August 27, 1918

Downton Abbey

Robert looked up from the letter Carson had just brought to him. He smiled to himself. This was certainly going to set the cat amongst the pigeons.

Cora and Mary were the only ones with him at breakfast. They looked at him expectantly.

"It appears Cousin Matthew is coming to visit us"

"Oh? When?" asked Cora.

Robert played his trump card. "Tomorrow."

"What?" Cora gasped.

Her reaction was better than he expected. Even Mary was staring at him. "It seems that an opportunity to take a long leave came up and he seized it. He will send us a telegram when he knows what train he will be on tomorrow. Unfortunately I have a meeting in York and so one of you will have to meet him at the train station".

"It will have to be Mary" declared Cora.

Now it was Mary's turn. "What? I cannot." she declared.

"And why not?" asked Robert.

She had no answer. She had no plans. She just did not want to do it. "I was going for a walk with Patricia" she threw out in desperation.

"You can still do that" her mother reassured her. "You can walk to Downton with Patricia and Beth. Branson can met you at the train station. Then you can bring Cousin Matthew here in the auto while Beth walks back with Patricia."

Mary resigned herself to her fate.

August 28, 1918

Downton Train Station

Matthew saw Mary before she saw him. He saw a tall slender beautiful lady dressed all in black with a very severe countenance. She was standing with a man in a chauffeur's uniform and a stout young woman holding a small child. She was scanning the platform looking for someone. Finally the crowd thinned and by a process of elimination she focused on him.

If she had smiled, stepped forward and introduced herself in a pleasant manner he would not have done what he did next. But she didn't. She gave him a look that suggested her first words to him would be 'you shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead'

As he walked up to her she said in a cold voice "Matthew Crawley I presume. I am Lady Mary Crawley".

He doffed his hat. "Howdy Ma'am"

"You will come with me in the auto and I will take you to Downton Abbey" she commanded.

Matthew ignored her. He did not think he would be getting her vote. He turned to the nursemaid holding the little girl. "And who is this?" he asked.

Flustered the nursemaid blurted out "I'm Beth and this is Patricia"

"My daughter" Mary interjected.

"Patricia! What a beautiful name" said Matthew.

At the sound of her name Patricia looked around, saw Matthew smiling at her and held out her arms to him. Before Mary or Beth could react Matthew took her in his arms.

"You know sweetie, I am a Patricia too. My regiment is Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Although what makes us light I'll never know"

Patricia giggled at this.

"And how old are you" asked Matthew.

"She will be one tomorrow" answered Mary.

"Then we really are twins! My birthday is tomorrow too. Although I'm going to be many times one"

Patricia gave Matthew a great big smile and then started playing with the captain's insignia on his left epaulette. Mary and Beth stared at the two of them. The chauffeur was smirking behind Mary's back. Matthew bent down to pick up his suitcase but the chauffeur beat him to it."Lead on ..."

"Branson, sir"

"Lead on Branson"

Matthew with Patricia looking over his shoulder at Mary and Beth followed Branson out to the Rolls. There was an enormous pram next to the car.

"Is that yours?" Matthew asked Mary. She just nodded yes.

"How is that going to fit in the car?"Matthew asked.

"It is not. Beth is going to walk Patricia back while we go in the auto."

"Then I will walk back with them." With his free hand Matthew tipped his cap at Mary. "Good afternoon Ma'am. Come Beth you can point out the local places of interest to me."

"Wait! You cannot walk!" cried Mary. There was a note of desperation in her voice.

"On the contrary, I can and I will" Matthew replied. "I have been cooped up on trains for the past two days and I feel a strong need to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. Branson!"

"Sir!"

"How do I get to the Abbey?"

"Take the high street through the village and then turn left, north that is, and follow the road. You can't miss it. It's about a mile"

"Thank you. Beth are you coming?"

Beth was in a dilemma. She was looking at Mary and then at Matthew and then back again. Matthew thought he could see the cogs in her mind going faster and faster.

Mary saved her from blowing up. "Beth you ride back with Branson. Tell Lady Grantham we will be there in half an hour."

"But your Ladyship, you know I can't leave Patricia alone with you." Beth was wringing her apron in her hands.

"Oh" Mary had forgotten. No one was ever to leave her alone with Patrica. Every one of their servants knew she had no power to countermand that order of her parents.

"What is the problem?" asked Matthew.

"I am not allowed to be alone with Patricia. They think I might harm her" Mary answered.

"Well you are not going to be alone with her. I'm here" Matthew looked at Beth. "I'm a soldier. I kill people for a living. I will protect Patricia with my life. She will be safe with me. Now are you satisfied?"

Beth nodded her head.

"Branson what about you?"

Surprised to be even asked Branson nodded also.

"Good, that's settled." Matthew looked at Mary. "Ma'am if you will see to the pram we can be on our way." He turned to towards the high street and then turned back. "When is dinner?" he asked.

"At eight" Mary answered.

"And it's just past three now. Beth please tell Lady Grantham that we will be there in about two hours."

And with that Matthew started walking into the village with Patricia still in his arms. Mary pushing the pram hurried to catch up to him. As they walked along Matthew could sense that she was simmering. He smiled to himself, it would do her some good to be crossed every once and awhile.

Mary was beyond a simmer, she was about to boil over. Who did he think he was? This rude, highhanded interloper. Loving up her daughter. Ordering her around. Embarrassing her in front of the servants. Just one more time. If he stepped out of line just one more time she was letting him have a piece of her mind. Then he could run back to Canada with his tail between his legs for all she cared.

There was no one close to them on the sidewalk. Now was her chance. "Listen ..."

Matthew preempted her. "Hush, not in the front of the child!" He smiled at her. "There will be time later" and then he kept on going. Patricia looked over his shoulder at Mary and smiled.

Later or not she was winding up to cut him as soon as he opened his mouth when she noticed that he was no longer walking beside her. She whipped her head around to see him and Patricia going into the bakery.

She followed him in. He was negotiating with Mrs. Henry, the baker's wife, what he could purchase with one of the ration coupons soldiers on leave were given.

"Please give me one of those.." he looked at Mary "no make that two of those sausage rolls and two of those gingerbread men".

Dumbfounded Mary watched Mrs. Henry wrap the purchases in two brown paper packages, Matthew surrendered the coupon, paid and then went outside. She followed him out. He put the brown paper packages in the pram. He rummaged around in the pram and picked up Patricia's bottle and looked at it. It was more than half full. This seemed to satisfy him and he put it back. He then went into the shop next door.

Again Mary followed him in. Again he asked what he could buy with a coupon. As Mrs. Brown was telling him Mary could see her looking from Matthew to Patricia to Mary and back again. Mrs. Brown was a notorious gossip. This was going to be all over the village. Just one more black mark against him she decided.

"Let me have a ginger beer and..." Matthew appraised Mary "a lemonade and a Dairy Milk bar please."

He paid for his purchases and left the shop with Mary trailing after. He put his purchases in the pram and then started walking down the sidewalk looking in the shop windows. This time Mary was not surprised when he stopped. She was surprised when he handed Patricia to her.

"I'm going in. You two stay here where I can see you." He gave Mary a hard look. "Don't try anything funny."

Before Mary could say anything he was gone. Patricia started to fret and squirm. Mary smelled the top of her head. Mary loved the smell of Patricia. "There, there, Papa will be back in a minute." She was rubbing Patricia's back when the realization of what she had just said struck her. No. No way. She frowned at the thought but Patricia picked up her mood and started to blubber. She forced herself to smile and she cooed at Patricia "There, there ... Pa Matthew will be back soon" She had almost done it again.

After about five minutes Matthew came out of the shop carrying a parcel about the size of a small cushion which he put in the pram. He held out his arms for Patricia and she eagerly went back to him. Mary felt a pang of jealousy. Mary was curious to know what was in the package but she could see Matthew grinning at her. He knew she was curious so she decided not to ask. There, that would show him.

They walked along in silence until they arrived at the old mill and the turn off to Downton Abbey. There was a small stone wall around the millpond. There was spot on the wall hidden from the road by two chestnut trees and Matthew stopped there. He lifted Patricia and smelled her behind.

"Just as I thought." He held Patricia out to Mary. "You are going to have to change her before we eat."

Mary did not take her. "I... I do not know how" she admitted.

Matthew pulled Patricia back to his chest. "You have never changed your daughter?"

"No"

Matthew shook his head. "well hold her while I go wash my hands." Matthew retrieved a bar of soap and a towel from Beth's bag of supplies in the pram and went down to the millpond and washed.

He came back, took Patricia, laid her down in the pram, took off the dirty nappy, cleaned Patricia off, applied a little salve and powder on her, and put on a clean nappy. Mary watched, fascinated at his expertise. Patricia had no objection at all.

Matthew picked Patricia out of the pram and sat her down on the other side of the wall, on the grass that was there. "Watch that she doesn't decide to go for a swim while I go wash again"

Mary frowned at the wall. There was no gate in sight. It was low enough to sit on but too high for her to step over. "I cannot get on the other side. In this dress I mean".

"Sit down on the wall and swing your feet over"

She gave him a puzzled look. He sighed.

"Sit down" he motioned to the wall.

She sat down.

"Lean back and hold the wall with your hands."

She did so. He reached down grabbed both her feet and swung them over the wall. She gasped and almost toppled over.

"That was uncalled for sir!"

He turned away from her and got his food purchases out of the pram. She thought she heard him mutter something about 'can't even wipe her own .." He sat down beside her.

"What did you say?" she snapped.

He stared at her. She hoped he would apologize. She worried he might yell at her.

Instead he laughed at her. "Lady you are quite a piece of work"

He unwrapped the sausage rolls. He took out a pocket knife and cut them into smaller pieces. He pushed the paper with the pieces of sausage roll towards her.

"I do not ..."

He ignored that and opened the two bottles and handed her the lemonade. Mary did not take it.

"I really do not ..."

He waved the bottle in front of her. "Look, I have eaten very little in the past two days and I would rather not eat alone".

The man was impossible. She took the bottle. She could not remember the last time she had drank directly out of a bottle. She took a small bit of the sausage roll and put it in her mouth. She chewed and discovered that it was rather tasty. She could not remember the last time she had had a sausage roll; she could not remember if she ever had had a sausage roll. She washed it down with a sip of lemonade.

Matthew watched Mary before he took a bit of the sausage roll and then a swig of ginger beer. He was about to take another bite when Patricia starting fussing.

"Are you hungry too sweetheart?" he asked. He reached down, swung Patricia up and sat her on Mary's lap. He cut one of the pieces into several smaller pieces. He picked it up and as he was moving it towards Patricia her mouth opened and he plunked it in.

"Should we be feeding her that?"

"Well what do you fed her?"

"I .. I do not know"

Matthew shook his head. Mary thought he seemed to be shaking his head a lot at her.

"Then we will see what happens" Seeing Mary's worried look Matthew continued "The worst of which will be that she expels it violently from one end or the other." He smiled at her. "In either of which case you will learn how to clean her up"

The three of them continued eating in silence until they had finished the sausage rolls and the gingerbread men.

Patricia started fussing. "You're probably thirsty aren't you darling?" Matthew asked. He took the lemonade from Mary and gave Patricia a little taste. She made such a sour squished up face that Matthew and Mary both burst out laughing at her. Patricia did not take kindly to be mocked and stuck out her lower lip. To forestall any blubbering Matthew went and got her bottle of juice. Patricia took the bottle and laying back on Mary's lap sucked it until she fell asleep.

Mary had not felt so content in years, Sitting on the stone wall with her beautiful sleeping daughter in her arms, the warm August sun on her back sitting next to...she looked at him. He was staring at a pair of ducks on the millpond and he was frowning. What was the matter she wondered and then she saw he had his left hand inside his jacket. As she watched he took it out, looked at his finger tips and then smelled them. He grimaced. Then he saw her looking at him.

"Your father mentioned that there was a hospital in the village"

"Yes, my sister Sybil is a nurse there."

He stood up. "I think that you had better show me where it is"

He got the soap and went down and washed his hands again. He came back, took the still sleeping Patricia from Mary and laid her in the pram.

Mary managed to swing her legs back around before Matthew could come and assist her. Together they packed up the remains of their little picnic.

"How sound a sleeper is she?'

"I do not know. And please do not shake your head at me. It is not all my fault. They have not let me..."

"Well stick with me and I will give you the complete baby management course. But first show me where this hospital is"

They walked towards the east side of the village. Matthew pushing the pram and Mary walking along side.

"What is the matter?"

"It's just a little scratch but I'm thinking that I may want to get it looked at."

"Are you all right? Would you like me to push the pram?"

"No, that's OK. Let's keep going."

They continued on for another hundred yards when Mary grabbed Matthew's left arm "There's a rock on the road, go around".

He did.

She kept her hand on his arm as they walked along.