A/N: I own nothing. Last chapter and by far the hardest to write. Hopefully it's true to character. I also haven't seen tonight's episode yet so fingers crossed, Julian Fellowes didn't jack my ideas.
Mary
Edith had endured Mary's comments when Marigold came to live at the Abbey. She ignored the jabs about the child's birthday. However, the constant snarky remarks about the volume of gifts Edith had purchased for Marigold's first Christmas at the Abbey were when Edith started to lose her composure.
Robert, Cora and Tom all tried to defuse the situation if they happened to be in the vicinity but after 30 odd years of bickering, it was almost second nature to Mary to pick at her sister.
"Why do you begrudge a child a nice Christmas?" Edith demanded from the floor where she was arranging Marigold's gifts.
"The way you fuss over her, you'd think she was your child," Mary snarked.
"She is my child, Mary. She's as much my child as George is yours," she yelled.
"What?"
"Marigold is my child. I carried her in my body for 9 months, went through 13 hours of labour, weaned her myself and cared for her every hour of the day for the first three months of her life which is more than you did for George."
"What?" Mary asked, genuinely shocked.
"I took a man to my bed, a man I loved and I had his child. Now all I ask is that you not make your inevitable disparaging comments in front of Marigold." Edith stormed out of the library, leaving Mary absolutely gobsmacked.
When Mary collected her thoughts, she went to her mother's room, although, after 35 years of sharing a bed, it could rightly be called her parents' room.
"Mama, may I speak to you?" Mary called from outside the door. She learned the hard way several years ago the dangers of entering her mother's room without announcing herself.
"Come in dear," Cora called.
Mary found her parents sitting in bed, each with a book in their hands.
"Everything ready for the morning?" Robert asked.
"Yes, is Marigold Edith's natural daughter?"
Both Robert and Cora looked at each other. "Why do you ask?" Cora posed.
"Edith said Marigold was just as much her child as George is mine."
"She is," Robert replied. No use hiding it anymore.
"And Marigold's father?"
"Michael Gregson," Cora stated plainly.
"So each thing I said to her about Mr. Gregson…"
"Edith loved him; it would no different than if Edith said disparaging comments about Matthew and you having a child with him."
"But I was at least married to him," Mary defended.
"And but for a change of luck, you could have been in Edith's position after your…encounter…with Mr. Pamuk," Robert pointed out. "Marigold will not be treated any differently than Sybbie or George, is that quite understood?"
Mary was so shocked she could only nod at her father's comment. "Pleasant dreams; no doubt the children will be up at the crack of dawn."
Mary quietly closed her parents' door and leaned against the wall.
"I never knew you had it in you, Edith."
What her parents did not know was, that for not the use of a particular device, she could have been precisely Edith's position after her week with Tony Gillingham. She needed to apologize to Edith. For the first time in her life, Mary felt remorse for her actions towards her sister. Not after causing the break-up of her first courtship with Anthony Strallan, not for the comments about Major Gordon and not for all the other hurtful things she had said to her. But this, this made her feel ashamed.
Mary made her way to Edith's room and knocked. Edith was already dressed for bed when she answered the door.
"Oh, it's you. What do you want?"
"May I come in? I need to apologize."
Edith looked at her sister, quite convinced that Hell had frozen over. She moved and let Mary into her room. Edith went over and sat on her bed.
"What on earth is the Great Lady Mary Crawley apologizing for?"
"I'm sorry for the things I've said about Marigold. I've been cruel to you about your child and I'm sorry."
"I loved Michael you know. I loved him more than I have loved anyone else in this world, with the exception of Marigold."
"Of course you did. That's why we women have children to begin with, to have that little bit of the men we love. Tell me, tell me the whole story."
"Why? Why should I do that?"
"Because it could have easily been me, all those years ago after Mr. Pamuk. You have a child, I have a niece. I would like to know more about her."
"Alright then."
And so, for the first time in their lives, Mary and Edith Crawley shared revealed their secrets, just like one would expect of two sisters.