Turning completely towards Matthew, Mary broke down into tears. In front of her Matthew sat in a wheelchair, his leg seemingly bandaged up. She grasped his hand and could not bear to look him in his crystal blue eyes. Matthew moved to wipe away her tears.
"Matthew, I am so terribly sorry. This is entirely my fault. I was so foolish with my actions- my actions with you, with-with the baby." Mary sobbed looking at their intertwined fingers.
"Mary. Mary, please look at me." Matthew pleaded, lifting her chin with his free hand. When their eye's met, Mary saw just as much emotion in his eye's as he would likely be witnessing in hers.
"Mary, none of this, any of this, was or is your fault. It is no one's fault. Mary, what we did, this baby that we created, he or she were created out of the expression of love. I cannot, and most certainly will not, speak for you, but I have been in love with you from the moment you came here and ripped me a new one for what I said all those many years ago. We both have gone back and forth, living our own definitions of who each of us wanted to be, who Downton wanted us to be. But Mary, I truly believe that God wants us to be together. That is why this baby was created. This baby holds all of the love that we could have ever felt for anything, for any one person alone. More than the love we have felt for each other." Matthew looks down at Mary's stomach, and smiles slightly. "You're starting to show."
Mary nods, then looks away. "Matthew, you barely know me. You know what Downton has expected of me, what Papa has expected of me. Aside from what had happened with Mr. Pamuk, which till this day, I have no earthly idea how it has remained contained inside Downton's walls, this pregnancy, this child, is and will be the biggest controversy among Downton, among the country. Matthew, you should not feel obligated to do anything for or by me and this baby. You have the earldom ahead of you one day! You don't need an illegitimate child and its mother hanging over your position." Mary shakes her head as she stands and begins to pace.
Matthew turns the chair towards Mary, growing increasingly frustrated that he couldn't pace after her. "Mary, would you please stop with that nonsense! I won't listen to any of it. I keep telling you over and over that none of this matters, nothing that either one of us has done matters. The only things that matter to me now are that you and our child are back where you both belong. We belong together, Mary. I believe that more now than ever. What must I say to make you understand you are all I will ever want for my future?" Matthew says desperately, staring at Mary's back as she peered out the window. Through the windows reflection, Matthew could recognize the look on Mary's face. She was trying to figure out her next plan of attack, her next quip to disarm him, but he couldn't see anyway she could rebut against him. Mary takes a deep breath and turns to face him once more.
"Do you love me enough to spend your life with me?" Mary asks, causing him to recall the same question he had asked her at the garden party. Despite her seriousness, Matthew smiles.
"Matthew, I am serious!" Mary exclaims.
"I know and that is just exactly what I am as well." Matthew reaches into his pocket and pulls something out, small enough that Mary couldn't readily identify what the item was. Mary turns back to the window again.
"I don't follow what you mean Matthew, but I must say your failure to answer my question does not carry a promising outlook." Mary says. "Even if we did attempt to make this work, Matthew, we can barely make it through one sentence without arguing. Matthew, how would we make-" Mary says as she turns and sees Matthew holding both her lucky charm and a beautiful diamond ring, fit for a queen.
"Mary, I love you enough to spend many lifetimes with you. Mary, this ring was my grandmother's. My grandfather made me promise to give this ring to the one woman I would never, ever be able to live my life without. Lavinia never laid eyes on this ring, Mary. I knew that you were the one to be the recipient of this ring from the moment you tore into me just outside of the entryway. Mary, you and our child are always going to be the most important things in my life. You both already mean more to me than the earldom ever has, or ever could. If I were asked to give it all up in order to remain at your side, I would already be packed. I swear to you, on my life, Mary, I love you more than my own life. We have lived our own lives separately for long enough. It is time that we, the three of us, live our lives together. Mary Josephine Crawley, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife, and the mother of our child?"
"Well, I am already this child's mother…Matthew, I…" Mary says.
"Mary, I am prepared to take you to Rippon as soon as you are ready. We can bring the family or go alone and elope. I don't want to spend one single second more not being able to recognize you as my wife. I don't care what Downton says. Our families are prepared to see us through it all. All that is left is for you to say you agree to be my wife." Matthew says, grabbing her hand and running his thumb over her fingers.
"Matthew." Mary says, tears welling up in her eyes once more. "It would make me the happiest person in the world to marry you, and become your wife. As long as you are sure, I am sure." Matthew smiles, and leans up to kiss her.
"I am unbelievably sure."