Hellooo :D

Heres another little one shot I just cooked up from one of the spoiler pictures I saw on MSN website. It was one with Mary and Sybil sat together, you may have seen it, you not have but have a look if you haven't, there's quite a few :D

This continues after the last one - its the next day around the evening dinner.

Matthew left, trying to find company, any company that wasn't his bothersome fiancée.

Mary of course, sat, staring out, replaying the previous events before quietly weeping. She and Matthew had once again been in disagreements. After last night, she thought that would be the end of it and when she noticed her sister's husband walk through the door, she was relieved; actually relieved it was him rather then her sisters or her parents. She knew that he had no business to retell her secret…well maybe to Sybil but she wouldn't judge like Edith or worry like their Mama.

After leaving Tom in the hall, no doubt turning to see Matthew as soon as she turned her back, Mary ran, trying hard to keep her tears as silent as possible; any loud sob would attract attention and at this particular moment, Mary wanted to be left alone.

This fight wasn't like the one last night. This was over a silly issue; Matthew seemed to think that he loved Mary more than she loved him. Everything was fine, they were sat together, having tea of course, getting along and actually having a conversation but it soon turned nasty.

"Oh for goodness sake Matthew let's not go over this again. We had our fight last night and I think it's obvious that we're not suited. I can see it but you just can't."

Matthew scoffed standing and smacking the back of the armchair with his hand. He lent on it and heaved a sigh.

"That's rich Mary. After everything we have been through I hardly believe that that is the reason."

Matthew then began to laugh; the whole thing was hilarious.

"Do you know what? I think you're scared- no, terrified of marrying me. You think that it would be a bad thing if I had to work - No you do Mary; I can see it - the way that you react to me asking about jobs. You know, not everyone in York knows that I'm the heir. To them I am an attorney with a lot of experience." He snapped, standing straight again, beginning to pace. Mary too stood, placing her hands on her hips and scowling at Matthew.

"No Matthew that's not it-"

"Isn't it?" he turned, trying to stare her out. He looked at the way she shifted uncomfortably and looked to the floor. She looked extremely guilty and like he said, terrified.

"Oh," Matthew sounded, chuckling under his breath. "I can't believe it. You're embarrassed of me going to work. Tell me, do you think Sybil is embarrassed to go to work everyday? Or of Tom going to work? You know what, I actually envy them. My life before all of this was fulfilling. I did some good in the world and earned everything I owned but now? Dear God Mary, you disappoint me."

With that, he left, leading us to where we began, Mary quietly weeping on the sofa. Because Matthew was right. She was terrified of marrying him for fear of, not him going back to work, but the humiliation if it came out. She could see it now, Earls heir not rich enough? Oh what would the newspapers know? They don't know that Papa had lost all of the money…yet. A creak of a floor board turned Mary's attention behind her to her youngest sister's sullen face.

To Mary's surprise, she looked well; her new life had obviously done her good. She had cut her hair, much to her mother's dismay but it suited her. She looked like her own woman and acted like it too but Mary could see the wonderful wife she was had changed her in some behaviours and the wide eyed soon to be mother look brighten up her face. The dresses she wore definitely reflected that. Mary was a little jealous as she knew that Sybil would have chosen her own, not her mother choosing for her.

She couldn't deny it; the chauffer had taken very good care of her…and the soft moans that came from their bedroom last night had it imprinted on Mary's mind. She would never be rid of that image.

"Sybil?"

Sybil just walked by toward the drawing room ready for dinner when she heard the mention of her name but with it said in anger, she stopped outside the door and listened. Anna too walked by, smirking as she never pinned Lady Sybil to be an eavesdropper. Sybil told her, with a playful push, to shove off, causing both of them to giggle quietly. Matthew left soon after, leaving Mary to wallow in her tears.

Sybil couldn't really believe what had been said. Matthew envied her?! That wasn't possible. He had everything he could ever want and yet he wanted her and Tom's life. Huh. They had more in common than she thought.

She slowly walked in, feeling slightly hurt that Mary didn't approve of her life; it wasn't really new to her but she thought that Mary would be over it by now.

"I heard you and Matthew." She stated, fiddling with her fingers. She started twisting her wedding ring; a new habit.

"I'm sure the whole house did. I'm sorry you did darling, being as you are," Mary sighed, wiping away her tears and pulling herself together. That was the thing Sybil had began to notice more and more about her sister; whenever her emotions etched towards her sleeve, she pulled her mask back on. Sybil knew that she was probably that way once too; life in Dublin had obviously changed that.

"It's fine, don't worry about me. I have enough people worrying about me," she said with a slight laugh. "I'm more worried about you though,"

Sybil made her way over to her sister, sitting her down before Mary started again. She couldn't believe she was about to ask her youngest sister for advice; surely it would – it should - be the other way around?

"Did you have this? All the fighting?" Mary asked, desperation filling her voice.

Sybil sighed, thinking back to a year before. She didn't want to tell the truth, she wanted to lie and say that she and Tom fought all the time and had threatened on numerous occasions to call off the wedding but that just wasn't the case. They were too much in love for major arguments to start.

There were petty ones; what flowers they would have at the wedding and all the rest of it but they ended up either laughing or apologising within the hour of them fighting. Mary could see the deliberation in her sister's eyes and the hesitation gave her the answer.

"Well, not really. We had little spats but nothing like this. Even now it's not that bad," Sybil sighed. Mary took her tea cup and sipped it slowly, nodding slightly before she did. Maybe she didn't give the chauffer enough credit.

"I envy you. I can't believe I'm saying it but I do," Mary said, making Sybil smile. "Now don't crow at me, I know what you're thinking."

Sybil was chuckling by then, letting all of her smug thoughts rule her mind. She knew that she shouldn't as she should really be feeling sorry for Mary for revealing her deepest darkest secret but Sybil just couldn't help it. She patted her sisters hand and said, "I knew you would come around,"

Mary groaned melodramatically, placing down her tea cup and refusing to chuckle along with her sister, who now was giving out hearty laughs. This wasn't what Mary meant at all. She was envious of their love; not their life. Mary would never give up Downton for anything. She would die before being poor. Sadly, Mary couldn't help but join in; Sybil's laughter seemed infectious and Mary said as Sybil started gasping for air,

"Be careful dear, don't overexert yourself,"

Sybil calmed herself down, knowing that Tom would undoubtedly have a fit if anything should happen. How she loved her silly, protective husband.

Mary tried to smile but it was false. She started circling the rim of her tea cup, absentmindedly thinking of a way to make things right again with Matthew. Mary tried to imagine the world if everything was well. She and Matthew didn't fight and their love was as obvious as Sybil and Tom's. She imagined that they were blissful and without a care in the world. She then in a fleeting moment, imagined them away from Downton, no strings attached. It seemed…free.

This didn't go unnoticed.

"Mary, what happened? I know you had an argument last night. Tom said."

Mary looked up to see her sister squirming with guilt. Of course he told her. How could he not? She smiled, knowing that the news was obviously too much to resist.

"Oh did he? I suppose the gossip was too much-"

"Tom doesn't gossip-"

"I thought he worked in newspapers?"

"Yes and?"

"Well, doesn't that make him a gossip? Finding stories to be printed?"

Sybil huffed, rethinking her sister's change of thought. She didn't want to argue with Mary, not now, not when she is going through all this with Matthew, though she desperately wanted to.

Tom had taught her to say when she disagreed with something; it was what made her opinion known, he would say. When she first arrived in Dublin, his mother wasn't exactly graceful toward her. She would say some rather spiteful things to her and about her – this was usually when Tom started shouting at her whilst she laid in bed trying not to cry – but after a while, Sybil had had enough and shouted back at Mrs Branson, who froze in shock at her deserved outburst. Not a choice word was said about Sybil after that.

Sybil sat back, placing herself further back on the sofa so to lean back against the backrest.

"What are you doing?" Mary asked, stunned at the action.

"Resting," Sybil stated, closing her eyes for a moment before reopening them, revealing Mary doing exactly the same.

"Careful dear, don't overexert yourself," Sybil said, sarcastically, placing a hand over her stomach. With the help of gravity, the slightest swell of her stomach could be seen as her dress formed around her body rather than covering it.

Mary rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry, I just don't believe that we get on that well. I wouldn't put it past him to retell my woes in glee," Mary murmured.

"He didn't. He just told the story, just as it was. Neither glee nor sadness. Though I do think he felt sorry for you, he was a little bit drunk," Sybil sniggered at the latter. Mary did too, the explanation of Matthew headache this morning becoming clear.

"Good god, what did they have?"

"I think the majority of Papa's whiskey."

They both giggled and became serious in just the same moment. Mary knew that Carson would have been rather angry this morning, finding an almost empty decanter. It was almost unheard of.

"You still haven't answered my question," Sybil said, smiling at the slight fluttering in her stomach.

"What?"

"What happened?"

Mary frowned wndering what on earth Sybil was smiling at but answered her anyway; she knew that Sybil wouldn't let it go.

"The same really, just a daft argument that turned into something more. I said that we weren't as suited for one another as we hoped. He disagreed, saying that I was terrified to marry him and that I was embarrassed of him working."

Sybil didn't sit up, she really couldn't be bothered but her head snapped up.

"Mary, it's not embarrassing at all. I think its noble for Matthew to want to work,"

"Of course you would say that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh Sybil you know that I meant no-"

"No, you meant something by it or else you wouldn't have said it. Come on say it. I'm just a lowly peasant now, I have no opinion here!" Sybil shouted.

"No! That's not what I meant at all! Darling please don't be silly!"

"That's just-"

The door opened at the other end of the room stopping the girls, who were now stood, mid-spat. It was Matthew and Tom, no doubt coming to collect them for dinner.

"What are you doing?" Matthew asked, looking between the two.

"Sybil?" Tom questioned, watching concerned as his wife rubbed her temples sitting down on the sofa again.

"It was nothing. Just-"

"It wasn't nothing," Sybil spat.

"Oh Sybil for goodness sake, stop with your pride."

"What's wrong with having pride?" Tom asked, stepping forward before Sybil could answer back. She looked murderous.

Mary recoiled, saying nothing; they were both now ganging up on her. Tom walked over to his wife, kissing her forehead before taking her hand and leading her away.

Silence came over the room, neither Matthew nor Mary exchanging a word or a glance. They heard the slight movement of people entering the dining room and Matthew broke the silence.

"Well done Mary. I think the only people who could possibly offer us some decent advice probably won't talk to us for a while."

He walked away, leaving his fiancée, once again, to think over the recent events.

A/N: Hopefully this was good. I didn't have much to go on - it was just a picture rather than a clip like the last one. I had to make up the majority and just go by their facial expressions and body language. It was quite hard.

I tried watching that Parades End the other day. I really didn't like it. I know that its completely different from Downton Abbey, that's why I wanted to watch it but the plot lines were just too scattered to understand. Maybe thats a part of the story but it didn't sit well with me.

And Benedict Cumberpatch saying that Downton Abbey is 'atrocious' - honestly, he's a good actor, but he's being such a diva! He is just jealous that he's not in it and reaping all the success that the actors there are having.

Anyway, I hope you liked it :D

Tell me what you think

GMJ17 xxx