Mary took her papa's hand and stepped out of the carriage. Old-fashioned as a horse-drawn carriage may be, on this one day, she didn't want a motor car reminding her of sadder times.

Her father held out his arm to her and they walked together up the path to the church. Mary cast a glance at her sister's tomb and Matthew's grave off to the side, silently asking for their blessing as she passed.

They halted at the doorway where Anna was waiting to do one final round of primping and fixing before she was satisfied that Mary was ready for her groom.

'You look beautiful, milady. Mr Branson is a very lucky man.'

'Thank you, Anna. Now, you go and take your seat.'

Anna flashed her one more wide smile and disappeared into the church, her hand smoothing over the swell of her growing bump.

'She's right, Mary,' Robert said, softly, a note of pride in his voice. 'You do look beautiful. Radiant, in fact. I haven't seen you look this happy for a long time.'

Mary looked up at him, her eyes shining. 'I am happy, Papa. So very happy.'

'Then I shall hand you over gladly, my darling girl. I know I will be placing you in safe hands.'

'You are all right with this, aren't you?' Mary asked, a little anxiously. 'I know it's not really the done thing, marrying your brother-in-law.'

'I confess, I am still getting used to the idea, but I am not against it. How could I be when I can see how much you two adore each other? In fact, I feel quite foolish not to have seen it before. It seems so obvious now. At the end of the day, Mary, if you are happy, I am happy. And I know Tom makes you happy. What more could a father ask?'

'Thank you, Papa.'

'Besides, I'm fully aware that even if I was against this, you'd marry him anyway,' Robert said, a knowing glint in his eye.

Mary had the good grace to smile. 'Yes, I would.'

'Then let me give you away with my blessing.' Robert cocked his head, hearing the music begin in the church. 'And that, I believe, is our cue.'

Mary took her father's arm and faced forward, stepping over the threshold into the church.

The pews were filled with familiar faces. All the Downton Abbey servants were there: Carson and a beaming Mrs Hughes, Anna and Bates, a pale but recovering Barrow, Baxter, Mr Molesley, Mrs Patmore, Daisy, Andrew, Mr Mason with them. Isobel beamed at her as she passed. Granny, Mama, Edith, the children. And waiting for her at the top of the aisle was Tom.

Mary gazed at him as she walked towards him. He looked handsome in his morning suit, the image of respectability, but Mary couldn't help but thrill to the knowledge that she knew the real Tom beneath. Knew him and loved him every bit as much as he knew and loved the real her.

She came to a stop beside him, a huge smile on her face.

'Hello,' he said, softly, with a matching smile. 'You came then?'

'Well, I didn't get a better offer on the way here, so I thought I might as well.'

His eyes swept over her. 'You look like an angel.'

'Well, you and I both know I'm hardly that. That's why I'm wearing cream instead of white,' Mary said, tartly, the smile still on her lips.

'Yes, and I wouldn't have you any other way,' Tom responded, his eyes twinkling.

Most of the ceremony passed in a blur, the vicar taking them through each step, both of them repeating the necessary words. Once Papa passed her hand over to Tom, Mary's focus tunnelled down to him and him alone, his eyes, his voice, his hand holding hers. There was nothing else in the world except her and Tom.

Eventually, the vicar wrapped his stole around their joined hands.

'Those whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder,' he intoned. 'For as much as Tom and Mary have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth, either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring and by joining of hands, I pronounce that they be man and wife together. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.'

Mary turned to Tom at the same time as he turned to her. He stepped forward, cupping her face in his hands.

'May I kiss my bride now?' he asked the vicar without taking his eyes off Mary's.

'You may.'

Tom leaned forward and kissed her, deep and soft. Mary closed her eyes, delighting at the feel of his lips on hers, no longer a secret. From now on, she could kiss him whenever and wherever she liked, and it would be acceptable and respectable.

Except their kisses were rarely respectable for long and this one, their first as a married couple, was edging towards the boundaries. Mary felt Tom pull back just as her father began to shuffle his feet, even as the applause still echoed around the church. She opened her eyes to see Tom gazing at her, his blue eyes full of promises.

'So, I suppose this means you'll never take my side again,' Edith said wryly to Tom at the wedding breakfast.

Standing by her new husband's side, Mary scoffed at that. 'Really, Edith, have you met Tom?'

'Well, I assume things will be different now he's your husband and not just our dear brother-in-law.'

'Oh, don't be ridiculous. He's acquired a wife; he hasn't had a lobotomy.'

Edith suppressed a smile. 'Are you quite sure about that? I do fear you're not in your right mind, Tom. If Mary has you hypnotised or is blackmailing you into marriage or something, give me a signal. It's not too late to call for help. I sure we can still get you an annulment.'

Tom grinned at his sister-in-law. 'No, Edith, I'm quite sound of mind, I promise you. But I will still have your back if Mary is in the wrong.'

Mary rolled her eyes. 'See? I told you. He never said a word to me about Marigold despite knowing your secret for months even though I was highly creative in my efforts to break him.'

Edith looked slightly ill at that. 'I'm not sure I want to know how you might have been trying to break him, Mary. Some things should remain shrouded in mystery.'

Mary and Tom glanced at each other, matching grins on their faces.

'Oh, please. I mean it,' Edith said, with a grimace. 'I really, really don't want to know,'.

'Edith,' came a gentle, refined voice from behind her.

Edith froze, her eyes fixed on Mary and Tom, then she turned round to face her former fiancé. 'Bertie.'

'May I speak with you in private?' he asked, a beseeching look on his face.

Edith swallowed. 'Yes, of course. Let's find somewhere quiet. Excuse me, Mary, Tom.'

Mary swiftly put her hand on her sister's arm to stop her. Edith looked at her in surprise. Mary leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. 'Good luck,' she whispered.

Edith nodded, taken aback by the gesture, then headed off, Bertie by her side.

Tom put his hand on the small of Mary's back, rubbing it gently. 'That was a nice, supportive thing to do,' he said, quietly. 'I'm proud of you, my love.'

'I just hope it works and they overcome everything that's happened,' Mary murmured, her eyes following her sister as she disappeared out of the door.

'I think they will. Bertie is definitely ready to forgive and forget and I can't imagine Edith will throw away her second chance at happiness with him.'

Mary turned to press a swift kiss to his lips. 'Then I was right. You are a genius for coming up with this plan, my darling.'

Tom smiled. 'Well, maybe you can properly reward me for my genius later.'

'Oh, don't worry, I intend to. Repeatedly,' Mary said with a lascivious grin. 'In fact, I'd like to disappear for half an hour with you right now, but I fear it's looked on as bad form if the bride and groom leave the proceedings early for a spot of hanky panky.'

Tom chuckled. 'Yes, I think that would be considered scandalous even if we are now married. Don't worry, darlin', we have a whole week to ourselves to look forward to. We can scratch our itches all day and all night then if we want to.'

'There's no if about it, Tom. You'll be lucky if I let you out of bed for food,' Mary said, fixing a look of innocence on her face that belied her words as she saw Isobel making a beeline for them, Dickie in tow.

Tom choked back a laugh, glad beyond all belief that this woman was now officially his.

Later that day as Tom tipped the hotel boy for bringing their luggage to the honeymoon suite, another boy appeared in the doorway with a telegram.

Mary stood by the window admiring the sun-drenched view of the sea and the ruined medieval abbey high on the clifftop across the quaint harbour. Tom came over to stand behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. He held the telegram up in front of her.

'Telegram for Lady Mary Branson.'

Mary took it from him, beaming at the sound of her new name. 'Lady Mary Branson. Who would have thought it?'

'Not me,' her new husband said in her ear. 'Even a month ago, I was convinced you just wanted me for my body.'

'Well, I do want you for your body. I just happen to want every other bit of you too,' Mary said, twisting her head to kiss him.

'Who's the telegram from?' Tom asked when he finally broke the kiss.

Mary opened it up, scanning the message. 'Papa. He says mission accomplished; Edith and Bertie are back on!'

Tom grinned, squeezing Mary tight around the waist. 'Then it worked! We did it!'

She turned in his grip, winding her arms around his neck. 'You did it, my darling. You fixed my mess like you always do.'

'Mary, I-'

She shut him up with another kiss. 'Tom, take the win. I am about to reward you for it in magnificent style.'

He grinned, pulling her closer. 'Well, if you insist.'

'Oh, I do. All of a sudden, I'm feeling very itchy.'

'Me too,' he murmured, trailing kisses along her neck. Mary let out a blissful sigh, feeling her butterflies come delightfully to vigorous life.

'We'd better start scratching those itches, then,' she said, reaching out to loosen his tie, determined to start her new life with Tom as she meant to go on.

She pulled him towards her for a kiss, then walked him purposefully back towards the bed, silently blessing Tony Gillingham for inadvertently changing the course of her life.

Author's note

Thank you to everyone who has come along on this journey with me. Thank you to all those who have read this tale, and a very heartfelt thank you to those of you who have been kind enough to leave reviews, sharing your thoughts and theories on the chapters. I can't tell you how much it's meant to me to know you've enjoyed this story. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.