Disclaimer: I do not own Downton Abbey.
Chapter 4 – The Great War Begins
The routine Matthew and Sybil had settled into lasted until July of that year. Early that month Cora discovered that she was pregnant, placing Matthew's inheritance in jeopardy should the child be a boy. While happy at the news of another child, everyone had gotten used to Matthew as the heir over the last two years and him losing his place provided a complication in that he and Sybil had married because he was the heir and now it seemed that perhaps their marriage was unnecessary.
"Perhaps it would be best if we went to Manchester, if it should be a boy." Matthew said one night as he waited on Sybil to finish readying for dinner.
"You can't mean that." She protested, looking at him in the mirror so as not to disturb Gwen's handiwork with her hair. "This is our home."
"Your home if you end up with a brother." He corrected. "For me I go from living in a place I had presumed to one day be mine to living off my father-in-law's, and one day my brother-in-law's, charity."
"You know no one will see it like that."
"Regardless it is true." Sybil stared at him a moment.
"Are you jealous of a yet unborn child who may not even be a boy?"
"Not jealous." He said with a sigh. "Simply…aggrieved. And not because I would no longer be an earl one day." Sybil said nothing, believing him only partially. While Matthew had never originally aspired to be an earl, for two years he had assumed he would one day be one. It was easy to say such things when it was never a possibility, but after so much time she wouldn't be surprised if his opinion had changed. "It is merely that two years ago my entire life was upended because some distant cousin who happened to be an earl no longer had any closer male relations. I accepted my new fate, moved to Downton, involved myself in the running of the estate, only to now find that the last two years might very well mean nothing. Our marriage might have been for nothing."
"It's not for nothing. Much has changed at Downton for the better since you got here." She left the subject of their marriage alone for now.
"If you say so." He muttered disbelievingly. "Nevertheless the fact remains that I will be living off someone's charity if I remain should the child be a boy, so it would be best if I leave and as my wife you would have to come with me. Unless you want a divorce, of course."
"Matthew!" Sybil gasped, turning to face him with wide eyes.
"I wouldn't blame you, Sybil. You're only eighteen, you have your whole life ahead of you, you might as well spend it with someone you love rather than someone you married to 'satisfy honour.' "
"Matthew-"
"We can discuss it later. I shall see you downstairs." Striding to the door, Matthew left an incredulous Sybil and a somewhat embarrassed Gwen behind.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that." Sybil murmured, turning back to the mirror so Gwen might finish her hair.
"It's alright, my lady."
"He's just worried about what will happen to him if there's a Viscount Downton once again. Understandably." She seemed to be talking more to herself, but Gwen answered anyways.
"I thought Mr. Matthew was Viscount Downton. Is that not the title given to Lord Grantham's heir?"
"To the heir apparent, yes." Said Sybil. "Matthew is, or possibly was, the heir presumptive, and could never be the heir apparent as a brother of mine would displace him…as might be happening now."
"Whereas a son of Lord Grantham's could never be displaced as heir, the title going to another only in the event of…"
"Death, yes." Gwen blushed.
"I'm sorry, my lady."
"For what?" Sybil smiled softly and Gwen quickly finished her hair. Dinner was unusually quiet, each of them thinking about the new child and what would happen if it was a boy. After, before Carson could even bring out the brandy, Sybil pulled Matthew outside, intent on continuing their conversation.
"Do you want a divorce, Matthew?" She asked point blank. He stared at her for a moment, her own gaze daring him to say something other than the truth. Knowing he couldn't lie to her, Matthew sighed.
"No."
"Truly?" She needed to make sure. "I know our marriage didn't start out because we loved each other, but I thought we had been happy together these last couple of months."
"We have." He assured her before her words caught up with him. "Didn't start out because we loved each other?" She held his gaze though he could see a faint blush enter her cheeks. "Sybil, are you trying to say you love me?" He felt a tightness in his chest as he awaited her answer.
"I care for you." She said. "Admittedly more than I did before, when you were merely Cousin Matthew. But love…? I've never loved someone before, not the way a wife should love her husband." Secretly Matthew was quite glad for that fact. "I don't know if I love you, Matthew, but I care deeply for you and I want our marriage to work. I don't want a divorce." The tightness in his chest lessened and Matthew couldn't stop a smile from forming.
"As do I." He said, taking her into his arms. "I care for you deeply as well, Sybil. And I don't want a divorce either." With a smile of her own, Sybil leaned up and met Matthew halfway in a kiss. Their wedding night had not been the last time the two had been intimate, though they were far from demonstrative in public, or semi-public, as they currently were. As such it was not really a surprise to Sybil when she entered the drawing room some minutes later to her sisters' teasing.
"There you are!" Said Mary. "We wondered if you ever planned to come in on your own or if we'd have to tear you two apart."
"Spying, Mary?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Surprisingly things with Mary had not developed as Sybil might have expected. The eldest Crawley sister had seemed to accept Sybil and Matthew's marriage after Sybil had shut her down the night after they had announced their engagement. She had gone to spend a few weeks with their Aunt Rosamund in London after the wedding and when she'd return Mary had seemed to accept things the way they were now and her and Sybil's relationship didn't change as Sybil once thought it might.
"Hardly." Said Edith. "You were just outside in full view of us all. Though Mary is right. We wondered if we'd have to throw a bucket of cold water over you two."
"Sybil is married." The Dowager spoke up in defense of her youngest granddaughter. "It is perfectly acceptable for her to be alone with her husband."
"Thank you, Granny."
"Though one must wonder if a bedchamber would not be more productive in the activity that was clearly on both of your minds."
"Granny!" Sybil was shocked while Edith and Mary tried to conceal their laughter, both failing miserably.
"Following that train of thought," The Dowager Countess continued.
"Must we?" Sybil muttered.
"Might you have some news for us soon?" Her insinuation was clear.
"Granny, we've only been married two months."
"Many brides have gotten with child on their wedding night."
"Well this one didn't."
"And there is nothing wrong with that." Isobel assured her daughter-in-law, shooting the Dowager a small glare. "As much as I look forward to a grandchild, don't feel pressured into having a child until both you and Matthew are ready, Sybil."
"Well its not really up to them is it?" Said Mary. "I mean look at Mama, having another child eighteen years after the last one."
"True, but I meant not to feel pressured into providing an heir." Isobel clarified. "It's the twentieth century after all, male heirs aren't everything anymore."
"Oh really?" Violet shot Isobel one of her looks, one that indicated the two were about to go at it. "Is a male heir not why we find ourselves in this situation at the moment? A male heir is what brought you here two years ago, and it is what might change things again if Cora's child is a boy."
"But it might not be." Cora said not for the first time, not wanting anyone to get their hopes up.
"No, it might not." Said Violet. "Which is why we must look also to Sybil for a son. Else her marriage to Matthew would have been for nothing."
"Not for nothing, surely." Sybil muttered. Isobel quickly jumped in to defend her son's marriage as well and with a look to their mother, the three Crawley sisters took their leave, Cora staying to play referee.
~/~
Two weeks later, on August 4th 1914, it was a sombre house that prepared for the annual garden party. Cora had had a miscarriage after a fall, losing what would have been their one and only son. Robert tried to assure her that he was merely glad she was alright, but Cora knew he was hurting, just as she was. The only silver lining was that they now didn't have to worry about what would happen to Matthew. Though it certainly didn't make up for the loss of their child, it was still a relief they felt, though one no one brought up given the circumstances. O'Brien hovered over Cora like a mother hen in the days afterwards, seeming to take her mistress' sorrow personally and was heard more than once defending the Countess, stating clearly whenever anyone even muttered something against her that they had best keep their opinions to themselves for she would not see Lady Grantham hurt. The day of the garden party itself was bright and the mood cheerful for the most part, the family finally starting to come out of their sorrow now that enough time had passed, though understandably Cora herself was still quite melancholy. Sybil felt a great deal of joy for word arrived that day that Gwen's latest application to be a secretary had been successful. While it would mean she'd lose her maid, and friend, Sybil would not be happier for her. However, it was during that garden party that everything changed.
"Please, will you stop please?" Robert called out, running into the centre of things so as to be heard better. "My lords, ladies and gentlemen, can I ask for silence?" His expression and tone of voice didn't bode well and Sybil found herself instinctively moving to her husband's side, grasping his hand. "Because I very much regret to announce…that we are at war with Germany." There was nothing that could soften the blow of that news, regardless that in truth they had known it was coming, tensions with Germany having risen too high lately. After several minutes where everyone merely stood there, letting the news sink in, the partygoers began to disperse, none feeling in a party mood any longer, and rightfully so. A week later Matthew returned home one day and Sybil knew with but a look that he had enlisted. They had talked about it, and she knew he would, had known he wanted to enlist instead of waiting to be drafted as he no doubt eventually would be, but it was still like a punch to the gut to know that it was very real now and he would be going to war. They told the family that evening at dinner and as proud as they were, none were actually happy, though they hadn't expected them to be. Three days later Matthew went off for training in Richmond. He spent nearly twelve weeks there, returning as Lieutenant Crawley and having just under a week before he was to ship out to France.
"You will write." Sybil didn't even bother to pose it was a question. The two were lying in bed the night before Matthew was to go to war, and both were feeling the strain of what was to come.
"Of course."
"Properly. Not just about trivial matters." She leaned up to look him in the eye. "Don't feel you have to bottle things up to protect me, I'm stronger than I look." Matthew smiled.
"Yes. Yes you are." He agreed readily, leaning up himself so as to kiss her before they both settled back down, Sybil's head resting on his chest, while his arm was wrapped around her. The two lapsed into a comfortable silence for awhile until Sybil spoke again.
"I'm not pregnant." Matthew startled and looked down at her.
"Where did that come from?" He asked, not having expected it.
"From all the looks I'm getting as people wonder if Downton will have a new heir, what with the current heir going off to war." Matthew sighed and settled back down, now understanding where she was coming from; Robert himself had not so subtly probed about a grandchild just that evening during brandy after dinner.
"Unfortunately I don't think we can stop them from looking."
"No, I suppose not." She agreed.
"Are you disappointed to not have a child yet?" He asked, wondering if he had indeed heard longing in her voice.
"Not really." She said somewhat hesitantly. "Though I wouldn't be opposed to it." Matthew felt relieved, feeling the exact same way. "I did want you to know though. So you don't go off to war tomorrow wondering."
"It will happen when it happens." He said wisely. "Perhaps you will surprise me with a baby while I'm on leave one time, and perhaps not. If nothing else, know that I will not be disappointed if you don't, nor will I be unhappy if you do." Sybil smiled and leaned up to kiss her husband again. Matthew deepened the kiss and rolled them over to lie on top of her. "Though there is something to be said for speculation."
"Oh?" Sybil raised and eyebrow, clearly amused.
"It can lead to anticipation, excitement, which can give a man something to live for when he goes off to war." He replied between kisses.
"I see." Sybil brought her arms up and wrapped them around her husband. "Well, I would be a poor wife indeed if I didn't do all I could to give my husband something to live for before he goes to war."
A/N - Bit of a time jump, not really much of their early married days, but this is where it led me. There will be at least a few chapters to cover the war, though more the later years, so there will be another time jump then things slow down.
Review please!