Sorry for the delay, I was traveling! Thank you so much for all of the follows/favorites/reviews, they are much appreciated. You get special brownie points for reviews though...:)

Special Thanks to unpredictablemary for correcting bad grammar and spelling as well as offering excellent suggestions and advice!

Chapter 2

'...And my mother, the Dowager Countess of Grantham.' Robert finished introducing his family to Matthew and his mother.

'It's a pleasure to meet you,' Isobel said pleasantly, holding out her hand to Violet. 'What shall we call each other?'

'Well,' Violet began icily, 'we could always start with Lady Grantham and Mrs Crawley.'

'Shall we go in to dinner?' Cora interrupted quickly.

'Yes, let's,' Robert said, offering his arm to his mother.

'Do you think you'll enjoy village life? It will be very quiet after life in the city.' Robert said once they had sat down at the table.

'Even Manchester.' Violet muttered.

'I'm sure I'll find something to keep me busy,' Isobel said optimistically.

'You might like the hospital,' Cora suggested.

'What sort of hospital is it? How many beds?' The heir's mother asked, interested.

'Well, it isn't really a hospital,' Violet said.

'Don't let Dr Clarkson hear you. He thinks it's second only to St Thomas's,' Robert interjected.

'It's a cottage hospital, of course, but quite well equipped.' Cora smiled, secretly cursing her mother-in-law for always making everything so difficult.

'Who pays for it?' Isobel said curiously.

'Oh, good. Let's talk about money,' Violet said, sipping her wine.

'My father gave the building and an endowment to run it. In a way, he set up his own memorial,' Robert said almost wistfully.

'But how splendid!' Isobel exclaimed.

'And Mr Lloyd George's new insurance measures will help,' Robert continued.

'Please don't speak that man's name, we are about to eat,' Violet interrupted with a small frown before her attention was drawn to the footman and the heir.

'I will hold it steady and you can help yourself, sir,' Thomas said as he leant over to serve Matthew.

'Yes, I know. Thank you,' Matthew said through clenched teeth.

'You'll soon get used to the way things are done here,' Violet said patronizingly.

'If you mean that I'm accustomed to a very different life from this, then that is true,' Matthew said.

'What will you do with your time?' Sybil asked gently, smiling at her father's successor.

'I've got a job at a partnership in Ripon. You might have heard of it, Havel and Carter. They need someone who understands industrial law, I'm glad to say. Although, I'm afraid most of it will be wills and conveyancing. I said I'll start tomorrow,' he responded smiling, grateful at his cousin for the change of subject.

'A job?' The Dowager Countess asked incredulously. 'A job is hardly fit for the future Earl of Grantham! And Robert will surely need you to discuss he running if the estate.'

'Oh don't worry. There are plenty of hours in a day. And I'll always have the weekend,' Matthew replied easily.

'What is a weekend? Violet proceeded to ask, but before he could answer, Cora changed the subject.

'Mary, our other daughter was so disappointed that she couldn't make it tonight. She is in London for the month,' she said.

Matthew's eyebrows rose. He had thought that the Earl had three daughters, but when he had only seen two when they had first arrived, he had assumed that he had misheard. Was she the one that was engaged? What was she like? So far, he liked Sybil, she was friendly to him and Edith had been rather quiet and shy throughout dinner. All these questions raced through Matthew's mind as he ate a potato thoughtfully.

'Oh! Well, hopefully we shall be able to meet her the next time,' Isobel said politely.

'How was your trip to London?' Sybil asked, interested, as she entered her oldest sister's room.

'Not very interesting or eventful I'm afraid to say,' Mary said. 'How was the dinner with Papa's new heir?'

'Oh!' Sybil said excitedly. 'It was wonderful. Although there were a few uncomfortable moments with Granny, especially between her and his mother.'

'Shocking,' Mary said sarcastically. 'But what is he like? Very middle class, I would assume?'

'Well, he is terribly clever. He is going to get a job in Ripon at a law firm!'

Mary looked at her younger sister in horror. 'A job?'

Sybil laughed out loud. 'Oh Mary!' She grinned. 'That's exactly what Granny said. I am afraid to say that you two are very much alike.'

'I consider that a compliment, dear.' Mary said with a slight twitch of her lips.

'How is Evelyn?' Sybil asked presently.

'Alright, I should think.' Mary said dismissively. She hated it when they asked her about her fiance. Aside from his trips to Downton and hers to his home, she rarely communicated with him. Why should she know (or care, for that matter) how he was?

'Should we go down to dinner?' she asked, quickly changing the subject and turning to her maid with a small smile. 'Thank you, Anna, that will be all.'

'Matthew and Isobel are coming for dinner tomorrow night,' Robert announced at dinner that night. 'You will get to meet him then,' he added, looking at Mary.

She raised an eyebrow. 'Already? I thought you said he came two nights ago. That seems rather soon, wouldn't you say?' She asked, fixing her gaze upon her father.

'He is my heir, Mary,' Robert said tersely. 'He shall be coming very often in the future and I expect you to be polite and respectful to him.' Mary rolled her eyes.

'When is Evelyn coming over next, dear?' Cora interrupted.

Mary shrugged. 'I don't know.'

'Well, why don't you invite him over for a few days? Ask him when he can make it,' her mother suggested.

'Oh, Mama, I don't think that that's necessary,' Mary replied.

'Mary, he is your fiancé. Of course it is necessary,' Cora practically hissed, glaring at her eldest daughter. She turned to the others with a smile, attempting to break the tension. 'Shall we go through?'

'Oh! It is so nice to meet you. May I call you 'Cousin'?' Isobel asked, smiling as she held out her hand.

'It is a pleasure to meet you too, I'm sure. And I would prefer it if you called me Lady Mary,' Mary said icily without bothering to take the hand that Isobel had offered.

Sensing danger, Cora quickly suggested that they go eat.

When they sat down, Matthew studied her intently. His first thought was that she was very pretty. Even beautiful. She was tall, slender and graceful. She had greeted them almost coldly, as though she already hated them even before they had met. When she talked to them, it was always a short response, as though she had better things to do.

His thoughts were interrupted by his mother.

'So you are engaged to be married, Lady Mary?' Isobel said politely.

'Yes,' Mary replied.

'And who is the lucky man?' The older woman asked, smiling.

'Sir Evelyn Napier, heir to the Viscount of Branksome,' Mary replied.

'Oh. You must be terribly excited! I know I was. It is so lovely to be united with the man you love in the most important of ways,' Isobel said.

'Love,' Mary said, 'has practically nothing to do with marriage. At least,' she continued, picking up her wine glass, 'among our kind of people.' And after taking a sip, she put her glass down.