Chapter Twenty-One
Matthew blinked tiredly as he heard the front door open and shut, the sound of Tom's raucous laughter filtering through Matthew's ajar bedroom door. Sybil's quieter voice mixed with Tom's laughs, making Matthew aware to her presence. He wished it was Mary rather than Sybil, despite his fondness for his girlfriend's little sister. But he'd seen his flatmate's girlfriend more than his own, something he found terribly annoying and frustrating. Even more disheartening was Mary's apparent acquiescence on the matter. As she told him the week before (over the phone), they were both busy with school and Matthew worked nearly every day, so he couldn't expect to see her very often.
"Regardless of how ever much I might want to?" he'd asked during their last conversation.
Mary had laughed at his words, but Matthew had been serious. He hated seeing Sybil more than Mary, not that it was Sybil's fault. He knew that he largely only had himself to blame, although Mary had plenty on her plate. While she filled out applications for her final year internship, Matthew was busy preparing for his own life after university.
"I just want to say 'hello' to Matthew," Sybil's voice drew nearer. A light rap on his open door pulled Matthew's eyes up from the page he'd been reading. "Matthew?"
"Hello, Sybil," Matthew said, trying to mask the fatigue in his eyes with a quick smile.
"I hope we're not disturbing you," Sybil told him, brushing her hair out of her eyes.
"Not at all," Matthew replied with a half-truth. She was only such a distraction as to remind him so much of Mary.
"Have you seen Mary lately?" she asked. "She keeps promising to have brunch with me, but I feel like I keep getting thrown under the bus."
"It's been a few days," he admitted. "We just can't seem to be free at the same time."
"She is quite the busy bee. Apparently all the places she's applied for internships have called her in for interviews," Sybil said conversationally.
Matthew clenched his teeth together at this news. How long had it been since he'd spoken with Mary? Surely all this hadn't happened in the mere three days since they'd last seen each other?
"Isn't it great?" he questioned, feigning knowledge that he didn't have. "Actually, I was just heading there now," Matthew fabricated, gathering some of his books up along with his laptop. "Any messages for her?"
"Oh, just tell her to text me," Sybil said with a smile. "Have a good night."
Once she'd returned to Tom, Matthew sent Mary a text telling her he was coming over, gathering up some clothes for himself. He doubted she'd have any objections unless she was cross about something. By the time he'd packed all his things, Mary still hadn't responded, but he decided to head to her flat anyway. He had a key and anywhere was better as long as he didn't have to listen to Tom argue with Sybil over what movie to watch.
Mary folded her hands in her lap, anxiously waiting to be called in for her final interview of the day. The internship was for an assistant position at a growing magazine in the west of the city. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't nervous. After all, it was her sixth interview that day, so it wasn't as though she hadn't done it before. But unlike the others, Mary knew this magazine was the internship she wanted to get. It was the one that could jump start her career. One that could take her all over the world.
And she had to get it on merit alone.
She pulled her mobile from her handbag to check the time before she recalled that it had died two interviews ago. That's what she got for forgetting to charge it the night before and spending an hour and a half on a call with her mother that morning, as Cora had tried to offer her advice on her outfit as well as interview tips. Although it had been years since Cora had gone to a job interview, so Mary wondered if her mother could really be that helpful.
"Just smile and be yourself," Cora had suggested. Mary had responded with a laugh. "Okay, so be nicer than your usual self."
That was sound advice, at least. She knew almost every person she knew would agree with Cora's words. Especially Matthew.
Mary sighed in the waiting room, wishing she had charged her mobile if only to be able to text Matthew. It had been days since they'd seen each other or even spoken, which was increasingly wearing. He'd worked late the night before and Mary had been asleep before his shift even ended. She vaguely wondered if she had time to place a paid call to Matthew from the phonebox she'd seen coming into the building.
"Mary?" the administrative assistant called, looking up from his computer screen. "Ms. Hart will see you now."
She got to her feet, plastering a smile on her face before heading into the meeting.
After the twenty minute bus ride, complete with screaming children and angry tourists, Matthew arrived at Mary's flat. He knocked on the door, expecting her answer, but received none. A little annoyed, he retrieved his key and let himself into the dark flat that seemed to be empty. Matthew sighed to himself, flicking on a few lights before settling on the sofa. He pulled out the book he'd been studying earlier, his thoughts unable to focus as his eyes kept flicking to his silent mobile resting on the coffee table. He had no idea where Mary was, and the fact that she hadn't contacted him all day was frustrating, although not unusual.
Three-quarters of an hour passed without Mary's arrival, much to Matthew's dissatisfaction. His mobile remained dormant, although he did find himself staring at it for extended periods of time, as though willing it to light up with a text or call from Mary.
"Good God, where is she?" Matthew muttered, turning another page of his textbook.
As though a response to his question, the lock on the door rotated as she turned her now unnecessary key and the sound of Mary's voice came through the wood.
"What on earth?" She pushed the door open, meeting Matthew's eyes with a look of surprise. "Darling, I didn't know you were coming over," she said, walking over to the sofa and bending down to kiss him quickly.
"I sent you a text," he said, unable to keep the annoyance off his face.
"My mobile's been dead all day," Mary explained, raising her eyebrows at his glum expression.
"Where were you anyway?" Matthew questioned as she headed for her bedroom, untucking her blouse from her black skirt as she walked.
"I had interviews today. For the internship applications," she replied, pausing at the doorway as she glanced at him. "I thought I mentioned them to you."
"You haven't talked to me for a few days," he muttered, feeling extremely bitter. "And why is it that Sybil knows more about your life than I do? I suppose congratulations are in order over the brilliant prospects for your internship?"
Mary sighed, leaning against the door frame as she crossed her arms. "Everything happened so fast, I'm sorry," she said, an edge to her voice. Matthew looked away, deciding that she didn't sound very sorry. He frowned as he looked down at his textbook. "Matthew, why can't you just be happy for me?"
"I am," he retorted, jaw clenched. "Don't I sound happy?"
"No, you sound cross," Mary said before shuffling into the bedroom.
He listened as she moved about the room, opening her closet and shuffling clothes about. After a few minutes she returned to the front room, catching Matthew's gaze as she padded barefoot to the kitchen. She'd changed into a pair of shorts and a lace camisole, which Matthew admired in spite of himself as she opened the refrigerator and searched for something to eat. She bent over, causing his throat to go dry and his heart to jump involuntarily. He looked away just as she turned to face him, a leftover container in her hand. He hoped she didn't notice how red his ears had gone.
"Are you hungry?" she asked, her voice hard. "I have pasta from last night."
"Did you make dinner for your other boyfriend?"
Mary snorted. "Yes, and he's actually much nicer to me than you are," was her sarcastic reply. Matthew glanced at her. "Perhaps I'll start seeing him exclusively." She arched an eyebrow at him as she moved the pasta to a glass container before placing it in the microwave.
"Mm, good luck to him," Matthew murmured, pretending to be engrossed in his textbook once more. Mary didn't respond, although Matthew heard her sigh as she retrieved plates from the cupboard.
The timer on the microwave went off and Mary silently filled one of the plates as Matthew continued to stare at the book on his lap. She took the empty spot on the sofa and Matthew felt her eyes on him as she ate without speaking to him. He turned the page for something to do, despite the fact that he read none of the words before him. Feeling as though her gaze was burning a hole in his skull, he finally met her eyes as she set the plate aside.
"What?" he asked.
"Are you cross because I didn't tell you about the interviews?" she questioned, drawing her leg up and folding her hands over her knee.
Matthew looked away from her distracting posture that left very little to the imagination. He frowned as he tried to process his emotions into words.
"I feel very insignificant," he muttered at last, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "It's almost like you don't need me."
"Oh, Matthew," she said after a moment, shifting closer to him on the sofa. "Of course I do."
He scoffed. "You don't need me," Matthew sighed, meeting her determined gaze.
She tilted her head to the side as she regarded him, her eyebrows knitting together. Mary didn't speak, but instead moved forward to kiss him, resting her hand on the back of his neck as her fingers brushed through his hair. Matthew held his breath as he kissed her, his hand resting on her thigh, feeling the softness of her leg beneath his fingertips. Her lips moved more frantically against his as she slid off the sofa and into his lap, her teeth tugging on his bottom lip as her other hand caressed his cheek.
"Now do you believe me?" she murmured, her forehead pressing against his as she finally pulled her lips away, drawing a few ragged breaths.
He broke into a begrudging smile, his fingers playing with the hem of her camisole before touching the small of her back. "You do offer a rather convincing argument, but I may need more evidence to sway the final verdict," he whispered, bringing a smile to her lips.
"Well, allow me to make my closing statements," Mary replied, tracing her index finger across his jaw before her fingers tangled in his hair again.
Matthew sighed as their lips met, enjoying the sensation of her fingernails grazing across his scalp, a shiver running down his spine. She pressed against him and Matthew clutched the skin at her waist, anxious to remove any space between their bodies.
"And what's the final ruling?" she breathed, her lips hot against his. She leaned back, pushing a lock of hair away from his forehead. "Do you believe that I want you?"
Matthew smiled, his hands still at her waist as he enjoyed the heat from her skin. "I think want and need are two very different things, my love," he replied.
"Don't be such a smart-ass," she murmured, lightly brushing her lips against his neck. "You need to shave," she admonished, pulling back as she ran her thumb against the stubble on Matthew's cheek.
"I was too worried about our relationship this morning to bother," he joked, but the words caused Mary to wrinkle her nose in annoyance. "No, really, I'm afraid it's only going to get worse in our last year. When will we ever find the time to see one another?"
"You'll just have to move in," she said plainly.
Matthew raised his eyebrows, surprised by her words. "How will Tom make the rent on his own?"
"Oh, can't you just pretend you live there? You know how much better we get along when we see each other every day," Mary replied.
"You mean every night," he teased, shifting his hands further beneath her shirt.
"You're not wrong," she whispered, lightly touching her lips to his. "So, how about it?"
"Won't my unkempt ways annoy you? You're always so orderly," Matthew replied.
"I suppose you'll have to be reformed, won't you?"
"I'd like to see you try," he challenged.
Mary arched an eyebrow again, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
"You know how persuasive I can be," she murmured, her fingers moving through his hair.
"And you know how much of an arse I can be," he replied, brushing his thumb along her rib cage. Her body tensed at his touch.
"Clearly," Mary breathed, bringing her lips to his ear. She grasped his earlobe between her teeth, causing a sigh to escape from Matthew's lips.
"God, I love you," he whispered, causing Mary to pull back slightly.
"Of course you do," she retorted, drawing her index finger across his jaw and lightly down his neck. Matthew chuckled, reaching up to clasp his fingers around her hand, pulling it away from his face.
"Mary, I mean it," Matthew said emphatically. He pressed his lips to each of her knuckles to emphasize his words. "I love you. So terribly much."
She took a deep breath before responding, as though she was shaken by his emotion.
"Are you getting sentimental on me, Matthew Crawley?" Mary teased in an attempt to lighten the mood, but he could tell she was trying to hide her own feelings.
"That's something no one could accuse you of," Matthew said with a small smile. He paused expectantly as he waited for her to respond more satisfactorily.
Mary frowned, her nose wrinkling ever so slightly, a mannerism Matthew found more adorable with each occurrence. "You know how I feel," she sighed. "Why must you be such a pest about it?"
"Don't play with me. I don't deserve it. Not from you," Matthew said, smirking.
Mary rolled her eyes. "I love you," she said, her voice soft as she spoke. She pressed a kiss to each of his eyelids before leaning her forehead against his. "Satisfied?" she purred, linking her fingers at the nape of his neck.
"Immensely," was his gentle reply. She smiled again before touching her lips to his, causing Matthew to draw a ragged breath as she pushed him down on the sofa seat. He had one fleeting idea before Mary's kisses pushed every thought from his mind.
I'm going to marry her.
Thank you so very much for reading! I really appreciate all your thoughtful reviews and excitement over this fic and the response I've gotten has continued to inspire me to write this. Please forgive me for the shortness of this chapter (especially compared to the previous one). And the cliffhanger. I love you all, I promise.
Downton quotes are italicized.
Thoughts?