A/N: So I'm meant to be doing my MLitt and not writing fic, but I just had to write a response to last night's episode. I should warn you that you might not be able to see S02 in quite the same way after reading this...
Hope everyone is enjoying the new series and shipping away as vigorously as ever! I guess M/M has now got lots of new shippers - welcome! :-)
Happy Monday! This fic was first posted at the LJ community, MMMondayMadness; check it out!
Something to Talk About
"They're talking about us again," observed Matthew, leaning slightly closer. "Cousin Violet and Cousin Rosamund, and Lavinia and your mother too most probably."
"The servants are as well, though we can't see them," replied Mary, following his gaze. "Carson told me one day that Mrs. Hughes has a very low opinion of how I've treated you. He was most indignant so I had to look serious."
"What would she know!" cried Matthew a little too loudly, and she was forced to lay her hand lightly on his arm.
"She sees what she wants to see; so do they all."
"Or what they don't want to see," he agreed. "That is the point of it."
She laughed softly, her eyes shining and they happened to meet her mother's for a second who had been endeavouring to engage Lavinia in conversation. Cora sighed slightly and turned away. Mary shrugged and looked back at Matthew.
"I'm disappointed in Mother though," he continued. "I was really hoping that she would take more of an interest but she simply will not be distracted from the hospital! She's getting quite annoying, I perfectly see that. I don't think she cares much for Lavinia at all."
"No, I don't really think she does! But can you blame her, Matthew? You've hardly made an effort! You turn up with a girl on your arm who you've never once mentioned before and expect her to be happy about it?"
"I didn't expect her to be happy, I just expected her to be at least a little bit curious! To make something of an effort. Anything to keep her out of trouble."
"You could be a bit nicer to Lavinia. You hardly talk to her; it's hardly convincing. If I-" Her steady gaze flickered just a moment, "If I were engaged to you and only saw you for a few days every now and then, I would not be so stoical at the sight of you with another woman. I do feel very sorry for her."
"If you were engaged to me, Mary," replied Matthew in a very low voice close to her ear, "the problem would not arise. I would not be able to leave your side."
She hid a shiver of reaction and pulled her head a little further away from him, meeting his eyes with mingled affection and amusement. "You don't!"
He moistened his lips and looked away, somewhat abashed. "Can you blame me, darling?"
She drew back. "Certainly I can. We agreed to show some emotion, enough to give them hope and something more to speculate about than just Lavinia herself because frankly she's not very interesting on her own, but you're making it very difficult!"
"There are two of us playing this game, remember. If you want less reaction from me then you should hide your feelings better when you think I'm not looking!"
Her eyes flashed wide open and then she hid her emotion by picking up her cup of tea from the sideboard and stirring it several times, even though she hadn't added any sugar.
Matthew took pity on her and presently asked, "What would you have me do?"
She sipped the tea and her mask was back in place, or at least as much as it ever was with him. "Show Lavinia some affection, preferably publicly!"
"Won't they talk about us more if I continue not to?" he asked hopefully.
She smiled and shook her head. "Really, Matthew, you've been doing that quite long enough. I think it's time for a change of tack. There is nothing more intriguing than a man showing interest in his own fiancée!"
"You want me to wash my clean linen in public then?"
"That is exactly what I want you to do!"
Their eyes met and both smiled at the same time; small, understanding, secretive smiles.
"You know that there's only one person I want to-" Matthew started, but she held up a finger in warning and interrupted with an elegant arch of one eyebrow, "Hush, my dear! If you like, you can think about me while you're doing it!"
"You want that?"
"More than the alternative."
"Very well, Mary, if it will make you happy, I pledge to kiss Lavinia Swire where everyone can see it."
She raised her cup to him as if it were a glass of champagne. "Good!"
As she lowered her cup, glancing across the room, the smile slipped from her face and Matthew who had been watching her with quiet adoration frowned. "What's wrong?"
She swallowed. In her line of sight Lavinia had her hands clasped tightly on her lap and was attending to the Countess with earnest attention. As if she really wanted to be there, as if she was really going to join the family one day.
Mary looked quickly and anxiously back at Matthew. "She's fallen in love with you. I suppose I should have anticipated that happening!"
Matthew ignored her second statement. "Did she say so?"
"She said... That day I came to see you in the village she told me that she would not be able to live if you died."
He was silent. There was not very much to say. It was left to Mary to continue.
"It's a complication, I admit, but there are always casualties and it's her own fault for getting too emotionally involved. At any rate, you're not going to die so that's not something that-"
"Mary-"
"I know you're not. I have to."
"Mary, darling Mary."
Unseen by the rest of the room, behind the folds of her dress, he gripped the hand that did not hold her tea cup, enfolding it completely in his own. Her fingers slipped out of her fist to entwine with his in a warm, firm, desperate, reassuring clasp, then their hands parted and he shifted a little further away from her. It was over in a second.
She swallowed and took a hasty sip of tea.
Matthew changed the subject to one less painful. "What were you going to tell me about Lavinia anyway? Everyone's being so mysterious tonight!"
Mary sighed and shook her head. "Oh, only some silly political scandal she got involved in a few years ago. We couldn't have planned a subplot better ourselves! Aunt Rosamund saw her with Sir Richard and was determined to get to the bottom of it. She tried to make me believe they were lovers but even Gilbert and Sullivan would have drawn the line at something that neat."
Matthew blinked. "Oh. So what does Sir Richard have to do with it?"
"He was blackmailing her. Really, it's terribly complicated and not important in the slightest. But it gave Granny and Aunt Rosamund something to do for several days and that's the most important thing. You know, they invited her to tea in London. Poor thing, she must have been terrified they had actually discovered the truth!"
Matthew was not terribly interested in Lavinia's ordeals at the hands of the dowager countess. "Carlisle was blackmailing Lavinia? You'll have to throw him over now. I don't like this."
She raised her eyebrows. "I think not! He's been rather helpful to me so far. You know, he can find out anything about anybody at a moment's notice."
He liked this even less. "You do realise what that could mean for you? What he might find out?"
"Gracious, Matthew, everyone in the country must know about that now apart from Papa and Sybil! Of course I realised what might happen, getting involved with him, though I must confess I am surprised at just how good he has turned out to be. I rather admire him."
"Should I be jealous?"
She smiled. "If you like – but not too obviously! Do try to be subtle, Matthew; I know it's not your forté." Her expression intensified momentarily. "I told you the truth – if I ever did anything good in my life it was that – and that's all that matters in the end."
"You're not going soft, are you?" asked Matthew with a touch of affectionate humour to jolly her.
Her lips quirked into a knowing smile. "Only in one respect, and that happened a long time ago now."
"I'm glad," he replied softly, his eyes carressing her face. The air between them was becoming thick and he added a few moments later in the same tone, "Are we doing the right thing, do you think, Mary? Sometimes I just want to be done with all this subterfuge. I want to come home and take you in my arms and not care who sees and be happy; truly happy, not pretend happy. Is it – is it worth it?"
She didn't reply for a few moments but put her tea cup carefully down behind her. The beads of her necklace swayed over her bosom as she moved and Matthew's eyes followed their path distractedly, even as he awaited her answer.
"Look at them!" she replied finally. "All of them – talking about us and not about the war, and tell me it's not worth it."
He smiled wistfully out across the room, both of them looking in the same direction together.
"So long as you know what you're doing."
She tilted her head to one side, neatly stepping away from him. "But I'm Lady Mary Crawley, darling: I pay the piper and I call the tune! You really should understand that by now."
He followed her instantly, his mouth falling open a little. He never failed to be affected by her. "Where are you going?"
"To check on something in the store cupboard. I promised Sybil earlier I would."
"Now? Is it quite necessary? The General and I will be leaving soon."
She stopped and raised her eyebrows. "You could always help me."
He glanced behind him. Nobody appeared to be watching them, but appearances could be deceiving. At Downton they often were. He blinked a few times at her demanding gaze and moistened his lips.
"I suppose two hands would make quicker work of it!"
"What makes you think I want it to be quick?" She spun round with a last provocative glance.
Matthew sucked in a breath and then followed her out of the room.
"Lead on then, Florence!" he muttered under his breath. "And let's give them something to talk about!"
A/N: Thanks for reading. Any comments are always much appreciated. :)