Mary swirled her fingers gently through Tom's hair as he lay in a loose sprawl next to her, his head pillowed on her chest as they came back down to earth after their lovemaking.

'It was a good turnout for you tonight.'

He nodded, the beginnings of his stubble grazing the soft skin of her breast. 'It was. Everyone was very kind.'

'I think even Granny was in danger of shedding a tear when she said goodbye to you.'

Tom smiled, absently tracing a pattern on her stomach. 'I never would have dreamed it possible, but she did seem a little teary. Who would have thought when I first came to Downton that one day old Lady Grantham would be moist-eyed at me leaving?'

'You know you're truly part of the family when Granny betrays emotion over you. I suspect she has a soft spot for you. She told me how much she admired your resilience and perseverance in fitting into our world over these last few years.' Mary trailed her hand down his arm. 'It appears you are catnip for the Crawley women, Tom. We all fall under your spell one way or another.'

Tom shifted up the bed to lie on his side next to her, resting his forehead against her temple. 'Is that what you are? Under my spell?'

Mary gave a small smile. 'Do you doubt that when I'm lying naked in bed with you? You have bewitched me, body and soul.'

He shook his head gently. 'If anyone's been bewitched, I'm fairly sure it's me.'

Mary turned her face to him. 'You do know you're taking a piece of my heart to America with you, don't you?'

Tom tightened his arm around her waist, nudging his nose against her cheek. 'It will slot right into the space left by the piece of my heart I'm leaving here.'

Mary stared at him then tilted her head to kiss him, a deep, heartfelt kiss. He responded in kind, pulling her in close as she twisted in his arms to cup his face.

'I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow,' she whispered.

'We've known this day would come eventually.'

'That doesn't make it any easier to bear, not when I lo-'

'Hush, Mary,' he breathed, silencing her with more kisses. Mary let him, shaken by the admission she'd been on the brink of making. He kissed her deeply, slowly, stoking the passion simmering in her belly.

Mary burrowed closer to him. She felt his hardness trapped between them and reached down to slip him inside her, desperate to have him one last time. Tom groaned into her mouth as she wrapped her leg over his hip, keeping tight against him.

Slowly, they rocked together, their lovemaking more about sharing intimacy than chasing pleasure. Tom slid his hand down to her bottom, cupping her, pulling her as close to him as he possibly could. Mary gasped as the angle changed and he slipped deeper inside her. She arched into him, one hand over his heart, the other on his cheek, gazing into his eyes as he began to thrust slowly into her.

Tom held her tight, never breaking eye contact with her as he watched her arousal building until she gasped out her pleasure, shaking in his arms. Within seconds, he followed her over the brink, his mouth claiming hers again as he spilled deep inside her.

They lay quietly together like two spoons in a drawer, Mary tucked tight against Tom's warm, solid body, his arm clamped around her waist.

'Tom,' she whispered into the dark, 'what would you have done if you'd got me pregnant?'

She felt his surprise at the question. 'I would have married you,' he said, without hesitation. 'Why? Is this your way of telling me you are pregnant?'

'No. At least not that I know of.'

Tom was silent for a moment. 'Why are you asking me that, Mary? You don't think I'd have abandoned you, do you?'

'No, of course not. I just… the thought crossed my mind and I just wanted to know.'

'What would you have done if you'd fallen pregnant?'

'Apart from the initial panic, you mean?'

'Yes.'

Mary was quiet for a moment, thinking about that. 'I would have said yes to you. And then panicked about how we were going to break the news to everyone. Granny might not have been so fond of you anymore after that.'

Tom chuckled into the back of her neck, making her shiver. 'Then it's a good job it never happened.'

'Yes, I suppose so. Although… no, never mind.'

'Although what?'

'Nothing.'

Tom squeezed his arm tighter around her. 'Tell me.'

'It would have meant you wouldn't be leaving.'

There was a beat of silence before Tom spoke again. 'It would have been a bit of a drastic way of keeping me here.'

'Hmm, yes, I suppose so.'

'But I would never have abandoned you, Mary. You must know that. I would have faced anything, any censure or consequences – even the Dowager at her fiercest – to do right by you.'

Mary nodded, squeezing the arm wrapped around her midriff. 'I know.'

Silence descended again until Tom broke it. 'Can you even imagine a child of ours? A mixture of Sybbie and George? We'd have been helpless against them.'

'Between the two of us, we'd likely have ended up with a strong-willed rebel with my proud streak and your disregard for traditionalism,' Mary said, smiling at the thought. 'We would not have stood a chance.'

'Not even a glimmer of a chance,' Tom chuckled.

All was quiet for a while before Tom spoke again. 'Mary, promise me that if you find out there are consequences after I leave, you'll tell me straight away. Send me a telegram. I'll come straight home.'

Home, Mary thought with a pang. 'I will.'

'Promise me.'

'I promise.'

'If it happens, I want you to know I will stand beside you. I might be terrified out of my wits of history repeating itself, but I will be there.'

Mary felt her heart crack a little. While for her a child might be a shock, for him it would bring the paralysing, heart-wrenching fear of losing another woman he cared for as she brought a life he'd helped to create into the world.

'Oh, Tom, my darling boy, I am going to miss you so very much,' she whispered, a silent tear sliding down her face.

He tightened his hold on her, burying his face into her neck, his voice cracking a little. 'And I you, love. And I you.