25th of December 1919 up to 12th of January 1920.

She was awoken by the churning she felt deep down in her stomach. Nausea washed over her as she sat up. 6:00 am. Christmas day. As she tried to fight it of, she found her self running towards the bathroom that joined her room. As she emptied her the contens of her stomach, she sighed. This was the 31st morning in a row now this that happended. Anna wanted her to go to Doctor Clarkson, but she knew that if she went it would be all over the vilage by tea time, so instead she and Anna went to London and saw a doctor, who said she was pregnant - almost 3 months, at that. Having told her parents she wanted to do some shopping, she left on the 9 o'clock on a cold and frosty morning. Coming back that night on the 11 o'clock with a few parcels so no suspicsions arose. Her mother and Aunt watched her like a hawk, and when she sat down to the christmas dinner with Richard to one side and her granny on the other she felt under constant watch. As the fish course came round she felt her dinner repet on her. In the end she down right refussed the fish and upon this action everyone stopped talking and looked in her direction. An excuse found it's way to her mouth after a few seconds.
"I had rather a bad fish dish this afternoon and it seems to have put me off." Everyone seemed to buy the excuse. That is all apart from Isobel.
"Perhaps you have an avertion to fish, my dear."
"Oh no it is nothing of the sort. No Crawley has an avertion of any kind." Her grandmother put in. The end of the converation was marked by the arrival of the pudding. The grand christmas pudding was every year the grand piece of the day.

Over the holiday period her mood got worse until finally she brokedown in Anna's arms the day after the shoot. Matthew's behaviour had confussed her, while Richard was becoming impossible to even look at. Granny's beady eyes missed nothing while her mother revealed her most preicous secret to her event lead to another witch lead to the final showdown with Richard that night in the library. The men roled on the floor like two lions fighting over prey. The slow motion almost over took her and she became locked in a world she did not know. The motion started to speed up upon the enterance of her father into the room. His voice domtinate her head while her eyes stayed fixed to the two figures roling on the sofa and then the floor. Followed by her father was her grandmother. Now nothing was scarid, not with her grandmother in the picture. Mary felt the blood rush from her head and as the men filed out past her, her grandmother remaind firmly in the same postion behind her.
"Please go granny." Her eyes are fixed to the fire and do not turn towards her grandmother.
"I will not go, my dear because you are too transparent, my dear. Something is amiss, and if you will not tell me then i will dig and dig until i find out what." Taking Mary by the arm she walked over the the sofa and sat down with her cane hitting the ground.
"As i was saying, you were too quite at dinner and now... now you go transparent and i could see right through you as you just stood watch Matthew and that odious man roll about as if they were children fighting over a toy. Now you will tell me nothing is wrong and i won't believe you."
"Granny, there is nothing to tell. " Trying to keep her emotions in check and to lie was hard enough without the fact that it was her own grandmother she was lying too.
"No, my dear, there is something to tell and you are just to afraid to tell anyone." The slient tear begin to fall, the salty drops seep into her mouth as she tries in vain to prevent a sob from escaping her throat.
"Now take your time, no one will enter for the door is locked." Locked? How had she missed her grandmohter locking the door after the men had left the room.
"I don't really now where to begin for i am afraid to speak the truth, for if i tell you, you will go straigh to papa, who in turn will cast me into the darkness and then when he finds out who the father is..."
"At least my dear you have been honest."
"Now i have really let the cat out of the bag!"
"So you really are pregnant. Who is the father?"
" Granny,i can't... He doesn't even know. He can never know, but the thing is one day, he will." The look of furstration on her grandmothers face grew.
"Mary, stop. Stop talking in riddels, and just come out with it."
"Matthew is. Matthew Crawley. Papa's heir. The man that he regards more highly than his eldest dughter. Papa think's i am going to America and everyone apart from Sybil know the truth about Mr. Pamuk. Granny is it not enough for you i have to endure a scandal and a pregnancy, that i have to do it while with grandmama?" The sound of laughter echo's through the library.
"You are so like me when i was younger, and perhaps you are doing the right thing by going to that WOMAN. Your papa had need never know about the child and neither had Matthew." It finally dawned on Mary what her granny meant - she was to give her child over to a childless couple and never have any thing to do with him or her again.
"But they will know for i plan to have it in America and then in a few years time to return to Downton. If you think i will give up my baby, then you are very much mistaken!"
"But with a child do you think your father will wlecome you back with open arms?I don't think he will, Mary and then if i take you in how will your father react then? But if you are trully sure, then you can go to America and then i promise you that if everyone here turn their backs on you, then you will always be welcome at the dower house, Mary."

Anna had just told her of her wish to remain in England so she could be near Bates. Mary had said she understood, of course she did. Anna wanted to be close to her husband. The servants ball would go ahead and that would be fun in it's own way.

As she sat with her grandmother she watched as the servants danced with the family. Carson with Mama, Papa with Mrs Hughes and Matthew with Miss O' Brien. Later that night Anna came to her saying that Lord Hepworth had snuck of with her aunts maid. Anna told her they seemd intent on doing something underhand. Mary had to find her aunt first before she assembled her plan. The three women all walked along the corridor towards Lord Hepworth's room. They hesitated before giving Anna a nod to open the door. And there before them was Miss Shore and Lord Hepworth on the bed together. Sharp word passed between Mary and Miss Shore before leaving them - together- in the room.
"Please for give me my dear, but ... Damm!"
"Why? it's a lucky escape if you ask me."
"Yes it is but i just cannot stand it when Mama is proved right!"

She was standing as he came up behind her and asked her for a dance. They went round and round until they both admited they felt dizzy.

The snow fell lightly around her. The light crunch underfoot told her someone was coming. She turn slightly to get a view of who it was. Matthew. Always Matthew.
"Well that was fun. But there will be a few thick heads in the morning."
"No doubt they think it's worth it."
The banter continuted until they question fell.
"Would you stay if i asked you to?"
"Matthew, we both know we carry more luggage than the porters a King's cross." She hadn't meant it as a joke but Matthew laughted.
"And what about the late Mr. Pamuk? And your vow to the memory of Lavinia?"
"I was wrong about Lavinia, Mary. She didn't want us to be sad and as for Mr. Pamuk, well i have no reason to forgive you."
"But, you see i fear he will publish and you will then be brought into it, and i can't bear to be here to read or hear what he and others have to say about me and futher more what they will say about our relationship, Matthew." He rap's his arms around her, as to say he accepted what she was saying. He warmed her chilling body as the snow fell around them.
"Then you can go, but i will wait every day with baited breathe for the day you return." He took her face in his hands as they came out of the embrace, and he kissed her, it was more passionate than that night, but the emotion came out more than ever.