First up in the DVD Extras of Consolation Prize is an alternative ending to Chapter Five written for OrangeShipper. She was pretty specific about how she thought the chapter could be improved and, well, I always take the wishes of my readers very seriously! (N.B. No, that doesn't mean you can request ridiculous things from me and expect to get them. Not that seriously!)

She held out one slim, gloved hand and he was unable to help looking at her. Her tone was teasing but her eyes serious and anxious. He swallowed, his glance flickering down to her hand and back up to her eyes, and he clasped it in his, much as he had done several months before in the library. He had not held her hand since, and he wondered afterwards if he ought to have done then. What right did she have to demand anything of him?

Not knowing precisely what motivated him to do it, Matthew found himself saying with a small smile, "I heard you before, you know."

She looked puzzled. "Heard me?"

"Singing."

"Oh, I wasn't singing!"

Her quick denial made him smile even more. "Well, I heard you anyway."

Her expression seemed to be an almost comical mixture of confusion and something rather sweeter, pleasure in his words, her lips slightly parted in curiosity at his meaning and intention. Matthew felt something stir in him at the vulnerability he saw, such a change from her usual hard, polished look, and realised that he had managed to redress the power inbalance between them just a little. With that understanding, he felt his control over the situation grow. It was odd, because looking back afterwards, he could only explain his behaviour as a total loss of control.

He exerted some pressure on her hand and tugged it slightly. Her expression did not change, giving him no clue as to what she wanted, but she did step forward a pace, standing so close to him that he could see the flecks of gold in her eyes, and how her complexion was not quite so free from blemish up close as it had appeared from a distance. He preferred her imperfect. This close, he could see the way the light fabric on her breast fluttered with her breathing, surely quicker and more obvious than it had been?

Still she was silent and looked at him with the same expression of guarded interest.

Swallowing his nerves, for his heart seemed to be pounding in his throat, he leaned forward and very lightly brushed his lips across hers. He pulled back, lips tingling unbelievably for such brief and insignificant contact, and saw to his satisfaction that her eyes had fluttered shut. She wanted this too, he realised with exultation, however she might try to hide it.

Eventually she opened her eyes and a light blush stained her cheeks at the sight of his face so close to her own and the intense way he was looking at her. It was adorable, and he reached up with his free hand and lightly brushed her cheek with his fingers, marvelling at the softness of her skin.

"Is that your answer to my question then?" she whispered, tilting her head gently towards his hand and giving the slightest of shivers.

It took him a moment to realise what question she was talking about, but then he smiled fondly at her. "No, but this is!"

He tugged her closer to him and kissed her again with greater intent, his hand moving round to support her neck and pull her against him, then gasped and clutched at her as she responded far more enthusiastically than he had expected, for she almost fell, trembling, against him, reaching out to nervously clasp his arms and his shoulders and his neck and his face and -

How long they might have remained locked in this wild and impossible embrace cannot be said, if they had not been forced to spring apart on hearing the most unwelcome voice imaginable in such a situation: the dowager countess'.

"Goodness gracious, have we made it to the Act Two Finale already?" she exclaimed.

Matthew jumped away from Mary in shock. The entire rest of the party had now followed them out from the music room. He was horribly embarrassed and did not dare look at anybody, least of all Mary.

There was a long silence, then Lord Grantham spoke in resignation though lacking in anger. In fact, Matthew thought afterwards, he could almost have imagined amusement. "I suppose this means there will be no trip to Italy?"

"I don't know..." It was Mary who spoke and he looked up at the speculative tone in her voice. She was looking at him with an open and hopeful countenance and in that instant he knew precisely what he wanted.

He beamed at her and reached out and took her left hand in his right, holding it firmly as he looked happily at her, speaking as much for her parents' benefit as his own. "Well, I've always wanted to see the continent, you know!"