August 30, 1918

Downton Abbey

The walk to and from the hospital was quiet. Mary and Matthew had talked to bedtime about the war and the anticipated peace and the world in general. Robert had been part of the conversation until his mother had drawn him away. Violet had also prevented Cora from breaking up Matthew and Mary's tete-a-tete. They had talked themselves out the previous night so now they walked in silence.

Mary had always known you could learn a lot about someone by talking with him. Last night she had learned that Matthew was intelligent and well read, although she had suspected that. He was wrong in his opinions but that could be corrected. Most importantly she learned that he did not condescend. Although they had disagreed on almost everything they discussed he had never once hinted that she was wrong because she was a woman.

Now she discovered you could learn a lot about someone by walking with him without saying a word.

At times he walked as if deep in thought and at other times he walked as if he were looking for something. She had his arm, it seemed the natural order of things, and they moved very well together. She wondered what it be like to dance with him. Very nice she concluded. She wondered what it would be like to.. she sensed he was looking at her and she blushed. She learned he was always attentive to her. With him she would never be part of the background.

He stopped and froze. She looked at him and he gestured to their right with his head. She looked. There was a fox with two kits. The fox was staring at them. The two kits were playing. The fox decided enough was enough and disappeared into the bushes and the kits followed. Matthew did not say anything. He started walking again.

They did not speak until they had reached the front door. Carson must have been watching because the door swung open even before they were on the step. Mary dropped her arm from Matthew's arm. He turned towards her and bent his head towards her face. She thought he was going to kiss her on the cheek but instead he whispered in her ear "You have some strawberry jam on your cheek" and then he turned and greeted Carson. Mary felt her cheek and her fingers came away sticky. She glared at him and he grinned back at her. Yes she learned a lot about Matthew on the walk.

-0-

It was Cora's day with Matthew. She toured him through the public rooms of the Great House which were now the convalescent hospital and she toured him through the private rooms, both upstairs and down. He knew the Great House was big but he hadn't appreciated how big it was on the inside. Truly in this house were many mansions.

Cora had arranged for them to have a private lunch outside on a little patio in the walled garden. It was warm and still and it made Matthew sleepy.

"As one North American to another" Matthew smiled at Cora "may I ask you how you managed to fit into this upper class English family?"

"My money got me in the door but it was Robert's love which made me want to stay. It took about a year but you have the jump on me there. There will always be upper class twits who will look down on you because you have the wrong accent or went to the wrong school. But there are very nice people too. Befriend them and cut the rest. And remember the Earl of Grantham is beholden to no one. I imagine that a cowboy could not care less what other people think of him anyway."

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

"I will never truly fit in while Violet is still alive. But what is a mother-in-law for if not to keep you humble. I promise I will not be like that".

He started to smile but found that it turned into a great big yawn which he hurriedly covered with his hand.

"Sybil told me you needed rest" Cora got up. "Come on, we had better get you somewhere you can have a nap"

-0-

The dressing gong rang but there was no bell from Matthew's room requesting a valet.

The family gathered in the hall dressed for dinner but there was no sign of Matthew.

"Where could he be?" Mary asked.

"I told him to go up and take a nap this afternoon" Cora said "I wonder if he is still sleeping?"

"I will go and wake him up" Mary said and she started up the stairs.

"That would not be proper" said Robert. "Let him sleep, he needs the rest to heal that wound of his"

"But he needs to eat too" Sybil put in. "I'll wake him up, as a nurse I've done it lots of times"

"You are not on duty at the hospital. Robert and I will wake him up." said Cora "Explain to Carson that dinner will be a little late"

Robert knocked on the door. There was no answer. Robert knocked again. Still no answer. He opened the door and peeked in. He nodded at Cora. "He is sleeping. Maybe we should let him sleep."

"Nonsense" Cora pushed by Robert and walked up to the bed. Matthew was sleeping on his side. He did not have any top on. She could not tell if he any bottoms on, that part was under the blanket. His back was crisscrossed with scars. She reached out and shook Matthew's shoulder. "Matthew wake up"

Matthew turned and then registered that it was Cora waking him up with Robert standing behind her. He pulled up the blanket to cover his chest.

"What? Oh. What time is it?"

"It's dinner time. You have five minutes to get downstairs. We will see you then".

When they got downstairs Cora said to Violet "When you start your inquisition ask him how he got those scars on his back."

-0-

Violet did not get a chance to restart her inquisition until Robert and Matthew joined the ladies after their post dinner port.

"I understand that you have quite a set of scars on your back. Scars which apparently everyone has seen, everyone except me. I would like to see them"

"I have not seen them either" Edith put in.

Matthew looked at the ladies. He looked at Robert. He shrugged his shoulders. He started to take his jacket off.

"Stop!" Robert said. "The ladies..."

"The ladies will what?" Violet asked "Faint? Three of the ladies have already seen these scars. Did any of them faint?"

Cora, Mary and Sybil all shook their heads, the latter two having to suppress their giggles.

Violet glared at her son "Edith is rather delicate, perhaps you can take her into the library. I will not faint"

"I am staying too" Edith whined.

"Mother!" Robert gave Violet his best parade ground look.

Violet was implacable.

Robert did the only thing he could do. "Carson"

"Sir?"

"A drum roll please"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Everyone except Matthew. He turned so his back to the ladies. He took off his jacket. He handed it to Carson. He untied his tie. He handed it to Carson. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. He lowered his pants to the top of his hips.

He waited for ribald comments. There were none. Without turning around he said "Some of the scars extend all the way down my left leg to where the top of my boot was. Would you like to see them?"

Robert came into Matthew's sight line. "Put your shirt back on" he murmured.

When Matthew had dressed he turned around. He was not smiling. "Any questions?"

"How?" Violet asked, she made a motion with her hand.

"It happened during the second day of the Somme. We were attacking and a shell blew me backwards on to a roll of razor wire. I was entangled in it. I could not get out of it, the more I struggled the harder it gripped me. The Germans started to counterattack. I thought I would be bayoneted for sure. A couple of my mates were able to cut me loose and drag me back to our lines. I was able to help defend our position and then take part in the counter counter attack. The battle actually flowed back and forth quite a few times. I finally passed out from blood loss. It turned out that when I was cut out of the wire some of it came with me and through the day it dug itself deeper into my back. I ended up with a medal, promotion and a back full of scars. Any other questions?"

There were none. Mary motioned at him to come sit by her.