'So I take it your inviting a total stranger too come and stay' Mary Crawley said dryly. Matthew smiled back, 'Well that's the gist of it really.' 'And this is her?' Mary inclined her head towards the photograph she held in her hands. 'She's rather pretty should I be worried?
'no.' Matthew scorned rolling his eyes and snorting 'as if any women anywhere could take my mind off you! And anyway darling even if we were not engaged it would be altogether too insulting for poor old Frederick.' 'Matthew, really.' Mary teased 'you simply must sort out these guilt issues if their stopping you going after her!'
'Now Mary you must hope I believe that you're only teasing, if I took you seriously you would be in for quite a shock I can assure you.' Matthew laughed, Mary rolled her eyes and handed him back the photograph which he carefully tucked into a drawer in his desk. 'If you still believe everything I say then I do believe you haven't been listening or paying attention for the past eight years.' 'I was taught never to live in the past, Oh and why would I when the present has you with me? Matthew replied. Mary just turned away a pleased flush colouring her face. 'So do you know anything about this girl then?' She said changing the subject 'as a matter of fact not really.' Matthew admitted. 'All I know is that they met in London and that she worked as a nurse during the war. He did seem rather besotted to her but he didn't really talk too much about her.' 'Whose he?' Mary asked curiously. 'Didn't I say?' 'No... ' 'Frederick Bellamy.' 'Oh!' Mary cut across. 'Sir Charles son?' 'Indeed did you know him then?' Mary shook her head. ' Not well I'm afraid, considering all you've told me I certainly wish I had known him better and I will of course be happy too welcome his Fiancée. But no I only met his once or twice during the season but I never heard of him getting engaged and I've certainly never heard of a Hanna Bennett.' Matthew shrugged one palm out stretched. 'I dare say all will be revealed soon enough.'
'Well it is all rather exciting, I'm glad Sybil isn't here she would have been positively fainting from the romance of it all and I'm sure that won't be good for the baby.' Matthew laughed 'I have too say I do miss Cousin Sybil, are we expecting her back any time soon?' 'June officially (though I hope sooner) but the baby is expected in July and Mother's convinced her too stay at Downton too have the baby, of course Granny's ecstatic a summer baby means all sorts of superstitious nonsense.'
'Oh my Lord what on earth have you done too your hair!' Hannah Bennett patted her frizzy curls; which were sticking up close to the hall ways low ceiling ruefully. 'And hello to you too.' She said attempting too smooth her hair out. 'Oh yes hello darling.' Her friend Samantha Brodie replied leaning over too kiss her friends cheek. Then unable to help her self Samantha just gazed back up at her friend's hair 'It's like something from another world!' She cried. 'Yes well it was a hard shift, not that you would know anything about that now days' Hanna replied defensively raising an eyebrow at her friends. Samantha had been a nurse like Hanna until she had found a new calling being the wife of the chief doctor at a nearby college hospital, all of which she claimed had to do with the character and charm of the fairly handsome man and nothing to do with the large pretty house he had once shown her into. Which she now took hold of Hanna's hand to draw her friend into the sitting room of. 'Come those shifts are hardly long remember the kind we used to do during the war!' 'Their hard if you have to do them after not sleeping all night long because you has to catch the train back from your sister's house.' 'Why? What's happened?' 'She wired me two days ago with a supposed emergency but when I got their all she had for me was a letter from a Mr. Matthew Crawley.' 'Frederick's friend?' Samantha broke in. 'that's the one, and he's an earl or something and he wants me too visit this place called Downton Abbey apparently he has something of Frederick's for me.'
'Ha! And I suppose you require my help in all of this?' Samantha said demurely with a world weary sigh. 'You don't mind being a complete darling do you? Hanna wheedled. Samantha gave another long heavy sigh. 'Fine but in return, do help me mark Jonathan's shirts and ties its thoroughly tiresome. But he's going away for a conference next week so I must have them ready by then. And I don't have the heart to try and get the maid to do them; I really don't want burnt toast for the next month.' Samantha lay back into the cushions tired from the talk of the impending task. Then opened one eye 'actually my dear can we please sought out your hair first? It's making me nervous; I fear it may soon take on a life of its own!'
Dear Miss Bennett,
I will send a chauffeur too meet you, I do hope you will (if convenient of course.) stay for the weekend. I am looking forward too meeting you on Saturday.
Best wishes,
M. Crawley.