Thank you all, so much!
Chapter 45
1920s Downton Abbey
Anna woke up to Mary's fingers running through her hair. She was sitting up, licking her lower lip. Anna's eyes fluttered opened and she let out a low chuckle. Ever since the accident a couple weeks ago, Mary had been more randy than normal. It seemed that the reminder of Matthew's loss only brought Mary closer to Anna. It was like she wanted to touch her constantly to make sure she was there.
There had also been many nights of nightmares and tears. This was all a shock to Mary's system and Anna was trying to help guide her through it. Slowly, Anna sat up and brought her lips to Mary's. She could feel Mary smile against her.
"Oh Anna," she murmured against Anna's skin. Her hands flew to the edge of Anna's gown and she quickly lifted it up and over her head, before throwing it over behind her. Mary's hands skimmed over Anna's back and she tugged her closer toward her.
"Um, Lady Grantham!" A voice said right outside the door. Anna and Mary paused.
"I was just going to go into Lady Mary's room."
"Hide," Mary breathed. Anna quickly rushed off Mary's lap and her eyes scanned the room for her gown, but it was too far for her to reach. She froze when the door began to open, but thankfully it didn't open all the way. It seemed Mrs. Hughes was keeping Lady Grantham busy in the doorway.
Giving up on her gown, Anna dashed behind the large curtain, right before the door completely opened. She made it just in time.
"Mama," Mary said, surprised. From a small opening in the curtain, Anna could see Mary climbing from the bed and tugging her robe from the chair beside her. "Why on earth are you in my room so early in the morning?"
"I have to run into York and I wondered if you'd like to come along." Mary's eyes narrowed and Anna watched as Mary tried to discreetly move Anna's gown with her feet under a chair.
"Why?"
"For breakfast, with me," Cora simply answered. "I've invited Edith and was going to go and invite Sybil, as well."
"Oh," Mary stated. "Yes, I guess that I could be nice. Let me ring for Anna so she can get me dressed."
"Alright. We'll leave in an hour."
Once the door was closed, Anna peeked her head out from the corner.
"That was close," Anna said, her heart racing in her chest.
"But we weren't caught," Mary had a saucy grin on her lips. "And you're still unclothed."
"Mary!" Anna giggled, right as Mary's hands darted out at her skin.
"Come on, darling. Come back to bed."
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Anna dipped downstairs and turned down the hall in search of Mrs. Hughes. She knew that she was to thank for them not being caught that morning. They were extremely fortunate that Mrs. Hughes had been upstairs and spotted Cora coming to Mary's bedroom door. Anna shuttered to think what would have happened had they been found out.
When she found Mrs. Hughes alone in the servants' hall, Anna quietly walked up to her.
"I….I wanted to thank you," Anna whispered. Mrs. Hughes' met her eyes and she just shook her head.
"Let's not speak of it," she stated, her eyes darting around them.
"Of course," Anna replied, but she gave Mrs. Hughes' a grateful smile and touched her wrist.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Mary entered the nursery to find Edith holding Marigold in her lap and reading her a book. The other children were all enthralled, circled around her. Pippa was up on her knees, trying to get a better view of the pictures. Even though that with every new page Edith lifted the book up for the children to see it.
"Lady!" Pippa was the first to see Mary enter the nursery. She pulled herself up from the floor and rushed to her, wrapping her arms around Mary's legs. "Up please!"
Mary happily bent down to lift the little girl up and into her arms. Pippa's arms curled around Mary's neck and she held her tightly. The others turned to look at her. George also got up from his seat and walked to his mother. Johnny just waved, still interested to see what was going to happen next.
"I didn't mean to disrupt story time," Mary said, sincerely. Edith shook her head.
"We were nearly done anyway, weren't we, darling?" Edith asked to Marigold. The shy little girl nodded her head.
"I'm going to take the children down to the pond. Would you like to join us?" Mary forced herself to get the question out without sounding snotty. Edith seemed surprised by this question and Mary could tell that Edith was trying to make sure Mary was sincere.
"I guess we could to that," Edith carefully responded. She lifted up Marigold from her lap and then stood.
"Good."
The walk down to the pond was quiet, well between the adults. Pippa spoke excitedly to all the children. George entertained her the most by talking back. Marigold would just shyly smile or she would excitedly nod. Johnny often sighed, which made Mary internally chuckle. He was getting older and Mary knew he was starting to feel too old for the nursery.
When they made it to the pond, the children went to look at rocks along the edge for George to show them how to skip it in the water. He was still the only one who could do it perfectly. Johnny had managed to do it once, but that had been it. And Pippa just threw them in and clapped as the water splashed around it.
"So," Mary awkwardly began, her eyes falling to her sister. "You and Bertie seem to be getting serious."
"What about it?" Edith bit, already on the defensive. Mary's eyes rolled.
"I'm trying to be nice," Mary bit back. Edith huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yes, it seems we are," Edith then said.
"And have you told him about Marigold?" Mary watched as Edith shifted uneasily on her feet. "Ah, you haven't."
"I'm not sure what you…."
"You should tell him," Mary told her sister. "If you love Bertie and want a future with him, you need to tell him. She's your daughter."
"And does Henry know about Pippa?" Edith questioned. Mary chuckled.
"He does, actually," Mary replied. "But, as I have told you, it's different with Pippa. She is my ward. I did not give birth to her, though I do love her as though I did." Henry did know of Pippa as her ward. He hadn't been told the truth about her parentage, but it hadn't come up. And it really wasn't Mary's secret to tell. Pippa's parentage came with a dark story that Mary didn't feel right to share. Plus, Mary still wasn't sure where she and Henry's friendship stood. They had hardly spoken since the accident.
"So you won't tell me who her father is?" Edith eyed Mary carefully. "You know all about Marigold."
"I've told you. I found her at an orphanage. If I gave birth to her, I would claim her as my own."
Edith sighed, "Fine, keep your secrets."
"I will." Mary answered. The children were running along the edge of the pond. Pippa took Marigold's hand and went over to show her some flowers.
"I may have been a bit too harsh about Pippa," Edith said. Mary saw that Edith was watching the same thing she was. "Pippa and Marigold are not like us. They get along and Pippa has always made Marigold feel like she belongs here. They are friends."
"They are," Mary agreed. She glanced back at her sister, "Tell him, Edith. Don't lose him by lying. If he accepts her, then it is meant to be. If he doesn't, then you know you need to find someone else. She's your little girl. She comes above all else, Edith."
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"I saw you today," Anna said, sliding into the bed next to Mary.
"Hum?"
"Out with the children and Lady Edith," Anna cocked her eyebrow.
"Yes," Mary stated, her lips twisting slightly. "I may have invited her and Marigold to join us at the park."
"That was kind of you."
"Don't give my secrets away," Mary winked. Anna brought her arm around Mary and tugged her closer to her.
"No, we mustn't let people know how kind and loving you are, my love." Anna nuzzled her nose against the crook of Mary's neck.
"It would ruin my reputation," Mary said, before a giggle left her lips and she turned towards Anna.
"We can't have that," Anna smiled at her. Their lips touched and then their foreheads rested on one another. "It'll be our little secret."
Spring 1971
"Edith?" Mary was shocked to find her sister walking into the large library. "I didn't know you were coming for a visit."
"Well, you are my sister and you are ill. I thought I should come."
"Oh," Mary stated. Despite it all, the two were never close. But they had come to an understanding with one another and they did love each other. They were sisters.
Edith came and sat down near her sister and met her sister's eyes.
"You know," Edith began, before eyeing her sister carefully, "Marigold is trying to convince me that you and Anna are lovers and have been for nearly fifty years."
"Is that so?" Mary replied, trying to keep her smile from showing.
"She's obviously playing tricks on me since I didn't know that Anna was Pippa's mother."
"Right," Mary said, bringing her tea up to her lips. "What all did Marigold say about us?"
"Only that you two are lovers, that you and Anna kept it a secret all these years. It's absolutely ridiculous, isn't it?"
"Hum," Mary thought on it, tapping her finger on the edge of the cup.
"It's a joke, surely, right?" Edith's eyes narrowed in on Mary.
"Well, what do you think, Edith? Do you think Anna and I have been having this elicit affair right under all your noses?"
"No, of course not!" Edith said with such certainty, but then she became uncertain, "Right?"
"How would I even keep it hidden for fifty years?"
"Exactly. I would know if my own sister was…like that," Edith put special emphasis on those last two words making Mary's shoulders stiffen slightly.
"Of course you would, Edith. The thought of me living this secret life with Anna for fifty years….How in the world did Marigold even come up with such a thing?" Mary rolled her eyes.
"She says that Pippa told her when they were teenagers," Edith stated. "But if that were true, wouldn't she have told me then?"
"You'd think," Mary hid her smile behind her cup.
"And there would have been signs, clues…." Edith kept her eyes on Mary. "You would have been caught kissing or holding hands or something…"
"Right. And you know that no one has caught us, ever," Mary chuckled. "I mean, who would keep that secret. Certainly not Mrs. Hughes or Sybil." Mary's grinned.
"Exactly! And Anna would be more than your maid. You would be inseparable."
"Excellent point," Mary replied. "She's only lived with me for over fifty years." Her brows rose. Edith pursed her lips.
"Right. You aren't in love are you?" Edith was less sure now.
"You tell me," Mary shrugged, laughing.
Anna walked into the room then and walked over to Mary, bending down and brushing her hand over Mary's cheek.
"Do you want to go for a walk?"
"In a while," Mary told her with a wink.
"Alright," Anna said, before bending over and giving Mary a quick peck on her lips. "I'll be right outside." Anna turned and walked out onto the back porch, where Maebh was.
As Mary turned to Edith, she saw her sister blinking harshly, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
"Poor dear is losing her mind, isn't she?" Edith asked. "Is she usually that hands on? She's suddenly so affectionate."
"Yeah," Mary stated, realizing her sister wanted to remain in this state of denial. "Suddenly." Then she smirked. "Very suddenly."
To be continued...
One more chapter of Part 3. Then we move to the 1930s and see preteen/teenage Johnny, George, and Pippa and the changing of the times.
