Rating: PG

Spoilers: all seasons. Mary and Matthew are married.

Summary: While in London with Matthew, Mary runs into the one person she dreads seeing the most. This story follows "The Wedding Gift". Consider reading it first or this story will make little sense.

Special thank you to the lovely Tambear for catching missing commas, odd grammar

and offering excellent suggestions & advice!

…

…

A Chance Meeting

"But I want to feed the baby ducks! Please, please, please, Papa."

"Come now, Deliah, no whining. You know better."

Mary's eyes widened and she looked up from her book. She was sitting on a bench in one of London's more popular public gardens, waiting for Matthew. She looked around for where the voices had come from and spotted them over to her left. His voice was forever etched into the core of her; Mary knew she would recognize it anywhere. Before she could acknowledge that she had heard him, the girl set off running, coming straight towards her. Her little legs pounded on the graveled walkway, her blonde locks bouncing free over her shoulders as her hat fell off. She was laughing and Mary realized that the girl expected her father to chase her since she looked at him over her shoulder.

Mary leaped up the second she spotted the obstacle on the walkway. A small branch, most likely from one of the nearby trees, blocked the girl's path, but she was not looking. Knowing that the girl was too little to be able to recover quickly and avoid falling, Mary rushed towards her and caught her just as she fell.

Deliah cried out as she hit her shin on the branch. Mary pulled her to her and held her tightly as she felt her own heart beat fast, experiencing the rush of saving the girl from hurting herself.

"Hush, darling. You're all right. I've got you."

"Mary?"

She turned and smiled at him. "Sir Richard."

"Papa!"

Richard Carlisle took his crying child from Mary and kissed her cheek. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"My leg," she hiccupped.

Mary took a step forward and touched the girl's leg. It was a little pink, but there was no blood. Not certain why, she placed a soft kiss on the spot and smiled at the girl.

"See, all good again."

Deliah just looked at her and finally nodded. "Thank you."

"Deliah, this nice lady is an old friend of Papa's," Richard said in the softest voice Mary had ever heard him use. "Her name is Lady Mary."

"Lady Mary?"

Mary smiled at the surprised look on the girl's face and how her blue eyes seemed to widen a little. She held out her hand to the girl who tentatively offered her own little one to Mary. Mary chuckled and shook it.

"Very nice to meet you, Miss Carlisle."

"You're pretty," Deliah said and reached to touch Mary's necklace.

Richard immediately grabbed her arm and stopped her. She looked at him and her eyebrows knitted together.

"It's not polite to touch a lady without asking first," he said and smiled at her. "What if she's ticklish and she starts screaming?"

Deliah covered her mouth as she giggled. She eyed Mary carefully. "Are you ticklish, Lady Mary?"

Mary smiled and nodded. "In fact I am."

"Would you like to sit for a moment?" Richard asked and gestured to the bench where Mary had been sitting reading.

"Of course."

They sat down. Deliah squirmed out of Richard's grasp and skipped over to Mary. She looked up at her and tilted her head.

"What is it?" Mary asked and leaned closer to her.

"Papa says you live in a castle."

"I live in a large house. I don't know if it's a castle exactly. When I was little I thought so because everything was so big."

Deliah nodded as if this made absolute sense. Mary caressed her blonde locks and tucked her hat on a bit more securely. Richard had just pressed it onto the girl's head and it did not look quite right. Mary chuckled and shook her head.

"Come here darling, let me help you with your hat. I'm afraid that your Papa did not do a very good job with it."

Deliah tried to get up on the bench and Mary helped her. To Mary's surprise she crawled onto her lap. They smiled at each other as Mary removed the white hat from Deliah's head and smoothed out her hair.

"Your Papa is very clever, but I fear that he is not very good at ladies' fashion," Mary said softly to the girl who giggled and looked at her father.

"Lady Mary, it is not advisable to tell my daughter about my shortcomings," Richard said stiffly, but she could tell that his words were not said in anger.

"Oh, don't be so glum, Richard," Mary said and laughed. "All ladies know that most men are hopeless when it comes to assisting a woman with her garments. After all, that's why we have lady's maids."

"I bow to your vast knowledge on the matter, Lady Mary," Richard teased.

"Thank you, Lady Mary," Deliah said when Mary's hands finally stopped fussing with her hat and instead held her securely on her lap.

The girl gently tugged at Mary's lapel. Mary's eyebrow arched up in amusement and she leaned closer. Deliah put her arms around her neck and kissed her cheek.

"You're nice," she said assertively as if challenging anyone to say otherwise.

"Thank you darling," Mary said and caressed her cheek. "You're very sweet." She leaned closer and whispered to her. "And much prettier than your Papa."

Deliah covered her mouth and giggled. "Men aren't pretty, Lady Mary."

Mary shrugged. "Some are, but never as pretty as a young lady."

Richard did not know what to say. He watched astonished as the ever cold and collected Lady Mary who had always been so sharp and on edge with him, chatted happily with his daughter. Deliah shifted on Mary's lap and Mary's coat fell open. He gasped when he noticed the change in her and she looked up at him.

"You're expecting," he said and met her eyes.

"I am," Mary said gently and placed her palm against her stomach. "Another three months or so."

"I guess congratulations are in order then."

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you." She met his eyes and they looked at each other for a long moment. "Thank you, Richard… for what you did. Please know that I'm very happy."

He sighed and looked down. "I expected nothing less. Matthew is an honorable man. I think that is why it upset me so that… well, it's all in the past."

"Mary?"

Mary looked up at her very surprised husband standing a few feet away. She smiled at him and he instantly walked over.

"Matthew," Richard said and got up. The two sized each other up.

"Carlisle."

"Congratulations on your wedding," Richard said and smiled. He looked at Mary and then back at Matthew. "Mary just told me that you're about to become a father. I could not be more happy for you."

Matthew nodded and looked at the girl on Mary's lap. She gazed up at him with clear blue eyes. He smiled at her.

"Miss Carlisle, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"How do you do," Deliah piped up politely.

"Deliah, sweetheart," Mary said softly. "This is my husband, Mr. Matthew Crawley."

Deliah nodded and smiled at Matthew. He sat down on the other side of Mary, still eying Richard a little suspiciously. Mary was talking to Deliah, making her laugh. The girl squealed when Mary tickled her and she leaned against her. Her eyes widened when she placed her hands on Mary's stomach. Mary smiled at her and stroked her cheek.

"I have a baby in there. If you keep your hand there you might feel the baby kick."

Deliah just stared at Mary as if she had told her the secret to the universe. A moment later she gasped and stared at Mary's stomach.

"Oh!"

Matthew laughed when the girl pressed her cheek against Mary's stomach, still holding her, clearly waiting for another kick.

"Deliah," Richard said in a warning tone.

Mary caressed the girl's hair. "It's quite all right Richard. She is just curious, and who would not be? It is quite a miracle, would you not agree?"

Richard nodded. Deliah was his miracle; there was no doubt about it.

"Sir Richard," Matthew said and met Richard's piercing gaze. "Mary and I would be delighted if you and your daughter would join us for tea."

"Yes!" Deliah accepted with a big grin.

Matthew laughed and pinched her cheek. She giggled and leaned against Mary who wrapped her arms around her.

"Perhaps, young lady, that we should make sure that your father is available?"

"Papa?" she asked and chewed on her lip as she anxiously waited for his answer. Finally he smiled and nodded. "Yes!" Deliah clapped her hands and turned to Matthew. "Can we have cakes?"

Matthew nodded. "You know what, Miss Deliah? Our cook makes the most wonderful strawberry cakes. Do you like strawberries?" She nodded, her little head bobbing up and down in excitement. "So do I," he said and winked at her.

"Well, we should get going then, or we will be late," Richard said and got up. "Deliah?"

Deliah kissed Mary's cheek and smiled at her. "Bye Lady Mary."

"Bye, darling," Mary said and helped the girl down.

Richard took his daughter's hand and tipped his hat to Mary. "Lady Mary, Matthew, we will be seeing you shortly."

Mary and Matthew watched them leave. Mary leaned into Matthew when she felt his arm around her waist.

"Thank you," she said and smiled at him. "I know that it was hard for you to extend an offer of peace."

Matthew smiled at her. "Actually it was not that hard. I am perfectly happy. I am married to the most beautiful woman in the world who is carrying our child. And surprisingly, even though I have behaved very priggishly on occasion, she still loves me."

"Occasionally?" Mary teased.

Matthew laughed and his eyes twinkled. "Oh Mary, I do love you."

"I know, darling," she said and smiled. She touched her stomach when she felt a tiny kick. "Our baby knows it too."

He covered her hand and together they headed towards the exit and the waiting car.

THE END