Chapter 2

Dinner time in the servants hall.

"Oh I just love a happy ending! Lady Mary and Mr Crawley are perfect together!" Daisy dreamed, as the servants discussed the events of the previous night.

"Daisy! Stop dillydallying and get on with the cleaning! If you want that promotion you better pull your finger out!" Daisy rushed out of the room at her bosses, demands.

"Goodness me, it seems like Daisy is to be away with the fairies for the next few days! Lord above help me!" Mrs Patmore said to herself, as she began clearing the dinner plates from the table.

"Oh Mr Carson! What is the matter with you? I haven't seen a smile on your face since the first time I saw you, this morning!" Mrs Hughes asked as Mr Carson looked longingly at the staircase.

"Mrs Hughes, I would kindly like you to keep my private feelings away from the dinner table tonight. And as for the rest of you, I would respect it if you restrained yourself from anymore discussion about your employers. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if they were gossiping about you behind your backs." Mr Carson ordered, and immediately silence fell across the room. Only Thomas couldn't stop himself from replying.

"Why not? They do anyway." Mr Carson was about to reply when Mrs Hughes placed a firm hand on his shoulder, glaring at him in a motherly way.

"Mrs Hughes, a word please." Carson asked, obviously not liking being treated as a child.

As they both rose from their seats confused looks were exchanged across the table. Never before had they experienced their bosses speak like that to one another.

As they entered Mr Carson's office neither would look each other in the eye. It was Elsie who broke the silence first.

"Charles, please don't scald me for voicing my opinion. I was just saying what everyone else was thinking. Oh, and before we go any further will you please tell me what it is that is bothering you?" she demanded glaring at Mr Carson until he gave in.

"Oh, alright. I suppose I'm not as good at hiding my true feelings as I would think." Elsie raised her eyebrows in confirmation. "Well I suppose it's a little obvious it is to do with Lady Mary. I have watched her grow up from a little girl into an elegant woman. I have seen her fall and helped her pick herself up again, and now I feel she is slipping away from me. I saw him propose, and all the time I was remembering the young Lady Mary, the cheeky little so and so. The way she looked at me, it's the first time she has ever appeared to me as a grown independent woman, and not a girl." He gushed, before loudly blowing his nose on a handkerchief given to him by Elsie.

"Well it's natural for you to feel like this! You've been like a second father to her ladyship! You agreed yourself you would rather she was with Mr Crawley than Sir Richard. They work well together, completing each other. We have both seen that for ourselves, so lets not dwell on the past, but look to the future! Why, we have a wedding to plan now!" Elsie chuckled, shaking her head at the sight before her. "Now gather yourself up! I think it's about time to return to the table." Charles knew better than to argue and straightened up before exiting the room, leaving Elsie chuckling to herself.

"Men!" She smiled.

Mary and Matthew have stolen a few moments to themselves outside.

"Mary darling, it seems like I've hardly seen you all day." Matthew noted, as he took his fiancés hand in his own.

"Oh I know! The moment we parted this morning, Mama and Granny insisted on an emergency wedding planning session. Honestly! It's not often I find myself admiring my younger sister, but I do believe Sybil made the right decision by marrying in another country. Far less stress!" She replied, shaking her head at the nightmare of a day she'd had. "I suppose the only thing that got me through was knowing it was all for us!"

By this time they had reached a bench, but not just a bench, the one they liked to call their own.

"It's funny, neither of us said where we were going, yet we both instantly came here." Mary admired, smiling up at Matthew.

"Well the Future Mrs Crawley, would you like to take a seat?" Matthew joked, gesturing to the bench. Mary obliged, and could not stop herself from smiling when Matthew joined her, and reached across her shoulder to hug her. But alas, their happiness was to be interrupted only too soon, by Edith running towards them.

"Mary! Father just received a telegram in the evening post! Sybil's visiting from Ireland! They were taking the ferry this afternoon, and should be here tomorrow morning!" She gasped, looking only at her elder sister.

"Good heavens! About time too! Matthew we best go inside, I dread to think what Father's reaction is to be like, but I think we should both be there to advise him!" Matthew agreed, and got up offering Mary his arm.

"You know I am truly happy for you both." Edith smiled, nodding at them.

"Edith, for the first time in a while, I feel we are truly sisters again. And now myself and Sybil are with partners, don't you think it's about time we found you one?" She laughed, raising her eyebrows at her younger sibling. Shaking her head, Edith turned to make her way back to the house.

"Lead the way Mr Crawley." Mary whispered, resting her head on his shoulder for the walk back to the house.

The next day, all residents of Downton Abbey are standing outside waiting for the arrival of the youngest Crawley daughter.

"I think Papa is a tad nervous!" Mary murmured to Edith, as they stood side by side by the front door of their home. Edith covered a giggle with a cough upon looking at her Father, whom was looking rather anxious. His forehead was glazed with sweat, as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, with a pained expression on his face. Matthew couldn't help overhearing this comment, and caught Mary's eye before turning back to his mother, who he was currently having a debate with.

"Mother, Mary and I have both agreed, we only want a few people there."

"But why? I want my son to be proud, for people to be able to see just how far this family has come! How is that going to happen when the furthest a guest has travelled has been from the local village?" Shaking his head in disagreement his reply was interrupted by a gasp from Mary.

"Look! Here they come!" She exclaimed, and sure enough approaching was a car carrying two rather tired looking passengers. Carson walked forward and opened the door as soon as it had stopped, revealing a man whom they all recognised.

"I tell you what, it's strange being in the back of a car for once!" Tom Branson joked, as he exited the car. He offered his hand to his wife, who climbed out after him. Mary could see no difference in her younger sister, apart from the swelling bump around her midriff.

"Sybil! She exclaimed rushing forward to greet her. Smiling, Sybil hugged Mary first, then Edith.

"Do come in Sybil! You must be tired after your journey!" Cora invited, as they all followed her back into the house.

A few minutes later they were all sat in the drawing room exchanging news. Tom was looking rather uncomfortable, until Sybil placed a reassuring hand on his knee.

"Mary how are you dear? Where's Sir Richard?" Sybil enquired. To be answered with several dark looks being exchanged. "Well we'll say no more about that shall we?" She said, answering herself.

"Well actually, on the departure of Sir Richard, Myself and Mary both agreed we had been fighting fate for too long, and have agreed to marry." Matthew explained. Sybil Shrieked making everyone in the room jump. Laughing Mary got up and gave her sister a hug.

"I knew you two were more than friends! You were just too stubborn to admit it!" She announced, a sly look on her face. Mary sighed. She'd had just about enough of people saying that.

"If you don't mind, I am going to go for a little walk, just to clear my head." She announced. Matthew rose to accompany her, but Mary shook her head. " No dear, you stay here. Honest I'll be fine, I just need some fresh air." And with a sweet kiss on the lips she departed, leaving Matthew with a slightly confused look on his face.

The truth was, Mary had no intention of venturing out of the house. Instead she walked downstairs to find Anna.

"Ah Anna. If you wouldn't mind, I need some help choosing an outfit for dinner tonight." She asked, when she found her.

"Of course milady. But -" Anna replied, but she was silenced by the look on Mary's face.

Once in the safety of her room, Mary sunk onto her bed. Anna looked quite confused and asked

"Milady is everything alright?"

"Well, yes me and Matthew are absolutely fine, but everyone is being so judgemental all of a sudden. Yes, me an Matthew have been on the edge of this so many times, but they all seem reluctant to believing that this is it. Sybil of all people decides to announce that I'm too stubborn for my own liking, and no one says anything. But every time I say something about someone else I always get a scalding." Instead of interrupting Mary's rant, Anna just stood with an amused look on her face. "Oh not you as well." Mary sighed.

"Milady forgive me, but you seem to be looking far too much into this. Everyone is extremely happy for you both, but we all have our different ways of showing it! You're the oldest, the reason they tell you off for insulting someone is because you are supposed to set an example! It's like me with my younger brothers. Trust me I know exactly how you feel. But instead of thinking about all of this you should be excited about you and Mr Crawley! What does it matter how everyone else views you, if there is one person in the world , who's world you are?"

Taking all this in, Mary couldn't help but see a little sense in what Anna had said.

"Oh Anna, you're right. Thank you." She said, to worn out to say anything else.

"That's alright your ladyship." Anna replied smiling at her friend. Mary got up from her bed and walked to her mirror.

"Oh my, what do I look like?" She said, looking at her reflection. During her rant she had managed to pull out several of her hair clips, making her hair resemble a rather small birds nest.

"Don't worry! Stand still, and we can fix this right away!" Anna said leaping into action.

Just a few minutes later, Lady Mary looked back to normal.

"Thank you Anna. I best be getting back downstairs." She said as she exited her room. But instead of returning to the drawing room, she decided to go for that walk instead. Again, without even noticing, her feet took her to the place she was most familiar with, her and Matthews bench. However when she arrived, Mary found the other owner already occupying it.

"Well well well! Matthew, why aren't you inside entertaining the family?" Mary joked, as she joined him.

"I might just ask you the same question! But after the week we've had, I suggest neither of us answer! Instead I propose we both have a little rest!"

"Oh Matthew! Another proposal!" Mary laughed, as her head found that familiar spot on his shoulder. Closing her eyes she enjoyed a few moments of idleness, smiling at her wonderful partner.

"My dear, are you feeling better now?" Matthew asked, looking a little concerned.

"Of course. Infact, a wise housemaid told me something that I haven't quite been able to get out of my head."

"Oh yes, and what may this be?" Matthew smiled, looking intrigued.

"Well, she told me, what does it matter how everyone else views you, if there is one person in the world, who's world you are?" Mary replied thoughtfully.

"Indeed you are darling, indeed you are." Matthew said, watching Mary carefully. She raised her head to look at him fully, and when their eyes connected, she knew he was not joking.

Okay, I couldn't resist carrying on! Hope you like it! J