Chapter 4
"I'll never get the hang of this," Tom Branson sighed. "I bet Sir Anthony Strallan has hit more than me and he's only got one working arm and a service revolver."
Sybil kissed him.
"I'm proud of you because you tried, Tom. You took part and in so many ways that's far more important."
"You're right of course, Sybil darling." Tom finished reloading and was about to get started again when Mary came rushing up to them, her pale face streaked with tears.
"Mary, whatever is wrong?" Sybil gasped. Tom lowered the rifle.
"Richard has shot Matthew. I'm looking for Papa, so he can get Dr Clarkson and the police."
"Carlisle will have made a run for it by now." Tom said, shouldering the rifle, after making sure the safety catch was on.
"No, Edith and Sir Anthony are with them. I bet Sir Anthony can do a better job of keeping him in check with one arm than most men can with two. Edith will be able to look after Matthew."
Mary's breathing was ragged and her pale cheeks were spotted with red, after the exertion of running. Sybil put her arms around her sister.
"I think I heard Lord Grantham a few minutes ago, Mary." Tom said, "Do you want me to run and see if I can find him?"
"That would be very helpful, Tom." Mary said.
Tom ran off.
"Oh Sybil, it was awful." Mary wept. "Richard threatened to spill the beans about my er indiscretion. God knows what Sir Anthony must have thought. I always said I would tell Matthew, but I did not want him to find out like this. I wish I had never set eyes on the man."
"Who? Sir Richard Carlisle, or Kamal Pamuk?" Sybil asked.
"Both of them." Mary said. "I'll tell you another thing. I think Edith loves Sir Anthony, and I wrecked that too."
"How do you mean?" Sybil was confused, because she had no idea what had happened at the garden party, or about Edith's letter to the Turkish Ambassador.
Mary was about to explain when her father arrived with Tom.
"Mary, what on earth has happened?" Robert gasped. "Tom has just told me that Carlisle has shot Matthew."
"I would go quickly, Papa." Sybil said, in an effort to diffuse the tension, "I'll come too, I might be able to help with Matthew."
"No Sybil." Tom said, "I'm not having my pregnant wife anywhere near a man who has shot someone in cold blood."
"Tom's right, Sybil." Mary said.
"Well, I'm coming anyway." Sybil folded her arms.
Realising that she would not back down, Tom sighed, and reluctantly allowed her to follow them. Sybil kept her arm around Mary.
"What on earth is going on here?" Robert demanded as they strode into the clearing. Anthony was still holding Richard to ransom with his revolver, while Edith fought valiantly to stop the bleeding from Matthew's gunshot wound. Moments later Dr Richard Clarkson arrived with an armed police officer and two Special Constables.
"Come with us Sir." One of the specials addressed Carlisle whilst non verbally signalling to Anthony to take a step back.
"What the hell do you think you are playing at, Carlisle?" Robert raged.
"How smooth you are, Lord Grantham." Carlisle said, coolly. "While your precious heir lies there, bleeding like a stuck pig."
"That will do, sir." The other Special Constable said.
"I'm not done with you yet, Lord Grantham." Carlisle seethed as handcuffs were slipped on his wrist.
"Sir Richard Carlisle, I am arresting you for the unlawful and deliberate wounding of Mr Matthew Crawley. You do not have to say anything, but anything you do say will be taken down in writing and given in evidence against you."
"Try keeping that out of the press." Anthony said calmly.
"Why?" Robert asked Carlisle.
"Lord Grantham, you do realise that the death of a certain Turkish diplomat in your home was not as it appeared to be?" Carlisle said coldly.
"Richard, must we do this now?" Mary was shaking.
"Must we do what now?" Robert asked.
"Mr Kamal Pamuk's corpse was carried across the house at dead of night," Carlisle said, "Because he died in Lady Mary's bed. Your own wife was complicit in this deception, Lord Grantham. That is why she tried to fix up a match between Mary and Sir Anthony here. Still, I expect you are glad that did not come off. A man with only one working arm would be a pretty poor advert for the house of Grantham, but since you seem incapable of producing sons."
Robert had turned pale. Mary was hoping that Matthew could not hear the exchange but the contorted look of pain on his face showed all too clearly that he had heard every word.
Richard walked away, handcuffed to the Special Constables, but the look he gave as he looked back was one of pure malevolent spite and hatred.
"I did what I could to stop the bleeding, Dr Clarkson." Edith said, moving aside so that Clarkson could get to his patient.
"You have done very well, Lady Edith, with what limited resources you had." Clarkson praised. "Well done also for not moving him, as that could well have made it worse."
Anthony wished with all his heart that Edith had been there when he had been shot.
"I think we all need to get inside in the warm." Robert said, "Edith will need a change of clothes, and there are things I have to know."
He turned to Anthony.
"I underestimated you, Anthony old chap." he said, offering his left hand, which Anthony shook firmly yet awkwardly. "Let's go and have a stiff drink, I know I need one."