Patrick

The Duchess has accepted Violet's invitation gratefully. He watches his son and 'that American girl' as his wife likes to say very carefully over the next two weeks and he can't help but agree with Violet. Robert could have been happy, would have been happy if they had let him chose his wife himself. Robert and Cora would have been an ideal match. Robert is happy for the first time since his wedding. He laughs a lot more than usual and he seems twenty years younger. And Mary's change can hardly be put into words. She still doesn't talk to anyone besides Robert, the Duchess and the Duke, although admittedly the Duke can neither understand nor answer her, but she smiles a lot more, she is less fearful and less timid. He has heard his granddaughter laugh twice now, once while he was walking past the nursery and Robert was in there, reading a story about a frog who could speak to her, and once when both Robert and the Duchess had been in the library with both their children and that American girl seemed to have told a story about her falling out of an apple tree in her parents garden.

Just like his wife, he regrets not letting their son chose his wife himself more than anything else and he thinks that he is even more to blame. Violet was the one who told Robert that he couldn't marry an American, but he was the one Robert came to to beg to be allowed to propose to Cora. But he said no, arguing that as Robert didn't love her there was no reason why he should marry that American girl. He wishes he had watched his son more closely, wishes he had drawn the right conclusions from Robert's begging. Because there was only one reason why Robert would have begged and fought the way he did. Because he did love that American girl, the boy had just not realized it at that point. Robert had been so young when they had had to put the pressure of marrying enough money on him. Maybe this mess wouldn't have been created had he been three or four years older when he had been presented with the task of saving the estate. How could a 19 year old deal with something like that? But there had been no other choice. Had Robert not married a rich woman at the end of his first season, they would have had to sell the estate. But that American girl would have brought more than enough money with her.

He looks out of the window of the library and sees Robert and Cora sitting on a blanket on the lawn. They have their children with them, Cora has got Sam on her lap and Mary is running circles around them, either chasing Knight or being chased by Knight, that is not easy to make out. Maybe the girl doesn't know that herself. He agrees with his wife's description of them as a perfect family. Robert laughs at something Cora has said and he looks like the 23 year old he is. An adult, but still a very young one, not like some middle-aged man who has been burned with the weight of the world.

"Your lordship, there was a letter for you in the afternoon post."

"Thank you Carson."

He watches his under butler look out the window, staring at the scene in front of him.

"Lady Mary is doing much better now."

"Yes your Lordship. It makes us all very happy."

"Thank you Carson."

He opens his letter once Carson has left and smiles when he sees that it is from his good friend Richard.

Patrick,

I hope you and your family are well and that your house party was a success. Maria and I are sorry that we weren't able to attend, but she did not want to leave her mother while she was so sick and I in turn did not want to leave Maria by herself at such a trying time. I know that Violet and you will understand. Although we both would have liked to finally meet the Dowager Duchess of Suffolk, because she seems to be admired everywhere she goes.

It is very hard for me to tell you this, but your daughter-in-law has caused quite a scandal in London. She has let a man stay at your house for more than a week now and it is not a secret that that man does not sleep in the guest wing. Poor Robert, it must be hard for him to be cuckolded like that and he always was such a nice young man.

I thought you should know this. If there is anything that Maria or I can do for you, just let me know.

Richard

He isn't surprised by what his friend has written to him. There is nothing he would put past his daughter-in-law and embarrassing the family fits her pattern of causing mayhem for all of them. His eyes are drawn to the window again and he thinks that the only scandal that Cora would have ever caused for the family would have been that the future Earl of Grantham had fallen in love with an American. According to his friend the girl is admired everywhere, which doesn't surprise him. The American inside her allows her to be more open than others, but Patrick thinks that what it comes down to in the end is plainly that Cora is a very nice and intelligent young woman. The Duchess he tells himself.

It is Cora's last night at Downton and he has grudgingly agreed to Violet's suggestion to go upstairs rather early and to give Robert and the Duchess some time alone. 'They need to say goodbye' Violet had said and he knows that his wife is right. Her words considering the possibility that Robert get a divorce keep coming back to him and he wonders if he should tell Violet about what Philippa has done now. But Violet would in all likelihood argue for a divorce again and he doesn't want to fight with her tonight. But he just can't allow Robert to get a divorce, no matter how much his heart tells him to do just that. He even wonders if the scandal of a divorce, even with Robert getting married again soon after wouldn't be easier to deal with than the mess that Philippa has created now, but they can't be sure and they can't risk it. He will have to tell Philippa off when she is back but he isn't looking forward to it. His emotion towards his daughter-in-law can be summed up by two words. 'Hate' and 'shame'. 'Hate' because she is such a horrible person and 'shame' because he is ashamed of himself and of Violet for forcing their son into such a horrible marriage. He has to sleep in his wife's room that night because his conscious weighs on him so heavily that he can't face the night by himself.

Cora has been gone for a week now, Philippa has been back since the day that Cora left and the impact this has had on their home is almost impossible to describe. Robert is constantly in a bad mood, Mary has reverted to her old self and the servants seem more jumpy and scared than ever. He only noticed how uncomfortable Philippa must make them when she returned and the laughter of the servants that he had sometimes heard the weeks before died down the moment Philippa entered the house. Lady Downton has brought gloom with her to the Abbey.

It is late at night but he is still up because he is waiting for Violet. She spent the evening with a friend and ever since Cora's last night at Downton he hasn't been able to sleep alone. He has to chuckle at himself. He is the Earl of Grantham but afraid of his own thoughts. He hears the patter of little feet and looks up from his book. "Mary, what are you doing in the library so late at night?" he asks his granddaughter who looks scared for her life. He watches her take a deep breath and then she says "Grandpa?" He remembers Robert telling him that he had to cry when he heard her speak to Cora for the first time. Patrick thought that a little silly of his son, but now he is about to cry too.

"Yes Mary?"

"Can you make Cora come back? And make that woman go away? Please?" He knows what it must have cost the child to speak to him and how desperate she must be. So he puts her on his lap and asks

"Is 'that woman' your mother?"Mary only nods.

"And you don't want her here." Mary shakes her head.

"Why not?"

"She makes Papa unhappy. And Cora makes him happy. That's why I want her back." He feels so sorry for the little girl and is so taken aback by the fact that her father's happiness seems to be so important to her.

"Who would make you happy?"

Mary looks at him and he knows she is afraid to say it so he asks "Cora?" Mary nods and begins to cry. When he looks up he sees Violet standing in the doorway, looking as if she was about to cry too.

"Did you hear what she said?"

"All of it. Patrick, we have to do something."

"I know."

Because Mary hasn't stopped crying yet he decides to take her to Robert instead of returning her to the nursery.

AN: Does anyone know if Robert's father really was called Patrick? I have read that in many other stories, so I just went with it, but I couldn't find out whether this was true or whether this was actually started by a fanfiction writer and the idea caught on so much that it seems to have become the norm to call him 'Patrick'. It would surprise if that really was his name because it is a very Irish/Catholic name and Robert made such a point of there not having been a Catholic Crawley since the reformation. But then again, Robert's cousin was called Patrick as well.

Thank you for all your support!

Kat