December 3, 1914
Phyllis Baxter was running a bit late this morning with Her Ladyship's breakfast. There was a lot happening downstairs, of course, and a lot happening upstairs. The breakfast trays had gotten seen to in the midst of the controlled chaos. Baxter was worried about how she was going to make up for the time they'd already lost.
Lady Mary and Mr. Crawley were to be married today. Anna was helping the bride as well as Lady Edith and Lady Sybil. Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson and Mrs. Patmore arranged everything for the wedding itself. All Baxter had to focus on was Lady Grantham.
Easier said than done.
Doctor Clarkson had come to check on Her Ladyship yesterday and said that the baby could arrive any day. He would be on hand in case anything was needed in the excitement of the wedding, and he would be coming to see Lady Grantham every day until the baby came. Just last week, the Countess had suffered another terrible turn, though not nearly so bad as the seizure she had in the bath. Baxter had been with her, getting her ready for bed, when she'd swayed and suddenly collapsed. Baxter called for help and Mr. Bates and Lord Grantham came sprinting into the room. It took both men to carry the heavily pregnant Lady Grantham to the bed, and she came around by the time her head touched the pillow. Doctor Clarkson had come to check on her and diagnosed low blood pressure. Lady Grantham had been on bedrest ever since.
But today was the most important day the family had celebrated in the months that Baxter had been with them. It was wartime, though there had not been major battles with the British just yet. The feeling on the home front was full of trepidation, however, and the excitement of a wedding was just what everyone needed. And of course, Lady Grantham insisted on being allowed out of bed to attend her eldest daughter's wedding. Baxter hardly knew how she'd manage to get a heavily pregnant mother of the bride who hadn't been out of bed more than an hour in over a week ready in time.
Baxter paused by the door to Lady Grantham's bedroom. It was open ajar, and there were voices inside. She listened for a moment to ensure she would not interrupt anything.
"There you are, my dearest, how does that feel?" Lord Grantham asked.
Lady Grantham sighed, "Much better, darling, thank you."
"If you feel tired for even an instant, you must rest. In your condition, no one will mind that the mother of the bride has to step away," he advised her.
"I know, but I don't want to use any excuses. I want to be there for Mary today. I want to see her get her happy ending the way we've always prayed she would."
"And you shall. But after last week…" he trailed off.
"Well, I know what it feels like now. I'd never fainted before that night. And Doctor Clarkson will be right there if we need him," she reminded.
Baxter took that moment to enter the room. "Pardon me, Your Ladyship, the breakfast things got delayed with all the wedding preparations," she announced.
The scene that Baxter found was unlike anything she had ever witnessed in all her years of service. Lady Grantham, almost impossibly large with child, sat up in the middle of the bed. Lord Grantham, still in his pajamas, sat behind her. Her hips rested between his spread and outstretched legs, and her back rested against his chest. He had been massaging her back.
It was shocking to see her mistress in such a way, and thank goodness she'd been warned about the intimacies of Lord and Lady Grantham as well as witnessed their closeness and affection these last months. Shocking though it was, Baxter was able to recognize how charming and sweet it was to see the great Earl of Grantham treating his wife so adoringly. For not the first time, Baxter found herself grateful to be employed her among such nice people and such a lovely family.
"Thank you, Baxter. If you'll just wait a moment…" Lady Grantham said.
"I ought to call for Bates," His Lordship said, disentangling himself from his wife and crawling out of bed in an odd, slightly undignified fashion.
Baxter waited until Lord Grantham had left before she arranged things for Her Ladyship's breakfast. "Here we are, My Lady."
Lady Grantham thanked her again. Baxter allowed her to eat and went to fetch the specially made gown for the wedding. There was a big day ahead.
Anna Smith hurried out of Lady Mary's bedroom to tend to Lady Edith, hoping that everything was still on time. Lady Sybil was all put together, but Lady Edith's hair was not cooperating, so Anna needed to help sort her out. And then she had to rush back to the bride to finish the last touches there. The family would need to leave for the church soon!
"Anna!"
She stopped in her tracks in the corridor and turned to see Mr. Bates limping over to her. "I've got to run, Lady Edith…"
"I only need you for a moment," he said, interrupting her protests.
"Alright, what do you need me for?" she asked.
He smiled. "I need you for everything in the world. And I should say, I need you forever, but this will only take a moment."
Anna felt her heart skip a beat. "What will?" she asked, feeling shaky all of a sudden.
"I got the news yesterday that the decree absolute came through. And I didn't want to wait another moment," he said in a low tone.
She swallowed hard.
Mr. Bates took a small but visible breath to steel himself. "Anna Smith, I love you with all of my heart, and I am a free man at last to be able to ask: will you marry me?"
Anna could have fainted from the shock. "Yes," she blurted out, unable to find any other words. She threw caution to the wind and thew her arms around his neck and kissed him right then and there. But she pulled back quickly, shaking and laughing and crying all at once. To her delight, his beautiful smiling eyes were welling up, too.
"I know you've got a million things to do. Lady Edith is waiting," he reminded her.
It was in Anna's mind to say sod Lady Edith, but she'd never dream of ever saying such a thing. "Well, we do have a wedding today. Perfect day for a proposal, I think."
He grinned. "I'm glad you agree. I know we'll have to figure out our own wedding, but I didn't want to wait another moment before asking you to be my wife."
"I love you more than anything," she told him. "And I will gladly be your wife tomorrow if we could arrange it."
Mr. Bates chuckled, "We'll see what we can manage. I imagine you'll want to settle in as a lady's maid for Lady Mary."
Anna just laughed, "I can hardly think now! Oh I…" She ran out of words so she kissed him one more time and rushed down to Lady Edith's bedroom.
Mary Crawley took a deep breath before walking out of her bedroom, dressed all in her wedding gown with her veil flowing behind her. She would be getting married today. Married to Matthew Crawley, a man she'd fallen more in love with than she ever dreamed possible. With war and change all around, they were seizing this day and securing this one single part of their future: that they would be together. She walked through the door, ready to start that future as soon as possible.
"Oh Mary!" came a soft gasp.
She turned to see her mother standing in the corridor, waiting for her. "Mama, you should be at the church already!"
"Branson took the girls and is coming back for me," Mama said. "I couldn't go before having a moment with you. I wanted so much to be able to help you get ready."
"You're a bit preoccupied," Mary answered wryly.
Her mother gave a frustrated sigh. "Not so much preoccupied as practically disabled. But be that as it may, I am still your mother, and I was hoping I might be able to impart a bit of motherly advice."
Seeing as how Mary had already lost her virtue, it seemed less vital for her mother to give her any advice about her wedding. But she would placate Mama nonetheless. "Alright then," she allowed.
"Well, I don't have as much to tell you as I'll have to tell Edith, but I do think it's important that you remember that marriage is different. Because when two people love each other, you understand, everything is the most terrific fun," she said.
Mary let out a rather unladylike snort of laughter. "I could imagine that's true, seeing your current predicament," she answered.
Mama put her hands over her enormous pregnant belly. "Yes, well, your Papa and I have been together a long time and we love each other very much."
"And having plenty of terrific fun," Mary interjected.
"I have only ever wanted for you, and your sisters, to have as much love and joy in marriage as I've been lucky enough to have," Mama continued, ignoring Mary's teasing.
Mary softened at those words. "I never thought I would," she answered honestly. "I didn't think I had it in me to love and be loved the way you do. But with Matthew, it's all…"
Mama smiled. "I know, darling. I know the way you look at him and how he looks at you. I think you have a lifetime of happiness ahead of you. And in light of the challenges you might face, I don't think you could have made a better choice."
That brought to Mary's mind the one thing that was in everyone's thoughts nowadays: Matthew might not be the heir. If Mama gave birth to a son, Matthew would return to his former position as distant cousin and middle-class lawyer and nothing more. Aunt Rosamund had warned Mary of that, of the disappointment of being nothing more than the wife of a solicitor. But Mama was right. If that were to be Mary's future, rather than being the next Countess of Grantham, she would nevertheless be happy, because she and Matthew loved each other, and that was what mattered.
"Come along now, we all ought to get to the church. Your Papa is waiting downstairs so you can ride in the carriage together," Mama advised.
"Are you alright going down the stairs?" Mary asked with concern.
"Perhaps I may be of assistance?" Carson offered, appearing from around the corner and obviously waiting for this precise moment.
"Thank you, Carson," Mama answered.
The old butler looked at Mary with pride and awe and love etched in his face, and Mary felt pride in herself at inspiring such an expression in him. Carson and Papa were the only men whose opinions she ever truly cared about—and Matthew, of course—and she counted herself quite lucky to have grown up with two such loving father figures.
Carson smiled at Mary and gave a nod of respect before taking Mama's arm and helping her gently down the stairs. Mary waited for them to go down before she followed. It was time.
Matthew Crawley had never imagined anything could feel like this. The doors to the church opened and everyone stood and the music played, and Matthew turned. His heart thundered in his chest and his whole body shook with anticipation as he waited on the altar for the wedding to begin.
And then his heart stopped. Or he was rather certain it had. Mary walked down holding Cousin Robert's arm, the bride and her father. All the world melted away as he saw the most beautiful sight in all the world walking down the aisle. Time stopped, and all that existed was Mary floating towards him.
"Who gives this woman to be wed?" Reverend Travis asked, though Matthew hardly noticed that the wedding ceremony had begun.
"I do," Robert answered. He kissed Mary's hand and went to stand beside Cousin Cora in the front row of the church.
Mary took the last two steps up to the altar. She was smiling behind her veil. She whispered, "I was going to ask how I looked, but judging by your expression, the answer is 'jaw-dropping.'"
"Heart-stoppingly beautiful," he informed her.
The Reverend began speaking, and Matthew knew he should be paying attention. But when a lull in the ceremony allowed the opportunity, Matthew whispered to Mary again.
"In case I don't remember in all the madness later, I just wanted to say that I love you," he said.
That adorable smirk of hers appeared on her face with her delighted, shining eyes. "And I love you," she answered, "but you're going to get us into trouble, whispering like this."
"I think this habit of ours is how we managed to fall in love in the first place," he quipped.
Mary did not answer back, but that smirk of hers grew.
Well, however they managed to fall in love, they certainly had. And today and every day in the future, was all that truly mattered.