Thank you for all the lovely comments and encourragements. It means a lot. Here's chapter two in quick response :D

Chapter 2 – Dr. Levinson, I presume?

Two Years Later

Cora Crawley, nee Levinson, descended the stairs to the main floor of her home in Ithaca, NY. The sound of male voices and laughter filtered through out into the hallway, making her smile. It was good to be home again.

Cora, or Dr. Levinson as she was better known as on the Cornell Campus, held a PhD in American Literature of the 1920s and 30s. As a tenured faculty member of the English department, she had been on a sabbatical for the past year. After some travels and research in the United States, she had spent the remainder of the year abroad, to be closer to her daughters who were all away at boarding school in England. Cora and Robert had a townhouse in London, and that had been Cora's base while in Europe. When she and Robert were at home in Ithaca, the girls would stay with their grandmother in Yorkshire or their Aunt Ros in London. Neither Cora, nor Robert felt comfortable with allowing the three girls to live mostly unsupervised in their London home.

Still musing over the delight at being back home and in her own house, Cora entered the living room, scanning the group of young men gathered there. Some faces were familiar, but there were a few new ones as well. Spotting Robert talking and gesturing wildly as he spoke to a gentle faced young man Cora did not recognize, she again felt a stab in her heart at the thought of them losing their son. Robert had been heartbroken at the miscarriage and it had put a serious strain on their marriage, almost bringing it to an end. The only blessing was that the girls had not known as they had all been away at school at the time. Shaking the sad memories off, she scanned the room again, spotting a tall, dark blond boy standing by the fireplace. He was looking at the pictures of her family. As he turned and she saw his clear blue eyes, Cora realized who the boy was. Ever the hostess, Cora set out across the room to get to know the young man.

~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~

Matthew sipped his soda as he studied the pictures on the mantle in the Crawley's living room. Around him his team mates were talking and laughing. He could hear Bates' booming laughter from across the room.

"Matthew?"

He whipped around at the distinctly feminine voice calling his name and found himself face to face with a beautiful woman.

"Mrs. Cr… I mean Dr. Levinson?" Matthew stuttered.

Cora chuckled and gently touched his arm. "You may call me either. I've been so used to listening to Crawley over the last year it's almost strange to hear people call me Dr. Levinson here."

He smiled tentatively as he took in the woman who was his coach's wife and the mother of the girl who still haunted Matthew's dreams.

"I suppose that Dr. Levinson makes most sense here on campus."

Cora nodded and tilted her head. "I agree. Not to mention hearing you boys calling my husband my lord would probably send me off in giggles every time."

"Lord?" Matthew's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. "I don't understand."

Cora's mouth formed a perfect 'o' and her eyes widened. "I suppose he never told you. Forget I said anything."

"Please…" Matthew lowered his voice. "Dr. Levinson…"

Cora let out a heavy sigh and then smiled cheekily at Matthew. "Only because you have those damned Crawley blue eyes."

Matthew laughed a little nervously and felt his face flush. "I still think that's a mere coincidence, Dr. Levinson, but please…. Will you tell me what you meant?"

"My husband's family dates back several centuries," she took a sip of her wine before looking Matthew straight in the eyes. "and so does his title." She glanced over at Robert who was busy filling his plate from the buffet in the corner. "Robert is the ninth Earl of Grantham."

"Holy sh…" Matthew stopped himself before the word left his lips and clammed his mouth shut.

"When we're in England many people refer to him as Lord Grantham or my lord."

Matthew nodded in agreement. It made sense. Then his brain made the math and things clicked and he stared at Cora.

"But that would make you… a lady. Lady Grantham?"

Cora chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Yes, but I prefer Dr. Levinson if I have to pick."

Matthew grinned at her. "Perhaps Lady Dr. Levinson?"

"I think not," Cora wrinkled her nose. "Lady doctor sounds a bit awkward."

Matthew blushed and cleared his throat. "I guess I didn't think that one through. I'm sorry Dr. Levinson."

"Oh hush," Cora gently nudged his arm. "I'm only teasing you."

Matthew's eyes strayed to the family pictures on the mantle. "I guess that makes your daughters ladies too."

"It does."

"I never knew…" Matthew muttered.

"I wasn't aware that you'd met them." Cora frowned and tilted her head.

"Only Mary. Lady Mary, that is."

"Ah, I should've known." Cora smirked a little. "Let me guess… on the ice?"

"Yes." Matthew ran his fingers through his hair. "It was a few years back. At the tryouts."

"Mary takes her skating very serious."

"Yes, well I'm afraid we didn't get along very well. My fault entirely."

Cora just chuckled and sipped her wine. "I'm sure Mary was as much to blame. She can be a little prickly at times, especially when it concerns figure skating."

"I sort of called her an ice princess," Matthew confessed and made a face. He had no idea why he felt compelled to share his moment of shame with Cora.

Cora burst out laughing and eventually Matthew smiled a little goofily. She wiped a stray tear away and then grinned at him.

"That's priceless. She must've been fuming. I'm sorry, it's not that I enjoy hearing that someone's calling my daughter names, but that was pretty funny, and it's very fitting." She chuckled again and shook her head in amusement. "Don't worry about it; I'm sure she's forgotten."

"I highly doubt it," Matthew muttered a bit sullenly.

"Well you can ask her, if you like. She'll be here in a few days."

His eyes widened. "She will?"

"Umm hmm."

"Cora?"

Matthew straightened up at hearing Robert's voice.

"Hello darling." Cora pressed a kiss to her husband's cheek. "We were speaking about Mary."

"I see. I didn't know that you knew her, Matthew."

"I met her at the tryouts… my lord."

Robert's eyes widened and he turned to Cora who was biting her lip, grinning at him.

"Cora, you did not tell him…"

"I'm afraid I did, Robert."

"It's all right, Lord Coach Grantham," Matthew teased behind Robert's back.

"That's enough cheek from you, young man."

"Yes, my lord." Matthew grinned at Robert who did not look very dangerous when scowling at him, not with a chicken wing in one hand and a beer in the other.

"Oh do cheer up, Robert," Cora said and gently wiped off the remnants of her pink lipstick from his cheek. "Matthew is only teasing you."

Robert finished his chicken wing and placed the bones back on his plate before wiping his hands.

"Are you going to New York City with William and Joe next week?"

Matthew shook his head. "Tom and I are sticking around here."

Cora's eyes widened at this information. "Aren't you doing anything for Thanksgiving?"

"Not really. Ordering a pizza and watching TV I suppose." He made a face and shrugged. "It's not a British holiday, so it's no big deal for us."

"You should come here!" She turned to Robert, smiling hopefully. "Please convince him to come, Robert. Thanksgiving is about family, and spending time with people you care about."

Robert gently squeezed Matthew's shoulder. "Cora's right. You and Tom should join us for Thanksgiving dinner."

Matthew smiled and nodded, though the only thought going through his head at the time was that he was going to see Mary again.

To be continued…