Chapter 30

Mary watched from the window of the abbey as the wind blew through the trees. During the dinner the evening after that tea, she had held her tongue and she had tried to work out who was on her side. She did not think her husband was after the discussion they had had early that month, though she was ever reminded from the incidences of the year before that she could be harsh on Patrick. She had to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Her next ally she thought could be her mother… but then that too was something which she had to establish. And that was what she was trying to do right then.

"I like Cousin Matthew enormously but don't you think this move to the country is a little premature?" Mary asked Cora as the two of them sat in the drawing room together.

It was still only January and Patrick was just up and about once more, or so it felt to her.

If the two of them started trying for a baby then they could have a little one by October she thought to herself. It was not beyond the realms on possibility.

Everyone kept saying this move was for Sybil; but she did not believe that.

Far too many times it felt to her, both her husband and her father had talked about when Matthew got here as if it was obvious he was going to come in with them on running the estate. Initially, she had thought that was just Patrick's idea but she had seen her father was not adverse to the notion. When he had said it for the first time in the bedroom, she had thought she had nipped it in the bud and made it clear to her husband that was not something she was comfortable with. But since then she had walked in to the drawing room to find her husband and father going over ledgers, discussing the move and Matthew.

That was not his place in life though. And she was going to make sure they knew it.

That was going to be the place of their child and the sooner everyone remembered that the better she thought. And the sooner that child was conceived the better soon.

"I do not think so. I think it is going to be good to have him a little closer."

Mary rolled her eyes and wished she had asked anyone but her mother.

Since everything had happened that night, she had got over the feeling her mother was against her – but nor did she feel Cora was quite with her anymore.

"Well, when he does get her I hope he remembers he is a lawyer and Sybil's beau. If he thinks he is going to be Patrick heir, then he has another thing coming."

Yes, she knew she was yet to give her husband a baby but she was going too.

She was.

As for Cora, she was only too glad that her daughter had not get pregnant from that awful night.

At least when she did get a grandchild she knew it was going to be one with the blood of his father, Patrick, in it.

And that was quite frankly a small relief.

"Yes – well all of this is for the future. I do not think that we need to worry about any of it yet."

Mary sighed….. if they were not going to worry about it, then she feared it was all going to be too late.

She needed to discuss this, with someone who would be willing to do so and more open to the discussion. Luckily, she knew just where to find such a person.

X x x

Mary had not had the success with her mother that she had wanted and so she set out to the one house on the estate where she was sure she was going to be not only welcomed, but agreed with over this whole Matthew business.

She had been a fool to think her mother was her most staunch ally in all of this. There was someone who was going to be far more loyal to her through thick and thin. But maybe that was because she knew less about her.

"Moving to the country indeed?" her grandmother could still not believe what her son had done – he had been such a fool and he had been so disloyal. "I am still not over the fact that he is engaged to my youngest granddaughter and now he is coming to ensure that no one else shoots his pray before he has had a chance to make the kill!"" it was clear Lady Violet was not best pleased.

God bless Granny, thought Mary. She could always count on her to see things her way.

"I am afraid it is not just Sybil he is being brought here to wait in the wings for."

"And who do you think is bringing him here, my dear granddaughter?" Violet asked, mainly to see if she was as savvy as she had always believed her to be.

"Well, I have – I have heard my father and Patrick talking a couple of times and I am just beginning to get the feeling that – that maybe Patrick had more to do with than I originally thought."

It was not as if he had been all that shocked when it had been announced she thought to herself.

Everyone else had reacted strongly – but Patrick had barely cared.

She looked up at her grandmother and she could imagine she had not missed that either.

"My dear, I do not think it matters any more who sent the letter to ask him to come – I think what matters is who planted the seed."

"And who might that be?"

"Really, Mary, use your mind. Who exactly has the most to be gained from this move?"

There was silence as Mary realised to who exactly her grandmother was referring. To her surprise, she changed her stance in a heartbeat at the mere insinuation – the stance that she had had since her father's announcement. Never had she blamed Matthew and nor would she see him blamed for the instigation of this.

"Really Granny, do not believe it had anything to do with Matthew," sighed Mary in a way that meant Violet did not have to query her tone. The only one who did that was the speaker. Somewhere inside of Mary however, something said that her grandmother was now being too hard on Matthew, though maybe no harsher than she had been herself of late. She did not know why she was so eager to jump to his defence. Maybe she felt her own criticism of Matthew was fine, but she would not tolerate that criticism coming from other sides.

She had wanted her mother to be on her side – but now that her grandmother was trying to do that, she was putting down what she was saying. Really, not even Mary knew what Mary wanted from this she thought to herself.

To be told she was and her children would be the heirs, she supposed – but, and she knew suddenly somewhere deep down this was not about preventing Matthew coming to Downton, to her own great surprise.

"I am not a fan of him coming here but I do not think he is so Machiavellian."

Her defence of the young man did not escape her grandmother.

Violet tried to remember a time when she had heard Mary criticize Matthew. She could not. But she would remember her defence of him.

"Well, I am of the opinion that remains to be seen. If he does not accept the offer then I think we can trust him… If not…"

Mary chose to stick to her guns. "If he does, then it will be to be near Sybil."

"Mary, did I misinterpret your reason for visiting? I thought it was to express your unhappiness about Matthew coming here, and to mount a resistance to it."

"I want a resistance against the idea of him as heir. If he is in the village without pretending to be what he is not, providing he is not putting any pressure on Sybil… I do not think I have a problem with that."

It was the first time she could verbalise all of this, and she was surprised how light she felt because of it. That morning she had tried to goad her mother into being on her side but it turned out even she had not known what side she was on.

It was only after that revelation that she realised there had been silence in the room for too long.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked her grandmother who had a rather odd expression on her face.

"Mary," the dowager begun but for once, and only once, words failed her. She had her suspicions but she dare not say them out loud, for fear they would become truth. "Would you like another cup of tea?" she said as she rung the bell, burying what disorder she feared behind propriety and familiarity.

X x x

Matthew opened the front door to the house he had shared with his mother for as long as he cared to remember, knowing there were not going to be many more times he did so. This time last year, he could not imagine the day he would up sticks from Manchester. But that day he had resigned from his job, having secured one in Yorkshire. Within just a few weeks he would leave this house.

It felt like the end of an era and it was but it was also going to be the beginning of a brilliant new chapter.

He still had packing to go and loose ends to tie up but he saw no reason not to have tea before he got going for the evening. Every engine needed fuel.

"Good evening mama," said Matthew as he went into the drawing room.

Isobel was there, tea already drunk, pouring over old papers.

"Good evening, dear boy," she said as she looked up and then down.

"You seem rather lost in that."

"Oh, just clearing out you know."

There was something about the way she said that he wished to query but he had a feeling she was not quite ready for that, so he held his tongue and if he did make small talk over tea, it was just that – nothing too heavy but enough to drag her out of the rather introverted mood she had been in and by the time they were at the dinner table, she was ready to talk.

"I am sorry for the way I was when you got home." She said as they sat down. "I had quite a bit on my mind today."

"There is nothing to say sorry for mother."

"Well, all the same my mind is clearer now. I do not suppose this is going to come as much as a shock to you but I have decided I am going to move to Downton with you – if you will have me that is." Isobel declared with a smile. She had felt as if it was the right time to tell him.

"Of course, I will have you come with me – Mother, that's tremendous news," said Matthew as he got up from where he was sitting and kissed her cheek. The truth was he would have felt awful if he had left her here in Manchester when he had gone off to the country. This could be a whole new adventure for the two of them and it was certainly gearing up to the next phase in his life. He wanted her to be in that journey with him.

She was his mother, but she was his friend as well to be sure.

"I just supposed if you were gone from Manchester there was not too much keeping me here anymore," sighed Isobel. Yes, she had had her memories of Reginald but it was never a good idea to live for a ghost. She had been alive long enough to see people try and do that and she did not think she had seen it end well so much as once.

Her sons reappearance in their home had reminded her of that, after a long day of looking at old photos and letters.

Far better to live in the present and for the future.

"I am so glad Mother, it wouldn't have felt right without you." Matthew admitted.

Mary had said to him at Christmas everything in his garden seemed rosy. She had been right then – and doubly so now.

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Author Note: Hey all :) this is going to be the last chapter for 2020. I am very excited to keep going in the new year. Matthew's arrival will occur not long before our characters are faced with the drama of Valentine's day, then Matthew does a spot of church visiting (but not with Edith!) before Mary and Patrick celebrate their first year of marriage. I hope you all have the very best Christmases you can under the circumstances. I'm currently in Tier 4, in England so I'll have plenty of time to write chapter 31 – I hope to put it up in the first week of 2021! Lots of love to you all – stay safe xxx