A/N: Thank you so much for the kind reviews!

From Yorkshire to New York

Chapter Nine

Mary trudged back into the parlor, making excuses for Tom and Edith when she did. She soon grew steadily more irritable and sullen as Mama and Papa fussed over her, especially when they sounded shocked when she insisted that no, as a matter of fact, she hadn't met any new suitors in New York. Her bad mood only persisted when Tom returned, standing and sitting as far away from her as possible. It seemed like her suspicions had been correct...

Luncheon didn't improve things. Tom sat between Mama and Edith (who had since recovered from her shock enough to join them) on the opposite end of the table. Mary was between Papa and Uncle Harold, growing less and less pleased the longer this dragged on. He barely even looked at her...

"This is just superb!" trilled Mama. "Olsen, please tell Ivy that the food is absolutely wonderful! Though I suppose she goes by Mrs. Stuart now," she added as an afterthought.

"Mrs. Slade, actually," Grandmama corrected. "And yes, please pass the compliments on to her, Olsen."

"Mrs. Slade's cooking is always excellent," said Uncle Harold, almost bragging. "I thought you would want to see how far she had come since working in Downton's kitchens."

"Have you missed Downton?" Papa asked Mary quietly, enough so that they weren't overheard.

"Of course." She enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city but it was nothing compared the Yorkshire countryside she called home. She didn't know New York City nearly as intimately.

"Then shouldn't you come back to it?" When Mary didn't answer him, stabbing at her chicken. "You've has your fun here, my dear, but you think it's time you returned home to us?"

"I'm not ready yet, Papa," said Mary. Regardless of where things stood with her and Tom, she still couldn't go home. Not until the baby was born.

Her father let out a sigh. "Look, whatever was bothering you, it obviously can't be about Tom, since you seem to have made up now. You simply can't shirk your duties to the estate because you fancy a holiday!"

Shirk her duties because she fancied a holiday? How did he not realize that she would never leave Downton unless it were absolutely necessary? Did he think she loved it any less than he did? "Why can't you just leave me alone?" She snarled back, much louder than intended. Her exclamation drew the attention of everyone else in the room, including Olsen, who looked very awkward. With all these eyes on her (including, at long last, Tom's), Mary felt embarrassed for losing her temper so easily. "I'm so sorry... I'm afraid I'm not well at all. I wonder if you might excuse me."

"Of course," Grandmama said, giving Mary a significant look as she rose to her feet, placing her napkin on her tray. Mary was out of the dining room before anyone else could say a thing.

Mary already knew she wouldn't be well enough to go down for dinner, so shortly after her return to her room, she rang the bell. Klein appeared to her room with a concerned expression.

"Mr. Olsen said you were not well. I wondered... is it the baby?" Her maid asked hesitantly, her accent somehow more prominent.

Mary shook her head. "No. It isn't the baby. But I am feeling out of sorts. I wanted to change."

"Very good," said Klein, but she stood in place. "You see... There is a woman downstairs. A Mrs. Bates. She has come with your family. She says she is your lady's maid from home."

"Anna is here?" Mary gasped, elated for a brief moment. She supposed it made sense, considering Bates would naturally coming for Papa...

"We were not sure which of us should come up. I was not sure if Mrs. Bates knew of your condition, so I thought I should check first."

Mary shook her head. "Don't worry, Klein. Anna is in full possession of the facts and can be trusted. You can send her up." Then, not wanting to seem callous or unappreciative, "But I am very grateful for your consideration and discretion, Klein. Thank you."

Klein simply gave Mary a smile before exiting the room. Mary allowed herself to be gladdened by the thought of seeing Anna again, briefly putting own woe aside.

When Anna came upstairs, both women were overjoyed to be reunited, lamenting how it had been too long since they had last seen one another before Anna finally got around to helping Mary dress into a nightgown.

"My goodness," breathed Anna as she finally had a chance to see Mary's stomach for the first time. "You've grown!"

All it took was a glance at her slightly rounded stomach for Mary to burst into tears. Noisy sobs escaped her as Anna began apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry, milady! I didn't mean to upset you! You're not very big, not yet!"

Mary wished she could explain that she wasn't dismayed about her size, just only that she had no idea what the future held for the two of them. Instead she wept into her hands, sinking down into the chair. Anna's hand, calloused thanks to the hard work she had done, came to rest on Mary's mostly bare shoulder.

"I didn't mean to upset you, milady," Anna said again once Mary had mostly recovered.

Mary sniffled. "It's nothing you've said, Anna. You're not to blame— I just— I don't know what we'll do!" When Anna remained silent, the truth came pouring out— all of it.

"You don't seem surprised," Mary remarked whilst drying her eyes with a handkerchief.

"I had my suspicions," admitted Anna. "You used to be so close to him, then you were fighting... and then next thing I knew..." She trailed off.

Mary nodded. She supposed that made sense... even though it meant they weren't nearly as circumspect as they had intended. Still, she supposed no one else (save for Edith) had known about the baby. "I just don't know what is going to happen now."

"With all due respect, milady, you're only making guesses. You have no idea if anything has changed for him," Anna said gently.

"Maybe," Mary was willing to admit, "but I don't understand why he has been avoiding me... and I don't want to put up with Mama or Papa pestering me with their questions."

Speak of the devil... As Anna finished helping Mary dress, there was a knock at the door. Before either of them could answer it, the door creaked open. Mary hurriedly averted her body and Anna stepped in front of her to serve as a shield as Mama called out, "Can I come in?"

"Just a minute," Mary replied in a strained voice, heart pounding in her chest. "I'm not quite decent yet."

The door shut. Mary whirled around, making eye contact with Anna. "That was close," mouthed her maid.

"I need to start locking that damn door," Mary muttered, eyeing it as if it had personally offended her. Mary laid down in bed, Anna arranging the blankets so that Mama wouldn't see her bump. "Thank you, Anna," breathed Mary, relieved.

"Of course, milady. Will you need anything else?"

Mary shook her head. "I suppose I might as well get it over with."

Anna gave her a sympathetic smile before opening the door and letting Mama back in. What followed was an exhausting conversation where Mama chastised her as if she were a little girl again for leaving so abruptly before fretting over her. "Mother says you've had a few turns since you've been here," lamented Mama.

Mary narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure how that was supposed to keep the baby a secret... though she supposed Grandmama was still of the opinion that Mama should be informed. "You know me, Mama. Sometimes I need time to myself. I invent a headache so I can get some alone time."

Mama frowned. "Well, that's not very kind."

"What can I say?" Mary asked with a shrug. "You didn't raise a very kind daughter."

"That's not the way they were talking down there." When Mary frowned, Mama smiled at her again. "Mother and Tom. They said you've been very sunny the past few days."

She had been sunny, hadn't she? She had been looking forward the future ahead of her. A future now that seemed so uncertain.

"Mother said you started perking up again when Tom came back into the picture," Mama began. Mary gave her a curious look. "He told me that he's glad you're finally friends again... and I'm glad, too. I'm happy the two of you won't be screaming the house down once we all return."

Friends. Mary's mind latched onto that word. Friends.

"Will you be coming back with us? Your father doesn't want to admit it, but he's come to rely on you. I think he's in over his head," Mama laughed, clearly amused.

Mary, however, could find no humor from the situation. "No. I'll be staying here. For a few more months at least."

"Will you at least let George come back with us? Then he and Sybbie aren't separated."

Mary felt as if a cannonball had been launched through her stomach. "Tom's going back to Downton?" she asked weakly.

"He said something about it during luncheon," Mama said cheerfully, "which should hopefully be enough to pacify your Papa, since you want to stay here." She smiled dreamily. "I have to admit, I'm quite glad at least one of daughters has decided to spend time in the place grew up."

What followed was a conversation laden with sentimentality, with mostly Mama talking and Mary only half listening, talking about the best places in New York and asking if certain places were still open whilst Mary noncomitally responded. After long last, Mama seemed to sense her eldest daughter was not in a talkative mood and said goodbye, giving her a kiss on the head and telling her to rest. Mary was relieved to finally be left alone, but once the door closed behind her, the crushing loneliness seemed to swoop upon her.