Previously: Violet patted him on the chest. "Well ask her. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. You know a husband and wife should not go to bed angry at each other. My husband and I lived by that rule and we had a good marriage, mind you it was not always a well rested one. Now give me a kiss like a good grandson so I can go home"

-0-

Violet leaned back in her seat. She had done all she could. You can get two lovers into bed but you cannot make them talk. That was up to them.

Matthew watched the auto head down the drive. Without conscious decision he started walking after it. Walk to the train station and catch the next train south. To be sure he'd be travelling in his dinner clothes but so what? He dared anyone to say anything. He was escaping. Escaping what he could not say. But escape he must. He walked on.

He looked up at the sky as he walked. The sky was so clear here. He had never seen the Milky Way as such a bright belt of stars across the heavens in London or Manchester. Then he saw it, the bent 'V' of the Andromeda constellation. He stopped and stared at it. Then he turned around and looked at the Abbey. There was light in one of the windows on the family floor. He shivered. He was escaping but how would Andromeda escape if he ran away? The dread loomed up around him 'don't go back, it'll be your doom' and he felt the urge to turn and resume his flight. But then he thought of her. If doom awaited then it would be their doom together. He started walking back to the Abbey.

-0-

As Matthew approached the great door Carson swung it open.

As he walked through Matthew asked "Lady Mary?"

"Her ladyship has retired for the night" Carson answered.

Instead of heading up the stairs Matthew walked into the drawing room. Carson followed.

"Please take a seat" Matthew gestured at one of the armchairs beside the fireplace.

Carson looked bemused but he sat down. Matthew went to the sideboard and splashed some cognac into two snifters. He handed one to Carson and then sat down himself.

Matthew swirled his drink and inhaled the rich aroma. In a low voice Carson had to strain to hear Matthew said "It would be nice to able to offer brandy and whisky in addition to port after dinner."

Looking up from his drink Matthew asked "Is there any room in the Abbey's wine cellars?"

"There is quite a bit your Lordship, the cellars became somewhat depleted during the war, and given the circumstances they have not been replenished."

"Excellent, I'm having a few bottles shipped here next week." More like two lorries full Matthew thought but remembering Bert's injunction to lead like Col. Blake he did not tell Carson this, instead he just said "I'm sure you can fit them in somewhere."

Matthew continued "I was glad to hear that you had agreed to escort Lady Mary and her sister to the altar next Saturday."

"I am honoured to do so." Carson stared at Matthew "I have the greatest regard and affection for Lady Mary and her sister."

"As do I Carson, as do I" Matthew held up his glass in salute and Carson followed. "To Lady Mary and her sister". The men drained their glasses.

Matthew put his glass down on the end table and stood up, Carson followed suit. "I'm glad that's settled. Goodnight Carson"

"Goodnight your Lordship." Carson watched Matthew walk up the stairs. He agreed that something had been settled although what the exact terms of settlement were he could not say. One term was clear though, Downton Abbey had a new lord and master. As he turned off the lights for the night Carson ran through his mental inventory of the estate's crystal; he needed three matching decanters for the port, brandy and whisky for the dining room's sideboard.

-0-

Mary sat at her vanity. She was too anxious to have Anna hovering about her like a hummingbird. "That will be all tonight Anna."

"But I haven't braided your hair yet your Ladyship" Anna was worried about her mistress, Lady Mary was so tense she seemed to be vibrating. "Can I get you anything, a headache powder perhaps?"

"No thank you Anna, I am fine." Mary looked at in the mirror Anna and smiled. "Go to bed"

After Anna left Mary stared at herself in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair and then shook her head. Not a good look. She picked up her brush and started brushing. Maybe she should have had Anna braid it but then again Edith had told her men like a woman's hair down. And Grannie had told her to put some perfume behind her ears and at the base of her throat and so she did. After thinking about it for a moment she put some between her breasts.

She put on a wrap and went into the hall to wait for Matthew to come up the stairs. Her plan was to wait until Matthew had gone to his bedroom, give him time to change into his pyjamas and then knock on his door. She knew Molesley would not be there, Anna had told her Matthew had dismissed his valet for the night after he had dressed for dinner. But waiting for Matthew taxed her resolution. Where was he? What was taking him so long?

She had almost given up when she heard him on the stairs. She scurried back to her room and turned off her light. She leaned against her closed door, panting. Five minutes should do it. She started counting 'one one thousand, two one thousand...'

-0-

As he undressed Matthew had at first started to put his things away as he done since he was a little boy but then he stopped, might as well let Moseley earn his keep. He put on his pyjamas, a well worn flannel set in the Nac Mac Feegle tartan, warm because he thought these grand old houses could get chilly and draughty on these early autumn nights, garish because well..he had not anticipated attending an assignation in them.

He put on the matching robe and then sat down on the edge of the bed and thought about what Violet, he smiled to himself, he was starting to think of her as 'Grannie', had suggested, nay commanded, him to do. Crawl in bed with Mary. And talk. Just ask and Mary would throw back the covers. He shook his head, no he didn't think she would, maybe back in her wilder days he thought with a pang, but not now. It would probably take most of his store of talk to get into her bed, there wouldn't be much left in the tank to say the things he had to say to her. That he loved her. That they could work it out. Then he remembered Bert's advice. When words run out kiss her. A kiss is worth a thousand words. Kiss her he could. Kiss her he would. He stood up.

-0-

By the time he made it to the main staircase Matthew's purposeful advance to Mary's bedroom bogged down in the morass of his ignorance. He didn't know which one was Mary's bedroom! What to do, what to do?

That way was the nursery. He could wake up Sybil, tell her to 'go find Mama'. Might work, although if it did he'd have to share Mary with Sybil. And the kisses wouldn't be the same, good, but different.

Maybe ring for Carson, flap the unflappable. 'Show me the way to paradise Carson' 'This way your Lordship' Better keep that one in reserve.

He could just start knocking on doors. Other than Sybil and Beth in the nursery he didn't think there was anyone else on this floor. But what if there was? What if Anna had the room next to Mary's? If Mary thought he had taken liberties by talking to Anna this afternoon he could imagine what she would think if she found him knocking on her maid's bedroom's door. Better not go there.

He could just start calling her name. 'Mary, Mary. Where are you?' She might answer. Someone else might answer. Someone who might ask 'what in the hell are you doing?' No.

Matthew's reductio ad absurdum left him wandering the halls, stopping at each door, listening, looking for clues. He knew Sherlock Holmes would be able to deduce which room was Mary's by the wear in the nap of the carpet or some such but he couldn't. His search lead him to the suite of separate bedrooms, the source of today's sourness. He went into the master's bedroom and turned on the light. He closed the door behind him. He sat on the bed. He bounced up and down. Still as unyielding as when he had had his nap this afternoon. He laid down and put his hands behind his head. As he stared at the ceiling he wondered when tomorrow he could steal Mary away for a talk.

-0-

Mary kept losing count. Which was not that big a problem as she did not really know how many seconds there were in five minutes anyway. The times table had always vexed her. She wished she had a clock which glowed in the dark. When she thought five minutes had gone by, could have been five seconds, could have been five hours, but it felt like five minutes, she cracked the door open and peeked out. Matthew was in his robe and pyjamas. He was coming down the hall!

She quietly shut the door and leaned on it. Unwanted memories of the last time a man in night clothes had knocked on her bedroom door lashed her. She fought down the bile rising in her throat. This was Matthew, her love, not that...

She waited for his knock.

And waited.

And waited.

Why was Matthew not knocking? Where was he?

She opened her door. She looked both ways. No one was there.

Had he lost his nerve? Had he gone back to his room? She had to talk to him. She started towards Matthew's bedroom. She knew she could not stop, if she stopped she would lose her nerve and run back to her room. She had to talk to him. She continued on.

Matthew was not in his room. Where was he? Had he gone downstairs? She headed back to her bedroom.

Mary was almost back to her room when far down the hall she saw a glimmer of light under a door.

She walked there. It was the door to what was to be Matthew's 'for show' bedroom. It could only be Matthew in there. What was he doing?

She put her hand on the knob. She took a deep breath, held it and then let it out slowly. She could do this. She opened the door and went through.