"What - Edith? What on earth are you doing on the side of the road- you look like you've been-" Matthew pulled off his hat in shock, reproachful of his own eyesight.

"Yes yes I know," Edith shook her head at herself, "the best part of the past twenty-four hours have been God-awful - oh! I am glad to see you!" she blinked repeatedly.

Jason nodded, sheepish.

"And- it's not Bernes is it? Man, what the devil are y-" Matthew started when the young dark-haired man standing next to Edith came to his recognition, covered in scratches, shirt half sodden and torn.

Edith stopped him, "I'm sure there will be a lot of explaining to be done when we get back to the house! But I want you listen to one thing, Matthew. Under no impression are you to blame or judge this wonderful man for anything. He- he's..."

All of a sudden Jason felt very warm and distressed. "M'lady please. Mr Crawley has perfect credit to surmise what he wills," he interjected, looking Matthew in the eye politely.

"But only after he's listened-" she began to argue.

Matthew shook his head. "Will the both of you just get in? Please! I must be taking you back, whatever this - God knows how worried everyone is - I wasn't even sent a message," he ordered, nonplussed. Lady Edith and the chauffeur climbed into the open car. Matthew revved the engine once more and then they were moving, Jason looked out at the lane that passed, still and uneasy.

"Are any of you injured?" Matthew assessed from the rear-view mirror over the roar of the motor. "What kind of business has you both looking so dreadful? You'd never comprehend my astonishment when I noticed you both-!"

"Matthew we're fine! Hungry, but fine. I only tried to be so irresponsible last night, and I thought to pull Bernes into it all and - and I don't want to talk about it yet please. You'll hear it all anyway! Heavens knows Granny and Pappa will do the questioning and theatrics for you!"

Edith pleaded, overwrought and still shaking, numb and nervous. "What are you doing down driving at this time of the morning, anyway?"

Matthew hesitated, "I- I was coming back from Carlisle," he scorned himself by letting out a short breath through his nose.

"I thought that Mary had unaffiliated from that terrible man."

"No, no I mean the city. Carlisle."

"Oh? When did you leave - I didn't know you had left," Edith felt more disorientated than ever.

"It wasn't... planned." He closed his eyes. "None of this was. I suppose we... anyway," Matthew's face fell slightly in the mirror as he drove, from the occupation of the idea of getting back.

After several minutes of uncertainty she looked to her right, ignoring the cool air that flapped at her and Bernes in the back of the car, ignoring the country that flew behind them though she was glad to be leaving Loxley. She just wanted to look at him, at his smooth, bruised face that was so incredibly motionless, so pale and cold, washed out by his dark locks that fell past his jaw and grazed his straight nose; she wondered what thoughts the beautiful man was hiding as he stared outward. There was an inexplicably warm credence in Jason Bernes, and in the bond of confidence the two had somehow formed however much neither would-

Edith was distracted by the sound of a loud truck coming round the bend of trees on the left side of the lane, the sun cast a reddish-gold onto the stout maples lining it from the field parallel.

Then all suddenly there was the blaring of horns, all passengers of Mr Crawley's open AC Six model were thrown as the car took a mighty swerve, juddering violently. The moment shot past the three of them as Matthew tried to regain control of the vehicle - the big truck veered unpredictably, there were screams from Edith and both men cried out, a mixture of panicked exclamations accompanied the sound of tires straining as car-parts collided into each other and engines belted. They were hurled and bowled around - the car took an ungainly flip, tumultuous and heavy, the momentum only ended when nothing was patent.

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