Trigger Warning: There is a very intense attempted-assault scene in this chapter.

After riding for over an hour, Sarah returned to the house, leaving Mary and Geoff to continue their ride. Flying across the countryside was exhilarating, and Mary found herself laughing often as Babylon responded to her touch. They rode on woodland paths and galloped over rolling hills, the wind whistling around their faces. Several times they exchanged looks of sheer enjoyment as they reveled in the feeling of freedom afforded by unrestricted riding.

On one particular stretch of open land as she and Geoff rode side-by-side, Mary leaned forward and uttered between gritted teeth, "Let's see what you can do, my boy." She dug her heels into Babylon's side, gave him his head, and he responded by powering forward and leaving Geoff behind to try to catch up. Her hat flew off, and her loosed hair whipped in the wind, catching the sunlight. Ignoring Mary's airborne headgear, Geoff urged his horse on, determined to catch up with her. She was glorious, a vision, Circe on horseback. She laughed aloud over her shoulder and headed in the direction of one of the estate's small lakes. She reined in Babylon and caught her breath as she approached the lake, and Geoff came alongside her.

"Follow me," he called as he rode along the lake's perimeter. She followed him, settling Babylon into a trot. They rode for a few minutes when they came upon a blanket and large basket set out under a large alder tree near the water's edge.

"What's this?" asked Mary. She actually was glad to have a respite and knew Babylon was ready for water and a rest.

"I thought we could take advantage of the lovely weather, so I had Simmons organize a feast for us."

"How nice!"

She started to dismount, and Geoff moved quickly to assist her. She slipped from the saddle into his arms, and his hands grasped her waist as her hands held on to his shoulders. He smiled down at her and kissed her gently. He took her hand, led her to the blanket, and said, "Let's see what Simmons has had prepared for us, shall we?"

The basket included sliced melon, cold chicken, cucumber sandwiches, and custard tarts. There also was lemonade and a light Beaujolais, which Geoff promptly opened. As they ate, they talked about a variety of subjects. They laughed about current events and family traditions. Neither of them was surprised to discover how much their families had in common. He entertained her with stories about his older brother's and his hijinks while away at Eton; she regaled him with tales about the number of nannies and governesses she and her sisters had tormented. Mary couldn't remember the last time she had felt so relaxed. Geoff actually was the first man since Matthew whom she found both interesting and attractive. After they finished eating, Geoff removed his coat and stretched out on the blanket, and Mary leaned back and propped herself against the tree trunk. It had been a perfect day so far. She looked over the grounds and was reminded of Downton's beauty. There were the same kinds of rolling hills and copses, and riding Babylon gave her the same feeling of freedom as did riding her beloved Diamond. Geoff was right, she thought. Northamptonshire is every bit as lovely as Downton. Its proximity to London also was appealing, which caused her to smile.

"That was delicious, Geoff. I must be sure to thank Simmons for going to such trouble."

"Mmmm. I'm sure he would appreciate your thanks." She noted how Geoff's even breathing accentuated his broad chest, and she resisted the urge to run her fingers through his mussed hair.

"Are you about to go to sleep on me?" she asked with mock indignity.

"Never!" he responded glibly. "I'm simply resting my eyes." He sat up and turned to her. "So, what do you think of Babylon? Was he worth the cost?"

"Oh, Geoff, he's marvelous—so responsive and easy to handle. You have a real treasure in him. It's funny, but he reminds me of my Diamond although Diamond is a thoroughbred, not an Arabian, and Babylon is much smaller. They have the same spirit and intelligence, though." Mary looked up at the cloudless sky reflectively.

"Speaking of treasures, there's another one I'm anxious to acquire." His eyes narrowed as he gazed at her.

"Really, don't you already have a stable full of horses? Why would you need yet another?"

"I wasn't referring to horses, Mary." He edged next to her and faced her; his legs stretched out alongside her body, and his left arm moved to the other side of her next to her hip. "You're the treasure I want." His grey eyes darkened as he looked at her intensely.

Something's come over him, she thought to herself. His face has changed somehow.

Mary's breathing hitched, and before she could respond, Geoff leaned in, took her flushed face in his hands, and kissed her fervently. Her hands went to his arms, and she felt the strength of his biceps. The kiss intensified as he drew her body to his, his hands moving down from her neck to her back. She could taste the wine on his lips, and his scent was a heady mixture of sweat and spice. She was instantly aroused. Nearly overcome with the sensation of her body in his arms, he forced his tongue into her mouth. His hand unbuttoned her jacket, untied her tie, and moved to her breasts, which he began kneading urgently causing her to moan from the sensation. Continuing the kiss, he grunted as he lifted her away from the tree and flung her onto the blanket. He shifted his body next to hers and forced his left leg between her legs. Moving his hand to her hip, he pressed her body to his. His strength overwhelmed her, and although she was aware that her own passion had been mounting, she suddenly felt as if he were losing control somehow, so she began to resist, gasping, "Please, Geoff. Slow down." Her hands moved to his chest, and she could feel and hear the intensity of his breathing. She squelched the urge to scream, but she repeatedly implored with him to stop. He ignored her, his mind overcome by a cloud of lust that interpreted her calls as ones of passion. He pulled away and ignoring her thrashing, unbuttoned her blouse frantically, his lips following his fingers, and he then yanked it open to expose her chemise. She called his name, begging him to stop, but he was deaf to her entreaties. His mouth moved over the silk covering her breasts, and she gasped and flailed as his lips sucked her nipples until they ached. She cried out, but he ignored her pleas. His hand jerked down the top of the garment and exposed her breasts, which caused him to groan and her to shriek, and his mouth began brutalizing her pebbled nipples. She tried to push him away, but she was quaking and helpless under his weight. She continued her protestations but to no avail. She writhed against him—grabbing at his hair, his shirt, anything she could grasp to deter him—as he pushed his hips against her. He continued his frenzied assault on her body and growled, "I want you," and his other hand suddenly grasped one of hers and forced it to stroke his erection. "Feel that?" he snarled. "It needs to be inside you—now."

She was panicking in earnest, her mind whirling with unbridled fear. "Geoff, please, stop…I can't... Please…Don't do this," she pleaded. She had never experienced this type of aggression—even Kemal Pamuk had not been as forceful, or as strong, all those years ago—and she was terrified Geoff would not stop no matter how much she begged.

"Don't you want me?" he mumbled. He gripped the inside of her thigh so violently she cried out against the pain. He then moved his other hand to her center and began to grind his fingers forcefully against her as she struggled and screamed at him. He hissed breathlessly, "I can tell you do. You're…oh, you're ready… hot…let me …God…I want you…now." As he began tearing at the waistband of her jodhpurs, Mary mustered as much strength as she could and pushed him away, shouting forcefully, "Geoff, I said NO!"

Breathing heavily, he fell back with a start, and Mary scrambled away from him, her back once again against the tree and her legs curled under her body. She was shocked, panting, horrified by his attack. She pulled her chemise back over her exposed breasts and attempted to button her blouse, but her hands were shaking too violently for her to complete the task.

"You're thinking about that…that man…that man…I caught you with, aren't you?" His eyes sparked with fury, and she saw his body coil with anger.

Oh, my God.

He can't recall Matthew's name.

Outbursts and forgetfulness.

Oh, my God. Surely not.

"You're with him, aren't you?" His entire body reflected his rage, and Mary tried to back farther away but was thwarted by the tree trunk.

"No!" She slapped his hands away as he tried to grab her arms.

He grabbed her flailing hands at the wrists, raised them above her head, and straddled her, forcing her back violently into the tree. "HE'S YOUR LOVER!" His eyes flashed with irate frenzy.

"Geoff, NO! He isn't! Please! You're hurting me!" Try as she might to keep from crying, she couldn't keep her tears at bay. She knew full well she hadn't the physical strength to fight him off again should his attack escalate.

Suddenly, as if he just had become aware of her distress, Geoff froze, let go of her wrists, and jumped up and stared at her trembling form. Then he blanched and turned his back to her.

Wiping the tears from her face, she stood quickly and tried again to button her blouse as she raced to where Babylon was tethered. It took what was left of her strength to mount the horse, and she dug her heels into Babylon's sides and headed back in the direction of the house. She heard Geoff cry, "Mary, wait!" but she didn't look back as Babylon tore across the manicured grounds.

Before he left for London, Matthew had telephoned Lavinia to see if she were willing to meet with him that afternoon since he would have time before Mary's train arrived. Their divorce would be final soon, and he wanted to ensure they parted on amicable terms. Most of their communication had been conducted through lawyers, but they had spoken briefly a time or two. She was amenable to his visiting her, so when he arrived at her father's house in Westminster, she greeted him warmly. It was obvious that she was more relaxed than she had been in quite a while, despite the stress she surely would face as a divorced woman.

"You look wonderful, Lavinia. How have you been?"

She smiled in response and said, "Fine, actually. Being with Father has allowed me to get my bearings. I found it difficult living in the city again at first, but I'm enjoying it now. And how have you been? I'm sure dealing with all the ramifications of Robert's death has been a challenge."

"It has, but the estate is in fine shape, thank goodness."

"And Cora and…and the girls? How are they?"

"I suppose they're as well as could be expected. Cora went to America after the funeral, but she should be back next month. Sybil couldn't come for the funeral, as you know, but Edith was there, of course, and Mary stayed for a month."

"Ah, so Mary didn't stay at Downton? I thought she might."

"No. She didn't. You sound surprised."

"I am, actually. As much as she loves…Downton, I just thought she might stay on."

"Uh, no. She considers London home now." Matthew could not meet her eyes.

"Let's not beat about the bush, Matthew. Now that you're free, I was sure you would attempt to lure her back to Downton."

Matthew's face reddened. "I don't know why you would say that. Mary's life is in London now."

Lavinia straightened in her chair. "Well, that's as maybe, but Matthew, you always wanted her by your side, not me."

"I don't know why you say such a thing. You know I tried to make a go of our marriage."

She looked at him earnestly. "That's just it, Matthew. You tried, but I knew your heart wasn't in it. She always was the third person in our marriage, no matter whether you realized it. It was obvious you weren't happy with me when you could have, should have, had Mary. I know you loved me—in a way—but that love couldn't compare to how you felt about her. That's why you worked long hours and let the estate's demands consume you."

His face darkened. "So, I was a bad husband, is that what you're saying?"

"No, I'm not saying that at all. You were solicitous and kind, but I knew deep down your heart belonged to her. When she left Downton after we married, it was as if half of you went with her. And you never really recovered." She paused and gave him a sad smile. "I was willing to give our marriage a go at first because I loved you so much, but I knew you never would belong to me. That's the main reason I left. You know we made each other miserable."

Matthew sat silently for a minute and then leaned forward. "I'm sorry, Lavinia. Honestly. I didn't realize…. I wish you had told me."

"Oh, Matthew, why? It wouldn't have served any purpose. You just would have denied it. I lived with that knowledge for over seven years." Tears filled her eyes. "Knowing that and living with the pressures of being a future countess were just too much. I left to save myself and to give you the chance to be with the person you always were meant to be with."

Mary arrived at Hanford Hall minutes before Geoff. She hurried into the house and was heading up the stairs to collect herself and to change for the train ride back to London when he burst through the door and rushed up the stairs after her and called her name.

He reached for her arm. She recoiled and spoke sharply, "Don't touch me!"

"Mary, please let me explain…"

"There's nothing to explain, Geoff. You attacked me. You tried to rape me! I have nothing to say to you. Now, leave me alone." Her tears were replaced with cold rage.

"Mary, there's something you don't know, something that I must tell you. Please, Mary, please give me a moment before you leave. I promise I won't touch you…I won't hurt you."

She considered his plea and finally said, "Very well, but you mustn't come near me."

Geoff turned and slowly descended the stairs, Mary following cautiously behind. He led her into a small sitting room and directed her to a sofa near a window.

"I prefer to sit here," she said severely, pointing to a wingback chair near the door.

Mary watched warily as Geoff nodded, paced the room, and began: "When I first saw you, I thought, 'Now there's a beautiful woman—a woman I need to get to know.' Truly, I was entranced because you are stunning. Once we started talking, I realized you were everything I ever desired in a woman. You had both beauty and brains, and I knew I wanted you. There was a problem, however." He paused, and Mary looked at him quizzically. "You see—God, this is hard—you see, there seems to be an…ailment, for lack of a better word, that has affected some people on my mother's side of the family for generations."

"'Affected' how?" asked Mary tensely. She still was anxious about being alone with Geoff, but she felt she knew what was coming.

"Well, each person is affected somewhat differently, but in my case, it involves…um… unacceptable behavior—you were a victim of that today—rages, and, evidently, forgetfulness. There are times—like today, for example—when I can't seem to control myself. It's as if I black out in a way. I can see myself doing terrible things but can't stop myself. It's odd though. This ailment seems to affect one or two people in each generation, and it always starts around forty years of age. I witnessed my mother's aberrant behavior; her father died in a lunatic asylum when I was very young. Other members of my mother's family describe the same affliction in earlier generations. I avoided attachments because of it, but when I met you..." He smiled wryly. "I suppose it's a kind of curse. I thought I had escaped it, but evidently, I haven't. My brother might have been affected, too, but he died young, in the war, so I'll never know."

"But Geoff, aren't there are doctors who could help? There have been advances in medicine, surely." She was confused. How could he accept that this behavior was something he could live with? Why didn't he do something to rectify the situation?

He smiled wanly and shook his head. "Believe me, Mary, I've seen many doctors and specialists in the past year. There's nothing to be done. It looks as if I'm headed down the same path as many of my relatives on my mother's side."

"Oh, Geoff, I don't know what to say." Mary's heart went out to him. What a horrifying curse to live with! How unfair!

"There's nothing to say. I came close to hurting you seriously today, Mary. I'd rather die first. I honestly believed I could fight this, keep it under control, but it's getting worse. I was wrong. You deserve someone who will make you happy, not someone you fear." He moved to the sofa and sat. "Remember the day I came to your home, and…um…that man…was there?"

She answered softly, "His name is Matthew. He's the Earl of Grantham."

"Right. Yes. Matthew. Well, it was all I could do to keep my rage under control because he was with you, and it was obvious that there was something going on. After I left, I realized I could have killed him. In fact, I wanted to kill him and might have had you not been there."

Mary was horrified. "Geoff, nothing really had happened between Matthew and me. We've known each other a long time, and there is some history, but he hurt me a long time ago and…."

"What a fool he was. Look, it's no matter. I know as much as I want you, my condition is sure to worsen, and I won't be able to control myself. You'd be in danger, of that I'm sure. If he could make you happy, you ought to give him a chance. You're too wonderful a woman to miss out on the opportunity to love and be loved. I just wish I could be that man. And as much as it pains me to say this, you need to return to London and forget about me." With that, he took her hand in his, kissed it gently, and walked out of the room.

"I'll return to London, Geoff," she said softly, "but, I promise, I'll never forget you."

Unfortunately, eFAD runs on my father's side of my family, and I can assure you Geoff's behavior is very similar to what some family members have exhibited through the years. Thankfully, my father was spared, as I was, but I've seen first-hand the anguish that results from this horrible disease. Here is some info:

From Alzforum: Early onset familial Alzheimer disease (eFAD) is hereditary and marked by Alzheimer disease symptoms that appear at an unusually early age. Symptoms can start in a person's thirties, forties, and fifties (and very rarely in the late twenties). Generally, if you are diagnosed with eFAD, then one of your parents will also have had it if he or she lived long enough, and your siblings and your children may have a 50-50 chance of having inherited it. early-onset-familial-ad/overview/what-early-onset-familial-alzheimer-disease-efad

Characteristics: Personality changes, such as brusqueness and insensitivity; Frequent lapses of memory, especially of recent memories; Forgetting appointments or the names of colleagues at work; Unsettling moments of disorientation in previously familiar places; Being unable to find the way home; Becoming confused about familiar tasks such as handling money or placing a call; Difficulty finding words; Difficulty with voluntary movements, physical coordination; Struggling to learn new things and adapting to changes at home or at work; Losing interest in activities that were enjoyed previously; Withdrawing from social contact; depression; Mood swings, paranoia and fearfulness. Occasionally, a person's symptoms may also include insomnia, verbal or physical outbursts, sexual disorders, gait disorders, and weight loss.