The train tickets were for the first class car. A needless expense in Matthew's opinion but Robert had sent them as a gift along with the invitation to the Levinson estate in Rhode Island. With your court case resolved so splendidly, Robert's letter had said, and with the Titanic inquest finally over, why don't you join us for a week before you return to England? Matthew gave the man credit, for a lord, he seemed rather open minded about his distant solicitor kin. Not only had he put Matthew and Tom up at an expensive hotel during the inquest, he had insisted on having a tailor make them 'decent suits' for the courtroom. The older man had included Tom in the invitation, which would rile Mary and Mary's mother. "Come along," he said to Tom as he handed the conductor their tickets. "The train ride will be pleasant and we can talk about your plans."
Tom was an excellent law clerk. Matthew had no problem with asking the firm to take the man on permanently, but he wanted to be clear with Tom on what that would mean. He waited until they were in the nicely appointed first class seating area to get down to business. "You have a choice coming, Tom. If you want to stay here in America, I know the firm would be happy to keep you on in New York. Or, if you wanted to return to England, you'll have a job with Braxton and Campbell."
"I hear a but in your voice," Tom said, his tone cheerful but serious.
Matthew nodded. He knew Tom was clever. "It's not a major thing, but I want to be upfront about what returning to England and working at the firm would be like. I don't currently rate a full time law clerk." With the successful conclusion of the case, he suspected that things would change, but he didn't want Tom taking a position with the idea that they would continue to work together. "Most likely it would be four of us sharing your services and while I like to think the fellows at the firm are mostly a good lot, but I can't guarantee that none of them will have a harsh word about your being Irish. I will say Mr. Braxton and Mr. Campbell aren't that sort, and they agreed to my making the offer to hire you, but I want to be honest about what it will be like."
Tom smiled. "Fair enough, but I sense you're painting things a bit grimmer than necessary." He leaned back in the plush train seat. "I'm leaning towards returning to England. America has its charms, I don't deny it. I think being an Irishman isn't the problem here that it is back home, and I could have a good life here." His expression crumpled just a little. "But I never wanted a life here, and everyone that did want a life here died on that ship, and I think I would spend too much time thinking about how I'm living the life that all my family wanted. I haven't made up my mind about taking the job as a law clerk permanently. I like the money, I don't deny that, and the work suits me. I suppose my concern right now would be getting back to England." He grinned more broadly. "Not so much about affording the ticket, but I admit to not feeling terribly brave about crossing the ocean again."
"I admit a similar fear," Matthew conceded with a laugh. "Might I suggest you learn to swim before we return?" It was good to know what the man's plans were, Matthew thought as the train attendant brought them coffee and newspapers. There was a ship leaving Providence in eight days, they could leave from there instead of returning to New York. It was even on a much more southern route and with it being summer instead of spring, it would be a safe trip. As interesting and exciting as New York City was, he was anxious to get back to England. Part of it, of course, was anticipating how his success would be treated and partly because he was finding himself considering the option of seeing more of Lady Mary. They had exchanged letters and shared meals and conversations during the Titanic's inquest and he thought they were building some sort of meaningful relationship. The last time they had talked in New York, she had hinted rather broadly that she was willing to consider him as a suitor. That meant he would have to talk with her much the way he had spoken with Tom about what the reality of being with him would be.
His career was going well, he was certain he would get offers from other firms, offers that would involve more money. Matthew just doubted that, barring a windfall inheritance, that he would ever even come close to the sort of money Mary was used to living with. He could admit, to himself at least, that he had fallen in love with her, that as terrifying as the long cold night in the water had been, that knowing Mary was safe was what he had clung to. He wouldn't, he couldn't ask her to do something that would make her miserable. If they married, he knew he could provide her a fine house and a good life, the life of the wife of a successful solicitor. They could travel and have servants and not live lives of quiet desperation, but it would be different than the life she was currently living, a life where spending the spring and summer casually visiting relatives was commonplace and travel arrangements were always first class. If he had been purchasing their train tickets, second class accommodations would have been more than enough for a short trip of a few hours. He didn't want to make it all about money but at the same time he wanted her to understand what life with him would be like. He was willing to bend, he was quite certain that his mother and friends at work wouldn't be thrilled at the idea of him seeing a woman from a peerage family. He wondered if Mary even saw that as an issue, that it might not please his family.
It was better, he decided, to try and look through the situation from Tom's perspective. Tom's views were decidedly more liberal than his own, although Matthew gave the man a great deal of credit for knowing when it was wiser to keep his mouth shut. It was in some respects a shame the fellow was Irish. A clever fellow of Tom's age that was English would had more options than chauffeuring the rich or emigrating to America. He was glad the younger man was choosing to return to England.
It was also fun to see Tom's pleasure at the first class train ride, amongst other things. Matthew wasn't unfamiliar with such pleasures but it was a rare treat all the same. He also was rarely greeted upon arrival by a chauffeur and a waiting car. And while he had expected the Levinson estate to be extensive, he hadn't expected the Rhode Island abode to rival any number of English country estates that he had visited. Tom was impressed as well.
The greeting was quite formal, with the servants of the house lined up, and he was formally introduced to Mrs. Levinson, who eyed him like she would a suspicious pound note. Something was up, he could tell by any number of nervous glances between Robert and his wife, but Mary's genuinely warm smile belied anything truly serious.
Robert gestured to one of the nicely appointed parlor rooms. "Matthew, I was hoping to have a word with you privately. Girls, why don't you let Mr. Branson get settled in his room?" The older man gave his three daughters a look as he shooed them away, and Matthew was amused to see Mary pointedly pull Sybil along as they departed.
He followed Robert into the parlor room. It was, Matthew realized, something of a manly room. Not like a library, although there were books lining the walls, but something like a sitting room for men, complete with a lovely bar. Robert went right to the bar and poured them both glasses of whisky. Supper wasn't so far away that drinking spirits seemed unreasonable, so Matthew took the proffered glass with no hesitation. But he did wonder, and more so when Robert gestured for him to sit and took a seat opposite him.
Robert took a sip and then tapped a small stack of papers that was on the end table. "Matthew, this is actually quite awkward. You knew, of course, that Patrick was my heir? That he would assume the title of Earl of Grantham after my death?"
"He had mentioned it more than once," Matthew said easily. An odd thought occurred to him, that Patrick used to delight in teasing him how he was so distant a relative that he should just change his name to Smith and be done with it. "I imagine it must be awkward, being here in America while dealing with the necessity of finding the next person in line."
Robert smiled slightly and sipped his scotch again. "More awkward than you might think, I'm afraid." He leaned back on the sofa. "It's you, Matthew. With Patrick dead, and I unlikely to have another child as I am far too much attached to my wife to consider another, you are next in line to be the Earl of Grantham." He paused. "I don't know if I should congratulate you or commiserate. I have loved the position, and the estate, but I was also raised to embrace the role. This will change your life, Matthew."
Matthew allowed it to roll around in his head for a moment. He did more than sip the drink Robert had given him, he took a generous swallow and let it burn its way down to his stomach. "Are you certain of this, Robert?"
The older man nodded. "I found out when we were in New York for the inquest. I asked my lawyer to double check it and to be absolutely certain, before I told any of the family." Robert patted his knee. "I know this is a surprise and a shock. You certainly don't need to make any drastic decisions today. I know, from what you've said and from the news reports, that your career in law is flourishing. It's not common for a peer to work, but it's not unheard of… and it's not like you're toiling in a field. Going to university, reading law, is positively encouraged these days for younger sons." It was almost amusing to hear Robert talk of it, with a sort of odd wonder. It would change things, it would change things far more than his winning the case and nearly dying on the Titanic. It meant his being heir presumptive would be a consideration in whether he could take cases.
It also meant that his circumstances were dramatically different as far as marriage was concerned. Not only was it more concerning that he take a wife, he now stood to inherit the majority of Robert's wealth. Patrick had always bragged, and Matthew had to admit the evidence confirmed it, that the earldom was wealthy.
It meant that he could offer Mary exactly the life she was expecting. "Does the family know? That soon enough I will be more than Cousin Matthew."
Robert shook his head. "Cora knows because she's my better half, and her mother knows and will undoubtedly pester you as the vast amount of my fortune came to me through my marriage to her daughter. She wasn't thrilled with the idea that Patrick would inherit, that's one reason we decided on this trip to begin with. But Mother Levinson has agreed to not begin the inquisition until I tell the family tonight at dinner." Robert chuckled. "So, I wanted to make sure you had some warning."
Matthew nodded his appreciation. "Dinner will perhaps be more exciting than I planned."
"Quite. But hopefully still enjoyable." Robert's smile grew broader. "As it happens, Mary has been quite anxious about your visit. If I might be so bold, it had not escaped me that you and Mary have a fondness for each other." The man looked awkward but in a good way. "If it needs to be said, it's a fondness I approve of, and one I approved of prior to the sinking of the Titanic. Frankly, you're the first chap Mary has shown more than momentary interest in."
That was a surprise. "I can understand not disapproving now," since it allowed the family money to stay in the immediate family, a similar arrangement to the prior plan with Patrick, "but I admit I didn't think I'd previously had any hope."
Robert made a show of sighing deeply but Matthew sensed he was more amused than anything else. "I'm afraid between my mother and Cora and by proxy Mother Levinson, my daughters all believe that I will sell them to the highest bidder regardless of their feelings. That isn't the case at all. I won't deny that if one of them decided they were in love with the handsome chap that grooms the horses here that I wouldn't have some words to say, but for a young fellow with a good background and a good head on his shoulders? My sister didn't marry a nobleman, she married a good and decent man who she loved very much. If my daughters want to do the same, then as long as I find the fellow to be honorable and worthy, I would give my approval." He chuckled again. "I'd even approve of the stable hand if they were genuinely in love and I felt he could improve himself, but Mary isn't the daughter I worry about in that regard. Yes, the plan was for her to marry Patrick but I realized on the Titanic that they weren't suited. It was rather obvious who had turned her head, and while I won't deny it concerned me, it wasn't you that concerned me, it was that Mary might not understand how different life would be as the wife of a solicitor. With this news… that concern no longer exists."
"Yes but…" Matthew wasn't sure how to say it. "Does it concern you that I'm now your heir? A middle class lawyer? That frankly, you don't know that well? I could be a spendthrift. Or a wastrel, or a drunk. I might gamble your fortune away."
Robert smiled slightly. "If we're speaking frankly, then I will be honest and concede that yes, I have concerns. Mostly, I am concerned that it's not a life you've been born to, and that you'll consider the estate a burden, an albatross hung around your neck. But that you're a spendthrift or a wastrel? I see no signs of that. Or of drunkenness, and if you're a gambler, you're very discreet. No, Matthew, I have no concerns about your character. You've been brave, even noble. You can protest if you like, but the truth is that you had no real obligation to go chasing after my daughters that dreadful night." His voice dropped. "It also hasn't escaped me that you've discreetly not mentioned why Patrick left the task to you."
Matthew nodded, feeling uncomfortable. Any number of male survivors, Bruce Ismay the most well known, had faced the public ire over the tales other survivors were telling, of well born men gaining places in the boats by subterfuge and cowardice. "For what it's worth, I do think he was worried about his father."
"Perhaps," Robert agreed, "but he left my daughters below decks on that ship. I thought better of him than that, and I am glad that aspect of the story was kept from the papers. At this point, I think there's no reason to sully Patrick's memory, don't you agree?"
"Of course," Matthew said it easily. The childhood spats with Patrick were long over. With the man dead and the body not even found, there was no reason to have that moment of petty revenge. "I appreciate you warning me about this news before dinner."
There was a knock on the door, and Mary swept in before either of them could rise to their feet. "Oh come now, Papa. Poor Matthew has spent hours cooped up on the train and will spend hours sitting in Grandmama's admittedly lovely dining room. Let me show him the gardens before supper, so he can stretch his legs a bit. Matthew, I imagine Papa was yet again thanking you, wasn't he?"
"Something like that," Robert said jovially. "But Mary is right. The gardens here are lovely. It's not home but Levinson Manor's gardens do come close to Downton's. You'll see soon enough."
Mary waited until they were outside to smile her pleasure. "I take it Papa has already invited you to visit us in Downton once we're returned?"
Matthew hesitated as he looked out over the lovely rose garden. He took in the heady scent of the flowers. "In a way, yes." He looked at her, and made his decision. He wasn't one for sly tricks, and Mary would find out soon enough that his circumstances had dramatically changed. "Mary, he told me something that was a surprise… something that changes things a great deal. Apparently, I am now his heir."
He could see the surprise on her face. She was cautiously delighted, that was clear. "Is Papa quite certain? I knew he had some notifications from his lawyer on the matter." She smiled suddenly. "What a relief for Papa."
"A relief?" It wasn't the reaction he expected. "How so?"
Mary shrugged as they walked. "For a middle class lawyer, you'd already impressed Papa with your sense of honor and duty. He worried about how Patrick would manage the estate and the family after he was gone. There's quite a lot of money, I doubt he spelled that out in your short meeting, but there are also quite a few expenses. You're… responsible. Is that the right word?" At his nod, she pressed on. "Papa loves Downton. He calls it one of his children, and possibly the one he loves the most. He wouldn't want it in the hands of someone who wouldn't take care of it. I suspect that's one of the reasons he pressed me to consider Patrick. I love Downton, even if Patrick just saw it as a place to have parties. I would have protected it from him, if necessary." She stopped walking. "This changes things for you a great deal, Matthew. You will be a very eligible bachelor when you return to England."
He nodded, because he couldn't argue the facts at all. "That's true but… it also changes things between us." Matthew struggled to find the right words, to not sound too forward. "The family is mourning right now. But… when that passes, I would like to see more of you. I thought, on the ship, more than once, that it was a shame that the first time I found a woman worth pursuing, she was already spoken for." He waited a moment. "With my circumstances changed, I wonder if I were to call on you when we return to England, if you would find that acceptable?"
"I would. Things are different," Mary agreed, She spoke firmly. "I would like that very much, and I would have liked it even if your circumstances hadn't changed." She took in his surprise with no small amount of amusement. "You really don't know your own charms, Matthew. You're the only man other than my father that finds me worthy to treat as an equal, which is a shocking delight. And I suspect you don't realize how handsome you are. But what I am intrigued by is that you could have tested me and didn't. I won't lie. I suspected the news you just told me. Papa was far more cheerful after the letter from the lawyer arrived. But you didn't test me. Why not?"
"I suppose," Matthew said evenly, "that I didn't see the point in torturing either of us. You would have found out tonight that I am now your father's heir. So, why test you on whether you could bear to be courted by a middle class lawyer when I suspect it was the only thing that made you hesitate?"
She nodded, smiling. "For what it's worth, if you'd asked me, to say whether I was willing to be courted by a lawyer, the answer would have been yes." She blushed. "My heart knew what it wanted the second I was told on the Carpathia that you were still alive. To be honest, I think I knew even as I was dashing your heart to pieces in the lounge. I felt quite terrible, just so you know, telling you I needed to try with Patrick, when every bone in my body was telling me how awful it would be with him, and how I was stabbing you in the heart."
"It wasn't that terrible," Matthew reassured. "That we're standing here now takes away a great deal of the sting." He moved to the next awkward issue. "Out of respect, I can't call on you until the mourning period for the family has passed."
"Of course," Mary agreed easily. "I didn't love Patrick as a fiancé but he was family and so was Cousin James, and Papa hides it well but he was close to James. And with your new place in our family, I am quite certain you'll be invited to the Abbey often. But yes, we will need to be circumspect." Then her eyes twinkled mischievously. "But we're quite alone now, so perhaps it's time we kissed? To where you'll remember it?"
"We kissed?" He marveled at the very idea of forgetting something so amazing.
"I kissed you on the forehead after you told me how much you loved me." Mary grinned at him. "You were still quite frozen but I think you're due a kiss you can remember."
He leaned in and kissed her, and all the concerns his sudden inheritance had brought vanished in an instant. It amazed him, how such a terrible event had led to his finding the love of his life.