Hello readers! If you've visited my Tumblr recently or anyone else's who is celebrating this month's Rock the Wedding AU!, you may have noticed a photoset preview of this story. This story is based off a prompt that The Yankee Countess sent me a long while back, in which Matthew attends the Branson's wedding along with Mary and Edith. Not only that, but he gets dragged into Tom's stag party, and a few confessions are unexpectedly revealed (!). Now I know that these Rock the AU!s are usually meant for SybilxTom, but even though this is MaryxMatthew centered story, Sybil and Tom still have a major role to play.
A few quick notes: this AU deviates somewhat from canon between 2x8 and this story, in that both Mary and Matthew are no longer engaged to their respective fiancé(e)s – Mary finally breaks things off between her and Richard Carlisle because she can no longer stand him (whether or not he's still deciding to expose her dark secret to the press remains to be seen). And Lavinia survives Spanish flu, but having seen Mary and Matthew dancing together, decides to let Matthew go and returns to London (because I cannot stand the fact that she had to die for Mary and Matthew to be together). We're also going to be seeing some of Tom's family next chapter, some of which are OCs or altered from what we see in the show.
Happy reading! And as always, thanks to all the followers and reviewers. Your support is greatly appreciated.
You Can't Wait Forever
Chapter One: A Different World
June 1919
Edith poked her head into Mary's room. Clothes were strewn about on the bed, along with an open suitcase. Mary was alone with a couple of hat boxes. Edith asked. "Are you almost finished packing?"
"I think so," Mary muttered. She held up a fancy hat that was really only meant to be worn at a high society wedding. "Do you think this is too fancy to bring along? I fear it might be too extravagant for a more … quiet ceremony."
Edith scrutinized the hat in Mary's hands. "Maybe it is too fussy. Just bring along one of the hats you wear for church. That's what I'm doing."
"I may actually follow your advice for once." Mary sighed and plopped the hat back down in its box. "It feels so funny to be preparing for a wedding that doesn't require us to be dressed in lace and pearls and the fanciest hats ever made. I always imagined when one of us got married it would be an exorbitant affair, with the whole family attending." She turned around to Edith. "I take it Papa hasn't changed his mind."
Edith shook her head. "He's still adamant about staying here. Him and Mama both. I know Sybil didn't send them an invitation, but maybe she's still hoping they'll surprise her and come anyway."
Mary tutted. "It's such a shame. The first one of us to be married, and all Papa can think about is how Sybil's disappointed him."
"It is too bad," Edith said, "but I suppose Matthew being there won't make Sybil's side seem so dismal."
"What?" Mary gaped. "Matthew's going to the wedding?"
Edith nodded. "Yes, didn't you know? Cousin Isobel told me he's joining us on the trip over."
Mary frowned slightly. "When did she tell you that? Wait, was he even invited?"
"Of course; he got an invitation, same as we did," Edith answered, as if it were perfectly logical. "I can't believe you didn't know."
"Nobody bothers telling me anything until the last minute, that's why," Mary said sourly. "So he's actually coming with us to Dublin for Sybil's wedding?"
"I thought I made that obvious," Edith replied. "Is it such a difficult notion for you to grasp, Matthew being at Sybil's wedding?"
Mary let out a disgruntled sigh, throwing her arms out in exasperation. "I just … I wouldn't think he was in the mood for a wedding, since Lavinia called his off."
Edith shrugged. "Well, I think it's good he's coming along. It won't seem like such a dismal affair if someone else from the family besides the two of us is there. And anyhow," she added smugly, "the two of you will have a change to spend some time together."
Mary, appalled at Edith's not-so-subtle-suggestion, hissed in reply, "What in God's name do you mean by that?"
"Nothing, I meant nothing," Edith said innocently. "You just … you never talk to each other anymore."
"Is that so much of an issue?" Mary groaned. "Seeing as his fiancée just ended their engagement, I doubt the last person he wants to talk to is me."
It was Edith's turn to ask, "What are you saying? Did something happen between you and Matthew?"
Mary mentally cursed for letting that small detail slip out of her mouth, and she rapidly turned away. She could feel her face growing hot, and it was sure to show. "Never mind that, I just misspoke. Besides, Matthew and I are still friends. That hasn't changed."
Edith didn't say anything, as if standing in disbelief. Mary aggressively tossed a pair of kid gloves into her suitcase. "If you aren't going to help me finish packing I don't see any more reason for you to be in here."
Hardly taken aback by Mary's sudden hostility, Edith backed out of the bedroom and closed the door, leaving Mary with her open suitcase and the realization that, during the next few days, she and Matthew wouldn't be able to avoid each other any more.
Why did things have to be so complicated between them now?
Since the day that Lavinia was declared to be free of Spanish flu, which happened to be the same day she asked for her bags to be packed and her train ticket to London was purchased, she hadn't spoken at all to Matthew. Everyone else figured that Mary was just giving him some space to recover from the unexpected end of the engagement – it was a shock to all, since the wedding had been due to take place only a few days after Lavinia became sick. But even after a month and a half, she still didn't feel ready to speak with him.
Matthew wasn't overtly heartbroken by Lavinia's decision; he acted guilty in a sense though, like he had made a mistake that he hadn't atoned for until it was too late. And Mary was well aware of why he felt the way he did – she herself couldn't help but wonder how much of a part she had played in the scheme of things.
Matthew found Mary standing at the railing of the ferry, looking out at the sunset over the Irish sea. Underneath her hat, a few strands of her hair had freed themselves from their pinnings and were whipping about in the wind. Her back was to him, but Matthew could still imagine the peaceful, pensive expression on her face as it gazed out over the dark amber water.
He walked closer to her, his shoes clapping against the deck. Mary heard him, as he figured she would, and turned around. "Hello there," she greeted with a faint smile. "What are you doing out here?"
"I thought I could use a walk before dinner," Matthew replied. It was entirely true, he had come out onto the deck for a bit of fresh air, even though he knew that Mary was also outside, and they might encounter each other on the small deck. He came to stand beside her at the railing, both of them facing the sea."What about you? Here to admire the sunset?"
Mary shrugged. "It's a nice evening. I just didn't want to coop myself up in the cabin. It's ridiculously small, and it feels even more cramped since I have to share with Edith."
"Well, if it's any consolation, it's only for one night," Matthew said. "And you'll have separate rooms at the hotel in Dublin."
"Thank God for that."
Both of them realized this was the first actual conversation they were having since the night Lavinia became sick. There was a mutual feeling of ease finally, getting the chance to stand next to each other without seeming tense. The silence before hadn't been easy to bear, but now that it was broken they knew they were still friends.
"It's nice that you're coming along for the wedding," Mary said after a moment. "It won't seem like such a dismal affair if someone else from the family is there."
"Well, I didn't have it in me to turn down Sybil's invitation," Matthew shrugged, "especially when I heard that neither of your parents or your grandmother were going to attend. Is Sybil upset about that?"
"I'm sure she is, at least a little bit," Mary said, though she didn't know how Sybil felt about her parents being absent. "Of course they want her to be happy, and she's certainly going to be happy when she's married to Branson, but I think Papa's still rather disappointed."
Matthew seemed slightly confused. "He's disappointed that his daughter has found someone she truly loves?"
Mary paused, knowing that Matthew still found the high-mindedness of the aristocracy absurd and outdated. "He's … just not quite ready to believe that she's in love with a former servant."
"He'll have to get used to it eventually," Matthew said.
Mary snorted. "That might take years, if ever."
"What about you?" Matthew asked her. "Are you ready to call the former chauffeur your brother-in-law?"
"I don't know. I'm still getting used to it as well," Mary admitted. "I know as long as she's happy I should be happy, but it's just so hard to believe that they love each other when I never saw it happening in front of me."
Matthew turned to look at Mary, who was still watching the hull of the ship cut through the sea. "Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen, or that it isn't genuine. Sybil has left everything she's ever known to live in an entirely different world. I doubt she'd do it if her love for Tom wasn't strong enough."
It took Mary a moment to register that 'Tom' was the same person as 'Branson.' That was the thing as well: Sybil's Tom was different from the family's Branson. There was so much more to him than politics or driving apparently, and only Sybil knew the other side to him.
"I don't think I could give up the life I knew, even for someone I loved," she said. "Sybil's brave enough to do that, but I know I'm not."
"How do you know you couldn't?" Matthew asked.
"I just …" Mary sighed, searching for the right words. "I just don't think I could love someone that much. Besides, I doubt I could get away with marrying someone so different to my way of life."
"So you're quite certain your father would object to you falling in love with one of Tom's cousins?" Matthew teased.
Mary couldn't help but laugh suddenly, and loudly enough for another couple walking the deck to turn their heads to her. "I'm absolutely certain," she managed to say. She had every confidence that she wouldn't fall for any in the Branson clan in the span of a few days.
"No matter how handsome any of them are?" Matthew pressed on, despite Mary's giggles.
"Oh Matthew, do stop it!" Mary gulped the cool ocean air to calm herself down. "We should … we should probably go inside now for supper."
There was still plenty of time before dinner was served, but Matthew didn't stop her as she walked away from him and back inside. He wondered if he has crossed a line: Mary wasn't one for speaking freely about love, and he shouldn't be the one to tease her about it. She probably wasn't in the mood to talk about matters of the heart, having only just ended her engagement with the horrid newspaper tycoon. It was best for her, Matthew thought, to be rid of that man, but now she wasn't any closer to finding real happiness with someone she loved.
And she deserved that at much as anyone.
Sybil was there to meet her sisters and Matthew at the ferry dock, with Tom hanging back in his cousin's car on the street. It had only been a few weeks since she had left Downton, but she was so excited, and so anxious as well, to see part of her family again. Anyone seeing her broad smile would have guessed that she was reuniting after years apart, and indeed she felt worlds away from the people she'd left in England. She was so glad that her sisters had agreed to come over for the wedding, and even better with Matthew joining them as well.
She had at first hesitated at sending invitations to those at home – her former home – but she figured she could at least depend on Edith and Mary to come. Not surprisingly, her parents had declined, as did her grandmother, the reason given that Mama was still not in a state to travel far from home. As for Papa and Granny … Sybil understood why they did not decide to come over, and she had not been expecting them to anyhow. She knew how Papa still felt about her and Tom. She was disappointed that her parents would not be present for what was sure to be, so far, the happiest day of her life, but it would be enough to share it with her sisters and cousin.
Anna was the first down the gangplank, holding two bags that surely belonged to Mary and Edith (the ferry porters would be handling the larger bags). Sybil pushed forward and called out her name, hoping that Anna wouldn't miss her. Anna glanced around in confusion for a few seconds before catching sight of Sybil, and she smiled as she rushed forward.
"Lady Sybil, there you are," Anna said. She allowed Sybil to give her a careful hug. "I'm sorry, I need to get the other bags. Lady Mary and Lady Edith are coming out soon."
"Tom's waiting in the car in front of the terminal," Sybil explained. "And please, you don't need to call me Lady Sybil here. Actually, I would prefer it you didn't."
"Understood," Anna replied, though it was easier said than done. Sybil had been called 'Lady' her entire life by the servants at Downton, including Anna. It would be hard for them to see her as anything but a lady, or call her simply by her first name.
Anna pushed through the crowd to get through the terminal, and Sybil remained at the front of the crowd so that the others could see her as soon as they descended the gangplank. She knew this was a strange experience for all of them – Mary and Edith had never been to Dublin, and she didn't think Matthew had ever been to Ireland. She remembered how much of an outsider she had felt when coming to Dublin for the first time, to live as an ordinary person. Thankfully, then she had been holding on to Tom's arm as she walked down the gangplank and through the streets, guiding her through unfamiliar country, and she'd help her sisters do the same during their visit.
There was no mistaking it was them when they came down the gangplank: they stood out from the rest in their tailored travel attire. Sybil called out their names, waving her hands until they could see her. As soon as Edith was off the gangplank she rushed forward as quickly as her skirt would allow, greeting Sybil with a big smile. Sybil threw her arms around her sister and nearly knocked her to the ground.
"Oh Sybil! Do be careful!" Edith laughed. "I still feel like I'm on the boat and rocking with it."
Sybil didn't release Edith until she saw Mary and Matthew over Edith's shoulder. "Mary!" she gasped. "It's so good to see you at last!"
"Hello darling," Mary replied. She let Sybil give her a light kiss on the cheek. "Lovely to see you as well."
Still grinning brightly, Sybil turned to Matthew. "I'm so glad you decided to come. It means so much to Tom and I."
"Well, I didn't see any reason why I couldn't come," Matthew said. "Although I was quite surprised to receive an invitation, since I'm not immediate family."
"Don't be silly," Sybil said, touching his arm gently for encouragement. "You are close family to me."
She noticed he didn't have the walking stick he had used after he regained use of his legs, so she took that to mean he was all or mostly recovered. She had thought that when he responded to her invitation to say he was coming to the wedding. He seemed to be in brighter in spirits as well. It was a relief to finally see him not as a soldier or an invalid, but as himself.
It was a good thing that he was looking well, because Tom planned to have him there at the pub with his male relatives and friends the night before the wedding, and a man had to be in good health to survive a night of drinking with the Branson boys.
"Tom's waiting by the car, and Anna should be there too," Sybil said, leading the way off the dock. "We'll drive you straight to the Shelbourne so you can freshen up. If you aren't too tired, Tom and I were thinking we'd have tea in the lounge there together. Or if you do want to rest, we'll wait until supper."
"Sybil, it's alright," Mary hushed her. "As horrid as it was to have to share a cabin with Edith, I did manage to sleep soundly. Some tea would be lovely, nonetheless."
Sybil stifled a giggle as Edith shot Mary a dark look. "I have so much to tell you about the wedding. I know it's not going to be like anything you're used to at home, but I'm absolutely thrilled all the same. The church is stunning inside, and the pub where the wedding breakfast will be is rather spacious – with the decorations it will look gorgeous as well – so hopefully it won't feel too crowded with so many of Tom's relations coming over—"
"You're babbling, Sybil," Mary reprimanded gently.
"I'm sorry. I'm just so excited," Sybil said sheepishly.
"And you have every reason to be," Matthew said. "It's your wedding day."
My wedding day, Sybil thought. Our wedding day. She could hardly believe it. "I'll explain the plans when we're sitting down for tea."
They got to the street, where Tom had parked his cousin's car. Anna was helping the porters strap on the other luggage. Tom was standing on the pavement, patiently waiting for Sybil to return with her family.
"Hello, Br – Tom," Edith greeted politely. She extended her hand. "How do you do?"
Almost shyly, Tom shook Edith's hand. "I'm well, Lady Edith." He nodded to Mary, then Matthew. "Lady Mary … Mr Crawley. I hope you're all well."
"We are, Mr Branson," Mary said, a bit too reserved towards someone who was going to be her brother-in-law.
Sybil shook her head disapprovingly. "You ought to start calling each other by just your first names. You're going to be family, and Tom, you aren't their servant anymore," she chided gently.
"That seems reasonable," Matthew agreed. He extended his hand to Tom. "It's good to see you again, Tom."
Tom gave a small smile. "Good to see you as well, Matthew."
The porters got the luggage securely fastened to the back of the car, and everyone piled in, Tom and Anna in the front seats and the others in the back. "We decided we'll have tea at the Shelbourne after all," Sybil explained to Tom, "once everyone has freshened up."
"So they'll get to meet the others today," Tom said, revving up the engine.
"The others?" Mary asked curtly. "Who are you talking about?"
Tom glanced back at Sybil. "Did you not tell them?"
Sybil cringed. "I didn't really get the chance to tell them before." She turned back to her perplexed sisters and Matthew. "Some of Tom's family, his brother Kieran and a few cousins, wanted to meet you before the wedding, so we invited them to have tea with us, as long as you were alright with it."
"With having tea or meeting Branson's family?" Mary asked.
"Mary, please," Sybil sighed. "I think you'll find Tom's family to be quite pleasant."
Mary pursed her lips. Sybil understood that Mary didn't know Tom very well, and that her opinion of his family was simply due to her ignorance of what the Bransons were really like. There was more to them than politics or English oppression. Already she had gotten to know some of his closer relatives fairly well, and while they were certainly heavily involved in politics, they could be rather endearing as well.
"I think that's nice," Matthew said, keeping Mary from possibly making another jibe. "It'll give us a chance to get to know Tom's side of the family."
Sybil nodded, relieved to have Matthew along to act as peacemaker. "There will be many more at the wedding," she warned. "But we're meeting the cousins whom Tom is closest to. I also find them the most agreeable after a long day."
Tom chuckled as he turned the car onto the street. Mary shifted stiffly in her seat, and she didn't say anything more until they arrived at the Shelbourne.