Matthew hosted a large dinner party that night, everyone in the family was invited to dine and stay the night, including the servants. The party was that of a buffet that everyone, except for Violet, had pitched in to make. Matthew never took his eyes off Mary the entire night as she socialised with her family and he could have sworn she was glowing with happiness and even Cora, though still in mourning, was smiling for her daughter. As the evening drew to a close, people retired to their rooms but Mary was not tired in the least and she walked into the library and took in the surroundings. Matthew had not changed anything and she smiled, admiring his loyalty towards her father, even when he had been dead for two months. She wandered over to the desk and saw sheets of paper that had titles to them with musical notes on a score underneath.
'They're lyrical poems,' Matthew's voice said, making her jump slightly.
'Matthew! You didn't half scare me!' she cried before smirking and raising an eyebrow, 'I never took you for one who wrote poetry, especially lyrical,' she added and he found himself blushing.
'Well I do, most of them are about you,' he smiled and Mary picked up the papers and read the first one entitled 'I Will Give My Love An Apple'
I will give my love an apple without any core
I will give my love a house without any door
I will give my love a palace wherein she may be
And she may unlock it without any key
My head is the apple without any core
My mind is the house without any door
My heart is the palace wherein she may be
And she may unlock it without any key
The poem brought tears to Mary's eyes and Matthew glanced at the poem.
'Ah that one,' he chuckled, 'that one is the one I am most proud of, I must admit,'
'Matthew, this is amazing and so many feelings can be interpreted from so little words,' Mary smiled softly and Matthew wound his arms around her thin waist and snuggled her from behind.
'I love you too,' he said, his hot breath brushing against her ear and making her shiver, 'but we've got to get you eating more so you're back to normal,' he laughed, popping a quick kiss on her neck.
'I ate a substantial amount today Matthew Crawley!' she protested and Matthew grinned.
'Well keep at it then,' he teased and Mary smiled softly.
'I can't wait to be your wife,' she laughed, looking at another poem
Down by the Sally Gardens, my love and I did meet.
She crossed the Sally Gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree,
But I was young and foolish, and with her did not agree.
In a field down by the river, my love and I did stand
And on my leaning shoulder, she laid her snow-white hand.
She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs
But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.
Down by the Sally Gardens, my love and I did meet.
'Where are the sally gardens?' Mary asked curiously and Matthew shrugged.
'They can be anywhere you want my love,' he whispered, 'they can be Downton, they can be the field where I found you last November, they can be the room we met in, the first time we made love, anywhere you want.' His voice made chills run up and down her spine
'I want you to make love to me again,' Mary whispered, putting the papers down on the desk again.
'Mary my love, now we are engaged the next time I bed you I want us to be man and wife,' he grinned kissing her nose and laughing at the frown forming on her face. Suddenly a grin erupted on her face as she came up with a plan.
'Fine, as you wish Matthew,' Mary pressed herself close to Matthew and kissed his neck, 'I will abstain from your bed until we are wed,' she said, continuing to kiss his neck and he felt himself starting to give in when all of a sudden she stopped and walked off, her hips swaying from side to side. Matthew gulped and loosened his collar.
'Pull it together man!' he told himself before leaving the room for bed himself.
Matthew and Mary announced their engagement two weeks after her divorce from Richard had been finalised and everyone was delighted for them. Mary had never felt more happy and she knew this was what it was supposed to feel like when you were engaged. She was marrying the man she loved and she couldn't have asked for a better future. The past was behind her and she was ready for a new life. Her wedding day came around sooner than she had expected and when she walked out of the church doors with Matthew by her side, she knew that her life was just beginning.
'I love you,' Matthew whispered to her and she looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes.
'I love you too Matthew, my love.' She whispered back with a smile and Matthew took her in his arms and kissed her so passionately she thought she would never recover from it, 'now you'd best make an honest woman out of me, especially tonight,' she added, walking her fingers up his chest and Matthew laughed as he watched the last of the guests walk out.
'Why wait until tonight?' he asked, grinning cheekily before sweeping Mary off her feet and carrying her towards their bedroom. 'I am so glad I waited to have you again until you were my wife. It was better knowing that you were mine,' Matthew said, holding her naked frame close to his own.
'I am yours, I was always yours, ever since we first met and I looked down upon you so haughtily in my riding gear. What a fool I was to you,' she giggled, 'do you know I have prayed once in my adult life. It was to keep you safe during the war and God answered my prayer and returned you home,' she added and Matthew kissed her again.
'You truly amaze me Mary Crawley,' he chortled.
The days of their marriage turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and months turned into years. During this time, Matthew and Mary had two children; one son and one daughter. Their son was named Robert, and he was the splitting image of his father and their daughter was named Emma, and she looked like Mary except for her long blonde hair which she had inherited from Matthew.
When Matthew died aged 74, Mary reflected on her life remembering the good times she had had with him and when it came for her passing, she lay in her bed, her children and grandchildren surrounding her. Mary looked out the window and realised that 50 years to the day was the day that she had met Matthew Crawley and she slowly slipped away, stepping out of her body in the spirit of her younger form.
'Mary…' she heard Matthew's voice call her name and turning around she saw him standing there, he too back in his younger years. He extended his hand out to her and she took it, smiling gently as they both wondered off into the sunset.
THE END
I hope you enjoyed it - I used classic english folksongs and poems, but I didn't know what else to write about with this story so I have brought it to an end. Thanks for the reviews and keep an eye out for the new story I'm writing on Mary and Matthew :D xx