Thank you so much for your reviews. I can't tell you how much I appreciate them. I'm glad the existing dialogue is working well within my story. I wanted to follow the timeline of the show as closely as possible despite twisting Tom's and Mary's arcs away from canon. Just to warn you, this story has 37 chapters all told, so we're getting near the end.

'You won't believe this!' Mary said, bowling into Tom's room after seeing her grandmother off.

He looked up from his book. 'What?'

'Granny gave us her blessing!'

Tom's mouth dropped open. 'You told her?!'

'Actually, it was more like she told me,' Mary responded, plucking the book from his hands and tossing it on the bed before plonking herself unceremoniously in his lap. 'She said she suspected I'd already found the right man for me and she'd guessed it was you.'

Tom grimaced. 'I'm not quite sure how I feel about the Dowager having given enough thought to my love life to have suspicions about it.'

'Oh, shut up,' Mary grinned, slipping an arm around his neck. 'She approves and she's happy for us. You should have heard the complimentary things she said about you.'

'Really?' Tom asked in surprise, settling his arm around her waist.

'I told you she had a soft spot for you. Anyway, that's not all she said.'

'No?'

'She thinks Mama might have guessed too.'

Tom frowned. 'I don't see how either of them could have guessed. I mean maybe we might have slipped up last year, but we've not been sneaking around at all since I got back.'

'It's made me think we don't need a complicated plan to get them on board. We just tell them straight. It worked for you and Sybil.'

'Well, apart from the bit where your father offered me money to leave her.'

Mary gawped at him. 'Did he?'

'Yes, he did.'

'Well, well, well. Apparently, Papa has hidden depths. Maybe Granny's ruthless streak didn't skip a generation after all.'

'So, you're suggesting what then? We just drop it in casual conversation over the soup at dinner? "Oh, by the way, Mary and I are in love and want to get married. Could you pass the salt?"'

'Well, perhaps not quite like that, but that's the basic idea. We tell Mama and Papa, then we tell the children.'

'And what about Edith?'

Mary sighed. 'That will be a little trickier, I fear. I'm ready to apologise to her, but why would she want to listen?'

'You have to try, Mary.'

'I know and I will. I just need to think about how I can make things right again.'

'So, when do we tell Robert and Cora?'

'I think we should do it tonight. I've been thinking, Tom, and if it's all right with you, I'd like to get married as soon as possible. We don't need a long engagement, do we? It's not like we need time to get to know each other, is it?'

'No, love, it's not. I can go and sort out the license tomorrow if you like.'

Mary looked at him thoughtfully. 'Do you want a Catholic ceremony?'

Tom smiled at her. 'No, I don't need that. I just want to marry you as quickly as I can. But I love you for asking.'

'Then we can marry at the church here in Downton. I mean if that suits you.'

'Mary, I'll marry you wherever you want me too. As long as you're mine at the end of the ceremony, I don't care.'

Mary gazed at him, still slightly amazed by the well of love she felt for him. 'I'm already yours.'

'So you are,' Tom said, softly, leaning forward to capture her lips in a long kiss that promised to turn into something more.

'So, all in all, I think it was a job well done today,' said Robert as he sipped his soda water in the drawing room after dinner. 'We've done our bit to re-establish Mrs Patmore's reputation as a respectable hostess. And, despite Carson's fears to the contrary, we haven't brought scandal crashing down on to Downton.'

'I'm so pleased we managed to make a difference. It really was an inspired idea, Rosamund,' Cora said, beaming at her sister-in-law.

'Thank you. It seemed like the right thing to do. Now, Mary, tell us more about Mama's mysterious flying visit. Why has she suddenly reappeared out of the blue without a word to anyone?' Rosamund asked, curiously.

'Ah, that was my fault,' Tom interjected from his position by the fireplace. 'I sent for her.'

'You sent for her?' Robert asked, his face a picture of surprise. 'Why? And how did you know where to reach her?'

'It appears Tom is the only one of us Granny trusts these days,' Mary said.

'And that is my fault,' Cora acknowledged, a little sadly. 'She feels I've betrayed her. The rest of you are collateral damage, I'm afraid.'

'Oh, piffle,' Rosamund sniffed. 'Mama is sulking like she always does when she doesn't get her own way. She's milking the situation for as much dramatic tension as possible.'

'But why did you send for her, Tom?' Robert asked, turning to his son-in-law.

Mary answered for him. 'Tom spragged on me for the incident with Edith and Bertie, and Granny came to give me her thoughts on the matter.'

Robert winced. 'I can't imagine that was a pleasant experience.'

'Actually, it wasn't as bad as I feared.'

'Really? Are we to believe a few weeks haunting the Croisette and the Promenade des Anglais have mellowed Mama?' asked Rosamund, sceptically.

Mary exchanged a glance with Tom, taking strength from the tiny nod and encouraging smile he gave her. 'Well, it was more the direction the conversation took than how it started.'

'How intriguing,' Rosamund said, raising a curious eyebrow. 'Do tell us more.'

'There has been a development in my life and Granny, it appears, has the observational skills of Sherlock Holmes.'

'What development?' Cora asked.

Mary looked over at Tom, who walked across to stand beside her. She set her glass down on the table by her chair then reached up and took his hand. 'Mama, Papa, Tom and I have fallen in love.'

Robert stared at them open-mouthed, his flabbergasted gaze toggling between their faces and their joined hands.

Rosamund took a sharp breath, her mouth falling open and her hand coming up to clutch at her necklace.

Cora broke into a beaming smile. 'Oh, my darlings! I had wondered if this was in the offing.'

'You and Tom?' Robert croaked in disbelief.

'Yes,' Mary replied, calmly.

'But… but… you and Tom?' he repeated.

Mary looked up at Tom. 'This is going exactly like Granny said it would. I'm beginning to think she might have psychic powers.'

Tom squeezed her hand before addressing his father-in-law. 'Robert, I realise this is a bit of a shock for you, but-'

'A bit of a shock? I should say so. You and Mary?' Robert couldn't hide his incredulity.

'I want you to know my intentions are honourable. With your permission, we'd like to get married as soon as possible.'

'Married? Good heavens!' Robert plonked heavily down onto the sofa next to his saucer-eyed sister.

Cora rose from her seat, her face wreathed with joyful smiles. 'Oh, how wonderful! I am so happy for you both!'

She crossed the room to take hold of Mary's shoulders and kiss her cheeks then turned to Tom to do the same to him.

'You don't seem surprised, Mama,' Mary observed, dryly.

'I'm not. I had wondered about the two of you and how close you've become. Although I must confess, I thought I might be wrong when you went to America, Tom.'

'Hmm. Yes, that,' said Tom, glancing at Mary. 'That turned out to be a mistake. I should never have left.'

'You can say that again,' Mary agreed, fervently.

'What? Wait. Are you saying there's been something going on between the two of you since before Tom went to America?' Robert said, plainly astonished.

'Yes, Papa. Although Tom has played hard to get in recent months,' Mary replied, casting an admonishing glance at her beloved, who looked suitably contrite.

'But… but… how… I mean, what… how…' Robert stuttered.

'I think what my dear brother is trying to ask is how long has this been going on?' Rosamund translated.

'Long enough,' Mary said, crisply, unwilling to go into details about the start of their relationship with her parents and her aunt. 'But we've only just admitted our feelings for each other.'

'And you're in love?' Rosamund asked.

Mary nodded. 'Yes, we are. Deeply. Papa, I know you're shocked, but I hope you're not disapproving. Tom makes me happier than I've been in a long time and I think I do the same for him.'

'You do,' Tom said, squeezing her hand.

Robert remained silent, his eyes still flitting between them.

'Well, I think it's deliciously unorthodox and perfectly splendid, my dear,' Rosamund announced, beaming at the happy couple.

'Thank you, Aunt Rosamund,' Mary said, inclining her head graciously. 'Papa?'

Robert looked at his wife. 'You knew?'

Cora shook her head. 'No, I didn't know. I suspected last year, but I thought I was wrong when Tom left at New Year.'

'But you didn't tell me.'

'Robert, there was nothing to tell. All I had was an inkling. If I'd known, I would have told you.'

'Like you told me about Marigold?'

'That was different. Edith had asked me not to tell you.'

'Papa,' Mary broke in. 'Are you disappointed with me? Is it because of Sybil? Because Tom was hers first?'

Robert looked carefully at his daughter. 'I'm not disappointed with you, Mary. If you and Tom have come to terms with the issue of Sybil, I will not pass comment on it.'

Robert switched his attention from his daughter to his son-in-law. 'I have never expected you to spend the rest of your life alone, Tom. I'm just… well, you've taken me by surprise. And I'm a little taken aback that both my wife and my mother appeared to foresee this turn of events. What did your grandmother say about it, Mary?'

'She gave us her blessing.'

'Did she? Then, Tom, it appears you have done the impossible and melted the iron lady that is my mother.'

'But do I have your approval, Robert?' Tom asked, holding his breath.

Robert gazed at him then rose to cross the room and stand in front of his son-in-law, holding out his hand for Tom to shake. Tom took it, feeling emotion rising in his chest.

'You do. You have already made one of my daughters exceedingly happy. If you make another of them happy – and perhaps the most demanding of my daughters at that – then as unconventional as it may be, you have my blessing too. I am already proud to have you as my son-in-law and that will not change. Although I may need a little time to get used to the idea of you and Mary as a couple.'

'Well, you can have a little time, Papa, but not much. We intend to get married as soon as the law allows us to. Tom will arrange for the license tomorrow and then it's just a question of the banns being read.'

'Why so sudden, Mary?' Her father gave her a sharp look then frowned at Tom. 'You're not pregnant, are you?'

'Of course, I'm not,' Mary said quickly, ignoring the fact that she could conceivably have found herself pregnant twice since Tom's return. 'The rush is that we love each other and want to start our lives together properly as soon as possible. We're not youngsters who don't know what we're getting into. And it's not like we don't already know each other well, is it?'

'Very well. Then I suppose this calls for a celebration. I'll ring for Carson and ask him to bring up some champagne.'

'Ah,' said Mary, glancing up at Tom. 'Would you mind terribly if we saved the celebration for tomorrow night? I rather think I should break the news to Carson myself.'

'Really?' Robert raised an eyebrow at his daughter, noting a faint blush on her cheeks. 'Why on earth do you need to do that?'

'Well, let's just say that Carson has been an unwilling keeper of our secret for some time now.'

Robert's eyebrows rose even higher, even as he heard an unladylike snicker from his sister. 'Right. Well. I'm not sure I need to know anything more about that.'

'No, Papa, you don't,' Mary agreed, emphatically.

Cora chimed in. 'Have you told the children yet?'

'No, we wanted to tell you first,' Tom replied. 'We'll sit George and Sybbie down tomorrow and explain it to them.'

Cora nodded, then switched her gaze to her daughter. 'And what about Edith? I'm not sure how well she'll take this under the circumstances.'

'I know,' Mary said, ruefully. 'I need to give that some thought.'

'Well, don't leave it too long, darling. You know how fast news travels. You don't want her to hear it from anyone else.'

'Don't worry, Cora,' Tom said, firmly. 'We'll make it right with Edith, won't we, Mary?'

'Yes, we will. I promise, Mama,' Mary nodded even as she wondered exactly how they were doing to do that.