A/N Oh dear, there may be a little forshadowing of daring doo in this chapter. Sir Richard gets a rather interesting piece of information and someone is taken ill. It's all very upsetting. If you have ice cream, now is the time to break open the tub! (I know I have!)

Thank you to everyone for bearing with me whilst the site has tried to drive me even further around the twist than I already am. I do apologise for not responding as promptly as I would like, but I will get to it. I do so appreciate your support and comments.

Enjoy. x

"But how?" Matthew asked, still astounded by his friend's admission.

"After Edith refused me I went to India really just to get as much distance between us as possible. I expect I was being a little childish about it."

Matthew nodded, that was a feeling he could understand.

"While I was out there I met up with a few old school buddies and got recruited I suppose." James continued.

"You just fell in to being a spy?" Matthew said sceptically.

"Well not fell in as such, but it wasn't as difficult as you might think, and we don't use the word spy."

"I see. And does Edith know about this alter ego of yours?"

James had the good grace to look sheepish. "No, and I don't want her to. Truth is I don't really think I'm that cut out for it. It would put her in too much danger and I would be away for most of the time. That wouldn't be fair. So I spoke to the powers that be to get them to release me from my covenants."

"And?"

"And for one thing Edith nearly caught me which kind of says something about the kind of operative I am!" He said ruefully. "For another it seems gaining ones liberty is not as easy as you would think. So, I agreed to do this one last job, with the added bonus that it will help out Lady Sybil."

"In return they will allow you to return to a nice civilian position in the foreign office?"

"Exactly."

Matthew shook his head. "There must be another way? To actually go into the lion's den as it were?"

"They will pull me out once I have the information. Then we can all go home and life will return to normal."

"Have you ever done anything like this before?" Matthew asked.

James again looked a little uncomfortable. "Not exactly like this no…"

"It seems a hell of a risk. How will they know if you are in trouble?"

James shrugged. "It's just how it works."

A look of determination came into Matthew's eye. "I am coming with you."

His friend started. "No! You have Mary and the children to think of. It might turn out to be devilish dangerous."

"If I go back and have to face Mary and Edith without you or Sybil it's going to be a damned sight more dangerous trust me!"

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"Two of us are less likely to get stuck than one, that's the way I see it. I won't take no for an answer. She is Mary's sister, Michael's mother and we need to get her out of there, if this is the way to do it quickly then it needs to be done."

Richard Carlisle had barely stopped pacing since the conversation with his Cecily. He was not embarrassed, far from it. Of course Rosamund had been livid.

It was an absurd situation really. He had been genuinely surprised when years after the debacle with Mary; he had been invited to the same event as Lady Rosamund and had received a surprisingly warm reception. The woman was lonely, of that there was no doubt, but she was also no fool. Her family, her brother and her mother the Dowager Countess, would never ever accept him back into the fold, and Rosamund cared too much for her standing in that circle. If he was practical, he would say that a distinct lack of male company following the war had been her main motivator, for his part there were enough mannerisms and familial resemblances to Mary for his attention to be drawn. So he had continued with his plans to marry Cecily, but he and Rosamund had grown to become unlikely friends. Despite what his wife may have thought, it was purely a platonic relationship and he supposed, possibly even because of that, he had unwittingly become fond of the woman. He found her company less irksome that his wife's, which is why he chose to spend most of his time in London at Eaton Square. Not to say that there were not other companions who provided for different needs.

But now he had been agitated. That Stevens should approach Cecily and involve her in his business had made him angry enough, but there would be time to deal with that later. Crawley and Lansdowne had travelled to Belfast, no doubt with the intent of obtaining Lady Sybil's release. That was interesting in itself, and he had already despatched a number of operatives in the country to investigate the story on behalf of the newspaper. It was not that which had sent him into this fit of activity. It was the rumour, and he had to concede it was nothing more than a rumour at best, but Stevens had overheard that Lady Mary had taken a lover. The name of the gentleman was unknown, but one of the servants had been overheard speaking to Lansdowne, and of course the Downton gossip mill had gone into overdrive. News had soon reached the kitchen and indeed nursery of Crawley house. It did not take much to put two and two together and assume that the valet was warning the gentleman concerned that he may be discovered.

Richard slapped a fist into his hand. So that was why James Lansdowne had been hanging around Downton. It had seemed unlikely that a man like him would be interested in a little thing like Lady Edith, so Mary had been his real prize, and right under Crawley's nose too. He had to find out more, but he couldn't do anything from here. There was something to be admired in Lansdowne's gall though, to go off to Ireland with his lover's husband, but then in his business a conscience would be a decided disadvantage.

Still, what was most interesting about this little snippet, should it prove to be true, then it could only mean one thing, Lady Mary was not happy in her marriage and that was very intriguing indeed.

Mary had not been the only Lady in Crawley house to be feeling unwell. As the days wore on, Anna increasingly found herself becoming tired. She had long since been relieved of the more strenuous elements of her job, their remit now fell squarely on the shoulders of Smith, but still, the long hours and strains of the last few weeks were beginning to take their toll.. Anna was determined to continue until a new lady's maid had been found; however, John Bates was becoming increasingly concerned for her health and that of their child.

"You really have got to stop." He said for the umpteenth time.

Anna smiled quietly. "You know I can't leave her now. With Mr Matthew being away and trying to find a new position for Sarah, not to mention with her Ladyship expecting again…"

"She is not the only one with a baby on the way or had you forgotten?" He said placing his hands either side of her shoulders and making her look at him.

"I haven't forgotten." She admonished, "But you understand that she needs me?"

"That's as may be, but you have to put yourself first, the baby needs you to take care of yourself." He looked into her eyes to emphasis the point. "You have our child to consider and you are overdoing things. I know you Anna Bates you will work yourself to death rather than feel you are letting Lady Mary down, but she must realise, you both must realise, it is becoming too much?"

"I am fine, really." She said giving him a small kiss on the lips.

But unfortunately she wasn't fine and not two days later she was helping Lady Mary dress when the world suddenly she gasped and grasped her stomach.

"Goodness Anna are you all right, you look as though you had seen a ghost!" Mary said as her maid wobbled. She took her arm and guided her towards the bed.

"I'm sorry my lady…" Anna began.

"Nonsense." Mary interrupted. "You are really quite unwell. I shall send for Dr Clarkson immediately."

"No…" Anna said getting to her feet, only to have the pain resume. She sat down again.

"You will stay where you are." Mary said firmly, as she rang the bell.

It was a few moments before Smith arrived, quite flustered at being summoned to her Ladyship's room after so long in exile downstairs.

"Could you ask Moseley to telephone for Mr Clarkson? Then run to Downton and fetch Mr Bates."

Smith took in the pale woman seated on the bed and the imposing figure of Lady Mary who was currently pouring Anna a glass of water.

"Well don't just stand there!" Mary snapped.

In a trice Smith was gone on her errand of mercy.

"I'm afraid her blood pressure is really too high." Dr Clarkson said to Mary and Bates after he had examined the patient. "I would suggest complete bed rest for a day or two and then she will still need to takes things easy a good deal. I think the time may have come for her to be at home rather than work."

"That's what I have been telling her Doctor Clarkson." Bates said. "She had been complaining of headaches. Will she be all right?"

The Doctor nodded sagely. "I believe if we can just get her to keep still then with luck her symptoms will lessen."

Mary nodded wringing her hands as the Doctor patted Bates on the shoulder and left.

"I had no idea she was even unwell." Mary said, more to herself than anyone else.

"She didn't want to let you down." Bates replied. It was not an accusation, more a statement of fact.

"Classic Anna." Mary said with a small smile. "If you speak to Moseley he will arrange for the car to take the both of you home and I am sure Papa will want you to take a few days to care for her… Is there anything else I can do?" Mary said almost distractedly.

"No my lady. Thank you." Bates said.

She nodded and made her way back into the bedroom while Lord Grantham's valet made his way downstairs.

Anna was lying on Lady Mary's bed; she moved to get up as her mistress entered.

"Stay where you are." Mary said, motioning her to lie down.

"I am most dreadfully sorry my lady." Anna said, although she did as she was told.

"Don't be silly, it is I who should be sorry for heaping so many of my own troubles on you. The car will take you home and then you are under strict orders to stay in bed and do as little as possible."

"My lady…"

"I won't hear of anything else. I dare say I can manage without you and it won't do me any harm at all." She said with a smile.

As Lady Mary watched the car pull away, she couldn't help but feel concerned for Anna, and also desperately sorry that she had not insisted the maid finish her duties earlier. She supposed she relied on her too heavily. She instinctively looked down at her own flat stomach and wondered how she would feel in Anna's position. She supposed she had been quite lucky, but it made her desperately long even more for Matthew to come home.