Merry Christmas to you all, and if you don't celebrate it, Happy Holidays! I hope I find you well in this period of goodwill and I hope you are enjoying my story! It's a busy time of year so please remember to take time out for yourself!
Lady Mary was sitting with Lady Grace on her lap in the nursery. Alice was leaning against the armchair, playing with the rings on her Mother's fingers. Mary hadn't eaten, although she had witnessed the end of one of the girl's dinners when she had come up to the nursery for George. It made her rather sad, for Mary missed the nursery dinners when she had been a little girl, with Edith and Sybil.
One very poignant memory had flown to the front of Mary's mind when she had intruded on dinner. It was a hot summer's evening when she was about 10, a little too old for the nursery in her own mind, but not in her parents, and a little bird had flown into the room. It wasn't a pigeon, like the kind she had seen in London when she was taken by her Mother 3 days earlier, no, this was a small bird, the kind Sybil loved when Nanny took them for walks in the gardens at Downton. It fluttered in, peacefully, and took them all by surprise, especially Nanny, who jumped up onto her chair and flung a tea towel on her head, much to the amusement of the three girls. The nursery maid of the time ran for a broom, and Edith had hugged her knees up to her chin, declaring for it to be killed, as it had taken them all by surprise.
It was only Sybil that had been calm. Whilst two nursery servants ran around bashing the top of the table with the brooms, she watched the little bird flutter high above the bangs. Every so often, she would cry "stop", but to no avail. The nursery staff could not here her 6-year-old cries for the bird, until she screamed louder than anyone had ever shouted in the nursery before, and some of Mary and Edith's screams could be pretty loud.
All the commotion stopped at once, and Sybil hopped down from her chair. Quietly, she crept up on the bird, that had settled on the edge of the armchair and wrapped her hands around it, catching it in her firm but loving grip. After kissing it gently on the head she had let it fly away out the window and she had watched it fly, singing about birds flying over rainbows.
Whilst Mary had watched the girls finish their dinner she had thought of Sybil because of the way her daughter, Sybbie, carried herself. She had the same affectionate love for everyone in the way that she tried to help Grace behave and Alice eat all her greens. Mary was pleasantly reminded that there were good people in this world, and although regularly they were snatched before their time, there was someone to replace them.
But Mary had vowed to Matthew that she would protect their little boy and that was why George was not going to die. Oh no, Mary was strong, Mary was not one to let people down (unless the circumstances called for it), but Mary could not find the heart t wake George and tell him that she was, once again, pregnant.
When Mary had given birth to Alice George hadn't really known what was going on, being far too wrapped up in the stressful life of a 2-year-old, but he did remember Grace. They had told Alice and George in bed, as Mary finished a story at their bedside. Alice was practically asleep, but George had had so many questions it was hard to keep up, let alone comprehend what he was trying to ask. His 4-year-old curiosity had gotten the better of him, and although it was late, and Nanny chided Mary to let him rest, Mary answered every question the little boy had had about babies. Eventually, to Nanny's delight, he had drifted off to sleep, but when he visited his Mama at tea-time the next day, his bounding enthusiasm for another sibling was still there.
As Mary put her fingers in between one of Grace's curls she hoped fervently that his wonder of a new child would still be there. Unlike last time, George had to rest, and Mary would wait in the nursery as long as it took for George to wake up. After all, he had to hear of the grand news from his Mother.
"Mama," Alice said politely as she twirled the wedding ring she had taken off Mary's fingers in her hand. "Did you have a beautiful dress when you got married?"
"I had two beautiful dresses, for each time I got married." It was no secret in the Crawley-Blake family that Mary had been married more than once, and she did not try to hide her love for either of her husbands to her children.
"Do you have pictures?" Alice asked as she slipped the huge ring onto her finger.
"Of course, but neither of my dresses were as beautiful as you shall look on your birthday." Mary smiled, patting her daughter's head. Recently, Mary had been out to buy Alice a brand new dress for her birthday, and it was gorgeous.
Alice's 4-year-old face lit up in childish delight at the thought of a new dress, but before she could reply to her Mother's compliment the nursery door was flung open by a stampede of adults, headed by Lord Grantham.
"Donk!" Squealed Sybbie from the armchair where she was reading, and she flung down her book and raced across to be picked up by him. He beamed at her, before looking to Mary and the same look of sheer delight spreading across his face again.
Charles picked up Alice, and kissed her cheek before kissing his wife's. As Mary stood up with Grace in her arms, Lady Grantham swooped in to give her daughter a hug.
"Oh my darling, we are all so proud of you!" She cooed as she kissed Grace on the head.
"Another child to a growing family!" Lord Grantham grinned as he passed Sybbie to Tom so he could embrace his daughter.
"Proud about what Daddy?" Sybbie asked her Papa in hushed tones.
"Why, Aunt Mary is having another baby!" Tom said as he kissed her head. "Now is that your painting? Well isn't that gorgeous!"
"Did you tell George Mary?" Charles asked as he wrestled Mary's wedding ring out of Alice's hands.
"He's sleeping." She said quietly. "I dare not wake him."
"Quite right." Lord Grantham agreed "That child needs sleep if he's going to be the young strapping lad he once was."
"Nanny says she'll tell us when he wakes." Charles said.
"I must write to the relatives! Edith will be simply thrilled, her and Michael Gregson will be so happy for you my dear!" Lady Grantham touched her daughter's arm.
"Don't forget Cousin Isobel!" Mary smiled
"Never!" Lord Grantham kissed his daughter's head. "I'll get Carson to tell the servants." He smiled, taking in his daughter's pleasant glow. "We're so happy for you my dear!"
Lord and Lady Grantham left the room arm in arm, happier than a pair of well-fed beggars.
"Don't worry Mary, I'm sure George will wake soon." Charles said as he helped his wife into a seat and slipped the ring back on her finger.
"Oh yes, of course." Mary smiled weakly, touching her stomach.
"What is it my love?" Charles asked as he placed Alice and Grace in an armchair together by the fire.
"Do we really want the whole world to know, right now, when my son is so ill? Say they..." Mary looked over to where Tom was admiring Sybbie's drawings "Say they see it how I did?"
"Everyone will find out eventually, and in any case, I told you no one will think of it like that." Charles said, taking his wife's hands in his. "After all, no one saw Grace as a replacement for your Granny."
"Lady Mary, Master George is stirring, now might be a good time." Nanny said from behind George's door.
Everyone moved in a whirlwind, Charles picked up their two girls, and Mary scampered into the bedroom, throwing herself into the chair next to George.
He was pale, but not as pale as Mary was used to seeing him. His eyelids fluttered for a few seconds and then were still and then he opened them, moving his dry lips apart.
"Water, please." He hadn't even lost his manners.
"Nanny! Water!" Mary shouted frantically. When Nanny arrived with a cup of water Mary treated her 6-year-old as if he were the tiniest baby, supporting his head so she could tip the water into his mouth little by little.
With each sip it appeared that George was coming back to life, a little more colour returned to his cheeks and his blue eyes opened a little more until he realised who was sitting around him.
"Mama?" He whispered as Mary lowered him down. She smiled, tears forming in her eyes. It was a long time since Mary had seen her little boy awake.
"Hey Georgy." SHe whispered back. "We have news." Charles gripped Mary's hand.
"Oh," George sounded
"George, I'm having another baby."
"A baby?!" George's face lit up into a smile
"Another baby, another little brother or sister for you." Mary smiled as her son smiled. Anyone could have seen the elation on George's face, his eyes had dramatically lit up and there was a little more red in his cheeks.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" He asked, sucking in air, a painful reminder of his illness.
Mary laughed. "Oh George, it is far to early to know that yet."
"I don't mind either way." George said as he closed his transparent eyelids. "I'm so happy."
"We're happy too George." Mary could feel him slipping away, so she ran her finger through his perfectly blonde hair. "You sleep now my baby." She whispered into his hot head, her tears falling into his hair. "You'll always be my perfect little boy." Mary planted a kiss on his forehead before Charles insisted that Nanny take care of him.
After giving the girls to a nurserymaid, Charles and Mary sat on the armchair in their room, in front of the roaring fire. Mary was crying softly, but for once she was crying tears of happiness about George, not pain.
That could not have gone better, was all she could think.
