Mary waited at the bottom of the stairs for Tom and Edith to return. She was anxious to know what they have learned as soon as they arrived. She hoped they got home before Matthew came down for dinner.
"Waiting for Matthew?" Edmund asked when he saw her.
"No, actually I'm waiting for Tom and Edith," she informed him. "They went to the village on an errand."
"You should have sent me," he said. "I would have gone there and back again by now."
"I have no doubt but this is a family matter. And since you're not family, I'm afraid you are precluded from helping."
"Maybe I should change that," he teased and hinted at the same time.
"So you were intending to court Edith?" she asked in surprise. "Is that what you really want to do?"
"You don't approve?" he asked, feigning hurt by touching his chest.
"I would approve if you were really in love with her," she replied. "But I wasn't aware you had feelings for her." She thought back to what Matthew had said before.
"You do know me well," he admitted. "I just didn't want to disappoint your grandmother since she expected it of me."
"Since when do you do what you're told?" she asked. "To be honest, I would rather you didn't because I don't want you hurting her. And if you do, I will never forgive you."
Edmund was taken aback by what she said. "I was just joking." He tried to recover her goodwill by making light of things.
"This is no joking matter," she said angrily. "You may be a friend but that can easily change." She started to walk away but he tried to detain her by grabbing her lower arm.
"Mary, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you."
"You should have thought about that before going down this path," she said, pulling her arm away before storming away.
Edmund stood stunned, wondering how he could mend things with her when he noticed Matthew arrive downstairs.
"What's the matter?" Matthew asked, noticing Edmund's state.
"Nothing's the matter," Edmund lied and walked away from Matthew.
Matthew looked puzzled but shook it off and headed to the family sitting room to wait for dinner time to arrive.
...
"Well, was it him?" Mary asked when Tom and Edith finally arrived. She intercepted them in the hallway and motioned for them to head to the library to get some privacy.
"It wasn't him," Tom replied when he closed the door behind him. "The man did look like Blackwell so I don't blame the constable for the mistake."
"Was he the one you saw?" Mary asked Edith.
"I'm not sure," Edith replied helplessly. "I don't think I was wrong about who I saw yesterday."
"So we're no closer to putting this behind us," Mary said sadly. She didn't doubt Edith could be wrong about who she saw.
"Mary, if he's here, we'll find him in time," Tom tried to assure her. "In the meantime we just need to be vigilant."
Mary sighed before continuing. "I just want us to get back to living our normal lives."
"Normal?" Tom said jokingly before he could stop himself. He looked sheepishly from one sister-in-law to the other.
"Maybe we should tell Matthew," Edith suggested. "He might have an idea how we might achieve that."
"He has enough on his plate," Mary said. "I hoped we could resolve this on our own."
"I agree, it's time to ask Matthew for help," Tom seconded. "Do you want me to tell him?"
"I'll tell him," Mary yielded.
"I'll go get him," Tom offered to fetch him from the sitting room.
"No, I'd like to talk with him in private if you two don't mind," Mary said. She saw both Tom and Edith nod their acceptance before they turned to leave.
Mary reached out for Edith to slow her down. "I think you were right about Edmund, granny has convinced him to try." She saw Edith look concerned. "Don't worry, I think he values our friendship more than he wants to please granny."
"I hope you're right," Edith said hopefully.
"If he persists, let me know and I'll handle him for you," Mary offered. She saw Tom pop back in with a look of anticipation for them to join him.
"You're not going to abandon me to face your American grandmother alone are you?"
"Actually both grandmothers are going to be here for dinner," Mary informed him. She smiled when she got the reaction she expected from him.
...
Carson greeted Violet and Isobel when they arrived for dinner and was leading them to the sitting room. He caught a glimpse of Rose coming down the stairs to join them.
"Are we late?" Isobel asked with concern.
"No, Mrs. Crawley," Carson assured her. "Lord and Lady Grantham are still upstairs; Lady Mary, Lady Edith and Mr. Branson are in the library while Mrs. Levinson and Mr. Crawley are in the sitting room."
"Oh my," Violet said. "I suppose we came just in time to rescue the boy before she does permanent damage." She turned to Isobel before quickening her pace.
"I'm sure Matthew can hold his own," Rose said optimistically, wondering why Violet and Isobel were so worried about him.
The three women arrived and found Matthew and Martha deep in discussion that their arrival was unnoticed until Mr. Carson cleared his throat.
"Oh, hello mother," Matthew greeted her. "I hope you and Cousin Violet had a pleasant drive here."
"Why wouldn't it be anything other than pleasant?" Violet asked, taking a seat in her usual chair while Isobel sat across from her. "You two were thick as thieves. Anything you want to share with us?"
"We were discussing American politics," Martha revealed. "Are you interested in that?" She gave a challenging look to both Violet and Isobel.
"Oh heavens, no," Violet replied. "There's enough of that in parliament. You probably should ask Robert about his time in the House of Lords." She directed her last statement at Matthew.
"Does that mean you will take his place in the House of Lords when time comes?" Martha asked Matthew. "I think people should be elected to the position rather than just inheriting it."
"If he can make a difference, I won't object to it," Isobel said.
"Why of course he will," Violet said confidently.
"There you are," Matthew said when he saw Mary, Edith and Tom arrive. He was glad they had arrived to get him out of what was turning out to be an uncomfortable conversation about his future.
"Did you need me?" Mary asked and looked at him surrounded by three very headstrong women.
"I just thought that maybe we could ask nanny to bring William down to see mother," he suggested.
"That's not necessary," Isobel countered him. "I'm more than capable of going up to see him."
"I'm sure he'll be happy to see you if he's not napping," Mary said happily. She moved to walk up with Isobel.
"Mary, might I have a moment," Edmund requested as they crossed paths.
"I'm taking Isobel upstairs to see her grandson," Mary said dismissively. She didn't skip a beat as she headed out with Isobel.
Edmund knew she was still upset and wondered how he might get her alone for him to apologize. He saw Matthew observing him so he turned away to avoid an awkward conversation.
"I hope my grandmothers haven't made you lose your appetite," Edith teased when Matthew approached her.
"Actually it made me hungrier," he joked back. "Edith, do you happen to know what has upset Mary?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink. She looked at Tom who had his back turned to her so she couldn't rely on his help to dodge Matthew's inquiry.
"She looks a bit upset about something," he continued. "I'd like to know what it is."
"You'll have to ask her," she replied, hoping to evade further questioning from him. "I don't know what goes on in her head."
Matthew decided to let the topic drop and found another that seemed to amuse her.
...
"So Edmund, have you finalized your plans for London yet?" Cora asked during dinner.
"Not really," he admitted. "But I suspect I will soon."
"London is quite different from when you were last there," Robert noted.
"Maybe Matthew and Mary can show me around," Edmund hinted with a smile.
"You're taking our hospitality much too far Edmund," Mary warned. "In case you didn't know, Matthew had just returned home from a long voyage and I wouldn't want to wear him out."
Edmund considered reminding her he, too, had just arrived from America but given he was still not in good terms with her decided to remain silent.
"Perhaps if you can wait until after I've finished some business we can accompany you," Matthew offered, trying to mediate the obvious tension between Mary and Edmund.
"Darling, are you forgetting your doctor's visit?" Mary insisted, not wanting to be talked into going to London.
"Maybe you can ask Gregson to show you around," Edith offered. "You can meet him when he comes on Saturday."
"This is the first I'm hearing of this," Robert noted, feeling out of the loop once again.
"Granny wanted to meet him," Edith explained, hoping that was enough of a reason. She looked at Mary for some support.
"Perfect timing," Mary added. "Gregson can meet Matthew's doctor and perhaps write about him and his new procedure."
"That's a wonderful idea," Isobel chimed in. "You can't argue with publicity like that."
"Wouldn't that be imposing on both of them?" Matthew asked cautiously. "They're coming for very different reasons."
"I think it's quite timely," Mary repeated. "Your doctor wants to spread the word about the success of your operation and Gregson can be the first to publish it."
"You know what they say, grab them while they're hot," Martha added with a knowing smile.
...
Matthew waited for Mary to finish her bedtime ritual; he found it fascinating and never tire of it. But he was also eager to have her come to bed. Mary, for her part, was taking her time trying to decide how to discuss the issue of Blackwell with him. Eventually, she was done and had to just jump right into it.
"Is something the matter, darling?" he finally asked when she snuggled next to him.
"What makes you think something's the matter?" she asked, delaying the inevitable. She saw him give her his knowing look, the one that said he knew her better. "Oh very well, I am upset with the incompetency of others."
"Crikey, what happened?" he asked, growing more curious.
"A man was arrested today who resembled Blackwell," she related. "I wished it was him so we no longer have to wonder what he is up to."
"Darling, you shouldn't let him bother you so much," he tried to calm her. "I doubt he can do any harm to us other than try to drive us apart and that is something we won't allow him to do." He was quick to assure her when he felt her rise to face him.
"I wish I shared your confidence that he can't physically hurt us," she admitted, agreeing silently that their bond was strong. "But you didn't see him; he looked like he has gone mad."
"He appears that way to scare you," he guessed. "He knows that if he crosses a line, he can go to prison. He seems to only continue to harass us perhaps in an effort to blackmail us."
"So you think he only means to profit from his actions?" she stated, seeing sense in that as she uttered the words out loud.
"There can be no other reason why he continues to show up here," he observed.
"What can we do to stop it?"
"Unfortunately until he makes a move, we can't take action," he said sadly. "But I think I have an idea that might draw him out."
"It doesn't involve putting you in harm's way does it?" she asked with worry.
"Of course not," he assured her. "I wouldn't want you to worry but you're right that we have to do something. I'll think of something that will make him leave us alone."
Mary studied Matthew's face and knew that determined look. "Promise me you won't do something risky."
"I promise," he said. "Now you must promise me to stop worrying because no one, not even Blackwell can hurt us unless we let him." He looked up into her eyes expecting to see her cheered by that.
Mary thought about it for a short while before smiling. She was glad she took Edith and Tom's advice to tell him.
"Is there anything else bothering you?" he asked, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"No, but I am anxious about Dr. Duck-egg's visit," she said, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Duke-Elder," he corrected her before breaking into laughter. "Shouldn't I be the anxious one?"
"I'm anxious to know if you can stop wearing those hideous glasses," she joked.
"Hideous?" he asked, looking at the glasses sitting on his night stand. "Why didn't you say something before?"
"Because you make it look good," she teased and kissed his cheek. "But I can't wait for you to be rid of it."
"By the way, before I forget, the doctor is an admirer of yours," he teased. "He thinks you're quite lovely." He chuckled when he heard her groan.
"I wish he'd keep his opinion to himself," she complained.
"It's alright," he tried to appease her. "As he said 'he can appreciate beauty' and I'm quite flattered by that."
"Well, don't expect me to react the same way," she warned jokingly.
"Should I continue wearing those hideous glasses then?" he joked back. "That might discourage any unwanted attention." Mary laughed softly beside him which prompted him to laugh with her.
A knock at their door made them stop laughing momentarily. "Who is it?" Mary prompted a bit upset for the intrusion.
"Mary, it's me, can I speak with you?" Edith replied through the door.
"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" she asked dismissively.
"It can't, please," Edith insisted pleadingly.
"Come rescue me if it takes long," she told him as she got out of bed.
...
"What is it?" Mary asked when she closed the door to give them some privacy.
"I need your help with Gregson," Edith said in a panic.
"What do you mean? What's happened?" Mary's mind was racing to think of what has her sister in such a state.
"How can I keep my relationship with Gregson secret? Granny has a way of figuring things out like when she found out about Anthony."
"You'll just have to be very careful when you're around him," Mary advised. "You should have thought about that before you invited him." She couldn't help pointing out her sister's mistake.
"But granny wanted to meet him and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I'm just terrified she'll take one look and know everything."
"Calm down," Mary said, holding Edith's hands. "Just try not to be alone with him. I think in a group setting you can avoid any possibilities of giving yourself away."
"He'll be here all weekend because mama didn't feel it would be right to have him here for just a day," Edith reminded her. "We can't possibly be chaperoned all that time."
"It's probably not that bad. We can keep him preoccupied with Matthew's doctor for a bit and we can figure out other things as we go."
"Will you truly help me?"
"Yes," Mary replied sincerely. She had set their sibling rivalry aside and decided to help her sister find her happiness.
"Thank you," Edith said gratefully and hugged Mary. "You don't know how much this means to me."
"Edith, I will need your help," Mary reminded her. "You must behave without reproach for the whole weekend." She saw Edith nod her agreement.
"If we pull this off, I'll be indebted to you for life," Edith said happily.
"Be careful, I might just hold you to that," Mary warned jokingly. "Now go to bed because I want to get back to mine." She watched her sister's retreating form out the hallway before going back to her room.
"Is she alright?" Matthew asked when she returned to bed.
"She has finally realized how risky it is to have Gregson come visit," she revealed. "She's afraid someone might notice their fondness for each other."
"You shouldn't have encouraged her by supporting her," he said carefully.
"She would have pursued it with or without my support," she reminded him. "But I truly believe they can be happy with each other."
Matthew sighed audibly. "I can't think how; it's an impossible situation."
"You of all people should believe in the possibilities given time," she told him. "Besides, good things are worth waiting for."
"It might be a long wait," he warned cautiously. "Are you sure she can manage that?"
"She's come a long way and she's got me on her side," she reminded him.
Matthew chuckled at that and knew if there was anyone who could see Edith through, it would be Mary.
...
Mary was fixing her riding gloves when she heard Edmund greet her. She had hoped to slip away without seeing him until much later in the day but his knowledge of her routine meant she couldn't avoid him for long.
"Are you still angry with me?" he asked when he was alongside her. "I said I was sorry. What do I have to do to earn your forgiveness?" He knew she didn't forgive easily.
"I'm actually disappointed," she revealed. "What happened to finding your one true love?"
"I've come to the conclusion that I might not be as lucky as you in that quest," he replied.
"You truly disappoint me Edmund, you who have more freedom in choosing who to marry than I is relying on luck."
Edmund noticed that two horses were being led towards them. "Can I come ride with you?"
"I'm afraid not because this is the day of the week I reserve for Matthew," she revealed. "Only he is allowed to come with me." She made it absolutely clear it was their private time.
"No exceptions?" he ventured to ask jokingly. He knew the answer before seeing her unyielding look.
"Hello," Matthew greeted them when he arrived. "Mrs. Patmore is insisting we bring lunch." He showed her the packs he was given by Daisy.
"I'm glad," she noted happily. "We can ride further out today."
"Are you coming with us?" Matthew asked with a hint of displeasure at seeing Edmund in his riding clothes.
"I ran out of clean clothes to wear," Edmund made an excuse. He wasn't going to risk upsetting Mary further. He made his excuse and left the couple alone.
"Did he want something?" Matthew inquired out of curiosity.
"He's trying to make amends for upsetting me the other day," she explained.
"That didn't take long," he teased. "What did he do?"
"Edith was right; he was considering courting her because granny suggested it."
"Some suggestions aren't so bad," he teased her. "At least he's not carrying as much baggage as Gregson is."
"You don't know him like I do; he has his own issues," she put lightly. "Now come along before the horses get impatient."
Matthew smiled and followed her meekly knowing that it was she who was impatient.