Despite what his wife, mother, and daughters thought; Robert had never really felt Mary deserved Downton. Downton was a legacy to be preserved not a place to be had. In his eyes Mary had always had it wrong. It was only after his death that he was able to see the truth. If in her youth Mary had not understood her father's duty she had, in time, learned it. She had made a lovely countess, graceful under pressure. She had not only fulfilled the traditional duties of the matriarch of the house she had also worked alongside her husband in modernizing and and keeping up the estate while other stately homes were failing. Downton would last because of her work.
The September day was unusually warm, Mary had found it odd but was going to take full advantage of it. The afternoon light was just waning as Mary stood at the crest of a small hill, overlooking much of Downton. She would have to go up soon to change but she was quite enjoying the sunshine. She glanced back at the house, a figure was coming towards her. Possibly her husband, finished with the business he had this afternoon. But as the man nearned Mary could tell it wasn't Matthew, it looked like… well it looked like her father. She blinked against the light but by now he was too close to be mistaken. Mary turned back to the view of the estate, figuring that when she turned back he would be gone.
"It should have been yours," Robert said and after her silence added "the estate, I mean."
"Downton isn't a place to be had, it's a place to be cared for." Mary wouldn't look to her right, she couldn't bear to look in case she really was talking to nobody.
Her father sighed, "but I should have fought the entail, you, my dear, have taken care of it marvelously."
"I'm sure it was more Matthew's doing than my own."
She couldn't see it but Robert shook his head, "no, so many ideas for modernization and so much care for this place came from you. I'm sorry I didn't fight for you."
"You wouldn't have won, and I wouldn't have met Matthew."
"But I should have fought just the same, if for no other reason than to show you I believed in you."
Mary finally looked over, her father was standing there squinting into the light next to her. She smiled. Robert spoke again, "I do believe in you."
"I know that now."
She smiled and reached for his hand, squeezing it in hers, whatever this was it couldn't last and if she waited any longer she would be late for dinner and people would be wonder where she was. Her father nodded as if he understood and Mary turned to go, Robert watched her as she walked away.