Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Downton Abbey characters (though I wish I did because Matthew would not have died then) and don't make any money off this, this is just purely fun.

Okay so this is a new story that is in its infancy so please leave comments and any ideas you'd like to see incorporated into the story.

Chapter one

Matthew POV

I'd just seen it in the paper when I received the urgent telegram from Cousin Robert telling me that I was needed at Downton. I didn't read the list of the dead; I didn't want to confirm what my subconscious was already telling me. I knew that as men, even those of first class, Cousin Patrick and James would not have gotten off the ship. I didn't like what their deaths would mean for me or the fact that I would never see them again.

I tried to suppress the horrible feeling in my heart; I knew that Mother would have stayed to help get the children off the sinking ship. She would have fought for those in second and third class, always putting others before herself. I knew that my mother no longer graced this world with her presence and suddenly all I wanted to do was get to Downton and the arms of my Mary.

Mary's POV

I watched as Papa's face paled as he read the express telegram he had just been handed, I knew that something had to have gone so terribly wrong for him to react like that. My thoughts turned dark, what if something had happened to Matthew. Papa sprang from his chair calling for the papers and Carson. I watched as he told them to send an urgent telegram to Matthew. My relief was palpable; I rejoiced in my mind, thank the lord that Matthew wasn't hurt, my Matthew would be with me soon.

The tragedy that had obviously hit the Crawley family that Papa had yet to tell us about didn't even cross my mind.

Robert's POV

I couldn't believe what this telegram was telling me, my heir was dead along with his father and the mother of the boy, no the man, who would be my new heir. This was a sad day for the Crawley family; three Crawley's lost so quickly in such an unnecessary tragedy. I called for the papers and Carson, I would have to send for Matthew, he would have to help me handle this and nor should he be on his own at a time like this. Watching the colour flood back to Mary's face told me he would not mind in the slightest.

I did not relish the idea of telling Edith, she would be heartbroken. She had always loved Patrick so much more than Mary, who knew how badly she would react to this.

Edith POV

I had been worried at breakfast but Papa seemed to have got everything under control so I simply waved my concerns away. I'd had several errands to do this morning so I hadn't even bothered with the papers though thinking about it I doubt Papa would have let me read them. I couldn't believe what he was saying, not Patrick. Papa sat us all down in the library and told us about the Titanic, he told us that our family had not survived. I could hear this horrible wailing sound but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from, it took me a moment to realise that I was making it. I'd slid to the floor and mama was rocking me back and forth,

"I'm so sorry my dear, everything will be alright, I'm so sorry."

Just whispering it to me over and over again and I clung desperately to her reassurances needing my mother for the first time in a very long while. I could hear Mary asking when Matthew would be here in the background, you could hear the worry in her voice and after all he had just lost his mother, but all I could think about was how selfish she could be to ask that, didn't she realise that I had just lost the boy I had loved for a very long time. He and Mary had never been close as he was my age not hers, she'd only loved and ever doted on Matthew and he was still alive.