"Mary," Edith called after her when she was about to climb upstairs to get ready for dinner. "Did you ask Michael to stay for dinner?" She was hoping her sister had so he would stay longer.
Mary turned and gave Edith a look that said it all. She was slightly upset that her sister was so obvious and wondered just how far she would support her if this was how she acted.
"I just thought you might have forgotten," Edith tried to lessen the edge of her inquiry.
"I don't forget things like that," Mary said remaining calm.
"Mary," Rose ran up to her. "Can Julian stay for dinner?"
"I think Matthew had invited him already," Mary replied. She could see Edith react to that information.
"Lovely," Rose said and ran the rest of the way up to get ready for dinner.
"That's not fair," Edith complained unable to refrain from making the comparison.
"What are you complaining about? I've invited Gregson to stay for dinner for you. What else do you want?" Mary rolled her eyes and started to head up to her room.
"Thank you," Edith said finally appreciating Mary's taking her side on the matter.
...
Mary was luxuriating in her claw-footed tub when Anna came in to remind her it was time to get changed. She slowly rose up and got out of the soothing warm waters into a comfortable robe.
Anna opened the door so Mary could pass through to finish changing but couldn't mask the upset look on her face.
"What's the matter?" Mary asked noting Anna's sullen look when she passed.
"It's nothing milady," Anna tried to dismiss it but clearly unsuccessful when Mary turned to look at her. "It's just that John has gotten has gotten it into his head that I should just stay at home until the baby comes even after Dr. Clarkson assured us both that it will be alright for me to continue working."
Mary felt for her friend and knew it would take more than a medical opinion to make Bates see it differently. She thought back to her own recent experience and tried to find something that would help her. "I can't blame him," she began while studying Anna's reaction. "You remember how Mr. Crawley doted on me when I was pregnant. But I think I might have a solution that will satisfy you both." She was glad to see Anna cheer up even before knowing what she was planning.
"I'd be very happy for anything as long as I'm not locked up in an ivory tower even if it was our home," Anna joked.
"I'm afraid my plan depends on Mr. Crawley," Mary admitted and was slightly startled when he entered the room at that precise moment.
"What depends on me?" he prompted as he sat on his usual perch while waiting for Mary to head down for dinner together.
"I think we should lessen Anna's work load especially now that she is expecting a baby, wouldn't you agree?" Mary suggested already knowing how he would respond.
"Certainly!" he agreed wholeheartedly. "Anything you need to ease the burden of your pregnancy."
"I don't consider it a burden sir," Anna corrected him with a shared smile directed at Mary.
"I didn't mean that," Matthew apologized. "I just want you to enjoy your pregnancy without worrying about work."
Anna was moved to tears and felt foolish for allowing a few drops roll down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away and thanked him for his kindness.
"Look at what you've done darling," Mary teasingly admonished him.
"Oh no, milady, it's just my …" Anna didn't finish when she saw the matching smiles on the couple's faces.
"It's the hormones," Matthew joked. "Anyway, have you and Bates thought about names for the baby yet?"
"We are considering John if we have a boy and Joanne if we have a girl," Anna revealed.
"A little John or a little Joanne for the children to play with," he mused. "I can just imagine them fast friends and running around the house when they are able."
"Playmates for sure," Mary agreed. "But there won't be much running especially when granny is around."
Before anyone could comment they heard a knock at the door and Anna went to answer it before heading out.
"Look who's here," Cora announced carrying her grandson into the room. She tried to keep the boy in her arms when he excitedly reached out for his mother.
"What's this?" Mary asked looking at William's attire as she accepted him into her arms.
"Well, I thought it would be lovely if he wore a similar outfit as Matthew during the polo match," Cora explained. "It just came and I wanted him to try it on to see if he likes it."
"He hasn't tried to take it off so that looks promising," Matthew noted before kissing the top of William's head.
"Of course he likes it," Mary said giving Matthew a gentle jab for teasing his son. "He enjoys looking like you."
"I can't wait to have a photo of the three of you taken," Cora said. "I'll have to tell Gregson to make sure his photographer comes early to do so."
"Mama, Gregson will be here for the charity event and not for family matters," Mary reminded her.
"I'm sure he can indulge us a little bit," Cora insisted. "Besides, as patrons of the event, I think we are entitled to a few perks."
"She's beginning to sound like granny," Mary whispered to Matthew.
"I heard that," Cora said before reclaiming William to return him to the nursery. She heard the couple's laughter from the hallway. "You don't think that do you?" She smiled when it seemed like William disagreed with his parents' assessment of her with a shake of his head.
...
"You were quite impressive today," Gregson noted as he stood next to Edith while they waited for the rest of the family in the drawing room. He would have kissed her if they weren't chaperoned by Martha.
"It was a lucky shot," Edith said modestly.
"I doubt it; it takes skill to play polo," he insisted wishing they were alone as he took a sip of his drink. He could feel Martha's eyes on him as he tried to appear calm.
"Would you rather go to the library?" Edith suggested reading his thoughts. "We have quite a collection of books that I'd like to show you."
Before he could respond, the door opened to reveal Rose, Julian and Tom who have come down for dinner. He felt less pressure now with more people in the room so he graciously declined Edith's offer.
"I can't wait to see you play against Edmund's team," Rose said to Julian. "I think Matthew's quite determined to win; I hope you know that."
"I will do my best to help him," Julian promised. "I hope you will cheer for us regardless of the outcome."
"You can count on me," she assured him. "I'll always pick Matthew's side unless I'm playing against him."
"Then I'm so glad we're not playing against you," he said with a smile.
"Edith mentioned that you were a writer," Michael joined the pair.
"I'm not sure I can be considered that since I've not had anything published yet," Julian corrected his notion. "But I am an aspiring fiction writer."
"Perhaps you can show me what you've written so far, I'm always looking for new material to help publish," Michael offered.
"Yes, please do share," Rose seconded eagerly. "I would love to read your story."
...
"Shouldn't you be joining their conversation?" Martha suggested when Tom opted to sit with her.
"I think I'd venture keeping you company," he replied with a shy smile.
"That's rather brave of you," she teased. "Aren't you afraid that Robert might think we are planning to revolutionize the household?"
Tom chuckled and could definitely see how Robert might come to that conclusion.
"So how are you adapting to the way things are here at Downton?"
"To be honest, Lord Grantham has come around to a few modern ideas."
"And that is good enough for you?"
"Rome wasn't built in a day," he reasoned. "Downton's transformation will take time but we'll get there. Matthew has a good plan and I'm glad to be part of it."
Martha could tell how much he cared and was pleased by that. She knew Matthew had the plan and vision but Tom certainly had the passion and drive to help make it happen.
...
"Mother," Matthew greeted Isobel when he saw her being led in by Carson. "It's so good to see you home; why didn't you let us know you were coming?" He was obviously surprised to see her but was pleased and warmly kissed her cheek.
"Welcome home, Isobel," Mary seconded his sentiment. "We've all missed you, haven't we darling?" She turned to see him nod in agreement.
"It's good to be home," Isobel agreed. "I've missed you, too; especially my grandson. Can I go see him before dinner?"
"Of course," Mary replied. "He has grown by leaps and bounds since you last saw him."
"I hope he still remembers me," Isobel said, knowing she had been gone too long.
"Perhaps you shouldn't be gone for so long," Matthew teased. "I was beginning to forget as well." He shared a mischievous grin with Mary before the sight of Isobel's stern look made him stop.
"William would be very happy to see you again," Mary said trying to help him out of the jam he got himself into. "Would you like me to come with you?"
"I can manage," Isobel said, starting to climb up the stairs. She saw a familiar face coming down on her way up.
"Hello Mrs. Crawley," Evelyn greeted nicely.
"Mother, you remember Evelyn," Matthew said from behind her.
"Yes, of course; at least he hasn't started to forget," she noted with a smile that Mary saw but Matthew didn't. "What brings you to Downton?" She turned back to address Evelyn.
"Matthew has recruited me to play on his polo team," he explained. "And Mary has asked me to charm the ladies at her charity event." He heard Matthew chuckle at his joke but saw Mary's glare that tempered his amusement.
"What charity event?" Isobel asked suddenly interested in her daughter-in-law's project.
"I'll tell you all about it on our way to see William," Mary said, deciding to head up with her so they could discuss it.
"That was close," Evelyn said with relief knowing that he got away easily because Mary was preoccupied with Isobel.
"I hope so," Matthew said hoping his mother wasn't cross with him. "Perhaps a drink would help make the evening go smoother." He led the way after Evelyn nodded his agreement.
"Let's just hope that Mary has forgotten by the time she joins us," Evelyn said hopefully, accepting the glass he was offered.
"I'm afraid she has a very good memory," Matthew said. "But I'm sure she won't hold it against you."
"Are we the last to come down?" Robert asked as he entered with Cora.
"Mary went back upstairs with mother to see William," Matthew informed him. "We're just waiting for Cousin Violet."
"Ah, always on time mama," Robert greeted her when she arrived on cue. "We're just waiting on Isobel and Mary now."
"Oh, is Isobel back?" Violet said trying to hide her delight. "Has she heard about the polo match yet?"
"And the charity," Matthew revealed. "I think Mary has brought her up to date by now."
"Oh dear, no doubt she's trying to convince Mary to hold another one next year," Violet said with caution.
"Mary was already considering making it an annual event," Cora revealed.
Matthew and Tom exchanged looks of resignation.
"I just hope that Isobel remembers who thought of it first and give Mary credit," Violet declared.
"I'm sure she would and Mary can manage on her own," Cora said knowing that although Isobel can be forceful, Mary was certainly not a pushover.
...
Mary returned downstairs and found Matthew on the phone. She wondered who could be calling him at that hour but decided not to bother him. She was heading to join the family when she heard him call out to her so she waited for him.
"Where's mother?" he asked when he caught up to her.
"With William, of course," she replied. "I thought it would be best if I left them alone to bond."
Matthew smiled and was grateful for that. "Is she still angry with me for what I said?"
"You really shouldn't test her like that," she teased. "But as a mother myself, I think she'll forgive you for that."
"I'll have to remember to run things by you the next time," he joked. "I certainly can't afford to have my mother cross with me."
"You certainly may," she accepted. "But I think you can manage quite well on your own." She quite hoped that her relationship with William would be like that of Matthew with Isobel.
"Speaking of running things by you, I was wondering if you might consider taking on a project for me," he broached the subject. "I just got off the phone with Murray and we were discussing the future of the horses."
"What about them?" she was curious to know what he was planning.
"What do you think of turning the stable into a stud farm? We have some of the finest horses in the region and it would be quite profitable."
"Will you or Tom have any time left to manage it?"
"I doubt it but I know someone who would be a perfect fit to run it," he began. "She happens to be the best rider I have ever met. What do you say, would you consider taking on the task?"
Mary was quite glad he had brought it up since she found it a little awkward to propose it. She felt flattered that he thought her capable of working alongside him.
Before she could give him her reply, Carson arrived to announce that dinner was ready and although it was clear they were in agreement, it was yet to be finalized especially with her father.
Mary was quite surprised when she found that Matthew had left for the day when she came down after breakfast. She had hoped that they could discuss the stud farm with her father that morning. Instead, she found other things to keep her busy until he returned.
...
"Carson, has Mr. Crawley returned yet?" Mary asked him when it was close to tea time. She had expected him already home from his estate business by then.
"He is in the garden, milady," Carson replied. He had tried to subtly remind Matthew that it was nearing tea time but the young man assured him he would be back in time and headed out again.
"I'll go see what's keeping him," she said. She could tell that Matthew had ignored Carson's reminder and gave him a gentle nod as apology.
Carson didn't take offense but accepted Mary's gesture warmly. He could feel it in his bones that more changes were coming to Downton but seeing Matthew and Mary working together assured him it would be handled properly.
"Are they going to have tea in the garden?" Mrs. Hughes asked when she approached Carson and saw Mary headed that way.
"I'm not sure," he replied. "But perhaps we should prepare for that possibility."
"My, that's a radical idea," she teased him. "What would they think of next?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "But I'm sure Lady Mary will make sure it is up to the standards of this house."
"Perhaps Mr. Crawley has a higher standard," she said in Matthew's defense before giving Carson her signature look. She smiled when she saw his typical facial reaction before walking away.
...
Mary walked towards Matthew at their usual spot and wondered why he was looking up at the tree so intently. She stood beside him and turned to look at the same direction to see what it was. They stood side by side in silence for a little while.
"I suppose you're wondering what I'm looking at?" he began and looking sheepishly at her.
"I knew you'd tell me when you were ready," she replied and caught his smile from the corner of her eye. "I surely hope you're not thinking of chopping down this tree."
"Certainly not," he assured her. "But the breadth of its branches has given me an idea on how to maximize the income for the estate."
Mary turned to look at him now wondering what else he had in mind given that it seemed there were no more stones left unturned since he began modernizing Downton.
"What do you think about keeping the house open during the summer while we're in London?"
"You want us to stay behind?" She was clearly not pleased by that because she quite enjoyed spending the summer in London.
Matthew knew what she was thinking and wanted to quickly clarify what he intended. "I meant that it remain open so that the public can come visit and see parts of it. We could charge a small fee for a short tour and perhaps tea service. Do you remember how interested our guests were to explore the house when your grandmother came up with the idea of an indoor picnic?"
Mary did remember but it was a select group then and worried what it would mean if it was opened to the wider public.
"Not all parts of the house will be opened and they can only view but not touch any of our belongings," he said trying to ease her concern which was clearly seen from her facial expression. "Perhaps most of the tour will be the exterior of the house and the gardens with a short peek into the library, the dining room and the drawing room."
Mary was beginning to warm up to the idea but realized they needed help to control the crowd. "How do you propose to have these tours?"
"I was hoping you can help me talk to Carson and Mrs. Hughes to organize it," he said. "I think the footmen can act as guides and serve tea in the garden after the tour."
"I think you'll need Mrs. Patmore's help as well," she reminded him. "Tea doesn't just make itself."
"It will require everyone's help," he agreed. "Will you help me convince them?"
"And what about papa?" she asked.
"Him, too," he added. He could tell from the twinkle in her eyes that she was already planning how to help him.
...
"Ah, here you are Carson," Mary said when she entered his office. She quickly acknowledged him when he stood up to greet her. "I was wondering if you can help me with something."
"Certainly milady," he agreed eager to help her in any way.
"Ah, Mrs. Hughes, you're just in time," she said when the housekeeper arrived. "Mr. Crawley and I were wondering if you would agree to keep the house open during the summer for small tours."
"Tours?" both Carson and Mrs. Hughes asked in unison.
"Yes, we're considering letting the public see parts of the house for a small fee," she explained. She could tell that Carson didn't like the idea while Mrs. Hughes found it appealing. "I'm sure a few from the village are curious to see what it looks like."
"But this is a respectable home, not a country curiosity," Carson objected. "Surely you wouldn't want just anyone coming and going."
Mary assured him it be limited to a few rooms and with his help a controlled public opening.
"If I didn't live here, I would pay money to get a glimpse," Mrs. Hughes opined in support of Mary. "And as Lady Mary said, it's mostly just where visitors are already invited to when they're at Downton."
"That's just it, those were invited guests," he insisted. "Now it can be just anyone. I can't see how his lordship would ever agree to this."
"Papa supports Mr. Crawley in every way," Mary fibbed. "I hope you would, too." She was growing weary of his resistance to the plan.
"We most certainly will support Mr. Crawley," Mrs. Hughes said. "Is there anything else that we can do?"
"Yes, I would like to speak with Mrs. Patmore about organizing some refreshments after the tours," Mary added. She followed Mrs. Hughes out of Carson's office to meet with their cook.
Mrs. Hughes took one last look at Carson before turning to close the door. She knew change wasn't easy for him but thought it would be fun to showcase Downton to the public and glad Matthew had thought of it.
...
"What?" Robert asked incredulously. "Why didn't you consult me first before making plans?" He had just learned of Matthew's new scheme from them when they were in the drawing room getting ready for dinner.
"Papa, think of it as a new revenue stream," Mary suggested. "The house would have been idle otherwise."
"But think of the servants, they may have wanted to take vacations," he argued. "Now instead of spending time with their families, they are working to keep strangers in line."
"Oh come now Robert, don't pretend you don't want to show off the house," Cora said. "You do it every chance you get."
"But these are strangers," he insisted. "There's a difference. Mama, you agree with me." He turned to Violet for support.
"I don't see how different it is from when you turned the house into a convalescence home during the war," she noted. "At least this time they won't be staying longer than a day."
"At least let's try once and decide later if it is worth it," Matthew suggested. He hoped that Robert would finally agree and that his scheme would pay off in the end.
"What do you think Carson?" Robert asked in an attempt to find a supporter when he came in to announce dinner. "Would you be able to manage the added tasks that is required to keep the house open for tours?"
Mary and Matthew waited with abated breath since he hadn't really bought into the scheme yet.
"Certainly we can manage," Carson responded in support of them. He was rewarded by both with appreciative smiles.
Robert could tell that somehow Mary had gotten to Carson first and quite admired her thoroughness.
"Since there are no objections does that mean we can go ahead with the plan papa?" she expressed his thoughts.
Robert nodded and gave her a quick kiss. "Is there anything else I should know about?" He looked from her to Matthew and saw nothing forthcoming. "In that case let's not keep dinner waiting." He led the family towards the dining room.
"I don't know how you did it, but I'm so very glad you're my partner," Matthew said as she passed by him.
"More like partner in crime," Tom teased from behind them. He held his breath when he saw the emotionless look on Mary's face. He worried that he might have crossed the line in familiarity with her.
"Just wait until you're roped into Matthew's next plan," Mary teased back after a little while and saw the reaction she had intended to elicit from him.
Matthew gave Tom a reassuring nod that all was well which made him feel better.
...
After dinner, Robert invited both Matthew and Tom to join him in the game room. He nodded to Carson and waited with them until his butler returned with two polo mallets taken out of storage.
"I'd like you two to use these during your coming polo match," Robert began, handing one to each of them. "They've helped me win many matches in my time and I hope that they will serve you well, too."
"Are you sure?" Tom asked nervously taking the mallet handed to him. "Wouldn't these be better kept for posterity?"
"They were made to be used and I can't think of anyone better to have them," Robert assured him.
Tom was truly amazed and to him it meant Robert deemed him ready. He shyly turned to Matthew hoping he would voice their joint gratitude which he did.