Hi all. So I haven't seen the new movie since I live in America and it isn't released yet, but from what I've read and what I've seen, Mary has a sort of flirty relationship with the new character Jack Barber and Henry isn't around, so it gave me the idea for this one shot. It is related to my other Downton one shot called Leaving Downton, as they both include the character John Talbot, who is Mary and Henry's son. John Talbot is actually a character from Universal's The Wolf Man from 1941, a movie I really enjoy. The cover image is actually of Claude Rains as the character in the movie, so you can look at it and make up your own mind on who you think John's father is. I'd like to hear who you all think it is. This story is just for fun, but I feel a little bad for kind of destroying Mary's character arc from season 6 though. Anyway, I don't own Downton Abbey and I don't own The Wolf Man. Please enjoy and Review.
Henry stood in the doorway of Talbot Castle watching John play with his friends. He smiled at first, then frowned as his mind filled with the memory of one of the worst days of his life.
It was a little over eleven years ago. He and Mary had been "separated" for around four months at the time, June, when she asked him to come back and give them another chance. He happily agreed, having missed his wife and daughter so much.
It was almost as if Mary had become an entirely new person. She acted all happy and loving, the same as she had when they first met and got married. Henry was happy to have gotten his Mary back, he hadn't stopped to think about what had caused the drastic change. That was till the day she came to him sobbing her heart out.
"Darling, whatever is the matter?" He asked, quickly setting down the pen in his hand and giving her his undivided attention.
Mary sat across from him. They were in the agent's cottage, and Tom would be out most of the day, so there was no way they would be disturbed. "It's awful." She told him. "I'm pregnant, I'm sorry." She then held her head in her hands and continued to cry.
Henry was thoroughly confused at this point. How is this awful? Why is she so sad and sorry? Mary should be overjoyed, he certainly was. "I don't understand." He said, brows furrowed.
Mary looked up at him slowly, tears still brimming her eyes. "Just before we got back together I had a relationship with Jack Barber, the director who was making that movie here at the time. Then we… and…"
"You don't know who the father is." Henry finished. Mary renewed her crying once again. Henry couldn't hear her though. His mind raced and he felt numb. He never would have thought that Mary, his lovely Mary, would have an affair. He wanted to be angry, be mad and yell, but he couldn't. He could take Caroline and leave, never looking back, no one would blame him, but he couldn't do that either.
If he left then Mary's reputation would be ruined. She would never be able to show her face in social society again. She may have betrayed him, used him, but Mary didn't deserve that, and neither did the baby.
Henry got up and walked around the desk. He kneeled and wrapped his arms around her shaking body. "I forgive you, Darling, it will be alright. No one has to know the truth. Whether this child is Mr. Barber's or mine, I will love it just the same." Henry assured her. He was hurt more than ever, but he would stick to his word.
March 25, 1930 was a day Henry had both been anticipating and dreading for months. Mary gave birth to a baby boy they named John Benjamin Talbot. When Henry held the newborn in his arms for the first time, he just knew that the boy was meant to be his son, nothing could change that.
John grew into a handsome, adventurous, energetic young man who loved astronomy and had a knack for getting into trouble. That is who Henry was watching run around that afternoon. John, with his brown hair and brown eyes, looked too much like his mother for his true parentage to ever really be known, so the unknown truth dangled over the couple like a sword tied to a string, the facts lost to history.
"Dad!" He heard John call out, motioning for him to join them. Henry hadn't realized that the boys had stopped running and were huddled together, probably making plans to go down to the village.
Henry's smile returned. Jack Barber would always just be an unknown name on a movie screen, but Henry was Dad and John was son, and that's how it was meant to be.
