Sorry for the wait everyone! Life got in the way. Thank you so much to everybody for your kind words and encouragement - I'm very happy you are enjoying this little idea that had been nagging at me for a while. This is the final 'set up' chapter before it starts getting into the good stuff. As always, constructive criticism welcome!

Mary got to the little café tucked away in a corner of Kensington earlier than she'd told Matthew to arrive. She wanted to get the back table that offered a little privacy.

She sent him a text message once she'd sat down so that he would know where to find her. She felt oddly nervous about meeting him, like she was preparing for a job interview or talking to a potential investor. It was just coffee with a lawyer. And a middle-class lawyer at that.

Although he really did seem to have made quite a name for himself. Once Mary had discovered Matthew's name and previous firm, tracking him down online was straightforward. He'd even had a few articles written about him. Some to do with cases he'd worked on and others about his departure from Swire and Sampson. Amy was right when she said he seemed to be heading for the top job there. Mary couldn't deny her curiosity was piqued about why he had left.

Nevertheless, she was happy he was a decent lawyer because it made her feel like their meeting could actually be useful and not just a farce for her to see him again. Diamond Publishing already had a legal advisory team that she could turn to, and her father could point her in the direction of plenty of reputable solicitors with impressive records. She cringed at the thought of admitting any sort of failure - even a small one - to her parents. And even though she would absolutely deny it if asked, she was happy for an excuse to spend some more time with Matthew.

He walked through the café door and spotted her in the back. Her hair was tied up which he hadn't seen before and she was far more casually dressed than any of the other times. Though casual to Mary Crawley was what dressing to go to a fancy dinner party was to other people. Her tailored cream slacks emphasised her long legs, and her loosely buttoned up white shirt gave her an air of sophistication that he thinks would be impossible to replicate. She was typing away on her phone looking particularly engrossed in whatever she was writing.

"You know, I half expected you not to be here." He said, causing her to look up.

"I never back out of commitments." She replied as he took his seat, giving him a smile.

"I'll remember that." He noted while she took in his casual appearance. Jeans and a loosely fitted shirt accentuated his handsomeness. She almost felt silly for thinking that he wasn't noticeable. To the ordinary woman, he was striking. Hell, he was striking to her.

"Was it far for you to get here?" She asked. Mary hadn't known where he lived, so she chose somewhere close to her home that she knew was relatively inconspicuous.

"No, not really," Matthew answered. "How did you pull up on Sunday?"

They had both left Felix's birthday not long after their chat. Will had gone out with his friends while Mary went home, and Matthew left with Laura. Mary hoped somehow it would come up in conversation naturally that he had dropped her at her door, without so much as a kiss goodnight.

They made a bit of small talk, both not really knowing how to interact now that they were in a normal setting. Matthew decided to be bold and break the mould quickly.

"I have to say that it's no wonder you let me into that event. Most of those people on Saturday were very boring."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. He'd said it with humour – and fully meant it – but realised it sounded like he was dissing her friends.

But then she laughed. "You aren't wrong about that. You know it's a worry when someone like you can be construed as exciting."

She was teasing him, and he felt his nerves disappearing.

"Maybe I only shine by comparison, but at least you think I'm shining." He quipped.

They fell into an easy conversation that was filled with light-hearted barbs before he asked her about her troubles with work. Ever the pragmatist, Mary pulled out a document from her bag for him to sign to make sure he couldn't speak of it outside of their conversation. He was impressed by her efforts. It became obvious to him very quickly that she was extremely serious about her work and desperately wanted to succeed on her own terms.

He was clever enough to know that she didn't need him. She definitely had people at her disposal that she could turn to about this, yet here they were. He couldn't help but feel a little chuffed that she wanted to spend time with him, and business law was his forte so he knew he could provide her with real help.

She took him through the signed contracts of her now previous employees and the document Damien had sent her claiming they were void.

"I'll give him credit," Matthew said, "He's done well. Weaved a nice little story here to try and get himself out of trouble, but as long as you rebut with a strong working team you shouldn't have an issue refuting him. It's just going to take a bit of work."

"Do you think it will need to go to court?" She asked nervously. She desperately didn't want this making it to a courtroom, where the press or her family could find out.

"It's doubtful. In all likelihood, this will be settled outside of court as long as he's somewhat reasonable and you make a firm case." Matthew said, jotting down some notes on the contracts.

He had transformed before her eyes from a witty, charming guy to a dedicated and no-nonsense lawyer. She had known he was clever by the strength of his conversation, but it was obvious to her now that he was rather brilliant. And he was no pushover either, something she might have previously assumed. It was oddly arousing. She found her mind drifting away from the business while his seemed to become more absorbed by it. His hair was flopping down again while he studied the pages, and she wanted to reach across the table and push it back for him.

Mary raked her eyes over his broad shoulders, wondering what it would be like to have him trap her against a wall. She wondered what he would be like as a kisser.

"Do you feel confident that the team you already have will be up to the task?" Matthew asked, looking up from the page to find her staring at him, biting her lip. It almost gave him whiplash.

He'd become so absorbed in the papers for a moment that he'd forgotten who he was with, and the look she was giving him said she was certainly not thinking about work.

"Uh," She said after a moment. "Yes. Well, no. Sorry, no."

Was she bumbling? Had he just caught Mary Crawley staring at him, and now she was bumbling? He started to smirk.

She gave a slight shake of her head, repositioning herself and said, "No, I'm not. I need to hire a new team to work onsite for me. One I'm confident is made up of some of the best London has to offer and will ensure this kind of thing cannot happen again."

He had to give her credit; she recovered herself very well. But he was still smiling.

"Well, if you need some recommendations," Matthew said, unable to wipe the grin off his face. She knew exactly why. It was making her feel hot. She never gets embarrassed! "I know a few good people. I can put you in contact."

"That would be lovely. Thank you." Mary said, trying to regain her composure.

"How about I give some people a call, and I'll see if they can come to your office sometime this week?" He offered.

"Will you come with them?" She asked, knowing it probably wasn't the best question to ask in an effort to portray her neutrality.

"I can if you like." He said.

"I'd like an expert opinion. They might seem great to me but I'm not a lawyer." She explained.

"Then I'll come. Perhaps I should come alone one day beforehand to get a feel for your office so I know what type of people would be best suited." It wasn't lost on Matthew that she'd just given him a compliment either.

"Only if you have the time," Mary said, not wanting to become a burden on him whilst very much wanting to see him again.

"I have time for you." He grinned as he made yet another effort to make direct eye contact with her.

She simply nodded at him then looked down at the menu, pretending to be interested in ordering something other than coffee.

He watched her while she read over it, and she felt him doing so. He was far too happy with himself, but she was far too affected to retaliate just yet.

God, she was beautiful. It was almost easy to forget when they got into the throes of conversation. But now it was quiet, and it seemed the most obvious thing in the world. It was almost as if she were too elegant for this modern day they were living in. She had the kind of beauty where you could pick her up and place her in any century past and she would be considered gorgeous.

Mary looked up, having had enough of his staring now. "Have I got something on my face?"

"No." He smiled.

She wanted to knock the smug little grin off of his mouth. So she deadpanned, "So, tell me. You and Laura, is it love?"

"Hah, no." He answered swiftly. "She's a lovely girl, but I'm not sure it will go anywhere. We don't have much in common."

Mary felt a sigh escape her chest. "You require much in common with a girl before dating her?"

"Not so much common interests, I suppose. But common conversation, or humour. You have to match on some level." He answered, and she nodded in agreement.

"You didn't have good conversations?" Mary probed.

"They were nice, don't get me wrong. They just didn't have that spark." He said, maintaining eye contact with her. "I might be being too hasty. It's only been one night where we didn't get to talk that much."

"Didn't talk much, did you?" She asked suggestively.

He smiled. "That's what I just said."

They looked at each other in silence for a few moments. He wasn't going to give her anything. She didn't want to seem overly interested so she followed with, "Well, I really should get back to the office then."

"I should probably get to my work as well." He said.

"In that outfit?" She asked incredulously, looking him up and down.

"I don't have any clients today." He smiled. "But thanks for looking out for me."

They went to the counter to pay, and a card fell out of his wallet as he was pulling cash out. It was a room key for Palace Oak in Soho, an upmarket hotel.

"You're staying at Palace Oak?" She asked, surprised. "I thought you lived here?"

"I do." He said simply, as he collected the card off the counter and put it back in his wallet.

"Then?" She asked when he didn't say anything to follow up. He was quite frustrating with this nonchalant attitude and assumed veneer of secrecy. Like he had anything to hide!

"Then why are you so nosy?" He laughed. "Do remember that we hardly know each other."

They walked out the café door together. Trying to not be seen together was a concept lost to Mary now.

"Oh, now you decide to become a man of mystery!" Mary said exasperatedly.

"You can call me that from now on if you like." He said cheekily while hailing a cab.

"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend you have anything scandalous to hide."

"What makes you so sure I don't?" Matthew questioned, knowing full well he didn't have anything juicy to disclose. He couldn't help but want her to remain interested.

"You hang around with snakes long enough and they become easy to spot." She replied.

A cab pulled over and Matthew opened the back door. "You hop in this one. I'll get another."

Mary hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave just yet but realising she had to. "Thank you."

As she got in, he said, "I'm glad you don't think me a snake. Call me and let me know a time I can come in later this week?"

"I will."

Mary let out a sigh, pinching the skin on her forehead together as she lay back in her office chair.

"You'll get wrinkles if you keep doing that," She heard Anna's voice say.

Her blonde assistant-turned-best-friend walked into the office with a sympathetic smile on her face. Mary quickly let go of her forehead.

"Thanks for reminding me," Mary said, straightening up in her seat. "I hardly need wrinkles on top of everything else."

Anna took a seat on the couch at the side of the room and said, "It's not so bad. It's just going to take a bit of time. All start-ups have their set backs."

Oh, Anna. Ever encouraging and kind. Mary found her influence calming unlike most goody-two-shoes types. They had met at Mary's last job where Anna had started as an intern. So many of the interns that came through were far too eager to please and lived for rewards. They were all about praise and veneer yet hardly ever did any of the hard work. Anna, however, went about the work quietly and efficiently. Mary noticed and became even more impressed when speaking with the shy blonde who was very humble in the face of commendation. They had been a working pair ever since.

"When is the lawyer getting here?" Anna asked.

"Very soon," Mary responded. "Distract me until he gets here. Tell me something funny, or stupid. I don't want to think for a moment."

"I'm going on a date tomorrow night," Anna said.

Mary snapped her head towards her friend. "Well, that could be both funny and stupid. How is it two in the afternoon and we have been here since nine and you are only telling me this now?"

"I didn't want to bother you with something trivial while you were stressed."

"Always bother me with news like this, please. I'm happy for the break!" Mary nearly exclaimed. "Who is it? Not that John guy who works downstairs?"

She hoped to God not and her expression did little to hide her distaste.

Anna laughed. "No, not him. Though well done at appearing encouraging if he was the guy!"

"He's too old." Mary dismissed with a shrug, relieved.

"He's nice." Anna defended. "But it's not him. His name is Peter and he goes to my gym. He asked me last night."

"Well, I'd like to meet this Peter if it gets past two dates," Mary ordered. "I won't let you waste your valuable time."

"Are you saying this as a boss or a friend?" Anna asked amused.

"Both," Mary stated, then looked down at her watch.

She frowned. Matthew should have been here by now. Surely he couldn't forget her!

"What's wrong?" Anna asked, noting the sudden shift in Mary's mood.

Right as Mary went to answer, her phone rang. Anna answered and let her know that the receptionist was showing Matthew through to her office.

"Oh," Mary said, smoothing out her dress and quickly rushing to take her seat behind her desk. Anna watched her in mild confusion. Her boss seemed flustered and she didn't think she'd ever witnessed that before.

"Is anything the matter?" Anna asked, concerned.

"What? No, nothing's wrong." Mary answered, running her fingers through her already perfect hair. "Does it seem like there is?"

Anna went to answer but was interrupted by a knock. Matthew stood at the opened door with a sweet smile.

"Hello. Sorry, I'm late. The tube was a nightmare." He said, walking inside.

"I almost thought you were going to renege on your offer," Mary said wryly; her raised eyebrow telling him she was playing.

"Such drama for ten minutes of being late!" He countered, then turned to Anna and reached out his hand. "Hello, I'm Matthew."

"Anna." She said, taking it.

Anna didn't quite know what to make of the situation. All she had heard from Mary was that she had a lawyer coming in to give some advice on the legal trouble they were having. She certainly hadn't mentioned anything about them being friends nor had she ever heard of a Matthew Crawley before. Anna had pictured some middle-aged stuffy type who had connections with Robert.

Matthew told her that it was nice to meet her and took a seat opposite Mary. He seemed keen – excited almost – to be there, and Mary's expression told Anna that her interest was most definitely peaked. Over legal trouble? Anna couldn't wrap her head around what was happening.

"Have you found me anyone yet?" Mary asked bluntly. She never spoke to people in business like this, especially upon a first meeting.

"I've made a few calls but haven't locked anything in yet," Matthew replied. "How about you show me around and explain the business to me?"

"If you like," Mary answered, hopping out of her seat.

Anna observed the two as they walked around the small but stylish space. Mary explained how the idea for the company came to her three years ago when she spotted a gap in the market between social media and traditional methods of publishing. Matthew complimented the space and her determination, but the whole conversation was layered with this odd kind of tension. Anna quickly determined that it was not a negative kind, but it was wrought - and perhaps even flirtatious.

She looked over Matthew. He was undeniably handsome and clearly quite clever, two things that she knew were very appealing to Mary. But he wasn't a society boy, nor was he from nobility or connected in any way Anna knew of. It seemed odd to think her usually cool, dignified boss would flirt with him, let alone allow herself to become flustered in his presence.

She continued to observe as they sat back down and began to discuss the matter at hand. He was very charming and made every effort to befriend Anna. Unlike most people that came in to meet Mary, he didn't ignore or belittle her. By the end of it all, Anna almost felt a strange affinity with him.

As the meeting finished up, they determined whom Matthew would be calling and the dates next week that suited both of them to conduct the interviews.

"Well, I suppose I'll be in touch in the next few days." He said, getting out of his chair. "It was lovely to meet you, Anna. I'm glad to see Mary has such wonderful support behind her."

Anna smiled graciously and shook his hand again. "Thank you. Although, I think she would be just fine without me."

"Nonsense." Mary dismissed.

"I hope you both have a great weekend." He said, eyeing Mary.

"Are you up to anything outrageous?" She asked, not wanting him to leave just yet.

"I'm having lunch with my mother on Saturday and have my friend's five-year-old son's birthday party on Sunday. Just wild." He smiled, and she smiled back. "And you?"

"Well, I can hardly compete with plans like that." She responded. "I'm seeing my family as well."

He nodded, and said, "Enjoy."

He took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "I'll see you next week."

It sounded like a promise.

"See you." She replied, watching him walk down the hallway.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Anna stood in front of her with a questioning gaze.

"Do you want to tell me exactly what that was?"