Mary was reeling. She didn't know what to do. She had been in search of her Mama when she had heard her arguing with her Papa. The raised voices coming from her Mama's bedroom had stopped her from knocking. Her parents had never had a disagreement like this. At least, not where Mary had heard. She was going to leave back to her own room when she heard her name. She shouldn't have eavesdropped, but they were talking about the entail.

"I don't understand why you won't fight for her! She is your daughter!" Mama shouted.

"But she's not my daughter, is she? She's the butler's!"

Mary's ears were ringing. That couldn't possibly be true. Her Papa was just tired. He didn't know what he was saying. It couldn't be true. She was Lady Mary Crawley, eldest daughter of the Earl of Grantham. She was most definitely not the daughter of a servant! But why would Papa say that if it weren't true? She needed to know the truth. She looked back at the door behind which her parents were still arguing. She couldn't go in there now. There was only one other person who would know and he would never lie to her.

"My Lady!" Carson stood as she entered his pantry without knocking. He moved from behind his desk when he saw the tear tracks on her face. "Is everything alright, my Lady?"

Mary closed his door and leaned back against it looking at the butler fearfully. "Is it true, Carson?"

Carson smiled gently at her, "Is what true, my Lady?"

Mary held his gaze and took a deep breath. "Is it true that I am not the daughter of the Earl of Grantham, but the illegitimate child of his butler?"

Carson paled considerably looking away, "Where did you hear such a tale, my Lady?"

"Carson, please!" She looked at him imploringly. "I need to know. Is it true?"

Carson looked at her for a long moment. Closing his eyes, he breathed, "yes."

Mary began to shake violently. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. If she did, she would have to admit that her whole life had been one giant lie. Carson was lying to her. There was no other explanation. This was some cruel prank. No, it was a nightmare. Yes, a nightmare that she was going to wake from any minute.

She screamed at the hand placed on her shoulder. "Stay away from me!"

Carson recoiled from her as if she'd slapped him. He looked so pained to see her crying. But what right did he have to feel sorry for her tears? This was his fault. His and her Mama's.

"Oh God! I'm worse than a servant!"

"No," Carson said forcefully. "As far as anyone is concerned, you are the eldest daughter of the Earl of Grantham. You are still Lady Mary Crawley."

"But I'm not, am I?" she cried, tossing her hands to her side. "I'm a servant's bastard!"

"No! Don't say that," Carson stepped towards her and grasped her hands. "Lord Grantham raised you as his and he is your father. I'm sorry. You were never meant to find out."

Mary clung to his hands trying to stem the flow of tears until Carson pulled her into an embrace as he had done countless times before when she had been upset. Now she knew why. She sobbed uncontrollably into his jacket as he rocked her gently until she calmed.

"Who was it that told you?" His voice rumbled through her as she kept her head buried in his lapels.

"I heard Mama and Papa arguing over the entail. Papa said he wouldn't fight for me because I wasn't his daughter."

She felt Carson stiffen, but he kept silent. He continued to hold her until she pushed back from him to wipe her tears.

"I think I'll retire for the night," she said looking anywhere but at the butler. She placed her hand on the door to leave, "Thank you for your honesty, Carson."

"Will you be alright, my Lady?"

She only nodded at him and left before she could embarrass herself further. She felt his pitying gaze on her all the way to her bedroom.

A frosty silence had fallen between Cora and Robert as they settled into bed. Both were still upset over their disagreement about the entail. Neither one wished to concede to the other. Robert had resigned himself to trying to fall asleep in the chilly atmosphere when a knock broke them from their thoughts. Cora looked at him in surprise.

"Who is it?"

"Carson, my Lady," came the muffled reply. "May I come in?"

Robert moved to put on his dressing gown and waited at the door until Cora had hers before he opened the door to the butler. "Is everything alright, Carson?"

"No, it is not, my Lord. May I come in?" he repeated. Robert ushered him into the room where he stood awkwardly between the Lord and Lady of the house.

"What is it, Carson?" Cora asked when he remained silent.

The butler looked uncomfortably between Her Ladyship and His Lordship before hesitatingly saying, "I've had a visit from Lady Mary this evening..."

"And?" Robert prompted. "What's so unusual about that?"

Carson grimaced. "She asked me about," he looked askance at Cora, "about her father. I told her the truth."

"What?" Robert bellowed. He threw off Cora's hand and advanced menacingly towards the butler. "What right did you have to tell her that?"

"I will not lie to her," Carson declared drawing himself to his full height. "She told me that she had found out about it when she heard you say that you would not fight to break the entail because she was not your daughter."

An awful silence fell on the room as the Earl and his butler stared each other down. Feelings of betrayal and jealousy Robert had long thought buried resurfaced tenfold at the defiant look on Carson's face. He had forgiven Cora her indiscretion long ago. It had happened in the beginning of their marriage when Robert himself had paid her very little attention. He had thought he had forgiven Carson, but looking at the man now Robert didn't know why he still employed him.

"You had no right to tell my daughter such a lie," he growled.

"I have told no lie," Carson held his head higher and looked down his nose at the Earl. "I wouldn't have had to tell her anything if you hadn't said anything in the first place."

Robert was taken aback by his butler's defiance. Carson was the model servant. He deferred to his betters in everything he did. Now he was openly defying His Lordship. Robert had had enough.

"You will leave tonight."

"Robert! You can't-"

"Yes I can," Robert cut Cora off. "You will leave my house immediately and you will never come back. Is that clear, Carson?"

Robert had the satisfaction of watching Carson deflate. The butler had not expected to be kicked out of the House in the middle of the night. A flash of fear crossed his face before he masked it in anger once more. "Very well, my Lord."

Carson turned on his heel leaving Robert and Cora alone once more. Fuming, Robert climbed into bed and turned out his light not waiting for his still shocked wife to join him. Cora could only look at him in despair.

"Oh Robert, what have you done?"