AN: Thanks so much for the pleasant reviews! They brought a smile to my face! And as promised, Chapter three, I do hope you enjoy it!
"Was it love?" Matthew asked in bewilderment staring at Mary with eyes opened wide in shock. "How could it be love?! I barely knew him!" Mary exclaimed. "Then why" "It was lust, Matthew! And a need for excitement!" as soon as the words were spoken Mary wished she could take them back. "I'm sorry Matthew." She sighed, refusing to succumb to the tears that again pricked in the corners of her eyes. "And this is why you couldn't accept me?" Matthew stared at Mary, noting her trembling lips, and quickly reddening eyes.
"Yes- you see, Matthew, I couldn't accept you without telling you. And then I knew that if you knew, you would despise me. And that was a thought I could not bear. To have you angry at me, or standoffish, well that I could bear. But the thought that you loathed me entirely? When I loved you so much? It was impossible." Mary scarcely noticed that she'd finally let the fact that she loved Matthew pass through her lips.
But it didn't go unnoticed by Matthew. His heart beat so loudly he could hardly hear his own thoughts. "You're wrong Mary." Matthew stepped closer to her, closing the distance that had gradually formed while Mary had told her story. "Am I? What about this time?" Mary almost laughed. "I could never despise you." Matthew smiled at her, and gently caressed her face. "You- Matthew, you can't imagine what that means to me!" a tear spilled now, a tear of joy, and salvation.
"Mary, do- do you still love me?" Matthew asked. Mary looked up at him, with confusion clear in her eyes. "Of course I do Matthew! Every day since I met you I loved you!" She took a step back as she realized she'd said too much. "I'm sorry, Matthew, it's not fair of me to tell you this now, that you've moved on and you have Lavinia, who's just a wonderful girl!" Mary stammered as she wiped away her tear. "Mary, I" "No, no, Matthew, it's alright, no need to explain! You've got Lavinia, you're engaged! And I' happy for you, honestly I am, there's no need to pity me, or let me down gently. I know you don't love me anymore, truly I do! And I've accepted that." Mary turned away from him, and leaned against the tree for support as she felt everything crumbling around her.
"Mary Crawley! Would you be so kind as to listen to me, even for just a moment?" Matthew asked, grabbing her shoulder, and gently turning her to face him. "To say that I don't love you anymore- Well Mary, that would be lying." Mary's heart skipped a beat. "Matthew… You can't mean that." She sighed. "And if I did?" He pulled her closer to him. "If you did- it wouldn't matter. Because you are engaged to Lavinia. And I am promised to Richard Carlisle." The truth of her own words stung Mary like a slap across her face.
"And if I were to say those could be broken? If I were to say we could soon be together? Mary, what would you say to that?" The air between them became again filled with electricity, pulling them together like a magnet. "I would say, yes. Let us as soon as possible. That would be my answer Matthew, if you were in fact to say that." Mary's eyes never left his. "Then Mary, will you break your promise to Carlisle, and marry me? Please." It was almost as if he begged, as the need for her to be his, and his alone grew within him.
"What about Lavinia? She- she's such a wonderfully sweet girl. She deserves you more than I do." Mary said honestly. "I do care for Lavinia very much. I do love her Mary. But she isn't you." It came out as scarcely a whisper. "Then yes Matthew." She breathed, already going up on her toes to meet his lips, as they crashed onto hers, sweetly, locking together in perfection.
When they finally broke apart for air, Matthew lifted Mary off of the ground, and spun her around in a circle, as they laughed. "Yes Matthew, Yes, yes, yes!" And in that moment, all was in fact perfect. The pain of years previous was forgotten, and replaced by the sweet, wonderful promises of a future together.
AN: Again, it's a short chapter, but I promise, longer ones will be coming! I know it may seem like this story is a little fast paced, but honestly, they've loved each other a long while now, and it's hardly too soon!
