Hi guys, I really need to apologise for how late this part is. I said it would be posted quickly after the last and that was the plan until I got sick. I've been in bed all week with terrible tonsillitis, and unfortunately, even now I think it has had a negative effect on this part. (I forgot what I wanted to write!)
There was going to be more to this, but I decided to cut it short and focus on making the part after much much better. Still, I hope you enjoy this and continue to read and review.
The last chapter got reviews from readers that have not reviewed before, so I thank you all.
Thank you to dribsndrabs, Lisa, audrey, type little a (yes we will see violet soon), uppityminx, downtonlove, katy, purpleshipper, Cls2011, and the unnamed guest For their reviews and also to fanaticdA and matthewandmaryfluffalert for their support via PM.
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Matthew gazed through the window of Mary's car as she drove over a gravelled path towards a large building that looked, to him, very much like a country mansion rather than a place to eat. The car came to a stop directly in front of the building and Mary's door was opened for her. She asked Matthew to pass over her handbag and she stepped out of the car, taking her sunglasses off and putting them inside the bag before hooking it over her arm. Matthew stepped around the car, his eyes on the large building on front of him until he reached her. He watched as Mary handed her keys to the young man who'd opened her door before he drove off to park her car. Matthew cleared his throat "some place."
Mary laughed a little at his comment, lacing her free arm through his and squeezing it a little, "it looks a lot scarier than it is. Come on, the food here is wonderful."
They began to walk arm in arm to the main entrance "it just looks so grand."
Mary nodded, "it is. I don't come here often at all really, but our entire family are members and with it being so close to the stables, the privacy of its strict members' policy is too tempting to take advantage of." They entered the lobby, which smelled sweet and possibly even a little wealthy; if it were at all possible for a building to smell like wealth, Matthew decided that this was what it would smell like. Mary smiled politely when recognised and seated by a member of management. Matthew followed them to a small table in a corner of the 'tea room', he'd heard it being called that when Mary had assured the man that they were only eating a casual lunch. Matthew frowned slightly when the manager pulled out Mary's chair for her to sit, instead of allowing him to do it. He flexed his fingers nervously on his knees, surveying the room as Mary exchanged small pleasantries and ordered for everything to be billed to her account.
The tea room wasn't particularly busy, most likely due to it being quite late for lunch. There were a few tables vacant around them and Matthew noticed that the tables in use were mainly occupied by either groups of middle-aged women or families dressed to perfection. Luckily, Matthew was still dressed for work so he didn't feel completely out of place. As the manager left, Matthew met Mary's eyes across the table and they shared a small smile. "Relax" she told him, lowering her eyes to her menu. Matthew inhaled deeply in attempt, lifting his own menu slightly to peruse the lunch options.
And relax he did, it wasn't at all difficult to relax around Mary as they ate their light meals and she educated him on the building they were in, retelling him all the architectural tales she'd heard her father boast about time and time again when they used to attend as a family. Her father didn't particularly love architecture, but he did love all things expensive and he loved to speak about his own wealth and the wealth of the club he belonged to. Matthew, however was a little interested in architecture and when he made a comment on the brickwork, followed by another on the fireplace, Mary decided to pass on the information etched into her memory.
Matthew sipped at his freshly squeezed orange juice and gazed out of the large windows, admiring the country view. "It really is such a lovely day." He mused. "And you and Diamond looked absolutely wonderful together earlier." He turned his gaze back to Mary and he noticed her subtle blush. He smiled "beautiful".
"Oh Matthew" she waved off his compliment and took a sip of her sparkling water.
"No Mary, truly. I'm so pleased you invited me along today. I feel like watching you with him has drawn me even closer to you, like I know so much about who you are already." Now it was Matthew's turn to blush, his words had gotten away from him. "Sorry, I-" he didn't know how to apologise for something that was completely true. Mary smiled sweetly at him so Matthew simply smiled in return, mentally kicking himself for saying such cliche things.
"Shall we order dessert?" Mary changed the subject, leaning across the table for the small dessert menu. Matthew sighed a sigh of relief, giving her a nod of approval before they each looked at the menu in turn. Mary summoned over their waiter and each of them ordered their choice of dessert. "You must try a little of mine when it arrives," Mary told Matthew, "it is simply dev-" Mary paused mid-word, her eyes narrowed as she recognised someone over Matthew's shoulder "oh god" she grimaced.
Matthew turned quickly and noticed a woman with strawberry blonde hair and a fake plastered smile walking towards them. She waved in their direction, which made him wonder for a short moment if he was supposed to recognise her. When he turned back to Mary, she held her head in her hand, "what's he matter?" He asked her.
"My sister is the matter" she spoke low so only he could hear and then quickly raised her head, standing from her seat as Edith neared their table. Matthew watched in amazement as her frown turned into a forced pleasant smile. "Edith." She spoke cheerily to greet her. "What a surprise, I don't usually bump into you here."
Edith glanced down at Matthew suspiciously "well we come here a lot, so maybe it's you that I should be surprised to see?" Just as she finished speaking, she was caught up by an older man and a young girl. Edith turned to them briefly and smiled. "And who do we have here?" She asked, gesturing to Matthew, who had now already stood from his seat.
Mary moved around the table to stand beside Matthew as she made the introduction. "Matthew, this is my sister Edith and-"
"Lady Edith" Edith quickly correctly, holding out her hand for Matthew to take, which he quickly obliged to.
Mary smiled tightly, placing a gentle hand on Matthew's forearm to let him know he could let go of her hand now. "My sister Edith, her husband Colin and step-daughter Imogen," Mary finished her introduction that had previously been interrupted with her sister's lack of modesty. "And this is Matthew."
Matthew leant forward to shake Colin's hand, he now remembered both his and Edith's face from the wedding, however they hadn't actually met. "Are you here for a late lunch also?" He asked, now offering his hand to young Imogen, who couldn't have been any older than 12 by his estimation. Imogen looked down at his hand for a moment before lightly placing hers within his. Mary smiled at the gesture, recognising Imogen's initial shock. Children in high society usually were overlooked in introductions, unless they were young enough to be cooed at or old enough to match-make.
"Oh heavens no" Edith answered Matthews's question, "we always lunch at a proper time. Colin was on the golf course and Imogen and I decided to come and join him for some afternoon tea, didn't we Immie?" Imogen rolled her eyes, barely looking at her step-mother which prompted another smirk from Mary. "So what brings the two of you out here?" She looked from Mary to Matthew and back to Mary again.
"Oh, Mary took me out to see her horses." Mary had opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she heard Matthew answer, she stepped a little closer towards him, her arm now brushing against his.
"She did, did she?" Edith rose her eyebrows in surprise. "Well you must feel honoured. Mary, is this the same 'Matthew' Sybil was telling me of, the one you met at the wedding?"
Mary now spoke more stiffly, "of course it is."
"And pictured out on the town together last night?" Edith meddled. Matthew shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other; he knew from conversations he'd had with Mary that she and Edith didn't get on and he could now sense that he was about to be in the middle of something.
Mary sighed with exasperation "what are you getting at Edith?"
Edith help her hands up in defence, smiling widely, "oh nothing, nothing. Honestly. I'm just shocked that's all."
"Shocked?"
"Of course. Twice in the same week? That's quite unheard of for you. I thought you liked to keep your options more open than that."
Mary squeezed her fists, trying to contain the anger she felt towards her sister. She took a deep breath to reply, but again heard Matthew speak up beside her. "More than twice actually." He grinned down at Edith and then at Mary. Mary smiled a little back at him and instantly began to calm down; Matthew seemed to recognise what her sister was doing and he wasn't about to be a pawn in her game.
Edith covered her shock with another fake toothy smile, looking between the pair of them "well, I suppose I should wish you luck Matthew, after all you'll need it with her." Matthew was about to reply when Mary placed a hand on his arm, signalling for him to leave it there, shaking her head a little when he looked down at her and without another word spoken, Edith and her family had moved towards a table at the other side of the room.
Without removing her hand from Matthews's arm, Mary looked up at him, gauging his reaction. "So... That was my sister." Her tone was flat and she tried to smile up at him, but Matthew could see she was clearly worried about what had been said. He took her hand in his and walked her around the table, holding her seat out for her. She quietly sat down and watched carefully as he sat opposite her. "Matthew, Edith... She says things and-"
Matthew shook his head, "believe me, I've heard so many things this last week from people close to me. Something your sister says, who I know you don't get on with, is hardly going to put me off."
Matthew's words were supposed to assure her that he wasn't listening to anyone else's option on her, other than his own, but he could tell instantly that he maybe should have chosen his words more carefully. "What kind of things have you heard?" Her voice was quite, her eyes wide like a deer.
Matthew shifted uncomfortably "just things about you... And men and... Look it's just my closest friends and my mother being protective that's all, I don't-"
"You mother!?" Mary's voice, still low, but now sharp and quick. She groaned, unable to put into words even for herself why that panicked her so much.
"Mary," Matthew reached for her hand across the table. She hooked two of her fingers over his, her eyes fixed on their joined hands. "I didn't listen to their opinions. I don't care what they-"
"But you should care Matthew. I care; your mother, your friends. It matters what they think if we're going to continue." She squeezed his hand a little before releasing it and placing both of hers in her lap under the table. "I think there are a few things I need to share with you." She looked up at him, suddenly determined to share her past with him.
"Mary, you don't need to, not here." He whispered, leaning over the table.
But Mary only nodded "I do. If I don't speak now, I don't know when I'll get the confidence to do it again and I need you to... No, I want you to know."
Matthew's mouth curved into a small smile "ok."