A/N: The version of the chapter title song by Joe Perry is recommended.
Man of Peace
Easter Sunday, April 4, 1915
As the ladies were sitting in the drawing room waiting for the Earl and his male guests to come through Mary toyed with the locket Matthew had sent her for Christmas.
"Mary, why don't you come back with me to London?" asked Rosamund "I know that the Season has been truncated but there are still a few dinners and such. After this deary winter you could use a little excitement."
Mary looked at her aunt and then her mother who gave a small shrug and a nod of encouragement.
"Why thank you, I'd like that" answered Mary.
Thursday, April 8, 1915
Mary and her aunt were attending a dinner party at the Rundles, Mr. Rundle having been a friend and business associate of her aunt's late husband.
They were just about to proceed into the dining room when a late arriving guest was announced.
Mary considered the new comer. He appeared to be in his middle forties, handsome, with a slight cruel turn to his mouth. He surveyed the crowd like a tiger surveying a herd of cattle. He saw her looking at him and he gave her a small nod and started coming towards to her. She gave a small start.
Her aunt greeted the man like a old friend. "Sir Richard! I am so glad to see you made it. Let me introduce you to my niece, Sir Richard Carlisle, may I present my niece, Lady Mary Crawley. Mary, Sir Richard is a great newspaper magnate."
Mary held up her hand and Sir Richard took it and gave a short bow over it. Still holding onto Mary's hand he said "I am so glad to meet you, your aunt has told me so much about you."
"She has?" Mary gave her aunt a look and withdrew her hand from Sir Richard's grasp.
Dinner was called and Sir Richard offered Mary his arm and she had no choice but to take it.
It turned out that Sir Richard was her dinner partner. "Pray tell what did my aunt tell you about me?" Mary asked.
He smiled at her. "Oh nothing bad. Simply that in addition to being a remarkable beauty, you were also intelligent and had a quick wit."
Mary could not help but feel flattered; it had been so long, years really, since anyone had flirted with her. Sir Richard was a very enjoyable dinner companion, he had a great store of political gossip, and he entertained her with stories of the foibles of those running the government.
-0-
During the ride home after the dinner Rosalind interrupted Mary's pleasant reverie. "I'm glad you got on so well with Sir Richard. He'll make an excellent catch."
"Just in general, or did you have someone in mind?" asked Mary.
Her aunt patted her on the knee. "Why for you my dear. He was clearly smitten"
Mary stared at her shocked. "Aunt you forget I am a married woman!"
"Really? You entered into that farce of wedding to save your honour. Well there's no child, you and your so called husband have never even lived together, and it's time you got an annulment and got on with your life. Sir Richard is a rich and powerful man. Married to him you would be the doyenne of London Society. He is a sophisticated man, he won't hold your premarital dalliance against you."
Mary gaped. Where to start? "I repeat I am a married woman!" She could feel herself getting shrill. "I love Matthew. And I owe him so much, my life, my honour. ..."
"So give him a medal, that doesn't mean you have to be tied to him forever"
"I just can't throw him over because you feel I can better myself with.."
Her aunt was not backing down. "If this Matthew means so much to you tell me .. when did you first think of him tonight?"
Mary was trapped. She had not thought of Matthew until now, she had been so charmed by Sir Richard.
Rosamund pressed her advantage. "See, he isn't in your thoughts that much, is he? You must be practical, you aren't a a silly virgin anymore, you must take a hard look at your future. Money and power now or what? Countess someday and until then the society of a country solicitor; that is if he survives the war" She sniffed. "I know who I would choose. Think about it. Just be wary of Sir Richard, he is a dangerous man; don't let him seduce you into becoming his mistress. Hold out for marriage after the annulment."
Mary turned away from her aunt and stared out the window. They did not speak for the rest of the ride.
Monday, April 12, 1915
Mary once again was going out to dinner with her aunt. This time at Rosamund's friends, the Logans. And once again she found her dinner partner on her left was Sir Richard Carlisle. She found this to be very disconcerting. Especially since the day before had been her second wedding anniversary.
After Rosamund's injunction to think of Sir Richard as a future husband, she had spent the whole weekend, as Matthew would call it, trying hard not to think of him, but thoughts of him kept creeping back into her mind. In a foolish moment she had dredged up that list of qualities she wanted in a husband and she had to admit, on a purely mercantile basis, Sir Richard beat Matthew hands down; his money and power trumping everything that Matthew had to offer now, maybe ever. But she loved Matthew. She did love Matthew, didn't she? It was almost a year since she had seen him. They say war changed people, would she still love him when he came back? But even if she didn't love him, she was married to him; she would honour her vows, she would forsake Sir Richard no matter how attractive he might prove to be. She was not that kind of woman, she was not a, Lord how she hated the word, she was not a slut.
So Mary turned to her dinner companion. "Why Sir Richard what a coincidence, we dine together again"
"Yes, a most welcome happenstance Lady Mary but it is no coincidence. I arranged it." He gave her a smug smile "I trust you have been well."
Mary recoiled internally. "Yes, thank you, and you?"
"I am very well, thank you" They smiled at each other. Sir Richard's smile was genuine, Mary's somewhat more superficial.
"Sir Richard, I fear my aunt may have confused you with her introduction of me the other day. Crawley is both my maiden name and my married name. My husband is presently with the army in France." Mary played with her wedding ring with her thumb.
"Lady Rosamund was quite clear about your present status and your devotion to your husband. It is admirable that he is in France sacrificing his life for King and Country.."
Mary had frowned when Sir Richard had used the word 'present' as if he were implying her married status were only temporary and now she hissed at him "You speak as if he were dead already"
"Please forgive me. I did not mean to alarm you but I have seen the casualty lists and the fact of the matter is that the life expectancy of a junior officer in the front lines is less than that of a mayfly. Perhaps your husband is with the quartermaster corps or some other rear echelon outfit?"
Mary shook her head. Her father had found out from his friend Freddie in the War Office that Matthew had been transferred to Military Intelligence, and not the part of MI that sits around in offices and reads reports either.
Sir Richard adopted a sympathetic tone "So I am afraid if this war continues for any length of time, and it looks to be stalemated for now, at some point you will suffer bereavement. I know it is small consolation but you have so much going for you that you will not remain a widow for long." It was all Sir Richard could do to refrain from reaching over and patting Mary's hand. The seed had been planted, let it grow. He looked across the table at Lady Rosamund who gave him an almost imperceptible nod.
-0-
Later that evening, when the gentlemen had rejoined the ladies, Mary tried to put Sir Richard on the defensive. "Tell me Sir Richard why you are not in uniform."
It did not work. He smiled at her with affection, the smile you would give a child who was trying, but not succeeding, in mastering some adult concept, such as the need for the excise tax on candy. "We also serve who stand and publish. We keep morale up at home. And don't think for a moment that my newspapers blindly parrot the government's propaganda. We were against entry into the war; now that we are in the war; we are in favour of swiftly winning it with an absolute minimum loss of life and treasure. In fact we are about to start a series of articles about the government's shameful and shocking failure to supply our troops with an adequate number of artillery shells. It may bring down the government. And rightfully so..."
Sir Richard was the most animated Mary had seen him. His eyes were flashing and his speech was faster and slightly higher. The hint of brogue was more pronounced. She could feel herself becoming excited in response to his excitement.
He saw her open mouthed look and he grinned at her. "Pardon me for getting carried away. Since I turned fourteen newspapers have been my life but for a long time they have just been my business. Then once in a blue moon a storey like this comes along and my passion is rekindled. But only for awhile and then the storey runs its course and then... well then it's back to my workaday existence. I miss that passion and I am starting to think that I shouldn't be looking for it at the office. That passion is pent up at home waiting for the right lady to release it. And I think that I may have found that lady" He stared at her and licked his lips
Mary found herself trapped in that predator's gaze. She could not look away. She wanted to move closer to him, put her arms up, surrender. If they had not been in a crowded drawing room she surely would have. If they were to meet out in the hall, away from everyone else like she had with ... Pamuk!
She blinked. The spell was broken. She looked away "Excuse me Sir Richard, I feel a headache coming on, I really must find my aunt so we can go home." She hurried away before he could say anything.
-0-
"You and Sir Richard had quite the tete-a-tete going on in the corner" Rosamund commented on the ride home "What about?"
Mary kept looking at the window "He was just telling me about some articles he is going to be running in his newspapers"
"Well they must be quite the steamy articles; the way you two were looking at each other I expected you to start going at it notwithstanding the crowd of spectators"
Mary flushed with guilt, she could not reply.
Her aunt prattled on "I am glad that you are warming up to him. The two of you would be the top couple in London society." She patted Mary's knee. "Just remember my advice, don't give it away this time, insist on getting married first"
"You forget I'm already married" Mary snapped.
"A mere technicality. And anyway it's obvious you've forgotten also. Two dinners with Sir Richard and each time you forget about old what's his name, you know the one I mean, the husband you've never actually lived with. I think there's a pattern developing here."
"Then I will break the pattern, tonight was the last time I dine with Sir Richard!"
"I don't think so, I have agreed that Wednesday next we will act as Sir Richard's hostesses at a dinner he is giving."
"Speak for yourself, I will not be in attendance!"
"We'll see"