Downton was a mess of mixed feelings toward the trial three days following Thomas's capture. Robert could certainly not feel glad that the footman would set foot onto that platform in the court room; after all, Thomas Barrow was a servant at Downton - a member of the house - and it was not even clear whether he was to blame for that curious signature. If anything, wished the Earl of Grantham aimlessly, I want to see Kemal Pamuk on his own platform, charged guilty for harming my daughter.
But, before he could wish for more impossibilities to occur on that boiling hot afternoon, Cora put a hand on her husband's shoulder and returned him to his present duty. "The chauffeur is waiting outside for us. We don't want to make Carson or Mary late."
"Of course not," Robert admitted in a grave tone of voice. His eyelids attempted to close momentarily, for he had not attained much rest the previous night. Mary appeared wan and almost unconscious, too, as the Earl and Countess stepped outside the front door.
The car's engine had been started. William let Mary, Robert, and Cora inside the vehicle whilst Carson waited for his turn to enter it. The butler would serve as a witness for Thomas, which had not entirely been his desire; nevertheless, they all had to conform to the ways of the nation's courthouse, and it was not the proper time for any arguments.
Edith, Sybil, and the rest of the servants waited until the automobile had disappeared from sight before all returned inside the abbey.
...
Mary glanced at the clock in the courthouse. It was five past one, and the questioning had not yet begun. Matthew sat beside the young woman, and he scanned the room for signs of progress. Nothing looked different; members of the jury talked amongst themselves, and the prosecution lawyer continued to shuffle with his papers.
Matthew leaned in to whisper something to Mary. "I hope they get started soon. This delay is ridiculous."
"I know," agreed the woman. "But aren't you used to this sort of thing?"
Chuckling, Matthew shook his head. "No, I am not. Being a lawyer involves some out-of-courtroom work, but when I do enter here, things are smooth." He reexamined the prosecution lawyer's countenance. "He seems disconcerted. But then, I've wondered how this all would work, having no one from the other side to argue against Thomas."
"I think you've spoken too soon." Mary and Matthew looked to their right and watched intently as three men reluctantly entered through the courtroom doors. They were escorted by forceful authorities, and much was spoken between the three men. They were led to the opposite side of the room.
Robert caught Matthew's attention. "Do you make any sense of what is going on?" he asked, evidently anxious to understand the puzzling commotion. The Manchester lawyer inhaled heavily and confessed,
"I truly cannot make sense of those men down there...but I can tell that something is troubling the prosecution lawyer, and that might be the reason for this delay."
"Well I hope they can solve whatever problem has arisen, and quickly," replied the Earl of Grantham. "There is much to do today, and it can't wait -"
"Might I call this meeting to order?" the judge announced, gavel in hand. He knocked it on the wood pedestal thrice before continuing. "Thank you. Today we will be asking various questions about Thomas Barrow, the footman who has been accused of disloyalty to Lord Grantham, his employer; and who has committed prison-break."
The judge nodded to the prosecution lawyer, who continued: "First we will hear from the plaintiffs. They will speak today in the place of Mr. Kemal Pamuk, the man whose written protest included a signature with the accused man's name. He, once again, claims that he did not write it. Plaintiff number one, please proceed to the podium for further questioning."
...
By the time the third plaintiff had quitted the podium, Cora was certain she would go insane. She didn't, of course, but her boredom had shot past the roof when - one after the other - the same allegation was made by each plaintiffs: "This proves that Mr. Barrow is, in fact, the signature's owner."
Matthew idly scanned the courtroom. The last of the plaintiffs had taken his seat at a table alongside the other two of Pamuk's spokesmen. Soon it would be Carson's turn to act as Thomas' witness; he would not act as a defendant for obvious reasons.
The judge concluded the segment of the trial. "Following this brief period of dismissal, we shall have Mr. Barrow's witness at the podium."
In moments Mary, Matthew, Cora, and Robert left for the hallway outside the room. It was quieter than usual; the jury spoke in hushed voices nearby, and various people congregated together for informal discussions. Mary worried for Carson.
"I hope they don't make him feel like a traitor," confessed she. "What sort of questions do you think they will have him answer, Cousin Matthew?"
"Well, if the case is considered from an outside perspective, it is rather odd." Cora and Robert had stopped to listen to the knowledgeable lawyer, who continued with very smart analysis. "After all, so far the plaintiffs are merely trying to get Thomas in jail. Clearly they have some sort of order not to bring up the scandal involving their employer, Kemal Pamuk."
The Earl of Grantham considered this phenomenon. "Now that you mention it, I do think this is all rather strange. Have we come to plead of Thomas's innocence or guilt? I don't know anymore." Cora slipped her hand into the slot between her husband's arm and side. He glanced at his wife with concerned eyes, but she assured him,
"I'll be fine. I'm worried about you."
"I'll be fine, my darling, it's Thomas who's ensnared in a cobweb of disaster."
Matthew wiped his forehead, which had broken into a cold sweat. Mary addressed her father now: "Perhaps this was all planned to keep Pamuk away from of the courts? He obviously wants nothing to do with it, since he has failed to present himself."
"You're probably right," admitted Robert, nodding his head. "But how passionately I want to get my hands on that man -"
"Please don't, Robert; this is not the right place, nor the right time." Cora's admonishment did the Earl good: he immediately silenced his thoughts and listened to Matthew again.
"What I don't understand is why the courthouse has no problem with Pamuk's absence," asserted he. Turning to Mary, he asked her, "Do you remember anything about him? Did he ever seem capable of bribery or -"
"That question has already been answered," Mary cut in. "He tried to have his way with me, Matthew; that's bribery enough. And," she drew more breath to finish her tumbling thoughts, "I find it unfair that the courthouse has chosen not to investigate his crime. Why on earth do they bother with the signature, when Pamuk should be right here, charged for harassment of a woman?"
They stood in their circular formation for a moment, grieving with Mary in silence. When the prosecution lawyer entered the hallway to announce that they were all to return to their seats in the courtroom, Cora exclaimed, "Wait a moment! Of course; Pamuk has fooled us into being our own enemy."
Matthew frowned. "What do you mean?" Mary's eyes widened as she unlocked the code to discernment, then explained:
"Thomas must be innocent. Pamuk has tricked us into making a fuss over a false alarm."
"So Thomas isn't the one who...?" Robert shook his head.
Matthew reiterated Mary's words: "Here is what has happened: Pamuk felt threatened when you, Cousin Robert, sent for the authorities to take him away that night. I think he wanted to put Downton's mindset in the opposite direction; Thomas's proposed 'involvement' was nothing but a distraction, and we fell for it - but only because it was believable."
"Good God," muttered Robert. He looked round him to find that all had gone back into the room. "We have to go back now, but is there any way that we could -"
"I don't see it happening," confessed Matthew gravely. He turned toward Mary and apologised sincerely: "I feel horribly about all this. If only there was something we could do..."
Mary shook her head, and that was enough to stop Matthew's speech. "Please don't worry right now; what we must do is to sit quietly and see what transpires in the next segment. If possible, we can inform the prosecution lawyer -"
"You there!" Mary turned violently round. All blood rushed out from her head; the Duke of Crowborough neared her with fury in his eyes. "Don't you dare go in there -"
"Mary, hurry! I think we can trap him!" Those were the last words that Mary remembered hearing before she had rushed into the courtroom, corset and the like agonising her steps.
Her chest was heaving when the prosecution lawyer saw her reenter the room. "Sir, there is a disturbance just outside the room!"
At that moment Carson's eyes met hers. He looked so weak just standing there, as he had already been sworn in. This made the butler unable to leave his position, and what a shattering thought that was to him. He stared at her openmouthed whilst the jury and others began to crescendo into commotion. "Ma'am, do you swear that you are telling the truth, and that this is no sort of -"
"I swear, sir! There is a very dangerous man in the hallway, and he has attempted to charge at me!"
More cacophony stirred in the decomposed courtroom. Thomas lifted his head slightly to look at Lady Mary. She locked eyes with him and nodded. The footman turned pallid in the face.
"And can you identify this this person, ma'am?"
"Philip, the Duke of Crowborough!"
Several gasps became sounded in the room. The judge attempted to reclaim order, but such would have been unattainable. Mary turned when she heard a startling smack and shouting. "Hurry, please!"
"There will be a momentary intermission before we proceed with - oh, dear..."
Robert hurried inside with an unscathed Cora. Both were trembling, and upon almost running into their daughter, Cora urged Mary not to leave. "Don't go after him, Mary... Mary!"
...
All she could imagine was a bloodied face with helpless blue eyes and disheveled blond hair. I can't lose him. I will not lose him -
"Get out of here, Mary!" came the voice of the Duke. Philip had the other pinned down on the ground. Matthew hardly moved.
"Stop...stop this!" Mary pleaded, too angry and too afraid to sob on Matthew's behalf. "How dare you, when he hasn't done anything -"
"That is correct." A figure emerged from behind a column in the hallway. It was Kemal. "How correct you are, Lady Mary... Or, as I more intimately know you -"
"Silence at once -"
"My lover." Pamuk chuckled, admiring the confusion on Matthew Crawley's battered face. He continued toward her and dared to kiss her on the cheek. Mary had frozen since then, unable to think about anything, unable to process what was happening. "My lover, you are too adorable. I wonder why you have not confessed to anyone that you enjoyed my playful nature that night, when I had you at my mercy -"
"Liar!" bellowed Mary. "Oh, you filthy rat! Let go of him, Philip, and drag yourself and Kemal into the courtroom, where your rightful convictions await you!"
"Mary!" Robert and the prosecution lawyer had entered the scene, focusing first on her and Kemal, who were nearest to them. "You, man, should be ashamed!" growled the Earl. The lawyer stared at Kemal before asking, "What is your business here, sir?"
"My men are your plaintiffs for the afternoon," he replied respectfully. "I am Mr. Pamuk, sir, and I have come to make some corrections to the case...at rather an inconvenient time, I apologise."
Mary stood, openmouthed. Her impulse was to run over to Matthew, but she rethought the repercussions of such an act. Robert asked the prosecution lawyer, "Have you not heard about this man Pamuk? He harassed my daughter, and tried to commit sexual -"
"Now, now, Lord Grantham," interrupted the lawyer testily. Pamuk held in an evil chuckle, but smiled nevertheless. "We must not bring such a case to the courts now. Mr. Pamuk, please join us in...hold on, what on earth...?" The ignorant lawyer finally noticed Matthew Crawley on the ground, accompanied by a monstrous man.
"Finally you care," muttered Mary, risky though it was to criticise such a man. "This one is the Duke of Crowborough. He has attacked Mr. Matthew Crawley."
"I saw it happen," informed Robert. He shook his head in disbelief of the entire scene, wishing that all was but a dream.
More people were beginning to crowd out of the courtroom, and Mary worried that Kemal and Philip would be able to escape. "Sir," she addressed the lawyer as they neared Matthew, "you must call the police in this building to take these men! The Duke is responsible for signing Thomas Barrow's name onto Mr. Pamuk's document!"
She was ignored, however, and the lawyer went straight to Philip for information. "Sir, what on earth has happened?"
"There was a man who came round and hit poor Mr. Crawley, sir."
Mary cried, "No, don't listen to him; he's not to be trusted!"
"Shhh," Pamuk teased her, a devilish grin on his face. Mary hissed at him, "Keep your damned mouth shut."
The jury had by then occupied a great portion of the hallway. "What the deuce is going on?" some questioned. In no time there was a circle round Matthew, Mary, Robert, Kemal, and Philip.
"Help this man up, why don't you?" the lawyer asked of Philip. "No, let me," Robert announced. He disengaged him hand from Mary's cold arms and knelt down to help Matthew up.
"Very good, then. Now, we -" The lawyer had turned to face Mr. Pamuk; to his utter surprise, however, the Turkish man had gone, and so had Lady Mary. "Mr. Pamuk?" he called. "Ma'am, where have you gone?"
Robert had finished with securing Matthew in the upright position. The younger of the two gasped when he noticed Mary's absence. "Where is she?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
The Earl of Grantham, too, panicked. "Oh, no. Where is she? Has he taken her?" The lawyer was the one to whom the questions had been asked, but he remained silent.
Robert thought he was going to go mad, until finally a voice from the crowd cared to answer:
"I saw them go that way, sir."
Robert took Matthew by the arm and led the two of them through the dispatched jury. "You're coming with me, sorry."
"I agree with you," responded Matthew simply. He ached with physical pain, but nothing could have been more traumatising than the internal pain he suffered due to Mary's disappearance. She won't be safe, as long as Pamuk is with her... God help her!
"Cora will need comforting once she hears the news," thought Robert out loud. They had finished travelling through the maze of people in the hallway, and had reached the door leading outside. "Let's hope some of the men in that court are more compassionate than that prosecution lawyer."
Matthew opened the door for Robert. "Cousin Cora has Carson, and Thomas. Which I don't think is a bad thing, after all."
"I think you're right," admitted the other when the two men had met once again the scorching weather. The Earl looked round them, trying hard to notice any peculiar sight that could lead them to Mary. "This might be a long afternoon, Matthew. Will you be able to endure it?"
The young man from Manchester thought, Of course I can! Anything for Cousin Mary. He ended up replying thus:
"I might fall to pieces. But am I willing? Definitely, yes."