True to his word, Tom did not raise the issue by thought, word, or deed over the next four weeks. He continued to run the estate with Mary, and never put a foot out of place, or gave a remark that could possibly be misconstrued. He continued on, in his normal, cheery disposition as if nothing had ever upset him in the world.

It made Mary crazy.

For her part, she could not make heads or tails of Tom's behavior. She remembered – VIVIDLY – Tom going down on one knee and begging her to marry him. She remembered her refusal. And yet… yet, here he was, acting as though none of that had ever happened. Was he in denial? Or was SHE in denial? After weeks of his casual behavior and friendly smiles she started to wonder if she had invented the entire episode. Every day she went to the office and every day she came home more frustrated and confused than the day before.

Everyone in the household watched the tension in Lady Mary build up with amazement. Tom acted as cheerful as ever, but when Lady Mary was upset the whole house seemed to shake at its very foundation. Everyone could tell that she was wound-up, but very few people knew why.

Of course, their actions did not go unnoticed. Anna was starting to get more than a little concerned with her mistress's constant agitation. And for once, Lady Mary was not confiding in her. Anna didn't take it personally, she understood. She wasn't being confided in because there was nothing to tell. Lady Mary didn't understand the situation herself.

One evening, after spending over a month of observing her mistress's frustration, Anna finally started to share her own growing concerns with her husband.

"I wish I knew how to help her," Anna told John as they settled into their cottage for the evening. John picked up his book more out of habit than disinterest.

"Is she really that rattled?" he asked, not wanting to be pulled into Lady Mary drama if he could help it.

"Lady Mary is at odds and ends these days," she answered, taking off her coat.

"What is upsetting Lady Mary now, prey tell?" he asked, clearly only mildly interested and just humoring his wife.

"Mr. Bates," she pushed his book away from him. "You know full well, it's Tom Branson that's upsetting her."

"I thought she rejected him." Anna noted that despite his air of disinterest, he was obviously keeping up. She smiled at that.

"She did. Pretty difinitively. And yet he's still here. Acting as though nothing in the world had ever happened," she thought aloud. "Every day is making her more and more anxious and confused."

John didn't answer right away. He sat back and thought for a moment. "I remember when he was the chauffer," Mr. Bates said, slowly, and with just a hint of nostlgia. Anna watched her husband in curiosity, as he clearly wasn't done. He put down his book and stepped towards the fireplace. "I remember when he was courting Lady Sybil," he continued slowly. He looked at his wife. "Do you remember?"

Anna smiled at the memory. "I think he must have fallen in love with Lady Sybil at first sight," she reminisced.

"I don't think that's quite true, but I like your version," he smiled. Anna almost blushed, but Bates continued. "He first started working here just after I did – and then it took him years before she agreed to marry him…"

"Yes," Anna remembered. "Years of waiting and waiting and waiting…"

"Once he sets his mind towards something, that man has the patience of Job."

Anna's eyes widened. "You think then, that he still intends to win Lady Mary?"

"I think that if he'd really given up he would have left. Packed up Miss Sybbie and gone back to Boston. But he's still here. And if there's anything he loves most in the world, it's making Lady Mary crazy."

Anna looked sharply at her husband. "Is that true?"

"Oh, it's true. Men love to watch the women they love act crazy. I've been enjoying it myself for the past few weeks."

"What?"

"You think I haven't noticed how Lady's Mary confusion has confused you? I've enjoyed every moment of it. You are so adorable when you're muddled, Mrs. Bates."

Anna honestly wasn't sure if she should be angry or flattered. Her husband smiled and kissed her lightly.

"But – then –" she couldn't string a sentence together.

"I think Tom Branson knows exactly what he's doing," he answered his wife with a smile. Anna couldn't help but smile back.

Upstairs, Robert and Cora had also observed the unfolding drama in wonder. They both knew what had had passed between Tom and Mary, and watched in amazement. Edith spent less and less time at Downton, much preferring London and Bertie's company to the confusion at home.

"Have you ever seen Mary in such a state?" Robert asked, coming into the bedroom that evening. "I don't remember her being this upset since Matthew died."

"I'm not sure that's a fair comparison," Cora responded calmly. "Matthew's death was a horrible tragedy. This is just… I don't know what the word is, but it's not a tragedy."

"I know, but it's a very tense situation," Robert complained, getting into bed. "And it's making everyone damned uncomfortable."

"Mary doesn't know what she should do," Cora said with some sympathy.

"What she should do is marry Tom," Robert answered automatically. Cora looked at her husband in complete wonder.

"There's a sentence I never expected to hear from you," Cora observed.

"Well really, all this tension in the air – Tom acting as if nothing in the world is wrong and Mary working herself into a frenzy… It's getting difficult as anything."

"So even you think Mary should accept Tom?" Cora needed him to repeat it.

"Oh don't pretend you don't," Robert closed his eyes. "You've loved this idea since the first time you heard of it."

"I won't deny that," Cora answered. "I think in a lot of ways they are very well suited. But what brought this change of heart in you?"

"It's not so much a change of heart as much as I just want the nonsense over," he exhaled. "I don't blame Bertie and Edith for hiding out in London all the time."

"Edith feels guilty. She's happy and Mary and Tom are not."

"I know. Rather tactful of them, I'd say." Robert huffed and then thought for a moment. "I just want things settled."

Cora smiled to herself, and relaxed against the pillows, thinking things over. "Well, it seems to me that Tom has done a beautiful job."

Robert turned to his wife in genuine confusion. "What the devil are you talking about?"

"Robert," Cora said patiently as she turned towards her husband, "think carefully over all that has happened since Tom returned from Boston. When he first came back – Mary was still being pursued by Henry Talbot and Charles Blake and that – oh, whatever his name was…"

"Honestly, I stopped paying attention after awhile. I can't even remember which one it was that irritated me the most."

Cora smiled, "Exactly, they're all interchangeable at some point."

"Cora, I still don't know what you're getting at and honestly, it's worrying me."

"Robert, think back to that time, it wasn't that long ago, when Mary was being surrounded by suitors. All the Tony Gillinghams and Charles Blakes and Henry Talbots… would any of us ever even think of Tom as a suitor?"

"Of course not," Robert answered automatically.

Cora nodded to herself. "And here we are now. Not that much later… Mary has dismissed them all. And now everyone – including you – thinks that Tom's the one she should marry. All of us!"

Robert looked at his wife silently for a while. "Are you suggesting that he planned this from the very beginning?"

A very slow smile crept over Cora's face. "Remember what Mary told us that night? That Tom didn't accept her rejection. He said he'd wait."

"I do remember that," Robert said slowly.

"Think of it, Robert. It does seem like him, doesn't it? That man always has a plan. And he can be patient. Isn't that what he told Mary he'd be? And ever since that night… one by one, he has won us all over. Me, you, Edith, probably Bertie… It wouldn't surprise me if your mother was already on his side as well!" She laughed. "This is a work of art," she sat back and smiled to herself. "I can't help but admire it."

Robert was too stunned to respond. All he could do was lay back on the pillows and wonder at his wife's assessment.

Finally he spoke. "You may well be right. But there's one person he still hasn't won over."

Cora nodded. "Mary."