a time, falling down her stomach, flat and trim in the early days of her pregnancy, across the inviting curve of her hips, along her long legs and back up again, appraising her shamelessly until returning to her eyes once more, his hand still fondling her all the while.

"Do you like it?" he asked idly, the warm blue eyes she was so accustomed to now dark with lust.

"Very much, yes," she said thickly, and she meant it. "Thank you."

"I have something else for you," he declared, releasing her and reaching into the pocket of his pyjamas for a wisp of red lace. Her eyes followed as he brought it around and across her thigh, then trailed it up her body with his fingers, the material soft and smooth as it caressed her skin, feeling so luxurious, and still so dangerous. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment as it ghosted between her breasts, then up to her neck. His arms circled her, and she stared in the mirror as he unwound the red lace choker before her.

"Lift your hair," he said softly.

She gathered her hair with one hand and raised it above her head, holding it in place to allow him to pull the collar around her pale throat and tie it snugly. She dropped her hair once he was finished, her arms falling back to her sides.

"There. Rather more fitting, wouldn't you say?" he asked, his strong arms pulling her back against him.

"It's perfect," she answered. In a past century, such an accessory was seen as a fashion statement, a normal part of an aristocratic woman's outfit, worn with a matching dress to a formal dinner. Wearing a choker now had an altogether different connotation, particularly given the rest of her lingerie. Anyone who knew her as Lady Mary Crawley would be shocked to see her wearing such a piece. This was for her husband's eyes only, but as she took in her entire ensemble, she felt a thrill of desire welling inside of her. Perhaps this wasn't entirely just for Matthew.

She watched him, watched them, seeing in the mirror what he was doing to her and feeling it on her skin at the same time. She was both voyeur and star, watching in detached fascination this woman, almost naked but for a few scraps of red lace, breathing quickly and obviously aroused, then feeling his warm breath on her neck, his firm hands on her arms, his covetous stare over her body.

Reminding her that the woman was her.

"I love you, Mary," he whispered, kissing her temple, his bare chest warm against her back. Her breath hitched as he kissed her cheek, then her shoulder.

"I want you," he said thickly, kissing the sensitive skin just below her ear, his eyes still watching hers in the mirror.

"Mmm," she sighed, tilting her head back. His fingers came up to her lips and she licked them wantonly.

"Does that please you?" he asked, his hand moving over the choker around her neck and down her front to cup her breast.

"Yes," she breathed.

His free hand pressed down along her stomach, sliding between her legs, keeping the thin lace between them. Ever so slowly he built her up, his fingers working in concert as he continued to lightly kiss her cheek and neck. She could feel his firm arousal against her backside, and still he went achingly slow, focused on her, not caring for his own need.

There would be plenty of time for that.

A ragged breath left her lips as her pulse jumped. He smiled, the growing warmth between her legs giving him confidence. He moved his hand behind her back and unsnapped her bra, taking his time to draw the straps down her arms, finally sweeping the silk lingerie off of her and down to the floor. His hand returned to her bare breast, and he kissed her neck as he fondled her, careful to not be too rough, despite his urges. He was well aware of how tender she was in these early weeks of her pregnancy.

"Do you like that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," she rasped, swallowing and blinking to keep her eyes open.

"And what will you do for me?" he enquired.

"Anything," she said.

"Anything?" he questioned, playing along, his own pulse beating faster now with anticipation.

"Everything," she gasped.

"Take your knickers off," he ordered.

Her eyes shut as she hooked her thumbs into the low-cut waistband of her panties, shimmying her hips to ease them down her legs. As she stepped out of them, his fingers found her bare flesh, and he growled as he dipped inside her.

"You're wet," he stated, kissing her cheek. "Open your eyes."

Her lids snapped open and she gasped as she saw herself in the mirror, skin flushed, lips parted, naked but for the choker around her neck. It was hypnotizing watching his fierce eyes, his fingers moving on her, the tell-tale signs of her rapidly growing desire. She was shifting her hips now, pushing back against him, then forwards to meet his fingers, unable to stop herself even if she tried.

And he wouldn't allow her to.

"Are you getting close?" he asked lightly, his tone remarkably casual. He pushed a second finger inside of her and pressed down with his palm, each flex of his hand driving her delirious, his other hand still playing with her breast.

"Yes," she cried, turning her face and searching for his mouth hungrily, finally kissing him as a sharp moan flew from her throat. He broke the kiss and nipped lightly on her neck as she gasped with her mounting bliss. "Please. Please," she whimpered.

"Please…what?" he asked with false confusion, licking her neck soothingly, his hands moving faster, pushing her that much closer to the edge.

"Please, please, oh fuck, please!" she begged.

Up until a few months ago she never begged for anything from him, not even for this. She never had to, and he never dared to make her. But so much had changed between them since they decided to explore these secret, private desires that neither knew existed in the other before. What started as an experiment had become almost compulsive now. What she thought was just a silly phase from her youth had been reborn into something far more profound with him. This wasn't role playing with a lover, something fleeting that would be forgotten tomorrow or laughed about with her girlfriends over drinks. This was her being fearless, and free, and unrestrained, with Matthew, her husband, and she felt so safe, trusted him so completely, that she begged him now without hesitation, begged him for the ecstasy that she craved, on any terms, and that he would give her when he was good and ready.

But she knew she wouldn't have to wait long. Hearing her beg turned him on. Watching her do it drove him mad.

"Scream for me, Mary," he growled. "Scream for me, now."

One hand palmed her breast with a bit more pressure. The other thrust in deep and ground against her. The warmth that was spreading inside of her caught fire. She arched and threw her head back against his shoulder, crying to the ceiling as she released. On some nights she called his name. Others she managed a word or a curse. Tonight all she could do was shout with uninhibited pleasure.

He kissed her neck and slowed his hands, stroking her as the waves of her release rolled through her. She opened her eyes and watched herself take deep, harsh breaths, her alabaster skin now tinged pink as the blood rushed through her veins. She felt energized and high, giddy even, the promise of all that was to come making her eager and anxious.

Her eyes widened as he removed his fingers and brought them up to his mouth, looking directly at her as he tasted her. The familiar urge to throw him on the bed and jump him flashed through her mind, but she quelled it just as quickly.

She wasn't to move until he wanted her to.

He glanced down her body again, then turned her around to face him. He kissed her neck, her cheeks, even her forehead, deliberately ignoring her parted lips as she gasped from his knowing touch. His hands moved down her back and fondled her arse, squeezing her playfully. They kissed at last. She groaned into his mouth at the flavour on his tongue, pressing her hips against him before he pulled back slightly and pushed down gently on her shoulders.

"On your knees," he hissed.

She lowered herself to the carpeted floor, staring up at him as her head came in line with his waist. Without prompting, her hands pulled his pyjamas down his legs. She licked her lips at the sight of his naked body, his thighs and calves sculpted by years of cycling. He was lean, not muscle-bound, vain enough to care about his appearance, but not obsessed with either exercise or diet. Back when they were teenagers, she had found him fit. Back when they started dating in their late twenties, she thought him attractive. But it was only in these past few months that he became something more – his new confidence and manner when they were alone like this made him seem intoxicating, enthralling. It was as though she was discovering a new part of him, an irresistible and addictive part that had her not only in love with him, but hungry for him. This wasn't the perfunctory and expected desire that a wife had for her husband. This was lust, and excitement, and passion, and debauchery, and the fact he was her husband, and that time had only made her want him more, made it all the more thrilling.

Their eyes met and she brought her hands behind her back, looking up at him expectantly. He reached down and ran his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp. She leaned her head into his touch, a smirk crossing her lips as he drew her to him.

"Oh yes," she whispered just before she closed the remaining distance and took him into her mouth, a flush of pride filling her as he groaned loudly and thrust past her lips.

His hand soon gathered her hair around his fist, his thrusts growing faster as she took him deep. His eyes moved from hers to the mirror behind her, and he almost fell apart at the sight, he standing tall, his wife kneeling naked before him, her head moving back and forth, his hand guiding her.

"Yes, just like that. Take it," he growled, finding her wide eyes again, lewd sounds coming from her mouth and throat that only made him want to hear more.

His rational mind would have been embarrassed, ashamed even, to be treating Mary this way, speaking to her like this, having the thoughts he was having of what to do to her next. This was all still so new and shocking to him. They still had their soft and gentle moments together where they took their time and weren't nearly as…depraved. Tonight however, he suspected she wanted something more, and so he made her wait, hoping her pique and impatience would make her even more ravenous once he got to bed.

He was elated to be proven right.

She gulped in a deep breath when he eventually pulled her off of him and helped her stand back up. He kissed her firmly, claiming her mouth as they turned and he nudged her backwards towards the bed. She fell on to the soft mattress, groaning as he followed and kissed his way down her body, sending shivers through her with his lips and tongue before sitting up and lifting her legs, smirking at her as he spread her open for him. He gave her a slight nod and she brought her hands up, taking hold of the backs of her knees, holding her legs wide as he bent down.

She watched as he kissed her right thigh, then her left, feather-light touches as he moved closer to where she desperately wanted him. A plea was on her tongue when he relented and settled down on the bed, bringing his mouth between her thighs and taking a long, slow lick.

"Oh Matthew!" she grunted, shutting her eyes as his mouth and fingers played with her, toyed with her, manipulated her most intimate places as she held herself angled just so, giving him total access. Her legs shook as she grasped them tight, and she opened her eyes again to watch, all of her senses afire as he looked up at her and feasted.

Her second spend came quickly, and another after that. He was relentless, easing up only slightly given how sensitive she was, before he had her flying again. She let go of her legs, allowing them to drop over his shoulders, her arms falling above her head, clawing uselessly at the duvet. She moaned and whimpered, begged and cried, sounds coming from her open lips that she would normally never allow, but that she eagerly let loose now, both of them desperate with need.

He allowed her a brief respite as he kissed his way back up her body, covering her in his warmth.

"Anything I want," he reminded her, kissing her cheek.

"Everything," she replied, a jolt of fresh desire pooling inside of her. She should have been tired from her exertions, but she wasn't. She felt as though she could go all night.

And so did he.

Matthew moved off of her and sat up.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she turned away from him and got on her hands and knees, clutching the duvet and lowering her head to the pillows as she felt his one hand grab her hip, while the other stroked the swell of her ass, then moved up her back, tugging lightly on her collar before reaching around to her breast.

She swallowed and turned her head, finding his eyes.

They both groaned as he took her from behind, the sight and feel of her almost setting him off immediately as he thrust as hard and fast as he could manage, his release approaching quickly.

Through the haze of her building delirium she glanced over at the mirror, perfectly placed to capture a part of their profile. She, bent over, presenting herself to him. He, hips moving quickly and smoothly now, setting their pace. She heard his groans of effort, her moans in reply and she kept her eyes on the mirror as she watched him sink into her fully. Finally, as she tried to hold back, his fingers slipped between her legs and pressed on her spot, and she shut her eyes and cried out, embracing her next release as he kept on relentlessly.

Alan Herdman Pilates Central London, The Victory Services Club, London, England, February 2019

"Holy shit, Mary," Catherine exclaimed, staring at her in shock. "Put those away!"

Mary rolled her eyes and ignored her, turning back towards her locker and pulling her tank top over her sports bra.

"What are you on about now?" Rhiannon asked as they continued changing into their workout clothes.

"Seriously, though, they weren't that big when you had George, were they?" Catherine asked, tying her blonde hair into a ponytail.

"No," Mary said, glancing down at her chest and shaking her head. "I've gone up two sizes. I had to go bra shopping last week for the first time in forever. Nothing fits anymore and I don't want to wear nursing bras all the time."

"Fuck, almost makes me want to get pregnant…almost," Catherine joked. "I bet Matthew's been enjoying the new you."

"Catherine, for the love of God," Ellen groaned, frowning at her. "Must you make Mary's pregnancy sound so sordid?"

"What?" Catherine shot back. "You think her husband's not thrilled that she's got big boobs? Mary's three months pregnant and you wouldn't even know it from how fit she still is. She's not even got a bump."

"Yes, I do," Mary bit back, rubbing her stomach.

"I get a bigger gut than that after a rich dinner," Catherine said sarcastically.

The other girls sighed as they continued changing.

"Valentine's is this Thursday. Where's Matthew taking you?" Ellen asked.

"I don't know, I've been so busy with work I haven't had any time to think about it, actually," Mary said, shrugging her shoulders. "He's been swamped too. We've barely seen each other this entire week."

"Hang on, you're not doing that thing where you're sleeping in separate rooms, are you?" Catherine asked.

"Just in the past week," Mary said defensively. "I've been so tired and my nausea's been coming in the middle of the night for some reason, whereas with George it was usually mid-morning. Matthew's working on a big file right now so we both need our sleep. It's better this way."

"How romantic," Catherine said, laughing. "Well, Valentine's won't be so fun after all."

"Classy, Catherine," Ellen said. "Classy."

They left the change room and made their way to the studio. With just six of them in the private class, they were all able to get individual instruction, allowing Mary to do more prenatal exercises while the others did their usual routines. Though work had been busy since returning from holidays last month, her energy levels were keeping up better than when she was carrying George. She was usually useless in the evenings, but during the day she felt more normal.

Despite Catherine's usual lack of tact, it was true that she looked and felt far more fit than during her last pregnancy. Regular exercise and a careful diet was working wonders, and she wasn't feeling nearly as nauseous and run down as she expected. All the same, she steadfastly believed it was better for Matthew to sleep in a guest room, for both of their sakes. She tended to fall asleep earlier than he did, and would wake up in the middle of the night with nausea or a senseless fit of crying. He wouldn't be able to just leave her be if they slept together, and that would just make things worse. Some days she didn't even like it when George hugged her.

"And lift your leg. Perfect," the instructor said as she guided her through the exercise. "You're doing great, Mary."

Mary's mind wandered to the coming Valentine's Day. Perhaps she should have Anna clear her schedule so she could leave early. No matter what Matthew had planned, she could use a bit more time to relax so she could last longer in the evening. She expected she wouldn't be in the mood for sex no matter what he did, but if she took a break from work earlier in the day, at least she could be sure she wouldn't fall asleep on him in the middle of dinner.

Grantham House, St. James Square, London, England, February 2019

Mary closed the book and placed it on her nightstand, bringing the duvet up to her chest and easing back against the pillows. She stared off into the distance with a wry smirk, shaking her head at the night's events.

Her idea to come home early had come off wonderfully. She had a brief kip and took a walk around St. James, the chilly air feeling refreshing and crisp. When Matthew came home, she was already changed into her dress, and with a quick kiss goodnight to George, they were off to dinner at Alain Ducasse. The menu Matthew chose was delicious, not too heavy, and agreed with her stomach. Dessert was a lovely strawberry-lemon mousse cake, and she was feeling relaxed and happy enough to rest her head on his shoulder as the driver wound his way along the Thames and back home.

Then everything collapsed.

They could hear George's cries all the way from the foyer when they got in. Nanny told them that he hadn't slept a wink. He'd had his nightly snack, been read three stories and had his favourite sleepy song played four times instead of the usual two, but still he was standing up in his crib, wailing his little head off. Mary kissed him and tried to get him to lie back down, but he resisted, shaking his head frenetically and reaching for his Papa. With a rueful smile, Matthew picked him up and carried him away, while Mary assured Nanny it was all right and went to their bedroom to change. She had hoped that she and Matthew could have some alone time once they got home, but that seemed a fantasy now.

After changing and getting ready for bed, she slipped under the duvet and read another chapter from her current book of choice. Thankfully George's cries had quieted down some time ago, which hopefully meant the little darling was finally asleep. No matter what they tried, it seemed that Matthew was more adept at getting him to sleep when he was this fussy.

She turned her head at the sound of the door opening and smiled as her rather frazzled looking husband came in. His suit jacket was gone, as were his cufflinks and tie, his collar now open and his sleeves rolled up. He came over and sat down on his side of the bed, giving her a tired shrug.

"He's asleep," he declared, his voice heavy.

"Thank God," she said, grinning at him. "Must be just one of those nights."

"Must be," he agreed. "Let's hope it doesn't become a pattern. He was doing so well."

"He'll likely sleep in tomorrow now, it's hours past his usual bedtime," she noted.

"Nanny can handle him. She's asleep now too," he advised. "I did tell her that she needs to make sure he wakes up around his usual time though. He'll be quite cranky, I expect, but I know you want him to stick to his routine as closely as possible."

"I do," she confirmed. "I'm glad that you had the foresight to tell her."

"Of course I did. I'm on your team, after all," he joked.

"Thank you for dinner, it was delicious," she said.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my darling," he said warmly, leaning over and kissing her deeply as he caressed her cheek. "I have a gift for you."

"Oh, Matthew," she said, shaking her head. "You didn't have to."

"I would have been stupid not to," he said. "You're giving me a rather priceless gift in six months' time."

She grinned and watched as he took a small red velvet box from his pocket.

"Matthew!" she gasped as he opened it, revealing a brilliant white gold Cartier ring with eight diamonds inlaid into the band. "Oh, it's gorgeous."

"I had them make it larger than your wedding ring," he said, taking it out and slipping it on to her ring finger. "This way you'll hopefully be able to wear it without any discomfort."

She raised her hand and looked at her new ring, smiling at the sight. She'd stopped wearing her wedding and engagement rings two weeks ago. In fact, none of her rings were fitting anymore. This one looked beautiful, elegant and sophisticated, and gave no hint that her hands had swollen.

"I love it, thank you," she said. She covered her mouth as she began sobbing without warning.

He just smiled and rubbed her leg as she shook and eventually calmed down.

"It's beautiful, really," she choked out, wiping her eyes. "Oh, don't mind me."

"It's all right, get some sleep," he said, kissing her lightly then moving to get up from the bed to go back to his guest room.

"Wait, darling," she sniffled, grabbing his arm. "Will you stay? Until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," he said, smiling and nodding to her. "Anything you need, darling."

He got under the duvet and turned towards her. She faced away from him and closed her eyes, a smile on her lips as she felt his arm wrap around her, his hand covering her stomach protectively.

Law Offices of Harvell, Carter & Lewis LLP, Fleet Street, London, England, March 2019

Lavinia walked down the hallway, her heels clicking off the polished tiles. She moved past the cubicles filled with staff typing away at their workstations, giving a nod here and there as she went. Reaching the end of the hall, she turned into the spacious corner office with the lovely view and took her usual seat in one of the large armchairs on one side of the large desk.

"Well?" she asked, smiling at the man behind the desk.

"Well, what?" Matthew asked, glancing over at her from his computer screens. "And hello, by the way."

"Well, what are you having?" she asked, ignoring his jibe. "I know you went for the ultrasound this morning."

"Lavinia, I share my calendar with you so that you are aware of my business appointments on the files that you're involved in, not so you can look at my personal matters," he said, turning back to his monitors.

"Then perhaps you should consider a stronger password than 'MaryGeorge'," she quipped.

He gave her a sidelong glance.

"I suppose that's slightly better than when you were using 'GloryManUnited'," she remarked.

"For your information, not that it's any of your business, but we're choosing not to find out the sex of the baby," he said.

"That's obviously a lie," she retorted.

"Excuse me?" he exclaimed in surprise.

"It's absolutely impossible that two ambitious, driven, controlling personalities like you and Mary would ever leave anything to the unknown. There's a nursery to decorate, clothes to buy and a shower to plan, and choosing not to know the sex of your baby is simply not an option," she stated.

He scoffed and frowned at her.

"I could just call the doctor's office and tell them I'm your associate and that you instructed me to order a copy of the scan," she said lightly.

"You would do that," he agreed, going back to his computer.

"So?" she asked, crossing her legs and smoothing her skirt. "Spill."

"We're having a girl, if you must know," he said, unable to stop from smiling at the news.

"Oh, Matthew! Congratulations! That's lovely!" she gushed, getting up from her chair and coming around his desk. She kissed his cheek and hugged him, draping her arms around his shoulders for several moments before pulling back.

"Thanks," he said as she went back and sat down. "We're quite happy, as you can imagine."

"Of course, and this baby is very lucky. She's set to inherit one of the most expensive wardrobes in England," she joked. "A boy and a girl. So now you've got a complete set. You're like Wills and Kate."

"We're behind them by a few years," he said, smiling at the reference. "Now, was there anything actually billable that you came in here for?"

"No, that was it," she said, smiling as she stood up and turned for the door. "Lunch, later?"

"Sure," he said, already focused on his monitors again.

---

Lavinia smiled to herself and went back down the hall and crossed over to the opposite end of the floor, returning to her own office. She sat down at her desk and quickly opened a video chat window on one of her computer screens.

"Yes, Miss Swire?" Edna answered politely.

"Come in for a moment, please, Edna," Lavinia replied authoritatively.

"Yes, ma'am. Right away," Edna said, signing off.

Moments later the young law clerk came into Lavinia's office and sat down on the other side of her desk.

"Well?" Edna asked, smiling at her.

"They're having a girl," Lavinia said, smiling smugly.

"Damn," Edna said, shaking her head and laughing. "I was betting on another boy."

"As were many others," Lavinia said. "Go through the office pool and organize a draw for everyone who picked 'girl'. We'll pick the winner at the pub later this week when everyone is there so it's official."

"Will do," Edna said, jotting down a quick note on her phone. "Do you think that Mr. Crawley suspected we were taking bets on his baby?"

"No. He wouldn't care anyway," Lavinia said easily. "So long as it doesn't distract from the work, it's entirely harmless."

"Well, good. The last thing I need is to run afoul of him again," Edna said, shaking her head.

"Speaking of which, how much is left in the Office Conquest Pool?" Lavinia asked lightly, leaning back in her chair.

Edna frowned for a moment in thought. "I think there was still 1,000 after we paid everyone out. After Mr. Crawley shut it down, we were just going to throw the rest into a Friday drinks fund."

"Let's not be hasty now. I still might put a claim in for it, actually," Lavinia said, looking out her window.

"What?" Edna asked in confusion. "But that money was only for anyone who could get Mr. Crawley."

"Exactly," Lavinia said, smiling at the law clerk in satisfaction. "1,000 quid to the woman who can seduce Matthew. Not a bad prize."

"And you think you can do it?" Edna asked in disbelief. "There's no chance."

"Months ago, I would have agreed with you, but things have changed since then," Lavinia said.

"Such as?" Edna asked.

"Such as his wife is pregnant again," Lavinia explained. "The last time she was pregnant, she was nauseous and bloated and didn't want anything to do with him. They didn't have sex for the last five months of her pregnancy and another three after the baby was born."

"How did you possibly know that?" Edna asked, blinking in shock.

"One of the girls overheard Matthew and Alex talking about it," Lavinia said. "Anyway, knowing Mary, she'll have made preparations this time around. Something ridiculous like sleeping in separate rooms, for example. She's at 20 weeks right now, which means that over the next 10 weeks or so, Matthew is going to be quite frustrated and randy."

"And what? You're going to arrange to work late with him one evening and feign that it's getting hot in the office as you take off your blazer?" Edna asked, laughing incredulously.

"Maybe, though that does sound rather lame," Lavinia said. "I'll figure something out. I just need to find the right moment."

"Well, if you somehow pull it off, the money's yours. No one else would dare give it a try after he found out about the game and had us all investigated," Edna said.

"Good, though the money isn't really that important. I'm after the glory of the victory," Lavinia said, smiling at the thought of turning the righteous and faithful Matthew Crawley.

"And people think you're the nice one," Edna noted, smiling at her.

"I am nice," Lavinia replied, looking at her pointedly. "I'm not looking to break up his marriage, or to start an affair with him. Matthew's good looking and a brilliant lawyer, but he's not my type. I'll show him a good time, and that'll be that."

Edna laughed and got up to go back to her cubicle.

Office of Mary Crawley Interior Design Inc., Mayfair, London, England, March 2019

His hands were everywhere, fondling and caressing her naked body, bringing delicious heat to wherever he touched. She writhed on the bed, her hands bound together behind her back, entirely at his mercy. He kissed her cheek, then her shoulder, his fingers playing with her breasts before massaging the curve of her stomach, tracing affectionate circles over her belly, as though he was trying to soothe his baby growing inside of her.

His restraint was maddening. Rather than take her hard and rough, he was biding his time, paying close attention to the spot below her ear, her throat, her most sensitive points. His hand moved down and squeezed her arse and she braced herself for a sharp spank that never came. Rather, he rubbed her smooth skin back and forth as he kissed her lips, driving her to grind her hips against him desperately.

"Please," she whispered into his mouth as his tongue swiped against hers. "Please, Matthew."

"You want me inside you, darling?" he asked lightly.

"Yes!" she pleaded. "Yes! Fuck me, please!"

His deep laugh seemed to rumble through her. She gasped in anticipation as he turned her on to her side and moved behind her.

"Mary?" Anna called, knocking on the door.

The sharp noise woke Mary from her nap. Disoriented momentarily, she blinked several times, glancing around slowly to make sure she was alone, before sitting up on the sofa, wiping her hand over her face to try and rouse herself fully as her assistant came into the room.

"What time is it?" Mary mumbled as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"It's four," Anna said, coming over with a cup of tea. "I let you sleep an extra ten minutes."

"Four already? Mmm, thank you," Mary said, taking a grateful sip of tea.

"Did you want to go home maybe? I can move your remaining appointments to tomorrow," Anna suggested.

"No, no, I'm fine," Mary said, taking another sip. "I actually feel quite rested."

"Good," Anna said. "Your 4:30 call is still on."

"I'll be there," Mary said, nodding and giving Anna a smile. Her assistant turned and left the room.

Mary reached over to the side table and picked up her phone. She glanced cursorily at the number of emails that were waiting for her, then slowly got up from the sofa and headed over to her desk. Sitting down, she looked at her computer monitor where the bullet points for her client call were displayed. As she perused the list and prepared for the call, she glanced back at the sofa, staring at it for a moment and arching her eyebrow before clearing her mind and going back to her work.

Grantham House, St. James Square, London, England, April 2019

Matthew closed the door to the nursery and shuffled down the hallway to his guest room, covering his mouth as he yawned tiredly. He'd missed dinner entirely, having been stuck at the office with work that seemed to be piling up by the day. Normally he would have come home so he could at least eat with Mary before getting back at it, but he had a team of associates on this file that he needed to supervise and so he stayed at the firm until close to midnight.

George was sound asleep when Matthew got home, and so he looked in on him, then quietly retreated. He had a baby monitor in the guestroom, but he liked looking in on his son before heading off to bed. It made him feel as though the work day was officially over, that he had left the lawyer behind at the front door and was now back to being himself – a husband and father – even if the entire house was already asleep.

Though it was quite late, his mind was still wide awake as he removed his suit and threw his clothes on an armchair. He always had trouble shutting his brain off after work, particularly when he had a complicated case to deal with. Normally snuggling with Mary in bed would calm him down enough to go to sleep quickly, but that was no longer an option. He didn't want to bother her at this late hour, even to say good night. She needed her sleep as well, both because of the baby and because she was rushing to wrap up some rather large projects at work. Though she still had over four months before the baby was due, and she would be working most of that time, Mary's design projects could last for six months or more at a time, so she wanted to give herself a cushion in case she needed it.

The end result of all of their foresight was that he hadn't properly shared a bed with his wife for over two months now.

He dragged himself to the ensuite bathroom, throwing his underwear in the laundry hamper and turning on the shower. A soak in the tub would have been heavenly, but he might end up just falling asleep in there if he wasn't careful. Once the water was the proper temperature, he stepped in and leaned against the glass wall, drenching himself. He groaned and closed his eyes as he felt his tense muscles loosen slightly, then reached for the shampoo.

Minutes later, he rinsed his hair and washed the shower gel off his body. He was about to turn off the water when he blinked in surprise as his wife came into the room.

"Darling," he exclaimed as she opened the glass door. "Everything all right?"

"Everything's perfectly fine," she said, playing idly with the sash of her robe. "I was waiting for you to come home."

"I didn't want to wake you," he said, stepping out of the waterfall. "Was there something you needed?"

"Yes," she said, nodding to him before taking off her robe and stepping into the shower, closing the door behind her.

His eyes widened as he took in her naked figure. "Did you not shower yet?"

"I was waiting for you," she replied, placing her hands on his chest. "Do you remember when I was pregnant with George? I couldn't stand you touching me."

"Your hormones were acting up," he mumbled, his eyes looking her over.

Mary was a tall woman, so she carried her pregnancy weight quite well the first time, he thought. She saw things differently, thinking she was huge, which was partly why she wanted nothing to do with him for most of the second and third trimester. This time around, he thought she looked even more gorgeous, if that was even possible. Her larger breasts certainly drew his attention, but he found her more voluptuous, rather than fat. Besides, what her body looked like could never be ugly to him. She was his wife and was carrying his child. He couldn't love her any more, no matter how she looked.

"Well, they're acting up again, but it's different this time," she said, looking up at him mischievously.

"Different?" he asked. "How so?"

"The idea of having sex with you while I'm pregnant isn't nearly as…repugnant…as it was before," she explained, leaning into him. "In fact, I'd say it's entirely the opposite."

"Really?" he asked, blinking several times. His mind struggled to keep up. Maybe he had gone to sleep when he got home after all and this was a cruel dream of some kind?

"Really," she said, kissing his chest. "For the past week, I've been thinking about you rather often, at all times of the day."

"All times?" he repeated dumbly, each of these revelations confusing him all the more. He'd read about pregnant women craving sex during the second trimester, but he'd assumed Mary's second pregnancy would track similarly to her first. They both had.

"I've been having rather vivid fantasies of you during my afternoon kips at the office," she admitted, smiling at his dumbfounded expression. "And the past few mornings I've been waking up feeling rather…hot."

"Bloody hell," was all he could muster.

"So, I thought you might consider coming back to bed tonight, to our bed," she suggested. "I'd like to see if these urges of mine are a one-time thing or whether they're something we can look forward to for the next while."

"Your wish is my command, my Lady," he said, reaching for the shower controls.

"Wait a minute, darling," she said, stopping him from turning off the water.

She pushed him back a bit until they were both under the waterfall. He held her as she soaked herself under the downpour. Once she was satisfied, she turned him around and stepped away from the water, wringing out her hair before taking a seat on the marble bench built into the stall.

"Come here," she beckoned, reaching out for his hand.

He stepped towards her, wondering what she was up to, until she leaned forward and took hold of him, guiding him into her mouth.

"Mary!" he groaned, his hands reaching out and bracing himself against the wall behind her. The hot steam from the shower made the air around them pleasantly warm, and he gasped loudly as she attended to him with her mouth and fingers. Never had she felt in the mood to do this during her first pregnancy. He groaned again in disbelief as pleasure flared through him.

"Mary, I'm getting close," he warned her after several glorious minutes, his voice tight, his breathing ragged. Going without the touch of his wife for months had reduced his stamina to almost nothing, particularly given how overwhelmed he was by what she had just told him and the sight of her naked and wet seated in front of him now.

"It's all right, darling," she said quickly, leaning back for a moment and stroking him firmly. "We've got all night."

Her lips closed around him again just seconds before he fell apart.

Home of Sybil Crawley and Tom Branson, Highgate, London, England, May 2019

"No," Mary said once again, glaring at her sisters. Her cold stare usually was enough to force anyone to change the topic of conversation, but Sybil and Edith had long ago become impervious to her particular looks.

"Spill," Sybil said, firing a pointed look of her own back at her sister. "And don't say it's an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite because that's absolute bullshit."

Mary couldn't stop a blush from colouring her cheeks as she adjusted her Hermès scarf around her neck. It figured that she'd gone the entire day, including several meetings, without any problems, but the moment she got to Sybil's, her scarf slipped just enough to reveal the coloured mark on her chest.

"That's a fucking love bite," Edith declared. "Even I know that. It's been a long time since I've been with a man, but not that long."

Mary couldn't hold back and had to laugh along with Sybil at her sister's joke.

"All right, fine," she relented, rolling her eyes. "It's a love bite, and before either of you start getting any stupid ideas, yes, it's from Matthew."

"Crikey, good on you, Matthew," Sybil said, grinning and shaking her head. "Apparently sleeping in separate bedrooms hasn't totally killed the romance."

"Actually, we're not sleeping in separate rooms anymore," Mary admitted, reaching for her glass of sparkling water and taking a sip. "We haven't been for some time now."

Edith and Sybil looked at each other in surprise.

"Well that's good," Edith said carefully. "At least you're back to sharing the same bed."

"We are, yes," Mary said, a knowing smirk crossing her lips as she looked away and took another drink.

"Oh my God!" Sybil squealed at Mary's behaviour. "You're having sex with Matthew!"

"How is that any of your business?" Mary sputtered, trying to look offended and not quite pulling it off.

"That's not a denial!" Sybil stated triumphantly.

"I thought you couldn't stand him touching you?" Edith questioned.

"That was…before," Mary said, trying to maintain her composure.

"But it's different this time? Oh, I knew it!" Sybil said, shaking her fists gleefully. "You're in the honeymoon trimester! I've read all about it! Is it as fabulous as it sounds?"

Mary took in Sybil's hopeful expression and Edith's amused one.

"Much, much better, actually," Mary said quietly, smirking as she took another drink.

"Eee!" Sybil clapped happily. "Oh this is amazing! Tell me all about it!"

"Sybil!" Edith groaned.

Sybil gave her sister a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Oh all right, let's hear it," Edith relented, turning back to Mary.

Mary laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe we're talking about this."

"We're your sisters," Sybil whinged. "Would you rather be having this conversation with Catherine and that lot?"

Mary chuckled and nodded. "All right. It's difficult to describe. I just…I just want him…all the time."

"All the time?" Edith asked in shock.

Mary nodded and grinned knowingly. "All the time. We…erm…we did it in his office yesterday."

"But yesterday was a Sunday," Edith noted.

"He had some work to do, and after a few hours he texted me and told me the place was deserted and invited me over. George was down for his nap and Nanny was looking after him, so I…took him up on his offer…and I may have worn something rather scandalous as well," Mary said, smiling at the rather wicked memory.

Sybil and Edith both laughed in wonder.

"It's like we're teenagers or something," Mary continued. "We'll have a go in the morning, then text each other during work, and in the evenings we sometimes can barely get George to sleep before we're all over each other. I think Nanny suspects something but she's had the good sense to not say anything."

"But how do you make sure it's safe? For the baby, I mean," Edith asked quietly.

"There's numerous positions she can still do," Sybil chimed in. "So long as she keeps weight off her belly, it's fine."

"You've been researching far too much," Mary said wryly. "Anyway, it's just a normal part of pregnancy. I didn't experience it the first time and now I am. There's no need to swoon about it."

"Does it feel different?" Sybil asked.

Mary rolled her eyes, then smirked when her sisters kept waiting for her answer.

"I'm much more sensitive," Mary replied. "It takes very little to get me going now, and Matthew…well…he's been very good at taking advantage. It's been quite good, yes."

"Oh, that's so wonderful, darling," Sybil said cheerfully. "After all the struggles you had the first time around, you deserve it."

Mary blushed and sipped her water.

"I wouldn't say I struggled. Many women have it far worse. It wasn't a huge inconvenience going without sex for six months, or whatever it was, but I will say that this time around has been quite, well, fun," she said.

"Goodness, well, so it could go either way for you then, Sybil," Edith said.

"Believe me, I'd take being pregnant and having no sex drive like a shot right now, if I could," Sybil complained.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, darling," Mary said patiently. "These things take time."

"I know, I know," Sybil grumbled. "It's just that Tom's sister and her family came for a visit last month and her kids are absolutely adorable. Her son even looks a bit like Tom, if you can believe it! He's been so great, didn't say a word about it, but I can tell he was as wistful as I was when they were here."

"Well, it isn't for lack of trying, so you just have to keep at it," Edith said encouragingly.

"We are. Not nearly as much as Mary and Matthew, apparently, but we are," Sybil said.

"Then that's all you can do," Mary said.

"I've been drinking almond milk and eating avocado, walnuts, salmon, what have you, taking my vitamins," Sybil sighed. "I just…"

"Darling, stop," Mary said, reaching out and squeezing her hand. "You're going to be a wonderful mother when the time comes. I know it's hard now, but trust me, it'll all come good."

"Yeah, you'll see," Edith said, putting her arm around her sister's shoulders.

"I'm just worried it's me," Sybil sniffled. "Maybe there's something wrong?"

"That's utter nonsense," Mary said, frowning. "And it's far too early for you to even be speculating about anything being wrong with you, or with Tom."

"She's right," Edith agreed.

"Was there anything in particular that you and Matthew did that worked?" Sybil asked, looking at Mary.

"Your diet is far better than mine ever was," Mary said. "We already told both of you – don't put so much pressure on yourselves."

"Right," Sybil said resignedly.

"Well, there may be something, although I expect you must have tried it already," Mary muttered.

"What's that?" Sybil asked expectantly.

"Well, erm…" Mary said, averting her eyes and looking down at her glass. "Have you tried putting your legs in the air?"

"What?" Edith asked, frowning in confusion.

"You mean holding them there?" Sybil asked. "Even afterwards?"

"Yes," Mary said, nodding her head. "There's nothing scientific to it. It's difficult to say with exact precision, but Matthew and I both believe that it may have…helped…both times."

"I never thought about that," Sybil admitted. "We don't usually do that, no."

"Well, perhaps you should give it a try," Mary said.

"Oh, I see what you mean now," Edith said, nodding her head.

The three Crawley sisters laughed and raised their glasses.

"To new discoveries," Sybil said, smiling again.

"New discoveries, indeed," Mary said, clinking glasses with her sisters.

Law Offices of Harvell, Carter & Lewis LLP, Fleet Street, London, England, May 2019

"Miss Swire?" Edna called, knocking on her door and standing at the threshold.

"Yes, Edna, come in," Lavinia replied, typing away on her computer. "How can I help you?"

"Oh, I just thought that congratulations were in order," Edna said as she came over and sat down in her usual chair. "I don't know how you did it, but the 1,000 quid is yours."

Lavinia looked up and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Mr. Crawley," Edna said, lowering her voice and leaning forward conspiratorially. "You succeeded were everyone else failed. You got him."

"Matthew and I…" Lavinia started, then changed her tone. "What did you hear?"

"Alice was in on the weekend and she heard a bit of a racket coming from Mr. Crawley's office," Edna explained. "She didn't think anything of it at first, but apparently it quickly became obvious that he wasn't the only one in his office and he was doing something decidedly non-work related."

"Well then," Lavinia replied, looking out the window thoughtfully.

"I wouldn't have taken you for a screamer, if I'm honest," Edna teased.

Lavinia smiled mysteriously and got up from her chair.

"So congratulations. I'll email you the money," Edna said, standing up as well.

"You know, on second thought, let's keep it in the drinks fund," Lavinia said. "And officially, Matthew and I have never been together. Make sure that's understood by everyone."

"No problem," Edna said, smiling and nodding. "It'll just be another rumour in the office gossip mill. Half the clerks say they've had him just to boost their egos anyway."

"Precisely," Lavinia said, ushering Edna out of her office and leaving as well.

She moved quickly down the hallway, crossing the floor and heading to Matthew's corner office. He was at lunch so it was empty when she arrived. Walking in and closing the door, she glanced around slowly. Everything seemed in order, as it usually was. His desk was pristine. Matthew had an annoying habit of putting all of his files away at the end of each day so that his desk was always clear without a trace of paper anywhere. While most of their work was electronic anyway, the law was always slow to catch up to technology. The courts still even used fax machines. Every lawyer had folders and papers scattered across their desks, except for Matthew.

She wandered over to the white leather couch placed along one wall of his office, the one that divided his from Alice's next door. Frowning for a moment, she reached down and lifted one of the cushions.

"My, my," she said, a smirk crossing her lips as she discovered a pair of skimpy black boy shorts buried underneath. She quickly replaced the cushion, leaving everything the way she found it before leaving his office.

"Well, Lady Mary," Lavinia said to herself as she returned to her office to get back to work. "I haven't given you enough credit."

Grantham House, St. James Square, London, England, June 2019

"Oh, hello Perseus, come lie down with Mummy," Mary said, smiling as the cat jumped up onto the sectional, crawled over her stomach and sat down, tucking his paws underneath him. She massaged his ears and stroked his chin, the cat purring contentedly as he settled against her chest.

"I sometimes think that cat gets more of your attention than I do," Matthew grumbled, coming over to sit down next to her. He'd finished up doing the dishes after their dinner, still washing them by hand even though they had a perfectly functioning dishwasher available to them. He tended to get like this as her pregnancy went along, often doing tasks that were usually left for Nanny or one of the other staff. The cleaning ladies would often smile when they arrived in the morning to find parts of the house already cleaned and organized and the dishes all washed and dried and put away. Now with the dishes done and George asleep upstairs, she and Matthew could finally relax.

"Don't be jealous," she scolded him. "I see Perseus in the morning before I leave and now after dinner. That's it. This is his special time with Mummy, isn't it, Perseus?"

The cat nuzzled his head against Mary's hand happily.

"He is undoubtedly the laziest cat ever," Matthew said wryly, shaking his head. "He spends the entire day asleep, that is when he isn't gorging himself."

"Daddy's just a grump, isn't he, darling?" Mary said, lifting her head and kissing the cat.

Perseus shot Matthew a smug look, and almost seemed to wink at him.

"So spoiled," Matthew huffed, shaking his head.

He lifted Mary's legs on to his lap. Taking hold of one of her bare feet, he began massaging it slowly, gently turning it left and right before rubbing his fingers and thumbs up and down her sole.

"Mmm, you are becoming ever so good at that," she said, smiling as he squeezed each of her toes.

"You sound as though you're surprised," he said.

"I am," she said easily. "Your first attempts back when I was pregnant with George varied between tickling my feet and bruising them."

"Right," he laughed. "Sorry about that."

"It's all right," she said, smiling at him. "As I said, you've gotten much better."

He smiled back at her, then switched to her other foot.

"You must remember to thank Alex for the baby clothes, I'm likely to forget," she said lazily, stroking Perseus' back. "He could have just waited for the shower."

"He hates going to those things, you know that," he replied. "He thinks men have no business being at them."

She laughed and sighed as his hands moved up to rub her calves.

"Speaking of forgetting, were you able to find your mobile earlier?" he asked.

"Mmm, yes," she replied, smiling pleasantly as her legs relaxed. "Anna had to call the number about half a dozen times but it was buried under some papers in my office."

"Lady Mary Crawley forgetful and absentminded," he joked. "The horror."

"Fuck right off. It's pregnancy brain. It's a known condition," she warned him.

"I know, I know," he said, smiling as he leaned down and kissed her knee. "It's just funny to see you like this, is all."

"Like what? Annoyed? Then you must be enjoying yourself quite a bit right now," she said, frowning at him.

"Now, now, come on," he cajoled her. "Let's focus on how good I'm making you feel."

She huffed and rolled her eyes as he went back to massaging her legs.

"Your hands always were better than your mouth," she sniped, closing her eyes and smiling as she grew more comfortable.

"Now that's just cruel," he said, rubbing his palm into her calf.

After a short while, Mary hummed lazily, delightfully relaxed once more. So much of this second pregnancy had been different from her first, and easier as well. She hadn't put on as much weight this time, her belly swollen but sitting rather high on her body. There were still a few uncomfortable nights where Matthew probably secretly wished he was sleeping alone again, but usually by rearranging numerous pillows they found a position that worked. Her appetite was insatiable as well, and in his desire to try and share the experience, Matthew had been eating more right along with her. Vigorous cycling and exercise had ensured he hadn't grown a belly of his own.

"Do you remember the other night on this very couch?" he asked, smirking at her teasingly.

She blushed and grinned back at him. They'd been working through a number of positions from a pregnancy website as a bit of a joke. Taking her from behind on this couch had been one of their favourites.

"This is my special time with Perseus," she said haughtily, arching her eyebrow at him. "You'll have to wait."

He rolled his eyes and patted her legs before getting up from the couch and wandering off.

"Daddy does so beg to be teased sometimes, doesn't he?" she told the cat, grinning as she stroked his furry back.

"Perseus!" Matthew called from the kitchen, the easily discernible shaking of the cat's bag of tuna flavoured treats ringing out.

The cat's eyes blinked and he turned his head in the direction of the kitchen for a moment before jumping off of Mary and trotting off. The sounds of him wolfing down several treats followed soon after.

"That was cheating," she said drily, frowning as Matthew came back into the room smiling triumphantly.

"What? I just gave him some treats, is all," he said, coming over and taking her hand, helping her get up off the couch. "And now it's my special time with Mummy."

"So juvenile," she said, laughing as they kissed and his fingers reached around for the zipper of her dress.

Whole Foods Market, Kensington, London, England, July 2019

"What about gruyère, or even a decent Swiss?" Alex asked as they wandered the aisles. "Get a real cheese, at least."

"I told you, it has to be American," Matthew shot back as he frowned looking for the tell-tale plastic wrapped package. "No substitutes allowed."

"That's not a cheese. May as well put some melted plastic on the sandwich. Probably tastes the same," Alex grumbled.

Matthew smiled as they reached the dairy aisle and he found the processed cheese he was ordered to fetch. Grabbing the package, he turned and headed towards the Produce section.

"All right, got the cheese, now we need tomatoes, bacon and that should do it. I've got the bread at home," he said, more to himself than to Alex.

"So you're saying that Mary's craving comfort food?" Alex asked, keeping up with Matthew's brisk gait.

"This happened when she was pregnant with George as well. Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. She had it all the time. Her Mama used to make it for her when she was little and so that's what she harkens back to, I think," Matthew explained.

"Better than pickles and ice cream, I suppose," Alex said.

"Had that too," Matthew said, smirking at him. "It's horrendous."

They reached the shelf of tomatoes and Matthew tested a few of them, pinching them with his fingers to weigh their firmness.

"For God's sake, really?" Alex asked, shaking his head.

"They can't be too soft," Matthew said, taking his time. "She can tell."

"What does it matter? They're just going into a soup anyway," Alex whinged.

"No, these are for the sandwich," Matthew said patiently. "For the soup we only use Roma tomatoes, with tomato puree and cream to thicken it."

"Bloody hell," Alex complained. "When you said we were making a 'quick stop' at Whole Foods, I expected you meant you'd be quick about it, for some reason."

"Quit your bellyaching, yeah?" Matthew said playfully. "It's not like you've got a woman waiting for you at home, now is it?"

"That was uncalled for," Alex said.

"Then go and find yourself a woman and I won't be able to tease you about it anymore," Matthew said easily.

"You talk about it as if it's so easy," Alex said. "What time do I have to meet anyone? It's not as though a smart, fun, gorgeous woman is just wandering the aisles here at 10 in the evening, is it?"

"Matthew!" a voice called.

Turning around at the sound, Alex blinked as a shorter blonde haired woman with blue eyes came over and smiled at Matthew.

"Anna, hello!" Matthew said, exchanging cheek kisses with her. "What are you doing here so late in the evening?"

"The same thing you're doing, it seems," Anna said, laughing as she saw the American cheese in Matthew's hand. "Thought I'd pick up a few things for the fridge at the office. We're running low on ingredients for grilled cheese sandwiches."

Matthew laughed and shook his head.

"Alex Lewis," Alex said, stepping forward and extending his hand. "Hello."

"Hello," Anna said, her voice catching imperceptibly as she looked up at him and shook his hand. "Anna Smith. I…work for Mary."

"I'm sorry, Anna, I should have introduced you," Matthew apologized. "Alex is my boss. He's the 'Lewis' in Harvell, Carter & Lewis."

"Ah, I remember you from the wedding, but couldn't recall the name," Anna said, still looking at Alex. "Sorry, I always expected a senior partner to be so much older."

"Harvell and Carter are quite older, yes," Alex said. "I'm the exception to the rule, probably so the firm can brag about being progressive."

Matthew laughed, though he was surprised by Alex's joke.

"So you're the Anna," Alex said warmly. "The one who Mary couldn't survive without?"

"That's probably an exaggeration," Anna said, smiling and looking down in embarrassment.

"Well, I guess you need some tomatoes," Alex said, turning to look at the shelf. He reached out and tested a few. "They can't be too soft. I imagine Mary prefers them more firm."

Matthew watched the exchange with a bemused smirk.

"She does," Anna said, coming to Alex's side. "It's amazing how she can tell the difference, to be honest. I would be clueless."

"As would I," Alex said, smiling at her. "I like to cook, but I must admit the nuances of a grilled cheese sandwich escape me."

"You like to cook?" Anna asked. "And what's your specialty?"

"I don't mean to brag, but I make the best pasta Carbonara you've ever had," Alex said confidently.

"I love pasta Carbonara," Anna said, nodding her head slowly. "I should warn you. I've had it in Italy. I'm not so sure yours would measure up."

"I've had it in Italy as well," Alex said, smiling at her. "I'm quite sure mine's better."

"You're rather confident," Anna said, smiling as she picked up a tomato of her own.

"I guess you won't know until you've tried it," Alex said, swallowing nervously.

"I'm going to go and grab some other things," Matthew stated, backing away from them. "I'll find you both later."

He chuckled as he left Anna and Alex chatting away over the tomatoes and made his way to the butcher counter to get some bacon.

Grantham House, St. James Square, London, England, July 2019

Mary eased herself into a chair and let out a deep breath, the long day finally catching up to her. Matthew had let her sleep in, but with both of their mothers wandering about the house discussing last minute details for the afternoon's baby shower, she couldn't stay away for long. Just their mere presence had her wondering what fires she might have to put out and how soon they would be leaving. She did consider herself lucky to have both Cora and Isobel to help out, but she had gotten so used to it being just her, Matthew and George in their home that having her family over felt strange now.

She smiled in thanks as Sybil came over and handed her a glass of water. The shower had been lovely, with the usual fun games, delicious food and plenty of time to catch up with her friends. Even Catherine was on her best behaviour, the wary and ever present eye of Granny likely having something to do with that. Despite her protests, she had been inundated with gifts, from Isobel's beautiful hand knitted quilt, to loads of clothes and various gadgets. Though they had a fair bit left over from George, it was obvious that Mary's friends were taking great delight in buying gifts for a girl this time.

"Anna, come over and have a drink," Mary called. "We'll have the staff organize all of that mess later on."

Anna left the pile of gifts and came over to sit on the couch with Edith, accepting a glass of white wine.

"Where's Lady Grantham?" Anna asked.

"She and Isobel went with Granny back to Aunt Rosamund's," Sybil said. "I think Matthew may have had something to do with that."

"Obviously," Edith remarked. "If he allowed them all to stay after everyone else left, he'd be bearing the brunt of it later on."

Mary had to laugh along with the rest of them at the truth of that statement.

"There's something about girl's clothes, isn't there?" Sybil asked, smiling at the pile on a nearby table. "They look so much better than what you got for George."

"I think the enthusiasm level was rather higher," Mary agreed. "Don't tell Papa that, though. I think he was secretly hoping for another boy."

"Well, he'll have to wait until your next one," Edith teased.

"Don't even joke about it," Mary said, frowning at her. "We've never put a limit on how many we would have, but I'd like to get this one out safe and sound first before even thinking about the next one."

"Only a few more weeks," Anna said sympathetically.

"George was early, so this one's bound to be late," Sybil joked.

"That's not funny, not even a little bit," Mary said.

"You still look fantastic, though," Edith noted. "When you were pregnant with George, you were much bigger at this stage."

"Thanks," Mary said wryly, rubbing her stomach. "All the same, I think I'm ready to meet her, so I hope she's on time and not an hour later."

"Has George figured out what's going on?" Edith asked.

"He's rather adorable. He'll kiss my stomach when we tell him to kiss the baby," Mary said, smiling at the thought. "Beyond that, I don't know. We're going to have a big birthday party for him next week so he doesn't feel left out."

"I have the most amazing present for him, ever," Sybil bragged. "He's going to love it."

"Until he sees mine," Edith retorted.

Mary laughed and shook her head.

"Well, if that's all you need, I should get going," Anna said, taking a sip of her wine.

"I'll drop you off," Edith said. "Are you going home?"

"No," Anna said quickly. "Erm, that's quite all right. I'm meeting up with a friend, actually."

"A friend?" Mary asked suspiciously, raising her eyebrow. "And does your friend have a name?"

"He does," Anna said, nodding her head and looking down at her hands.

"And his name wouldn't happen to be Alex Lewis, would it?" Mary asked, arching her eyebrow.

Anna smiled and nodded sheepishly. "Matthew told you, did he?"

"He told me about your meeting at the grocers," Mary said, smiling at her friend's discomfort. "I'm just sorry that I didn't think to set the two of you up sooner."

"Well, it's early days, yet," Anna said carefully. "Who knows what will happen?"

"What are you doing today?" Sybil asked.

"We're going to some markets, taking a walk in the park and he's cooking dinner," Anna said.

"Goodness," Mary said, sharing a smirk with her sisters. "How romantic."

They all laughed as Anna grinned and shook her head. She came over and hugged and kissed Mary before leaving, promising to fill her in on all the details at the office in the morning.

"Well, good for her," Edith said, pouring herself another glass of wine. "Nice to know there are some decent men left in the world."

"Their personalities are perfect for each other," Mary said. "I'm shocked that I didn't see it before."

"It's funny, I never would have imagined it before, but picturing them now, they would make quite a gorgeous couple, wouldn't they?" Sybil agreed, sipping her sparkling water.

"Indeed. He's tall, but not too tall for her, blonde hair, black hair, she's fair, he's a bit darker, I should tell Matthew to set up a double date for us," Mary stated.

"Give them some time before you submit them to the Lady Mary Inquisition," Edith said, looking at her sister pointedly.

Sybil laughed.

"Sybil," Mary said, watching her sister carefully. "Have you tried the wine? It's quite a good vintage. Mama chose it."

"Oh, no, it's quite all right," Sybil replied.

"It's really very good," Edith echoed, glancing at Mary briefly. "Quite sweet and dry. You'd like it."

"Maybe later," Sybil said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Sybil," Mary said firmly. "Do you have something to tell us?"

Sybil looked down at her lap and smiled slightly.

"Yeah, right!" Edith gasped, her mouth falling open as she and Mary stared at Sybil. "Are you really?"

Sybil bit her lower lip for a moment before grinning and nodding to her sisters. "About four weeks now."

They all cried out and gathered around Sybil, Mary taking a moment to get to her feet. The three sisters hugged each other, laughing merrily at the news.

"See? See? I knew it was just a matter of time," Edith said, clapping her hands. "As if Tom could keep his grubby mitts off you."

"Well, we have Mary and Matthew to thank, in part," Sybil said, laughing happily. "Legs in the air worked a treat."

The sisters laughed heartily at that.

"I want to wait a few more weeks before telling Mama, or anyone else," Sybil explained. "It's been hell trying to get Tom to keep it to himself. He acts like he wants to take out an ad in the papers."

"Enjoy it," Mary advised. "The first weeks are easy, the horrid part will be upon you before you know it."

"She's waiting for the pregnancy sex, obviously. Tom too," Edith said.

"Am not!" Sybil objected. "I just want to get to three months first."

"Any preference?" Mary asked, rubbing her own stomach as she felt her daughter kick.

"I'd love a girl, but it doesn't matter," Sybil said. "I think Tom honestly wouldn't mind either, though I did see him looking at baby football kits on his tablet the other day."

"Matthew's already ordered a United onesie for the baby," Mary said, rolling her eyes. "He refuses to give her George's old one because it won't be current to this year's strip. It's just ridiculous how he gets."

"That means Tom will be just as neurotic, whether it's a boy or a girl," Edith said.

"I can't wait," Sybil said, smiling at her sisters.

Grantham House, St. James Square, London, England, August 2019

"How are they?" Robert asked as a tired looking Matthew came into the parlour.

"Asleep, finally," Matthew replied, coming over and sitting down next to his father-in-law. "Mary claimed she would come down but she was out before Victoria, I think."

"Victoria Mary Crawley," Robert said, smiling at the name. "A beautiful name."

"It truly is," Tom agreed, coming over and handing Matthew a Coke. "And she's cute as a button, mate."

Matthew nodded in thanks and took a grateful sip of his drink. Despite knowing from previous experience the sleepless nights and constant feedings that they would be putting up with, the first few days home with the baby had been a bit frazzled. Nanny and the night nurse had helped immensely, but both Mary and Matthew had been anxious, still. Something about having a baby daughter in the house felt different than when George had first come home.

The big brother had been quite adorable, himself. He would constantly be looking at his sister, sometimes wondering what she was all about, and others seemingly wanting to make sure she was all right. There hadn't been any signs of jealousy at all, and he would even sit peacefully next to Mary when the baby got her bottle. Yes, their family was progressing wonderfully.

"Still sure you want one of them?" Matthew joked, looking at Tom. "They aren't cute all the time, you know."

"Absolutely," Tom answered, smiling at his father-in-law. "My family can't wait to come over. My mam's even been looking at renting a house around the corner."

"She should!" Robert said encouragingly. "You can all come to Downton for a spell."

"I don't think Kieran will take kindly to having his parents on his doorstep," Matthew joked, sharing a knowing look with Tom. "Better to take it one week at a time."

"Well, I must say that I am so happy that my heart may well burst from my chest," Robert exclaimed happily. "Two beautiful grandchildren with a third to come. I must tell the both of you that you've made me so very proud."

"I think Mary and Sybil deserve more credit than we do," Matthew said, smiling at Tom. Robert tended to get rather emotional around babies, as they'd learned with George.

"And don't think this is it, either," Tom added. "Who knows how many children Edith will end up having?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Robert said, sipping his brandy, a stupid grin seemingly permanently plastered on his face.

---

"She's such a darling," Cora whispered, watching as Victoria slept in her bassinet. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star played from the speaker as the automated cradle rocked her gently back and forth. "Oh, I'm just going to spoil her so very much!"

Edith and Sybil smiled at each other as their mother gushed. They couldn't be bothered to chastise. They were each thinking the same thing.

"Please have a daughter, Sybil," Cora continued. "You can have a boy for the next one. Little girls are so precious."

"We'll see in a few weeks at the ultrasound if you get your wish," Sybil said, smirking at Edith as she touched her own stomach.

"Hopefully between you and Mary you can produce enough grandchildren to keep Mama and Papa satisfied," Edith joked. "I likely won't be able to hold up my end of it."

"Edith, you don't need to put on an act," Cora said, still staring at Victoria. "You like to pretend that you're beyond hope, but none of us believe it."

"Oh, Mama," Edith sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm not getting any younger, you know. Perhaps you should temper your expectations."

"Perhaps I would if I didn't know you've been seeing a rather successful real estate broker for the past month," Cora replied, finally glancing at her daughter.

"What?" Edith sputtered in shock. "Sybil!"

"I didn't tell her a thing!" Sybil said, holding up her hands and shaking her head in protest.

"It was your Granny," Cora informed them, cooing softly to the baby. "Apparently you were unaware that Mirada Pelham is an old friend of hers?"

Edith rolled her eyes and looked at the baby.

Sybil grinned at the sight.

"So, anything to tell your Mama about young Bertie?" Cora asked.

"He's…very nice," Edith stuttered, bracing herself for the examination that was to come, and yet still a part of her was happy to be able to talk about her burgeoning relationship finally.

---

With everyone asleep, Matthew looked in on Victoria and George one last time before making his way down the hall to his bedroom. It always felt different to have the family staying over, a bit of a reminder to days gone by when Robert still owned the house and Matthew would visit for the holidays. He and Mary were best friends back then, but nothing more, years of keeping his true feelings from her a burden to him, but one that he took on gladly, thinking he would never have anything more. How delightfully wrong he was.

After their wedding, when he bought the place and Mary renovated it, they had preserved her parents' and sisters' old bedrooms, modernising them a touch in expectation that they would still be visiting in the future. Now, as he was Lord of the Manor, he smiled in satisfaction at the idea of hosting his Mother and in-laws in his house, the house that he shared with his brilliant wife and two gorgeous children. Violet was staying over at Rosamund's, as she usually did. They would both be by in the morning to shower Victoria with more attention. For an aristocratic family so proud of their ancestry and tradition, the Crawleys were surprisingly jubilant around babies. Matthew recalled that one of the few times he ever saw Rosamund smile genuinely was when she gave George a hug.

Mary turned her head as Matthew came into the bedroom. She smiled as he came to bed, her eyes half-closed. Turning away from him, she hummed as he snuggled up to her and wrapped his arm across her front, pulling her back against him.

"Everything all right?" she mumbled.

"Mmm hmm," he said, kissing the top of her head, then closing his eyes as he got comfortable. "Everyone's asleep, including the children."

"I'm glad," she said thickly, smacking her lips. "I hope Nanny will be all right tonight. I really don't think I can get up."

"She'll be fine. This isn't her first night feeding," he said confidently. "You just get some rest and feel better soon."

"I'm feeling all right, for the most part," she said. "I'm already feeling loads better than I did after I had George."

"Victoria seemed rather eager to come out," he said, chuckling behind her.

"Nine hours of labour seems quick to you, does it?" she asked, smiling to herself.

"Better than the sixteen you had with George," he answered.

"Are you happy?" she asked quietly, her hand covering his against her chest.

"I'm sleeping with my beautiful and brilliant wife, my best friend, in our lovely home, with our healthy and happy children," he declared. "I can't imagine life gets much better than this."

"Well, once I'm recovered, I might prove you wrong, darling," she challenged, wiggling her hips a bit against him.

"Please do," he said, kissing her head again. "You have my full permission.

fin