August 29, 1918

Downton Abbey

Robert and Matthew arrived back at the Great House in plenty of time for Patricia's birthday party at 4:30 p.m. Matthew had had an enjoyable tour of the estate with Robert as his guide. He was very impressed with the scope and diversity of the estate's holdings.

As they entered the house and Carson took their hats Matthew saw Mary lurking in the hall. He went to to her and asked "That package I ..."

"There it is on that table" Mary pointed.

Matthew went over and picked it up. "I don't remember it being wrapped so prettily"

"I rewrapped it for you"

"Thank you very much, you didn't have ..."

"I was happy to do it. I am going up to get the birthday girl. Would you like to come with me"

"I'd love to"

Robert and Carson watched the young couple go up the stairs. They looked at each other and nodded.

When Matthew and Mary came downstairs with Matthew carrying Patricia ten minutes later they had a much bigger audience. Robert had been joined by his mother, wife and daughter Edith. Carson and Mrs. Hughes were watching. Only Sybil, who was still at work was missing. They paused at the landing and Mary announced "May I present Patricia, aged 1, and Matthew, aged ..."

"Too old to mention" finished Matthew. The three of them smiled at the crowd below.

"Look at them. I wish I had a camera so I could take a picture" Cora said to Violet.

"With any luck there will be many more tableaux like that" Violet replied "with even more children".

"I just hope Mary does not over play her hand."

The birthday party was a great success. Patricia was especially taken with the stuffed bear Matthew had given her.

Mary could see Matthew was starting to play out. "You should go up and have a nap before dinner. I fear Father and the party have played you out."

"Thanks, I think I'll do that" He smiled at her "You certainly take good care of me"

"It is my pleasure".

-0-

The interrogation of Matthew started anew at dinner. Once again Violet served as the Grand Inquisitor.

"Cousin Matthew we understood that you were a private soldier but you are here before us as a captain".

Matthew did not say anything. He was gazing at Mary. There was a long pause. Edith, who was seated to Matthew's left, gave him a gentle kick in the shin. Matthew startled.

"I'm sorry." he said to Violet. "I didn't hear your question"

Violet glared at him. "How did you come to be promoted?"

"I enlisted at the outbreak of the war. I wanted to get into Lord Strathcona's Horse, a cavalry unit, but they were oversubscribed, so I ended as a Princess Patricia. Which was for the best, I've seen since what machine guns and barbed wire do to horses. Anyway they had all the generals they needed so they made me a private" Matthew smiled at the ladies. "As for my rapid rise through the ranks I must attribute it to intelligence, luck, quick reflexes, a reluctance to volunteer and an innate streak of cowardice. As all the stupid, unlucky, slow moving, eager and brave men ahead of me have been killed off I have inexorably been promoted"

The ladies stared at him. Robert smiled to himself.

"You are admitting .." Violet stopped and rephrased her statement into a question "Are you admitting that you are a coward?".

"Indubitably so"

"But you volunteered?"

"Yes"

"And you have not deserted?"

"I have not"

"Have you shirked your duty?"

"No"

"Have you won any medals?"

"Yes, a Military Medal and a Military Cross"

"Are they not awarded for bravery?"

"They are awarded for acts, not for what is in the recipient's heart"

The conversation had gotten too serious. Robert decided to put an end to it. "Let us agree that a brave man is a coward who has learned to control his cowardice. Now if the ladies would leave us Matthew and I can discuss the war"

When they had gathered in the drawing room the ladies considered what they had learned about Matthew.

"He is a philosopher" Violet concluded "and judging by his vocabulary well educated"

"When he comes back in ask him about his education" suggested Cora.

"Ask him about the scars on his back" put in Sybil.

"I would like to know how he learned to take care of babies" Edith said with a knowing look at Mary.

Only Mary had no suggested line of questioning.

After they had waited longer than it should have taken for the gentlemen to finish their port Cora sent Carson to roust them out.

Robert and Matthew entered the drawing room. "We are sorry for keeping you ladies waiting. We ere discussing how to deal with the Germans once the war is over."

Cora and Violet expected the conversation to turn to more genteel topics. Edith and Sybil expected that Violet would ask their questions. But Mary preempted them.

"What would you do?" she asked. She addressed her question at her father but she was looking at Matthew.

"I would give them a chance to cease fighting and withdraw with honour" Robert replied.

"I am more unforgiving." Matthew answered "I would pursue them until their army was no more and Berlin was a pile of smoking rubble. That is the way to solve the German problem; otherwise we'll be fighting them again in a generation."

He could have stopped there, without exception gentlemen of Mary's acquaintance would have done so, but then Matthew did a most extraordinary thing.

"What would you do?" he asked Mary.

She gave him a big smile.