Downton, December 1920
As if a mirror image of their return from their honeymoon earlier that year, they were riding side by side in Matthew's car, Mary holding her hat on with one hand and holding onto the car with the other. She still didn't trust the car completely and thought that Matthew drove too fast, she would make him promise to be more careful when they were home properly.
The driveway was long and the air thick with anticipation, Edith had bumped into a man in London (very clumsily) and she had written to Mary in Paris, confessing that she had crumbled after Sybil had begged her incessantly to bring him to Downton, even though they had only been on one proper date and exchanged a few letters.
Mary was happy for her sister, she could even admit that to more than Matthew for the first time, finally, they could all enjoy happiness without jealousy or immense pressure to marry the next man they laid eyes on. Additionally, she was intrigued to see the man who had caught Edith's eye, she hadn't paid a lot of attention to him last time, but her and Sybil were forming an alliance to check his suitability (they hadn't had the chance with Michael Gregson before Edith had found out he was married). He had said he would get a divorce but her and Sybil had thought it too big a risk, especially since she was still hurting deep down from Anthony Strallan, they were determined to protect her from further heartbreak.
"I see it, I can see the house just around the corner!" It had only been a couple of weeks, but Mary had missed her home and her family.
"I had better speed up then"
"Matthew! Stop! No! Please!" Mary smiled through yelps of fear.
"Alright, I will slow it down. But I must say that I love watching you let go for once when I do that" Matthew practically shouted over the buzz of the engine.
"It is far too dangerous for any pleasure to be worth it!"
"I promise I shan't do it again, but I will have to provide you with that pleasure in other ways..."
"Matthew Reginald Crawley! You are a disgrace, and please do not utter anything like that in front of my family, they would throw you out at once and then I would have no pleasure at all!" Mary surprised herself, she had become far more comfortable with such language since being married and even shocked Edith and Sybil sometimes, she laughed through the slight embarrassment and Matthew burst into a fit of laughter as they pulled round to a stop in front of the house.
"MARY! And Matthew!" Sybil screeched with excitement, she ran towards the car as they were climbing out.
"I got a mention this time, that's a win" Matthew joked as he helped his wife out of the car.
"Oh Matthew! You know you're my favourite brother in law, but I missed my sister. Also, I have been desperate to give advice to the mother to be!" Sybil led Mary past the others into the library where tea had already been laid in preparation for their arrival.
Matthew laughed when he realised she hadn't actually complimented him and made a mental note to check in with Mary later to make sure that Sybil's enthusiasm wasn't overwhelming. He knew Mary was happy, but struggling a bit with the amount of excitement so early on in the pregnancy, her mother had lost a baby at around this point and she wanted to be cautious.
Robert and Cora greeted Matthew, the former with a handshake and the latter with a hug, they really hadn't been gone long but it appeared that everyone was in unusually high spirits for some reason. Robert answered his curiosity swiftly.
"We have been a household busy with good news while you were away, I understand the girls wrote to Mary but only to discuss Edith's friend from London"
"Yes, they did. Has something else happened?"
"Well, we have finalised plans to stay at Duneagle next summer, the first time since before the war, Sybil and Tom have decided to stay here for good and I have confirmed the building of 10 new cottages as an extension of your plan from before the war!" Robert bombarded Matthew with the news and he had to separate each piece in his head before he could react.
"That is extraordinary progress in such a short time! What is all the fuss in the library?"
"Oh, Edith's friend arrived a little...early so the ladies are interrogating him in the library, Cora has even invited him to stay the night because his hosts cancelled last minute!" Robert seemed slightly perturbed, as he usually was when something didn't quite go to plan, but Matthew knew he didn't actually hold anything against Edith or her beau.
They turned the corner from the hallway into the library and found the rest of the family gathered around the tea, all positioned towards Edith's beau, but they were doing their best to not be too intimidating for Edith's sake. Matthew got a closer look at the gentleman and realised he looked very familiar, too familiar to be some sort of deja vu.
"Captain Crawley is that you? I don't believe it!"
"No! Frederick Peters as I live and breathe! Made it through in one piece then?"
"Just about! Last I heard you got caught by a shell, I never got word that you were alright"
"Well I wasn't for a while, severe spinal bruising but I recovered. I'm not sure how you managed to miss our engagement and wedding in the paper, though I suppose you never did bother to read it"
"No, I try not to. I cannot believe I didn't make the connection, although I don't remember you fully introducing yourself until I was about to meet your entire family Edith!"
"We didn't really have a lot of time for small talk on our two meetings in person!" She laughed it off, not really offended.
"So you two were at the front together?" Sybil interjected.
"Peters was medical corps like Thomas, but we crossed paths often enough when there were no stretcher bearers" Matthew answered the family's collective curiosity.
"I would like to sit for my tea if that is alright with you two" Mary teased as she moved around the pair of old friends blocking her way.
"Of course darling, how inconsiderate of us, let's all settle" Matthew moved to sit beside his wife who he could tell was feeling tired.
Later that day - Mary and Matthew's bedroom
Anna is adding the final touches (earrings, necklace, scent) to get Mary ready for dinner while Matthew waits patiently on their bed.
"So I'm guessing you approve of Edith's beau after seeing your touching reunion earlier?" Mary jests.
"I do, he was one of the few true friends I made, many people you wouldn't see more that once...anyway he always made me laugh after a rough day helping the stretcher bearers"
"Well if you approve of him then I do too, I don't mean to sound snobbish but do you know what he does now?"
"It doesn't sound snobbish, I was wondering as well, I vaguely remember something about being a doctor somewhere a bit South of us"
"I just do not want Papa to have a reason to dislike him, he seems to be quite a good match for Edith, I would really like her to be happy"
"I understand, of course I will assist if I am welcome in your sisters' pact?"
"Well I will have to ask Sybil" Mary fake pondered while grinning.
"There you go M'lady, will that be all?"
"Thank you Anna, you have done a splendid job. I am glad I can still wear this dress, I was slightly worried"
"Why don't you and the girls go shopping in London for things to wear a bit further down the line, I'm sure it will be fun and I am certainly not the best shopping companion" Matthew suggested.
"No, you complain there is no seating every 5 minutes and then fall asleep when I am trying anything on!" Mary put on an exasperated tone but went over to sit on his lap and stroke the back of his neck so he knew she didn't mean it.
"We need to go down or we shall be very late indeed..." Mary continued.
"Oh don't tempt me Mary, you know I give into you very easily"
Mary got up and walked over to the door, pulling Matthew by the hand and wrapping his arm around her to go downstairs together.
Drawing Room after dinner
"Of course we'll go shopping with you! It will be nice to spend some time just the three of us, and Edith will probably be engaged to Dr.Peters by then" Sybil was a little overexcited, Mary loved seeing hints of her little sister peeking through the young woman she had become.
"Sybil, we have been out together once! You'll scare him off" Edith was still nervous about getting her hopes up.
"I know you don't want to get ahead of yourself, but we are just excited because he seems like a good man, Matthew really likes him so we approve if he were to propose" Mary explained with a calmer tone.
"Mary, I haven't been able to ask you how you are feeling, my dear" Cora joined them.
"Better now, I was quite unwell for a few weeks, but Paris has done me some good, I am still extraordinarily tired however"
"That's good, I'm afraid you will probably not escape the tiredness, I still feel like my energy isn't what it was before Kathleen"
"Just make sure you are taking care of yourself darling, feel free to retire as early as you need to" Cora reassured her.
"If you really don't mind, I might go up now, travelling has not exactly helped today" Mary resigned to her tiredness.
"Matthew!" Sybil got his attention and indicated for him to accompany Mary upstairs as she had always like Tom to do throughout her pregnancy.
Matthew caught on relatively quickly and rushed to Mary's side, supporting her in the least obvious way he could. He knew she would protest if he tried to help too much, his stubborn girl, despite the fact that she was almost drooping as soon as they left the room.
Matthew and Mary's bedroom
Matthew decided to help her undress and get ready for bed so they didn't disturb the servants' dinner. He did this, although she was very capable despite having such a tiring day.
They lay in bed together, Mary snuggled up to Matthew and took a deep breath, more comfortable than she had been since their mornings on their Paris balcony. They both smiled as they remembered this feeling of love and safety from those mornings.
"Can you read to me Matthew?" a quiet voice whispered.
"Of course, what would you like me to read?" Matthew smiled, he had enjoyed reading to her when she struggled to get to sleep.
"Perhaps one of those fascinating Conan Doyle stories you started reading before Paris, I cannot for the life of me figure out who could have done it!"
"I believe that's rather the point darling, I would love to finish it"
He reaches over to the book on his nightstand and begins to read, it only takes a chapter before he decides to turn out the light as he feels Mary fall deeper into him, ready for a good nights rest.
They were truly home.