AN: Sorr for the double post, but I had some formatting issues I couldn't really get resolved. The lines in the middle of the chapter are only there to make it easier to understand what is happening/where there are breaks.
As always, thanks for the many lovely reviews (also on The Phonebook)
Kat
Cora
She feels rather nervous when she goes downstairs the next morning to meet Robert and his daughter for their walk. She supposes the walk won't be too long so she decided to just carry Sam instead of putting him into his pram because Sam likes to be carried around. Robert smiles at her when she explains that to him. "Let's go then", he says.
As soon as they are out of earshot of anyone else, Mary turns to her and asks
"Can I meet him then?"
"He is asleep again. But he will wake up soon. I'll tell you as soon as he opens his eyes."
"Thank you" Mary says to her and takes her father's hand. She listens to Robert talk about the estate and to Mary telling outrageous stories that all seem to involve her dolls and her father's dog. They are walking towards a pond and soon as Mary can see it she looks at the dog and says "Come on Knight, let's race."
"She is a wonderful girl, Robert. You are a very good father."
"Thank you. You are the only person besides me who has ever seen her like that. Who has ever seen the real Mary. To all others she appears like a fearful little girl who won't speak. But my parents at least believe that she can be the way she is right now."
"And your wife doesn't believe it."
"I don't think so. She cares too little to make the effort."
She feels so sorry for Robert. He is so unhappy in his marriage and that marriage is so hard on that sweet little girl.
"There is a bench over there. If you'd like to sit down?"
"Yes." They walk over to the bench and watch Mary play with the dog.
"Would you like me to take Sam for a while? I suppose we've been out for longer than you thought."
"Yes. Thank you." She watches Robert take her son from her, watches how his face transforms when looks at him. She knows that he is thinking what she is thinking. 'This is what it could have been like'.
"I think he is waking up," Robert says after a while.
"I'll get Mary then." She gets up and calls for Mary. The girl comes running to her and she has to catch her to stop her from toppling over.
"Mary, Sam is waking up."
"Great! Where is he?"
"With your father."
"Can I hold him too?"
"Of course you can. But we have to wipe your hands first. Not on your dress, Mary."
She can see Robert laugh at them.
"All right Mary, if you want to hold Sam, I think you should sit on my lap." She puts Mary on her lap and then nods to Robert who carefully places Sam in Mary's arms. Mary isn't strong enough to support him all by herself so Cora has to help her. Mary is fascinated. "Hello Sam", she says. "I am Mary and I am your best friend. I will teach you everything I know." She looks at Robert who smiles at her so lovingly that she wants to kiss him again. But she can't because Mary is there and even if she doesn't speak to others, it is still too dangerous.
Violet
"Would you like me to take Sam for a while? I suppose we've been out for longer than you thought."
"Yes. Thank you." Violet watches Robert take the Duchess' son from her. She can't see her son's face but she is sure that he is smiling at the little boy. Robert eventually turns to the Duchess and says "I think he is waking up."
"I'll get Mary then." The Duchess gets up and calls for Mary. The girl comes running to her and she has to catch the girl to stop her from toppling over.
"Mary, Sam is waking up."
"Great! Where is he?" She has never heard her granddaughter's voice before. It sounds like church bells ringing for Christmas day. It makes her heart beat faster with joy.
"With your father."
"Can I hold him too?"
"Of course you can. But we have to wipe your hands first. Not on your dress, Mary." Violet has to chuckle at this. The Duchess seems to be very good with children.
She can see Robert laugh at the Duchess and his daughter.
"All right Mary, if you want to hold Sam, I think you should sit on my lap." She watches as the Duchess puts Mary on her lap and then nods to Robert who carefully places Sam in Mary's arms. Mary isn't strong enough to support him all by herself so the Duchess has to help her.
She can't hear what Mary is saying now but she can see how her son looks at Cora and it makes her cry. This is the life her son could have had had she not interfered. A happy Mary who talks, another baby and a wife he is clearly in love with and who loves him too. But she took that away from him because she insisted on him marrying an English woman.
"Mary, what have you done to your hair? It is very untidy."
"I don't know Papa, I only played with Knight. I will be in trouble, won't I?" The way her granddaughter's lovely voice falls breaks her heart.
"No, you won't be. Why don't we hand Sam back to your father and I'll fix your hair?"
"Can you really do that?"
"Of course I can. Now, hold still."
Violet can't tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her. Robert holding the little baby and that American girl combing through Mary's hair with her fingers, repairing the damage that Mary's running around has done to it. They look like a perfect family.
"There you go Mary. As good as new." She can see Cora tickle Mary's sides and the girl begins to laugh. Violet has never heard her laugh before. It is a carefree laugh she didn't think Mary was capable of.
"Cora, we have to go home, or we'll be late for lunch."
"You are right. Sam will want to be fed too, soon."
"Would you like me to carry him?" She can hear the hope in her son's voice. He is fascinated by that little boy.
"That would be very nice. Thank you Robert."
She follows behind and hopes they won't see her. Mary is holding her father's free hand and one of Cora's hands and for what is possibly the thousandth time she wishes she had let Robert pursue that American girl.
"Violet? Violet?"
"What?" Her husband seems concerned.
"Didn't you hear me the first time?"
"I don't know, I was preoccupied."
"With what?" She isn't sure she should tell her husband about this. But he is the only one who could help.
"Robert. And that American girl."
"The Dowager Duchess of Suffolk you mean."
"Yes. Her. I followed them today. They took their children out together. Patrick, you should have seen them. They looked like a perfect family."
"That might be true, but there is nothing to be done about it. It's not worth the scandal."
"Patrick, I heard Mary talk."
"What?" Her husband drops the book he is holding.
"She talked to the Duchess. And she laughed. The Duchess tickled her and Mary laughed. It was the carefree laughter of a child."
"Violet, while it makes me very, very happy to hear that, there is nothing we can do."
"I'll ask the Duchess to stay a little longer. As my guest. There is nothing wrong about that. And Philippa will be in London anyway, doing God knows what. Maybe the Duchess can get Mary out of her shell some more. At least as long as that woman isn't here."
"But that is not the only thing on your mind."
"No. It is my fault that our dear boy is stuck in that horrible marriage. I saw today what he could have had if I hadn't told him that he couldn't marry that American girl. He could have been happy. So happy. He carried the baby home and Mary was walking between them, holding both their hands. You should have seen it Patrick. It made me cry."
"Violet, I agree that you have made a grievous mistake. And so did I. I should have put my foot down. I should have told you to leave it up to Robert. But I didn't. And I don't know why."
It costs her a lot to say it, but she forces herself to voice her thoughts. "He could get a divorce. She has been cheating on him for years. We know where she goes when she is in London. It is a miracle she hasn't presented Robert with a bastard yet."
"No Violet. The scandal would be too big."
"Patrick, Robert is suffering. And he could be so happy. There is a woman who would make him happy."
"Even if Robert got a divorce, who is to say that he would want to marry that American girl? Who is to say that she would want to marry him? Her child is the Duke of Suffolk. He should grow up on his own estate, not here. And Robert has to stay here. There is no way around it."
"Patrick."
"No Violet."