That night spirits between the Crawley girls were very high. The four sisters sat in Mary's room enjoying her last night as a free woman and enjoying their last night all together.

'Well Matthew is a good man; but he better treat you right Mary, otherwise he'll have me to deal with.' Aurelia said with a grin.

'Well I certainly wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of that right hook, that's for sure.' Mary said with raised brow and both Edith and Sybil giggled.

'I'm not exactly proud of what I did you know; but still, I rather impressed myself with it.' Aurelia smiled mischievously. It was true, she wasn't proud of herself for resorting to violence, but she was proud that she defended someone she cared about and would have done it all again if she had to. 'I thought Granny was going to have a stroke or something when I punched him.'

'So did I actually,' Mary replied.

'I can't believe that this is the last night with the four of us together under one roof. I didn't think I would ever say it and actually mean it, but I'm really going to miss you Mary.' Aurelia said to her eldest sister.

'And I never thought I would hear you say it and actually believe it.' Mary replied as she held on tightly to her sister's hand. 'I know I've never really said this and to be honest, I'd make the most of it now because I'll probably never say it again; I do love you all so dearly and we will always be together, regardless of where we are in the world.'

Her three younger siblings were very touched by Mary's words and they all harboured feelings of joy for her, but sadness at her leaving. After tomorrow, when Mary and Matthew became man and wife, they wanted to spend their first years together, alone in a home of their own, before they eventually took over as Lord and Lady Grantham. They were to move into the family home at Eryholme, some 18 miles away so they could still see their family regularly.

'I do hope you will all come and visit us regularly, I've got big plans for that house and I'm going to start by changing its name.' Mary explained.

'What are you going to call it?' Edith asked.

'Downton Place,' Mary smiled.

Not only Mary and Matthew thinking about their future, but Sybil and Tom were still unsure as to whether or not they were going to stay or if they were going to move to Ireland. Whilst some of the family tried to make an effort with Tom, he still felt uncomfortable and after Larry Grey's outburst, Tom felt that it proved his point that he would never be accepted. However, Aurelia was really supportive of them both and she very much hoped that they stayed.

The only couple who were definitely staying at Downton were Aurelia and Henry and poor Edith still had no one special in her life. She tried to remain supportive of her sisters' happiness, but deep down she resented them for leading the life she wanted.

'Oh Edith, it'll happen for you before you know it.' Sybil said.

'Really? I'm not so sure,' Edith said with a defeated tone.

'Oh please Edith, throw yourself at enough men and I'm sure one of them will eventually have you!' Mary snapped unkindly.

'Mary that's an awful thing to say!' Aurelia scolded.

'You're right Ella, I'm sorry Edith.' Mary replied much to the astonishment of the others. In all their life Mary had never once apologised to Edith, perhaps the prospect of becoming a married woman was changing her for the better. 'Now it's time for bed; I want to be at my best for tomorrow.' She added.

The three girls kissed their older sister goodnight with bated excitement and ran off to their own bedrooms. Mary sat for a few moments on her own in quiet contemplation. The last few months had been a whirlwind of surprises and revelations, but now she was going to be married to the man she'd fallen madly in love with and nothing else mattered. She drifted off to sleep with a happy smile on her lips, enjoying her last night in an empty bed.

The next morning everyone was up exceptionally early getting ready. The servants removed the carpet from the entrance hall and had a table placed for food and drinks for the reception. The house was lavishly decorated and the food below stairs was having the last touches put on them. The three tiered cake was taken up as the rest of the servants finished any necessary cleaning.

The atmosphere between Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes was still very strained and she still had no idea why. She was hoping that there was nothing wrong with her friend and that after the stress of the wedding had dispersed, perhaps things would return to normal. He had still given her no indication that he knew the truth about who she really was to Lady Aurelia; every time he plucked up the courage to tell her, he bottled it and would either change the subject or ignore her altogether and he hated what the not knowing was doing to him.

However, he didn't really have the time to dwell on it too much as he got ready to leave for the church, just as the family were leaving. He and the other servants left in the trap ahead of the family, who took the moment to say their final words to Mary before seeing her again at the church. Of course Mary and Robert were the last to leave in their horse drawn carriage. Aurelia, as the maid of honor, left in the car with the four bridesmaids before her sister and their mother and sisters travelled to the church in another car before them.

The church was bustling with excited chatter as the guests all waited nervously for the bride's arrival. The family were all sat at the front, of course, with their friends and associates behind them; the staff sat towards the back of the church and it felt strange for some of them to attending a social event with people they usually served. Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson were sat beside each other and she couldn't help notice how he kept fidgeting with nerves.

'Is everything alright Mr Carson?' She whispered and he was about to reply when the organist's music changed to indicate Mary's arrival.

Everyone stood up in anticipation and watched as the four little girls walked down the aisle first and then after a few moments, Robert and Mary followed, with Aurelia holding Mary's long train to prevent it dragging along the ground.

'She's absolutely stunning!' Mrs Hughes said aloud, to no one in particular, but Mr Carson heard.

'Are you referring to Lady Mary…or your daughter?' He said softly and no one else heard but Mrs Hughes. He wasn't angry or accusatory, far from it in fact, his tone conveyed disappointment, but he wasn't sure at what he was disappointed; the fact that she had this secret, illegitimate child or the fact that she'd never felt that she could confide this secret in him.

At the sound of his words Mrs Hughes whipped her head round to look at him with panic in her eyes; she was glad that they were allowed to sit, because she didn't think her legs could support her weight any longer. He had given her no other indication that he knew her secret, none at all, but then again when she thought about it more closely, his recent behaviour made it clear that that was why he'd been behaving the way he did.

She never heard any of the service, her thoughts and worries were with the man beside her as she wondered what was going through his mind. He was also not paying close attention to the service as he too was thinking of no one but the woman beside him. He knew that the service had a long way to go and that, once they were back at the house, they wouldn't have time to talk until the early hours of the next morning and he couldn't wait that long to hear what she had to say.

Making a decision he gently elbowed her and inclined his head to the doorway. She took a deep breath and crept outside with him, grateful that they were right beside the door, so no one really noticed them slip away. What the other servants would think of them she no longer cared, but the only opinion she did care about was the man she was now alone with. They didn't speak for a few moments as they walked through the cemetery and on to the road, neither knew what to say.

'You haven't denied it.' Mr Carson replied simply and sadly as they walked in step with each other, side by side.

'No, I won't deny it, not anymore and not to you Mr Carson; Aurelia is my daughter. But it's not as simple as you are probably thinking.' She said as they stopped briefly up the lane and faced each other. 'I will tell you the truth, all of it and all I ask in return is that you don't judge me too harshly for what I have done.' She said as they set off walking towards the house again.