Rating: PG-13 (for kissing)
Spoilers: none since the story takes place in 1906

Summary: Some more playing in the snow. Sybil loses a mitten. Matthew plays the hero. Later on Mary and Matthew share some secrets in quiet, and their friendship continue to grow.

Note: If the thought of a fourteen year old girl innocently kissing a fifteen year old boy bothers you, I suggest that you either close your eyes when you see that coming, or that you find something else to read.

Use of Contemporary Slang: British and American soldiers used the term "Hun" for the Germans during World War I. The term came from a speech made by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany in 1900 where he compared the German army to Attila's Huns. It is not a word I would personally ever use, but I thought it might fit here (even though it was not commonly used until WWI, call it artistic/historical license if you like). Since Britain is at the time of this story just recovering from the Boer War; war and soldier's life was most likely something that fascinated young boys such as Matthew quite a lot. No offence meant to anyone :)

Special thank you to the lovely Tambear for catching missing commas, odd grammar and offering excellent suggestions & advice!

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Thank you for reviews and comments. I even received one in Swedish! That was a first, and a very lovely one at that :)

The posting/revising happens faster with feedback (it's a fact!). Love it, love it! So please feel free to continue to drop me a line.

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Chapter 4/9 – A Missing Mitten & a Bubbly Encounter

On the way back Matthew had been chasing a laughing and screaming Sybil across the snow covered lawn. When he caught her he grabbed her wrists and swung her around. Sybil laughed and Matthew grinned at her. Eventually he lost his footing and the two tumbled down in the snow, still laughing hard.

Mary shook her head as she caught up with them. She helped Sybil brush off the snow on her coat, gently lecturing her on proper behavior for a young lady. Sybil made a face at Mary and Matthew winked at her behind Mary's back. Sybil covered her mouth with her mitten-clad hand and giggled. Mary twirled around and her eyes narrowed, as she challenged Matthew.

"Did you have something to add, Cousin Matthew?" she asked icily.

"As a matter of fact I do," he said and grabbed her. "You are not nearly snowy enough for having had a good day outside."

Mary shrieked and grabbed his shoulders as he swung her around. Sybil laughed and clapped her hands.

"Drop her in the snow Matthew!" Sybil cheered.

"Don't you dare," Mary exclaimed and grabbed Matthew's shoulders tighter.

Matthew smiled at her and put her down. "I guess I will revert back from ruffian to gentleman, only because I so desire that kiss of gratitude."

"What kiss of gratitude?" Mary huffed and eyed him warily.

"The one you're going to give me right here," he said and pointed to his cheek.

Sybil giggled. Mary shot her a warning glare but Sybil was too happy to do anything but laugh harder.

"Do it Mary," she said and pushed Mary in the back. "He didn't drop you in the snow, you know. I think that was very nice of him."

Mary smiled and took a step closer to Matthew, pressing her lips to his cool cheek. Sybil giggled again and started to twirl around in the snow.

"Mary and Matthew! Mary and Matthew," she chanted.

"Oh do be quiet," Mary muttered, her cheeks a brighter shade of pink now.

"Mary and Matthew," Sybil sang again as she skipped off in the snow.

"It has a nice ring to it," Matthew said softly behind her. "Thank you for the kiss. It was very sweet."

Mary licked her lower lip and eyed him carefully. He offered her his arm and she linked hers with his. He tugged her closer and she laughed. Together they set off after Sybil.

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Sybil had managed to drop her mitten somewhere and Mary had ended up holding Sybil's hand inside her coat pocket on the last stretch back to the house. Sybil was a little miffed at the confinement and voiced her objection. Matthew grinned and pulled off his glove. Kneeling in the snow in front of her, he slipped his glove onto Sybil's little hand. It looked enormous on the young girl and she giggled at the sight. She kissed his cheek in thanks.

"Thank you," she said and then skipped off again.

Matthew got up and flexed his fingers. "It appears that now I am without a glove. Whatever are we to do about that?" he asked with a teasing smile.

Mary rolled her eyes at him. He raised an eyebrow and she laughed. She held out her hand to him and he took it before slipping both their hands into his pocket.

"You do know that you're the one without a glove, right?" Mary asked.

"Of course," he said and winked at her.

"So why is my hand in your coat pocket?"

"Because it is warming my cold fingers. It's not too much to ask I think considering that she's your sister," Matthew said with a tiny smirk.

Mary huffed but squeezed his hand a little firmer. Matthew smiled at her and stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. Mary swallowed, wondering how it was possible for such a simple gesture to cause her stomach to flutter so much.

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Upon return to Downton the two girls had been ushered upstairs to change and take a hot bath. Sybil stomped on each stair, clearly not amused.

"Sybil," Nanny Collins snapped.

Sybil sighed and took the offered hand, allowing the nanny to lead her to the nursery. She looked at Mary over her shoulder, wishing that she was all grownup like Mary. Mary had her own bathroom now and she did not have to suffer through Nanny Collins' ruff scrubbing. Mary waved to her and Sybil waved back, feeling a little better.

Mary entered her room and smiled at her maid. "Hello Rosie."

"Lady Mary," Rosie said and smiled at her. "Your bath is almost ready."

Mary nodded and allowed the young maid to undress her. The motions were so routine that Mary went through them without a thought. Instead she was lost in a little daydream, thinking about Matthew. She looked up when the maid held up the robe for her.

"Thank you Rosie."

"My pleasure, milady. Let me go and check on the bath for you."

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Clean and warm again, Matthew strolled down the hall towards Mary's room. He stopped for a moment by the closed door, contemplating knocking. He sniffled as a sneeze crept up on him. Realizing that he had forgotten his handkerchief Matthew headed for the bathroom further down the hall. He saw the maid come out and close the door before hurrying towards the servants' stairways. Matthew smiled and opened the door in search for a tissue.

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Mary sighed contentedly as she slipped into the hot water. The bathroom smelled of roses and lavender from the scented oils and foam in the bath. She picked up a handful of suds and blew at them, smiling as the foam bubbles floated in the air before settling on the thick layer of suds covering her body. Mary hummed a tune as she washed her arms. She raised her leg and flexed her foot in the air, wiggling her toes for a moment before plunging her foot back into the hot water. She raised her other leg, doing the same. Her foot froze in the air and she stared at the door when it opened.

"Matthew!" she exclaimed and stared at him. "Get out!"

"Dear God, Mary! I am so sorry," he exclaimed and shut his eyes tightly.

Matthew groaned and covered his eyes as he stood like a statue by the door to the bathroom, the door ajar behind him. Mary pulled her leg down into the water so fast the water splashed over the side a little and she banged her head on the edge of the tub in startled surprise.

"Ouch!" she hissed.

Matthew fumbled for the sink, afraid of tripping since his eyes were closed. "Are you all right?"

"I'll live," she muttered. "You simply must leave, Matthew," she said again. "This is not proper at all. What if someone comes in?"

"I am fully clothed, and you're covered in soap suds. From the very quick look I caught, it appeared to be more suds than girl in that tub," he teased.

"You were not supposed to look!" she hissed, her face coloring pink.

"I didn't know you were in here," he said defiantly in his own defense. "I saw Rosie leave and thought it was empty. I need a tissue."

Mary rolled her eyes and looked at him. He looked quite funny, fumbling for the tissue box while keeping his hand over his eyes. Deciding to take pity on him she spoke up.

"It's a little to the right of your elbow."

Matthew felt around and smiled when he touched the tissue box. Relieved, he pulled out a few.

"You have your tissues," Mary said sternly. "Now will you please leave before we get in trouble?"

"But I want to talk to you," he said, almost sounding like Sybil for a second. "How about this?" he said and sat down on the floor right outside the bathroom with his back against the doorframe and Mary, legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed. "Is this better?"

She glared at him. "Not much. You're not supposed to be here at all."

"But I'm bored," he said and made a face. "You're my only friend here. And Sybil of course, but I could not see how I could get past that Hun of a nanny, so here I am. Will you not take pity on me?"

Mary smiled at him then. She tapped her fingers on the side of the tub.

"I'm glad that we're friends," she said softly.

"It is odd at times, don't you think," he said and looked up at the ceiling, completely serious now. "How you're not supposed to act like a child anymore, but yet you're not quite accepted as an adult. It feels as if you're stuck in some horrid in-between world where the rules are fuzzy and you end up constantly breaking them."

Mary looked at him in stunned surprise. "I feel the exact same way," she whispered. "I'm not supposed to play silly games with my sisters anymore. I'm a young lady now. I even have my own maid, and this," she said and gestured to the bathroom. "I know of course that in a year or so I will have to share it with Edith, but for now it's mine."

He nodded. "Sometimes I just want to be silly you know, run just for the sake of running, or climb a tree, or ride my bike too fast even though I know I will crash and fall, most likely getting a scrubbed knee in the process."

Mary smiled and nodded. She stuck her foot out and watched the suds slide down her warm skin.

"What are you doing?" he asked quickly. "You're not getting out, are you?"

"Of course not!" she hissed. "Are you mad? You're right there and the door is open."

"Of course," he said and blushed, embarrassed at even thinking of Mary stepping out of the tub, soap suds sliding… Matthew cleared his throat. No, he was not going to think about that at all. It was not right. It just was not right, he tried to convince himself. "So what were you doing? I heard water splashing."

"If you must know, the water is very hot. I put my foot out to cool off a little," she said, sounding every bit the little lady she was.

"A lady's slender foot," Matthew gasped and put his hand to his cheek, mouth open in feigned shock. "How will I be able to handle the temptation, just the mere thought of the delicate beauty of that tiny, slender appendage?"

Mary giggled and made a face at him. "It's just a foot. You have two of your own, silly."

"Not like yours, of that I am sure," he said with conviction. "I am certain that your foot is just as beautiful as you, Mary."

She blushed and pulled it down into the water again. "You say the most peculiar things, Matthew," she said and shook her head.

"You have to forgive me, I've never seen a girl's bare foot. I fear that my mind got a little fuzzy from the emotions of the possibility."

She giggled and sank down deeper in the bath, making the water splash over the side a little. "Silly sausage," she teased.

"Don't drown now," he warned. "Then I have to pull you out of there and that would be quite scandalous."

"I agree," she said and made a face.

They spoke in hushed voices until the bathwater started to cool. She got out and dried herself while keeping a watchful eye on the door. Matthew had closed it a bit more, per her insistence. Finally done, Mary slipped into her thick winter dressing gown.

"I'm all dressed," she said softly.

Matthew pushed the door open and stepped inside. He looked at her for a moment. Mary raised an eyebrow as he came closer to her. Her eyes widened when he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"I've never kissed a girl in the bath either," he whispered and smiled at her.

She was too stunned to come up with a witty reply and by the time she had recovered, he was gone.

*** *MJC* ***

All young ladies' virtue and honor were preserved in this chapter. Lady Mary and Matthew bonded further. It almost seemed like touch and go there for a moment. Mary could have thrown her soap at him and sent the poor boy running. My intention with this chapter was to let them show honest trust in each other, and allow the friendship to grow stronger because of it. Matthew has been raised to be an honorable young man and as such he would never take advantage of Mary in an inappropriate way (little kisses not included). Matthew is at the same time a lonely boy. He has no siblings, and he is now stuck at Downton for weeks without knowing anyone. Mary's only other friend options are Edith and Patrick, neither of which she feels very close to. It seems inevitable to me that Mary and Matthew would gravitate towards each other.

We are now getting into the real holidays. In Chapter 5 the Crawleys are spending Christmas Eve with carols and Dickens. Matthew and Mary play little helpers to Father Christmas, there might be a sugar mouse or two involved. Mary shares her Downton Christmas secret with Matthew.