Boston, May 10, 1925

Dear Mary,

I'm sorry I added to your worries with my last letter. I didn't mean to and I'll try to be more cheerful this time. I'm well, please don't worry! A new start is something that isn't achieved over night, believe me, I know that and I'm still positive that it was the right decision to come here. Even if some days are frustrating and difficult, others are successful and good.

Of course America is not perfect either though. There is no rigid class system, but there's no equality either. Your origins don't define your situation in the same way as it was in England, but that doesn't mean that it is of no consequence where you come from. In a different way it is even more important. In theory America is a society of different nations all living together, but in reality the Irish only live with the Irish, the English live with the English, the Germans live with the Germans. When I got here, I loved to hear the familiar Irish brogue all around me, but then I realized, that it is not a coincidence. There are close communities here of the different nationalities and religions and they don't mix. Sybil and I, we would have been frowned upon here just as much as we were frowned upon in Dublin and Downton. Not because she was a Lady and I was a chauffeur, but because of our different nationality and religion.

As long as I move in our closely knit Irish community here, I'm fine, but in other parts of the town there are signs "No Irish need to apply" in stores that offer a job and almost daily you find some cartoons in the newspaper that show the Irish in a very offensive way as violent drunkards, or as aggressive and stupid. Except from some not so nice remarks in a pub when someone called me a "Paddy" or grimaced when he heard my accent, I've actually never encountered such open hostility in England.

In the summer, Sybbie will have to go to a Catholic girl school where all of her classmates will be of Irish origins. I would have chosen that school anyway, because it is the school closest to our neighborhood, but if it was for me, I would prefer for her to go to a school where she is taught among other children who come from very different homes, but like so often in my life, my ideals seem to be as far away from the reality I live in, as they were in England. Should I give them up? Should I stop hoping for a better world where there is no difference between humans, no matter which sex, which religion or which nationality they are?

But on the other hand, in my daily work, I also see, that dedication and hard work counts a lot here and that it is easier to be respected and successful solely through what you do. There I see progress and it makes me optimistic, that change is possible after all. Clothes, titles, manners, the old rituals, that are so important at Downton, they don't mean anything here. When it comes to your work you are what you do and not where you come from and in the short time that I'm here, I've made some very good deals for my cousin and I've already had two new job offers from business partners, who don't give a fig where I come from, but only see my results and want to hire me because of them. Even though I don't intend to leave my cousin's business, it makes me proud that they've asked!

But back to your letter. Good to hear that the wedding finally took place (at least I assume it did now). I hope it was a lovely day and the happy couple made it safely to the altar! I wish I could have seen it.

It worries me, what you write about your father though. Shouldn't he feel better by now? It's more than half a year since the ulcer was detected and I thought the diet should help! What does Dr. Clarkson say? Does he consult another doctor, too? He never mentions his illness in his letters, he only asks after Sybbie and writes to me about estate matters. If it wasn't for you, I thought he was perfectly fine.

Please, don't feel insecure about George. It's simply not true, that you don't have a motherly instinct! The thing is, that you shy away from acting out of instinct and like to rely on rationality first and when you want to be rational, there are always a million reasons why you shouldn't be with George during the day. Nanny's routine, George's routine, your routine. What is so hard about loving a child? Nothing. If you feel you want to see him and spend time with him: Do it, don't read a book about child education first. You don't need a role model to be a good mother. Not me, not your own parents or Edith or the kind of mother you think Sybil would have been. If you pay attention to George, you will know very well what is good for him and what is not, because he'll show you! That's the great thing about children, they're not "polite" and they don't hide behind a mask. They're completely genuine.

Interesting what you wrote about the difficulties of getting to know a potential new love. Sybil and I were close friends first, before we became lovers and it seems to me, that the same was true for Matthew and you. Maybe that is the secret to true love: There has to be a deep friendship next to the attraction. Physical attraction can deceive you and make you lose your judgment (as you found out with Tony) and friendship alone isn't love either.

So if you want to hear my advice about Henry Talbot: Laughing with him is a good start and that there was chemistry between you two was obvious in Brancaster. If there's still a "but", think if you can imagine him as a true friend and a lover, but not only as either. Can you imagine to open up to him about the things you normally hide? Can you imagine to show him the sides of you that you don't like and do you trust him to show you the same honesty? If yes, you're on a good way. If not: Be careful.

Let me close with something that is really important to me: If you ever feel you need my help, please let me know. No matter what it is, please don't hesitate. If it is just advice or support through a letter, or if I should come home to help you, I'm always ready to do that. I told you when we said goodbye, that I won't let you down, just because I left Downton and I mean it!

So don't worry about me. I want you to smile when you read my letters, not to be upset!

Love

Tom