The Question of Mary

As soon as Sybil was back in London she went around to two of the hospitals to inquire about nursing positions. Rory's assessment of the shortage of surgical nurses was indeed correct. Both hospitals were interested in offering Sybil staff nursing positions but only as a shift worker. Surgical nurses did in fact have set hours but required additional training. Sybil thanked them for their time and headed straight for the closest nursing school. Since she had her resume and copies of her previous training documents with her, she was able to fill out a course application that afternoon.

When she returned to the house she headed to the neighbors where the children were spending the day to let them know she was home and then collected the post. There was a letter from Matthew saying he would be in London the following week and would like to take Tom up on his offer of a place to stay.

Sybil wrote out a return note to Matthew letting him know that they would be expecting him and asking him to relay to his mother her news about taking the specialized nursing course starting in two weeks. She kept the tone of her letter casual and tactfully didn't include any mention of her sister as Matthew had not included her name in the salutation. After she took her letter to the post box she headed upstairs to air out a bedroom and make sure the linens were fresh.

Tom arrived home later that afternoon tired from work.

"I hope you don't mind that I invited Matthew to stay with us," he said.

"I don't mind at all," Sybil replied. "I've always liked Cousin Matthew, but I would prefer to stay out of whatever is going on between him and Mary."

"I have a sense he has had enough of her current behavior."

"Why? What did he say to you?"

"Nothing to worry about," Tom said placing a small kiss on Sybil's temple. "I told him what I'd heard around town."

"You've never mentioned anything. What have you heard?"

"A lot of rumors, but nothing substantial. I've heard your sister is hanging about with the Prince of Wales set. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry."

"What is she thinking?" Sybil said taking a chair and frowning. "That entire group does not have the best of reputations."

"I don't even know if it is true. I hope for Matthew's sake it isn't. If it is let's hope she hasn't done anything too drastic."

"She's a big girl. It's time she grew up," Sybil said clearly annoyed.

"Let's keep our opinions to ourselves. I'll help Matthew out anyway I can, but whatever comes is between them."

"Agreed," Sybil replied.

As it turned out Matthew postponed his trip to London. After a few telephone calls Tom had managed to find out Mary was staying at Sandringham for a party for the week. Tom had the political and media connections to find out a great deal more about what Lady Mary Crawley was up to but wisely chose to stay as well away from it as possible while helping Matthew out. The last thing he needed was for Mary to make amends with her husband and parents and he wind up on the wrong side of his in-laws yet again. As well his position was high enough in the Labor Party that he didn't want any conflict of interest or rumors starting as to why he was looking into Lady Mary's whereabouts. He had been extremely discreet in finding out what he had so far.

Matthew telephoned to say he would be arriving during the first week of September. Sybil had a woman hired to come in through the day to make sure the children got to and from school, take care of some of the housework and have the evening meal started before she got home. Her course would last ten weeks and wrap up mid-November. She let Matthew know he would be on his own through the day but he was more than welcome to stay.

The second afternoon of Matthew's visit there was a knock at the front door. Tom was home early that day and went to answer it. Mary stood on the step looking as imperious as ever and dressed in the latest fashion.

"I had a note my husband is here and wanted to see me," she informed Tom. She didn't bother with any pleasantries.

"Lady Mary, what a surprise," Tom said. "Matthew and I are just in the library. Let me show you through."

He showed Mary to the library and quickly headed downstairs to ask the housekeeper to take the children to the park for an hour or so directly after school. He gave her some money to take them for a bun at their favorite local bakeshop as well.

"My sister-in-law is here, I would prefer they avoid any unpleasantness," he said as way of explanation.

"Very well Mr. Branson," she said. "I'll plan to have the children back around four thirty. I'm afraid I'll be putting the dinner into the oven a bit late in that case."

"I should be able to take care of putting the meal on at four," Tom replied as she got her coat and headed out the door to collect the children.

By the time Tom headed back up the stairs he could hear loud voices coming from the library. He turned around and headed back down to the kitchen to make a fresh cup of tea and wait out Mary's visit.

"Mary," Matthew said when she entered the library.

"Hello, Matthew, I received your note," she said while taking off her hat and gloves. "What did you want to see me about?"

"Mary, you're my wife. What did you think I want to see you about? I want you to stop whatever you are up to here in London and come home before you've damaged our relationship and your reputation beyond repair, if you haven't already."

'"Unlike you I'm taking care of family business."

"Exactly how are you doing that, by associating yourself with a group of aristocratic playboys and making yourself notorious?"

"I'm using my connections to find a way to restore the family fortune. I have five thousand of my settlement left. I intend to turn it into a substantially larger amount."

"The only way to do that is through hard work, not by following the whims of a bunch of spoiled aristocrats that have never done a day's work in their lives. Are you sleeping with one of them and hoping they will give you enough for your favors that you won't have to think about money ever again?"

Mary's glare turned to ice as she slapped him across the face.

"Don't you ever dare speak to me like that!"

"I will speak to you how I please," Matthew said, his voice rising. "It's high time you grew up and stopped acting like a spoiled, selfish, over privileged bitch."

"You've never been on my family's side," Mary screamed back. "You don't care about what has been taken away from us. You're content to spend you days shuffling papers in some dusty office while the rest of us suffer."

"No one is suffering except in your mind. Not having someone to buckle your shoes for you isn't suffering. Your sisters are both leading happy normal lives. Your parents have accepted the situation and are getting on with things. The only one that hasn't accepted things is you."

"I always knew you were too common to understand," Mary shot back.

"Don't you even go there," Matthew said shaking his head at her.

"You have no sense of pride," Mary glared at him angrily.

"I have plenty of pride and I'm bending it enough to allow myself to take my wife back who I strongly suspect has been using hers in the Prince of Wales bedroom, or are you back with Carlisle?"

"I've had quite enough of this," Mary said as she started to move towards the door.

"You have two weeks to be back in Yorkshire and resume living in our house," Matthew informed her. "If you're not back by then, don't bother coming back."

He moved to hold the door open for her to leave.

"Why was I ever foolish enough to tie myself to you," Mary said as a parting barb and not wanting Matthew to have the last word.

"Funny, I've been asking myself the same question," Matthew said as he slammed the front door hitting her slightly in the rear end on the way out. A startled squeak erupted from Mary as the door boosted her onto the front step.

Tom made his way upstairs after a few minutes once he heard the door slam to find Matthew sitting in the library staring off into space. Tom set down the two glasses he was carrying on the desk and went to move some books to produce the bottle of Irish whiskey he kept on a top shelf out of the reach of the children. He handed a glass to Matthew. He refilled it once Matthew had downed the shot. He put the cap back on the bottle and quickly replaced it on the shelf when he heard a key in the front door.

"To getting a few answers," Tom said.

Matthew's only answer was a rueful half grimace.

"Where is everyone?" Sybil asked as she came in from school and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"I sent the children to the park with Marjory," Tom replied. "Matthew and I will be going out after dinner."

"That's fine, I have to study anyway," Sybil said. "Good Afternoon Matthew. Are you feeling quite well? You look rather flushed."

"It's probably the whiskey," Tom said while attempting to steer Sybil towards the downstairs.

"Oh Tom you shouldn't be feeding that stuff to anyone on an empty stomach."

"It's one of those days when it seemed like a good idea," he replied.

"Probably one of the better ones I've had today," Matthew said as he unsteadily pushed himself to his feet. "I think I'll go out back for a breath of air. If you'll excuse me."

He wobbled to the back door and went out into the garden. Sybil went to look out the window to see Matthew slumped over on one of the benches in the back yard.

"What really happened today?" she demanded.

"Hurricane Mary showed up, rained on his parade and left with a bang." Tom said before he went out to get Matthew back into the house and into bed to sleep it off.