Author Note (added 31st October): No Updates till December now guys as I am crazy enough to do Nano once more. Have a good November all!
Chapter 21: The News
Matthew looked at Mary with apprehension. It had not been so long since there had been tension between the two of them but she did not think there had been this nervous energy between them since they had been at her sisters coming out ball. She liked it being between them.
"I am sorry I have been so quiet over the past couple of days but you gave me a lot to think over," he begun in the way that he did not want too, cursing himself. He had so wanted this to be about the future and not the past.
He had dwelt to long on it already and he did not want to give her the wrong idea – he wanted them to start over. "But I am done now and I find I am not altered. I love you still."
A tear dribbled on to her cheek as he revealed himself to her for the first time. She had felt she had been a lot more honest about the way she was feeling than he had been.
But she knew she had hurt him. But then they had both done that...
"You do?"
"Mary, you are a difficult woman. You are hard to read and you are contrary. I don't know who you are from one day to the next at times. But when you walk into the room... Mary," he said as he moved closer to her, knowing that sweet nothings really were nothing at all to her and that was not and had never been the way to her heart.
Bending down to kiss her he let a small smile play on his lips. He had wanted to do this for so long...
"If I had known what was going to come then, you have to know, I would have waited forever," she whispered, as she shook her head, "there has not been a day since I did what I did that I have not regretted it. Matthew, it meant nothing whereas we mean – we mean everything me, you do," she said and he did not need to hear any more.
"I want you, you want me. So marry me and be done with it."
Knowing right then she would live with him if he lived in the smallest hovel in the world; she leant in and kissed him.
"Does this mean that we are engaged?" he asked her and he held her body close.
"Yes please."
XXX
As soon as they left the room, Sybil and her mother were the people she knew she had to tell first. She run through the house with Matthew hand in hand for she did not want to lose the connection the two of them had at that moment – the moment she was going to look back in later life as the moment she and Matthews life together begun.
"Mama!" she called as they went up the stairs knowing, she was going to be in Robert's room. Rather than make Miss Burrows work all day she had said she was going to watch her son for a lot of the day, though the nurse stood in the corner tidying the young master clothes away. It was not as if she was yet enough part of the servants family to enjoy the day with them truly.
Yet Cora had wanted the young master close during his first Christmas.
"What is it Mary, don't-" she had been about to tell her not to shout as to wake her baby brother but when she saw the two of them were hand in hand, she knew everything had changed and she did not have the heart to scold her.
She had had no idea her husband's cousin was coming up to see them so early and she knew there could only be one reason why he had when she saw her daughters face.
"Oh my darling!" she said as she saw her and they embraced.
"Mama!"
"Matthew?"
"Cousin Cora, I know I should have really come to you," he said as he watched his fiancée in her mother's arms... "But..." he had no explanation. He had not wanted to go to her. He had only cared for Mary when he had struck up the courage.
And from what Mary had told him, her mother knew what had gone on so no doubt she would be more than happy for the two of them to be together. She knew what a long road they had trod.
"Oh, don't be silly!" she said as she held on to her child. "Does this what I think it means?"
Producing the ring he had given on her, which was already on her finger, Mary could barely contain the joy she was feeling.
"You're going to be married!"
"Yes, we are!"
It had been everything Cora had wanted to hear for so long. She had longed for her daughter to be settled. And not only because she had feared for her reputation – but she did not think she had ever wanted someone to be so happy. Mary deserved it after everything.
"Oh, I am so, so happy for you my darlings!" she said as she cried.
It was the best news she had got for what felt years.
Throwing her arms about Matthew once she had realised her daughter, she felt tears run down her face as she laughed. She had so needed good news that day.
The past few months had been so tiresome and lonely. And yet for the news her first born was to marry she felt just a little less alone.
"Your dear father is going to be so pleased when he returns – you must try and ring him, get him on the telephone."
She so, so wanted him to be there at that moment – "this is going to lift his spirits no end."
Her mind went in to over drive as she wondered if the two of them should wait until the war came to an end to the war to wed.
Of course, if the two of them were to wait then the ceremony could be a lot grander, as befitted the heir to an estate such as Downton. And she knew when the war did come to a close, there were going to be a lot of people who were looking for an excuse to have a celebration.
The marriage of a an Earls daughter was going to be a wonderful reason to do that thought Cora, but then she felt stupid. The ending of a war (and one as brutal as the one they had see) was going to give the people all the reason they needed.
Of course, if she were to say such a thing out loud when she knew she was going to be told that the two of them did not want to take the day away from the soldiers. They were the ones who really had the right to celebrate when all this came to an end.
When the day came when they could go back to their mothers and their wife's and their sweethearts.
Anyway, the truth was all none of that mattered that Christmas day.
The only thing in the world that did matter was the fact the two of them had at last come to understanding.
They were going to be wed. When her title passed on it was going to go to her daughter. Her money was going to go to her daughter and better than all of that, her daughter was going to be an aromatically fulfilled woman.
What mother could ask for more?
XXX
Edith had been in the library with Sybil when she had heard the laughter coming from the hall. It had been a very long time since either of them had heard such a sound in their house. In fact, the last time they had heard it their father had been there for it their mother who was laughing.
"What's going on?" asked Sybil, as the two of them went out in to the reception room. Not only had they heard the laughter but there had also been a knock at the door.
Turning, Sybil saw that Isobel had been the one who had arrived.
She looked as if she was as jittery as a deb at her first ball. When she had come here she had been expected news – that much was clear, and as soon as the two youngest Crawley girls looked at their sister and their mother they knew what the news was.
And so Edith had to admit at last she had lost – and yet it did not hurt as much as she had thought it was going to – for she had the letters from Anthony and a promise of a future with him.
It was Christmas day – it was a time to forgive – and so she was going to be gracious. The day when her turn came was not going to be too far away now.
"Congratulations," smiled Edith with a smile and she felt all eyes turn on her. It had been the last thing they had thought he was going to say to her.
"Thank you Edith." Her sister nodded and she could tell that appreciated what had said.
"If only your father was here then he would be so proud of the two of you today – of the three of you – four of you," said Cora as she looked from her eldest girls to her youngest and then to Matthew.
From where she stood opposite her, she saw Isobel was in tears. The two of them with their mothers intuition had known for a long me there children were right for one another.
And with that all of them went into the drawing room for tea before dinner.
"All we have to do is wait for granny to get here and the whole party is here!" said Cora – a sentence she knew would have been too painful to say had it not been for the good news she had got.
XXX
"Are those roast potato's out of the oven yet, Daisy?" said Mrs. Patmore as she charged around the kitchen in her stride. To have a nice big meal to cook was a relief. It felt a little more like the days before the war.
"Yes Mrs. Patmore!" said Daisy as she run about the kitchen, having also got the meat out of the oven.
The meal that day had gone well considering how long it had been since the two of them had cooked such a sumptuous meal together - Daisy too found that she was enjoying the process.
It seemed to her that at any moment as if her William could walk through the door looking so handsome in his livery as he prepared to wait at table that night.
She did not think she had ever longed for those days so much as she did at that moment.
But, at least she had a busy kitchen to keep her mind of things.
"It has been that long since I saw you with a smile on your face that I forgot how it looked!" laughed the red headed cook.
"Well, I think it is the rule that we have to be happy on Christmas day, isn't it? And I saw Mr. Bates and Anna out this morning – the two of them look so happy together," she explained.
"Oh, yes, loves young dream is going swimmingly whole the rest of us suffer in this god forsaken war," said Miss O'Brien as she came into the kitchen to hear what the two of them were talking about.
"Loves young dream may at last be going well indeed," said Miss Burrows as she followed in. "you'll never guess who came into the nursery looking as if they were going to burst with happiness while I was in there with young master Robert," she said and looked at them all for answers. The lot of them just looked at her as if she had toffee for brains.
She had come to terms with the fact she had so far been somewhat of an outsider only just having arrived when the war begun but she hoped the news she had for them was going to change all that at last.
"Who was that then?" urged mars Patmore – she was getting impatient needless to say. She had a million and one things to do without playing silly beggers with a nurse maid who seemed to have the day off unlike the rest of them.
"Lady Mary and Mister Matthew!"
That was more than enough to get the rest of them to stop.
"Did the two of them – are the two of them – has it all been settled at last?" asked Mrs. Patmore with a smile on her lips. News like that would be very welcome to the staff at Downton at a time such as that.
It had been so long since the lot of them had had any good news.
"Indeed, it has though none of you are meant to know that yet," said Mr. Carson as he came in to the kitchen with Mrs. Hughes behind him looking as if - well, all her Christmases had come at once. She may not be as devoted to the family as Mr. Carson was but, well, she had seen Lady Mary grow up and she was eager to see the girl happy.
"When you are told by her ladyship late on I trust you will all be very surprised. But yes – at last, it does seem, Lady Mary will be Mister Matthews wife!"
All of the others looked at them with a loving gaze, their eyes misted over. This news had been two years coming after all.
"But even if the two of them are going to be married at a letter date, they do have to eat today so please, please can we get back to work?" said the butler with a raised eye brow.
But as the house keeper looked at him, she knew the only thing he really wanted to do was declare a public holiday.
"A proud father indeed," she said as she followed him in to the office with a smile on her face.
He turned to retort her, he was not Lady Mary's father and he had no right to claim to be, but as he opened his mother deny what she had said he found he could not.
He had sired no children. But yes – that day he was a very proud father indeed.
"Tonight, will you join me in raising a glass to my lady's happiness? Once the duties for the day have been done?" he said to her with hope in her eyes.
It was not as if the two of them did not often have a little tipple together at the end of holidays – but that day had a real importance to him.
"I will be glad too – and congratulations to you too, Mr Carson," she said as she bowed out of the office.
She turned to go down the corridor when she heard her name being called by one of the under house maids.
"What is it?"
"Mr Mason, mam – he is here to see Daisy."
Mr Hughes felt the blood drain from her face.
There would only be one reason for that.
XXX
"Will you ask Susan' Flintshore's girls to be bridesmaids? I think if you do then you should put them behind Edith and Sybil – they will look so very frumpy," Violet Crawley stated as she took tea after her Christmas dinner.
"Granny, I do think I should tell papa I am to be married before I start planning the dresses of the bridesmaid," Mary sighed in response as she sat next to her – her fiancée.
"Quite right – and he is going to be over the moon when he does find out," said Cora – for the hundredth time that day.
"That is unless he with holds his permission," chuckled Isobel – they all knew how unlikely that was.
"Have we any more news on when cousin Robert is to return to us?" Matthew asked.
Now that everything was settled, he did not think he could say how eager he was to see him.
He was more than a cousin to him – he was a father as well as a mentor. And he had to see him to tell him the goods news – this was all any of them had wanted for so long.
But he just – well, he supposed what he really wanted to do was to look him in the eye and tell him how happy he was – and how happy he was going to make sure Mary was.
There was going to be no more Pamuk's, no more mistakes.
Just the two of them; soon to be man and wife.
"He said he is going to be back soon but he has given me no date yet – I have no doubt this news is going to bring him home quicker than he might have come otherwise though." she said with a bright smile.
He could see she hoped that was going to be the case. He had not thought to see Cousin Cora so – halfed.
He had always known the two of them were close, but he could see it on her face as she spoke about him how hard she was finding it to be apart from him.
"Well, we all hope that."
They had all been sitting there when the door opened. It was Carson – and yet the look he had on his face changed the mood in the room immediately.
He had not wanted to say anything until the next evening but he did not feel it was right to keep the family in the dark, even on this of all days.
It would be a discredit to William... to William's memory.
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