Chapter 10

In the early hours of the following morning the laudanum began to wear off. Matthew Crawley stirred in his bed and suddenly let out an agonised scream as pain tore through him.

Isobel Crawley, who had been dozing in a chair beside her son's bed, jolted awake and held his hand. Matthew was pale and his face was contorted with pain.

Dr Clarkson came in.

"It's alright Matthew," he said,

"I can't move my arm," Matthew sounded delirious, "What the hell happened? I remember the shoot, and Mary having an argument with Carlisle about me and then nothing."

"Sir Richard Carlisle shot you." Dr Clarkson said gently.

"Oh god."

"The police have got him," Isobel said. "Sir Anthony Strallan held him to ransom with his service revolver until Mary could get Cousin Robert and the police."

Matthew winced, both in pain and shock at the revelations he was hearing.

Clarkson was holding a hypodermic syringe.

"I don't want to sleep," Matthew said.

"This isn't laudanum, it's morphine," Clarkson said. He rolled up Matthew's sleeve and injected his arm.

"Why can't I move my arm?" Matthew demanded.

"I have taken the bullet out, but there is considerable damage to your shoulder blade and nerve-endings. It's too early to say as yet, but you might never get the use of your left arm back."

"So I'll be like Sir Anthony Strallan?"

"He manages more than adequately," Clarkson said, "It's his right arm that is damaged."

"Even so." Matthew relaxed as the morphine began to take effect.

"It was freezing yesterday," Matthew rasped, "How did I escape getting hypothermia?"

"Lady Edith covered you with her coat and shawl to try and stop the bleeding," Clarkson said.

"Mother, you must offer Edith some money to get her coat cleaned." Matthew said.

"Of course I will."

"Is Mary alright? I can't remember all the details, just that Carlisle was saying some really foul stuff about her, but I don't know if I imagined it or not."

"You didn't imagine it, no." Isobel said, "But you need to rest."

"I love Mary," Matthew whispered, "I always have. She should not have been marrying him, but I guess she was making do because I had Lavinia. But if he was blackmailing her into marriage, well that is despicable."

Isobel held Matthew's hand.

"She never stopped loving you, but she is worried because she thinks you will despise her."

"She's far from being the first woman to make a mistake like that, and I did not know her then. How can I despise her? She has been there for me, even when I tried to push Lavinia away when I thought I would never walk again."

"You need to tell Lady Mary that." Dr Clarkson said, "And I assure you, as will Sir Anthony Strallan, that you can live and manage with an injury like yours."

"I can't see the Dowager Countess accepting that her son's heir is somehow physically imperfect." Matthew curled his lip.

"Well, given the acute absence of fit and healthy young men, excepting those who shirked their moral obligation, she hasn't much choice in the matter." Isobel said.

OO

Mary was very quiet at breakfast that morning. Robert had gone into York to see Murray about Bates' trial and Cora had already eaten so the sisters were alone, apart from Tom.

Sybil squeezed Mary's hand.

"It will be alright." She said.

"What if he refuses to see me? Then what do I do?" Mary said.

"You won't know until you ask," Edith said gently, "I'm going to see Anthony, would you like me to bring him over? He is the only one with the slightest idea of what Matthew is going through. We can't even begin to Imagine, and Anthony said that he will do what he can to help."

"Thank you," Mary nodded.

Sybil excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Mary clasped Edith's hand.

"I am so sorry for the way I have treated you in the past, Edith. I don't deserve your help or support. More than anything I am so sorry for what I did that day at the garden party."

"What's past is past." Edith said. "I know what you are going through can't be easy, but I want to help you."

Mary hugged her sister.

"I am so very afraid Matthew will not want to see me."

"You won't know, unless you try." Edith said.

OO

Edith drove Mary & Sybil to the hospital. Tom stayed behind to write to some relatives in Ireland.

"I'll bring Sir Anthony over later, but phone me at Locksley if you need us before then."

"Thanks" Mary said.

Once she had dropped her sisters off, Edith turned the car round and set out for Locksley, her heart pounding at the prospect of seeing Anthony again.

OO

Mary & Sybil walked through the corridors of Downton cottage hospital. The place smelt faintly of carbolic soap and disinfectant.

They found Dr Clarkson in his office studying some x-rays.

"Ah Lady Mary, Mr Crawley is having breakfast at present."

"How did he take the news about his arm?"

"With stoical acceptance. He isn't happy about it, but he realises he hasn't a lot of choice."

"Will he see me?"

"I can't see any reason why not. He is aware of what Carlisle said. But go easy on him, Lady Mary. It's not long since the laudanum wore off, so I have given him pain relief, but he may well still be a little confused. Mrs Crawley sat by his side all night."

"Are those his x-rays?" Sybil asked.

Clarkson shook his head.

Mary made her way along the corridor and paused outside Matthew's room.