Patrick

He has never been so nervous about talking to his cousin. He is not sure what Robert will say. Edith said that her father didn't care about which of his daughters would marry the future Earl of Grantham and that he seemed happy enough with yesterday's events. But both his parents and Robert and Cora have been working towards a marriage between him and Mary for years. So he knocks on the door a lot less assuredly than he usually does.

"Come in" He enters the room and sees Robert smile at him.

"Patrick", he says. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"If you agree."

"Of course I do. If it makes both Edith and you happy, then I have no objections. I'm a little worried about Mary, of course, but I am sure she'll get over it."

He wonders if he is entitled to say that both he and Edith have already spoken to Mary but decides that he should leave that up to his future wife and sister-in-law.

Mary

She needs to talk to someone and like a little child she goes to her mother. When her mother looks at her she puts her arms around her and just says "Oh Mary". And like a little child she begins to cry on her mother's shoulder. Her mother let's her cry herself out and then asks her "Would you like to talk about it?" ever so gently. She wants to but her mother's gentle voice just causes her to cry again. "Whenever you're ready", her mother says to her and keeps on holding her.

"Mama, have I been a horrible sister to Edith?" she asks her mother eventually.

"Well, you certainly aren't very nice to each other but I don't think that you are the only one to blame for that."

"I think I must have been horrible or she wouldn't do this to me."

"Mary, I know this is hard, but sometimes we just can't help our feelings. Patrick loves Edith and she loves him. I know it seems unfair to you but I think that in the end it is better if Patrick marries Edith and not you."

"That is not what I mean. Of course it hurts that I've lost the title, but in a way I have won a freedom I never thought I'd have. But Edith is lording it over me so much. She keeps on telling me what she will do when she is the countess. She talks about how she will run this house and that she will ask both Sybil and me to leave as soon as she can, regardless of our marital status to use her own words. Sybil threw the cookie jar at her but I just couldn't say or do anything. It is as if she hates us. And not only me, but Sybil too."

"Mary, I will talk to Edith, I promise. But you have to understand that this is the first time in her life that she feels as if she was outshining her sisters. She has always been in your and Sybil's shadows. She is shy and introvert, which is the opposite of what you and Sybil are. It doesn't mean that your Papa and I love her any less, but she often feels as if it was that way. We have told her countless times that it isn't true but she doesn't believe it. She firmly believes that we prefer you and Sybil. Just as she thinks your granny and aunt Rosamund do. Which isn't true either. And now, Patrick, the heir, has chosen her over both her sisters, has chosen her to keep the title, the estate, and the money in the family. She has saved us after what she perceived of having been neglected for years and years."

"I never knew she felt that way."

"No. You were fighting too much to think about your sister's feelings. I am not criticizing you. I fought with my brother just as much. He got to do what he wanted; I had to marry into the English aristocracy. I did not like that very much when I was young. And now he almost hates me for having a wonderful, loving family, something he never found. I know about difficult sibling relationships."

"I don't think Uncle Harold hates you. Not really. I don't hate Edith. Not even now. And I want to be happy for her, I would be happy for her, if she wasn't so horrible to me. Or to Sybil."

"Maybe you should tell her exactly that." She has to cry again. She feels as if her mother's words have taken the weight of the world of shoulder, but she still has to cry.

Robert

Before talking to Mary he wants to talk to his wife about what he should say. So he goes upstairs to their room and opens the door without knocking. The sight that meets him breaks his heart. His eldest daughter is crying her heart out on her mother's shoulders. His wife looks at him as if to say 'it is worse than we thought'. So he sits down next to his daughter and puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Mary, child", he says and then stops because he doesn't know how to go on. His daughter sits up straight, looks at him and says "How disappointed you must be in me Papa. And how proud of Edith." The hurt in Mary's eyes almost makes him cry. He pulls her close and says "No Mary, I am not disappointed in you. How could I be? You are a wonderful, intelligent, outspoken young woman. I am very proud of you. I am proud of Edith too, of course, but I am not disappointed in you. And certainly not because Patrick chose to marry someone else. I know I don't tell you this often enough, but I love you. Just as I love your sisters. And I am proud of all three of you, regardless of whom you may or may not marry." This speech causes his daughter to cry even harder and he looks at his wife, absolutely flabbergasted. Cora smiles at him in a way that says 'Thank you. I love you', so he knows that he hasn't caused any more damage at least. He lets Mary cry on his shoulder but as soon as she has stopped he tells her that he has to go because he is already late for the shooting party. "Thank you Papa" she says and smiles faintly at him.

He convinces Matthew to share a drive with him, which isn't hard to do because Matthew seems to be a little afraid of him and would probably do quite a lot of things he'd asked him to do.

"Matthew, have you heard the news?"

"That Edith and Patrick will get married? Yes. Although it surprised me because I thought that he was supposed to marry Mary."

"There was no love lost between Patrick and Mary, or at least not a lot of love. But it seems as if Patrick and Edith are in love, so I think that this the better way, even if Mary is hurt right now."

He sees Matthew's face cloud over at his last words. Maybe there is hope. "She's lost a title, an estate and quite a lot of money. More money than you can imagine. And her sister isn't too kind about this, I have to say. I'll have to have words with her. And I have to make Mary see that this is better for her as well, because now she is a lot freer in her choice of husband."

"Not very free though. You wouldn't let her marry an upper middle class lawyer."

"Matthew, if you are asking whether I'd allow her to marry you, the answer is yes."

"Because you really don't mind whom she marries or because I am Patrick's heir as long as he and Edith don't have a son?"

He is surprised by this and apparently not able to hide his surprise.

"Lord Grantham, you are not the only one who looks at family trees. I've done that too and I know my position. If Patrick and Edith don't have son, either I or my eldest son, should I have one, would be the heir. And if my sons were Mary's sons that would certainly not be against your wishes, would it?"

He can't lie to the boy who apparently isn't afraid of him after all.

"Matthew, I can't deny that that thought has crossed my mind. But I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't have the impression that you might be interested in Mary."

"I'd be very offended now if your impression about my feelings regarding Mary weren't correct. But I don't think I'll stand a chance."

"Don't despair Matthew. I have known my daughter for over 19 years and she may think that no one knows what is going on inside of her but she thinks wrongly. I think you do stand a chance. Use it well. Neither me nor Lady Grantham would be in your way."

"How do I do it? How do I make her love me?"

"By being just as you are. You are unassuming and you don't try to impress her all the time. She likes that. Don't always give in to her. She is used to winning arguments. You are a match for her. Show her that. Show her that you respect her. That is important to her."

"Thank you, Lord Grantham."

"You are welcome." The smile on Matthew's face makes him want to clap him on the shoulder but he thinks that would be a too personal reaction. But he smiles back at him. And makes a spur-of-the-moment decision. "Matthew, if you like, you can stay here for a while longer. There is nothing suspicious about that."

"Thank you, I think I will."