Dinner was excruciating. There was simply no other word for it. Miss Smith shone, effortlessly charming everyone around her. On the other side of the table, Mary knew she was off her game as she struggled to combat the profound sadness her conversation with her grandmother had planted in her.

Sitting next to her, Henry noticed the change in her mood. 'Are you feeling quite all right, darling?' he murmured in concern after the fish course.

'I'm fine,' she said, offering him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

He gave her a considering look that plainly said he didn't believe her but he didn't pursue the matter. Instead, he dropped his hand under the table to gently squeeze her thigh reassuringly. It was all Mary could do to not slap his hand away.

Across from her, Tom cast her concerned glances now and then, obviously having picked up that something was wrong too. Several times, Mary flicked him a more genuine smile than the one she'd given Henry but, for the most part, she either concentrated on making it look like she was actually eating her meal or exchanged small talk with Dickie, sitting on the other side of her.

When the ladies retired to the drawing room to allow the gentlemen to enjoy their cigars and port, Mary wished fervently that she could disappear to her bedroom and gather her thoughts. Instead, she found herself buttonholed by Miss Smith.

'I can't tell you how delighted I am to finally meet you properly, Lady Mary,' Lucy informed her, settling onto the settee beside her. To give her her due, she did indeed look excited at having got Mary to herself.

'Oh?' Mary said, summoning up a polite smile.

'Oh, yes, Tom is always so complimentary about you. He respects and admires you so very much, and through his stories of you, so do I. I must confess, I aspire to be the kind of woman you are,' Lucy gushed.

'Really? And what stories has he been sharing with you?' Mary asked, curious to know what Tom had said about her even as she felt slightly annoyed that he had discussed her at all with Miss Smith.

'He's told me how hard you work as the joint agent for the Downton estate. He is so impressed with your work ethic, your attention to detail, and your relentless drive to modernise the estate.'

'Well, that is a goal we share, Tom and I,' Mary said, taken aback to hear Tom's opinion of her in a professional capacity from the lips of this woman.

'He's urged me to see you as a role model for how to succeed in running a business,' Lucy continued. 'For my part, I must tell you, I so admire the way you have carved out a leading position in what is very much a man's world. I have never heard of a woman taking on such a role before. You are an inspiration to me. I would like to have a central role in running Brampton as a flourishing enterprise like you have with Downton.'

'Did he really say that? That you should view me as a role model?' Mary asked, quite unprepared for the way that made her feel.

'Oh, yes, absolutely. He said that since you began learning the business after losing your first husband, you have been passionate about building and moulding it into a successful endeavour. Tom tells me that under your stewardship, Downton provides a solid foundation for a vast number of livelihoods in the surrounding area and you are doing all you can to leave a lasting legacy for your son,' Lucy expounded, seeming oblivious to Mary's growing surprise at Tom's summation of her work with the estate. 'He has recommended some reading for me to begin learning about estate management, but I would be endlessly grateful if I could spend some time with you too to see how you handle things.'

'Oh, well, I… I don't know quite what to…'

'Please don't feel pressured, Lady Mary. I don't mean to force my way into your office,' Lucy said, anxiously. 'I know that Tom will help me to learn what I need to, but I do think that it would be most interesting to see things from your perspective as a woman. I know he is exceptionally good at what he does – he has been… well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you how wonderful he is – but I do feel it is infinitely easier for a man to get other men to listen to him than it is for a woman to persuade men to listen to her in business. Too many of them find it far too easy to dismiss a perfectly legitimate opinion or viable suggestion simply because it comes from a woman. I would love to see how you approach that particular challenge. I know your title undoubtedly helps you, but I suspect you have other methods of dealing with boorish behaviour too.'

Mary regarded Lucy Smith with some surprise, feeling more and more certain that she had underestimated her completely. She also couldn't help but feel a grudging admiration for the fact that the maid-turned-heiress obviously did not intend to sit on her laurels and simply accept her good fortune. She intended to work to keep her estate afloat and her fortune intact and that was something Mary could respect.

'I apologise if I come across as too enthusiastic,' Lucy said awkwardly after Mary had been silent for just slightly too long. 'It's just that I feel I could learn so very much from you if you are willing to teach me.'

'No, no, not at all, Mis- Lucy,' Mary said, suddenly anxious to live up to Tom's image of her and not to appear aloof. 'You've just… well, I admit you have taken me by surprise. I did not expect you to want to run Brampton, never mind be so passionate about learning how to do that. I would be glad to share my experiences of working as an estate agent with you.'

'Well, I'm sure you're aware that I've worked all my life until now,' Lucy said, not shying away from mentioning her former situation, a straightforward acknowledgement that reminded Mary uncomfortably of Tom. 'I don't believe in taking things for granted because you never know when circumstances can change. I intend to study hard to learn how to manage an estate.'

Mary nodded in approval. 'Then I wish you every success. I will warn you that it is not easy, but it can be very rewarding when your hard work pays off. That is a lesson I wish I had learned much earlier in my life.'

'Yes, Tom has impressed on me that it is not a simple task, managing an estate. He has been so kind and helpful since I shared with him my intentions to learn the business of the estate,' Lucy said, positively glowing as she spoke about Tom.

'I can well believe it. He was my tutor too when I began working alongside him,' Mary said, thinking fondly of how Tom had helped her learn the ropes even as her father opposed her involvement in the estate. 'Believe me when I tell you he has the patience of a saint as well as a remarkable way of explaining the most complex of subjects in an understandable way.'

'He is a remarkable man,' Lucy said, a blush blooming on her cheeks. 'I believe he is the best man I have ever known.'

Mary stared at Lucy as she unknowingly repeated the same words she herself had uttered about Tom just a couple of hours ago. 'Yes, he is. I cannot disagree with you there.'

Lucy looked down at her lap, hesitating slightly before raising her head again. 'I hope you won't mind me asking, Lady Mary, but could you tell me a little about his wife, your late sister?'

Mary swallowed, realising that Miss Smith was seeking to know how she measured up to Tom's great love. Her mention of Sybil brought to mind her grandmother's comments about Tom being her brother-in-law and the scandal that would ensue if they pursued a romantic relationship. She tried to push that from her mind and focus on remembering her beloved little sister.

'Sybil… Sybil was incomparable. She was beautiful inside and out. She was Tom's heart, and he was hers,' she said simply, knowing every word of it was true. 'Sybil wanted to change the world and make it a better place. She didn't stand on ceremony. She never abandoned a cause she believed in. She fought for it just as she fought for Tom. She was willing to give up everything for him, even her family.'

'She sounds like she was a very special person,' Lucy said quietly, looking somewhat intimidated by Mary's description of the woman who had first captured Tom's heart.

'She was. She was the best of us all,' Mary said, thinking sadly of how her sister had been denied the chance to live the life she should have had.

'I know he loved her very much.'

Mary nodded. 'Yes, he did. He still does. He will always love her. She was his everything.'

'It must have been hard for him to go on after losing her,' Lucy said, looking pensive.

'It was a very difficult time, I can't deny that. Sybbie – that's his daughter – she gave him the strength to go on. She needed him and he would never let her down,' Mary said, surprised to find herself discussing this subject with Miss Smith instead of putting a stop to her questions.

'And so did you. Helped him find the strength to go on, I mean.'

Mary looked at Lucy in surprise.

'He told me he's not sure he would have got through that period of his life without your support,' Lucy said, looking at Mary with something approaching gratitude in her eyes.

'Did he?'

'Yes, he was quite clear about that and how important that was to him.'

Mary blinked, thinking about that. She knew Tom had appreciated the support she and Matthew had given him in the aftermath of Sybil's death, but to hear he'd spoken of that with Miss Smith threw her.

'He more than returned the favour after Matthew – my husband – passed,' she said, still unsure why she was sharing this personal information with the woman who was effectively her rival for Tom's heart. 'I don't think I would be overstating it to say that Tom brought me back to life.'

'That must have been so terribly difficult to lose your husband so soon after the loss of your sister,' Lucy said, sympathetically. 'And both of them so young. It's truly heartbreaking. My mother and I, we were so sorry to hear about it. How awful it is for a family to suffer two such tragedies, especially so close together.'

Mary blinked back unexpected tears. She'd long since learned to deal with the loss of Matthew and Sybil and mastered how to speak about them without getting emotional, but tonight was different. Tonight, after the conversation with her grandmother, Lucy's words were too much, plunging her back into the darkest days of her life, reminding her how she and Tom had leaned on each other and pulled each other through unimaginable grief. Suddenly drowning in her swirling emotions, she jumped as she felt a warm hand close on hers.

'I'm so sorry, Lady Mary. I didn't mean to upset you,' Lucy said, looking horrified at the distress her words had prompted in Mary. 'I apologise.'

Mary shook her head, praying the tears wouldn't fall. Suddenly, she felt sweaty, clammy, like she couldn't breathe. Her chest tightened, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing the life out of her. She felt panic blooming and knew she had to get out of there. 'Would you... excuse me... for a... moment?'

'Of course. Should I get someone for you?' Lucy asked anxiously, desperate to make amends. 'Your husband, perhaps?'

'No, no, that's... quite... quite all right... thank you. I just... need to… I just... need to... to take a... moment,' Mary managed to stammer out, snatching desperate breaths from her tightening lungs. She rose to her feet, fighting the urge to flee as quickly as possible. 'Ex... excuse... me.'

She left quickly, trying not to run, desperate to get out of the room and away from people, to be alone to pull herself together.