June 1925

It had been nearly six weeks since Tom had returned to Downton Abbey, and he had been helping Mary in her role as the agent. Due to her announcement of her pregnancy, she and Matthew had argued about whether she was still capable of carrying out her duties. In the beginning, she had been angry at her husband but after the short-lived tenants had moved out of Yew Tree Farm following the Drewes' exit, Mary was beginning to think it would be best to farm the land themselves and Tom agreed.

It was during one of her morning walks to survey the land that Tom had joined her.

"So, now that you and Sybbie have settled back in, have you decided what you'll be doing?" Mary asked.

"Well you haven't done much to the repair shop, so I'll start there. I had an idea to put it on the edge of the estate," Tom replied, pointing over the hills in the direction of the village, "It'll have access to the village then."

"For passing trade?"

"Why not?"

"Is Papa ready for that?" Mary asked incredulously, "You must be gentle with him."

"I plan to be, I have to find the right time to tell him. I know he's been getting those cramps and he's cut down his alcohol intake. I suppose he's finding this hospital talk stressful?" Tom asked.

Mary nodded, walking up the hill.

"He wants to stay out of it but with Mama now involved and on Isobel's side, it's impossible."

"He'll have to choose eventually. He and Cora have agreed to allow Mr. Mason to move into Yew Tree Farm."

"Yes, without consulting Matthew and I about it. It would be so much more beneficial for the estate to be self sufficient if we had the land back to farm ourselves." Mary grumbled.

"I agree with you. But ultimately, Daisy had a point. William gave his life to save Matthew and if he hadn't you wouldn't be here pregnant with your third child. We need to look after Mr. Mason." Tom stated.

"Yes, some valid points have been made. But pig farming is a very physical task and I wonder if old Mr. Mason is up to it given his age." Mary argued.

"So he'll have to hire someone to help him out. But let's give him a chance." Tom encouraged.

"Very well."

They continued on their walk for a little longer before they stopped so Mary could sit on a wooden bench overlooking the fields and farms that surrounded the estate.

"You've both done well over the last few years. I looked over the accounts with Matthew last week and Downton is truly on it's way to being a prosperous future for George and Charlie." Tom complimented.

"It's all thanks to Matthew. We've saved a lot of money and turned the whole estate around. Although Barrow is finding it hard to find work elsewhere and Matthew has combined Molesley into a footman as well as his valet. Not that he really wants a valet anymore. The two housemaids only come after the servants have eaten their breakfast and leave before their supper so we're saving money on their board and wages there. With Carson and Mrs. Hughes living in their own cottage as well as Anna and Bates, we only house Mrs Patmore, Daisy, Andrew, Molesley and Barrow now." Mary explained.

"The wage bill has decreased somewhat." Tom said.

"If Matthew had his way, we'd combine a lot more roles, but Papa isn't quite ready for that yet."

"Can you imagine if your grandmother had to rid herself of Miss Denker?" Tom laughed.

Mary chuckled amusingly.

"Granny will have a Lady's Maid until the day she dies. But I agree that she should find someone more suitable than Denker." She replied.

When they returned to the house, Mary went for a lie down and thought about the news that the Minister of Health would be coming to dinner at Downton, and it was something that worried her. Papa seemed against the idea, especially with his health not being quite right. Mary knew that her grandmother would use the attempt to convince the minister that the merger of the York hospital with the Downton Cottage hospital would be a disaster. The discussion about the visit continued through tea and their time with the children until Carson rang the dressing gong. Mary returned to her bedroom and had Anna help her dress for dinner.

"Are you looking forward to tonight's dinner?" Anna asked.

"Not really. Granny won't concede and the stress of it all is getting to Papa." Mary replied.

"His Lordship's pains still persist?"

Mary nodded.

"Unfortunately. He's given up alcohol entirely at Dr. Clarkson's urging."

Mary dressed, noting that she would need a trip to the dressmakers to expand her wardrobe just as her growing womb expanded into her body. She smiled as the baby kicked under her hand and pulled on her gloves before allowing Anna to style her hair. When she was done, she headed downstairs with Matthew and joined the rest of the family for drinks in the drawing room. When the Minister for Health's arrival was announced, Mary noted that the atmosphere in the room turned tense as discussions about the hospital were brought up in an instant before Tom offered the poor man a drink.

When dinner was served, the party headed straight for the dining room, with Mama noting just how the seating plan had been rearranged, and everyone knew that it had been at Violet's command. They sat at the table waiting for the food to be brought up from downstairs and the conversation regarding the hospital's future was immediately brought up.

"The system has worked well here for a hundred years! Why must we destroy everything in our path, simply for the sake of change?" Violet demanded.

"I'm not sure that's a true representation of the case." Dr. Clarkson reasoned.

"Exactly. There are many benefits to be had from the plan." Isobel argued.

"But benefits for whom?" Violet said dramatically.

"Goodness. I thought I was here to be lectured by a united group, not to witness a battle royal." Mr. Chamberlain added.

"Oh. Don't you enjoy a good fight?" Violet questioned.

"I'm not sure I do, really." Chamberlain answered.

"My mother-in-law has a certain myopia when it comes to anyone else's point of view." Cora said apologetically.

"On the contrary, I have a clarity of vision that allows me to resist a housemaid's trap of sentimentality." Violet argued back.

Mary looked to Matthew and rolled her eyes. But as her gaze moved between the bickering adults, she saw the pained expression on her father's face.

"Your enthusiasm is getting the better of your manners." Isobel stated.

"Mother." Matthew warned quietly.

Mary stayed silent as she watched her father clutch his stomach, the pained expression on his face remained.

"Can't we stop this beastly row?" Robert asked weakly.

"I wish we could." Cora stated.

"Because I-I-"

Mary watched her father stand from the table, his hand clutching his stomach tighter.

"I-I-I I'm s-so sorry-"

Her father took a breath and within the next he vomited and the blood spurt like a fountain out of his mouth, landing everywhere on the table. Some hit her mother in the face, some hit the napkins placed around the table as Robert collapsed to the floor, grunting in pain, and vomiting more blood. Mary gasped in shock, standing from her seat, and rushed around to where her father lay on the dining room floor. There were gaps of shock from everyone else in the room as Dr. Clarkson instructed Barrow to lay Papa on his left side as Isobel gathered up napkins. Mary stood over her father, allowing everyone else the room that was needed to treat him and looked down at his blood-covered face, feeling the worry flush through her body.

"His ulcer has burst!"

Someone around her stated they would call for an ambulance, it sounded like Carson, but Mary's attention was solely on her father.

"Will he be alright?" Edith asked fearfully.

"We must get him to the hospital as quickly as we can." Dr. Clarkson replied.

"I'm here darling, don't worry, I'm here." Cora said soothingly.

Robert vomited another lot of blood as Cora held a napkin to his face.

"If this is the end…" Robert gasped unsteadily, "Just know I have…loved you…very, very, much."

"It isn't the end, darling. We won't let it be." Cora stated calmly.

Mary met Edith's eyes and noted the fearful expression on her sister's face before they turned their attention back to their father; both knowing what they feared because it was something they feared together. Would this be the end of their father?

Eventually the ambulance arrived and whisked her father and Dr. Clarkson off to the village hospital for an emergency operation as Mary pulled on her coat and kissed her husband goodbye before scrambling into a car with her mother and Edith and drove off to the hospital to wait on news of her father.

oOo

It was late in the night when Mary returned back to the house. Matthew was waiting for her in the great hall, his tie loose and his jacket unbuttoned. She smiled wearily as he came to her, wrapping his arms around her as she leaned into his embrace. The house was quiet and she bade goodnight to Edith after having a brief discussion about relieving their mother in the morning and taking turns to sit with their father. Mary offered to take a turn first and then turned her attention to Matthew as they walked up the stairs together to their bedroom.

"Did you get the chance to see him?" Matthew asked quietly.

"Briefly. The operation was a success, but he needs to rest as much as possible. He's not to get stressed out." Mary stated.

"I'll have a talk with Tom in the morning about lightening the load." Matthew sighed.

"To be more precise, Matthew, you, Tom and I need to take full responsibility for the estate from now on. We'll involve Papa in the big decisions of course, but he musn't have any more worry. That's why he got the ulcer in the first place." Mary said.

Matthew nodded as they entered their bedroom. Anna was waiting for her as Matthew went to his dressing room and after a brief conversation with Anna, Mary let out a loud yawn and climbed into bed before bidding Anna goodnight. Matthew joined her minutes later and while both felt tired to the bones, they weren't quite ready for sleep yet.

"It was quite the frightful sight, wasn't it?" Matthew asked quietly.

Mary nodded her head against his chest.

"It was a horrible reminder just how much life can change in an instant." She replied softly.

"I panicked for a moment or two when you all left for the hospital." Matthew admitted.

"Why?" Mary asked, looking up at him.

Matthew gulped, tears filling his eyes.

"I-I'm not ready…to be the Earl of Grantham yet…to lose Robert yet…" he replied.

Mary sat up, leaning over his chest and wiped his tears away from his face.

"Oh my darling." She whispered.

"I know it's silly…but Robert…he's been like a second father to me since I arrived here…" Matthew sniffed, smiling weakly.

"It's not silly, darling. I think we were all a bit fearful of what might have happened." Mary said quietly.

"Tonight has brought back horrible memories. Of when my own father died."

"Oh darling…"

"It's silly. I know. I just had this image in my head of what life could have been like if Robert hadn't made it through. I can run the estate, I can own half of it but being the Earl…it's not something I've ever really considered before…of course I know one day it will happen…but I always pictured it being twenty years from now, when our children have grown up and married and started to build lives of their own…possibly have our own grandchildren…" Matthew sighed.

"I know. I can't imagine living without Papa yet." Mary murmured.

"What do we tell the children? They'll have questions about why Donk is resting and why they won't see him up and about the house for a while." Matthew pointed out.

Mary bit her lip.

"I don't know what to say, really. They aren't really at an age to understand that Papa is ill and had a life saving operation. I suppose we'll have to think of something and reassure them that Donk isn't going to die just yet." She sighed.

"I hope that it doesn't happen for another twenty years at least." Matthew yawned.

Mary gave him a reassuring smile and kissed him briefly before pulling away.

"One day it will but let's hope that it is twenty years from now."

"We need to be prepared, Mary. For when that time does come."

"I know and we'll think some more on it tomorrow. But now, we need to sleep."

She kissed her husband goodnight once more and this time, she was the one to hum that familiar tune as she held him tightly. The last thing she remembered before drifting off into sleep was the sound of his heartbeat under her ear.