Note: This fanfiction hadn't had any updates in over four years. I've been meaning to do them throughout that time but my attention and time was caught writing elsewhere (and working, studying, living). I will continue and finish this fanfic since I do remember the general outline of it and how I want it to end and I have a few scenes already planned/written down.

I am missing some sub-plots and points and I hadn't watched Downton Abbey since season 4 / since I posted Chapter 3 in 2014 so the story will be independent from where the DA story went.

IV - Nursery

That dinner had been one of the funniest Tom had attended in quite some time. His in laws were walking that thin line between propriety and rage that only upper-classes could truly pull off. It wasn't as if he had spoken his mind or that Edith's friend had, on the contrary, she had held her tongue and nodded politely throughout most of the dinner, at least, after he rubbed on the Earl's face how the world was changing and there was nothing he could do about it.

His thoughts kept going back to Magdaline and when they started wondering what would truly make her smile, why did she sighed longingly when he took little Sybill from her, what was truly going through her mind over dinner-but then memories of his Sybill would come crashing down on him. And then guilt ensued. He was a widower; he was for all intents and purposes free to marry again, to find someone else interesting, to fantasize about a future-or a night, or a day, or a thought. Legally, he was. Emotionally he feared he wasn't ready for it.

He heard little George's crying and wondered if the Maid had stayed with them but soon enough he stopped. It was odd that Sybill hadn't started crying along so he decided to put on his coat over his pajamas and went to the room. When he opened the door he was startled by what he saw: Maggie, in her nightgown and coat, sitting in one of the chairs with little George fast asleep in her arms.

Magdaline felt ashamed of getting caught. In reality this was hardly proper but the children were alone and she could've called downstairs instead of taking matters into her own hands but for all intents and purposes she belonged downstairs and what was more, she couldn't let a child cry. "Uhm-I-I thought it'd calm him down," she whispered before getting up slowly to put him back in the crib but he started mumbling again and rubbing his eyes with his tiny fists. "He's upset. I think he has a fever," she explained walking towards Tom, who was both shocked to see her there and at the same time not at all. She was a nurse who loved children, of course she'd be there. "He shouldn't be covered with so many blankets, that's only going to spike his fever. And they shouldn't be in the same room, he needs to be isolated from her, otherwise they'll both get sick. Maybe you should call Dr. Carson."

"George is really fuzzy with people, he hardly ever likes anyone," he whispered brushing the little boy's back and realizing he was standing entirely too close to her. "I-I should find out why they were left alone. A-and call Dr. Carson, yes" he said a moment later swallowing hard once he realized he was staring at Magdaline's lips as she spoke, at her long neck and at what he could see of her nightgown. It was cotton and probably felt soft to the touch-her skin probably felt soft to the touch, just as those pouty lips of hers. The air in the room seemed electrified and warm and Tom knew perfectly well that he needed to get out of it before he'd make a fool of himself and make Edith's friend uncomfortable. There was no such a thing as love at first sight, there was attraction and she was luring him in without even trying.

Wetting her lower lip, Magdaline nodded as she kept holding little George, both to calm the baby and to ground herself in what was real. Tom looking at her like this wasn't real, it was a fleeting thought, it was a coincidence and nothing more. And she was no one, no one of consequence anyway. This wasn't real, this couldn't be real. "I think that'd be a good idea. And I should probably leave, I wouldn't want to-" she swallowed handing him George very carefully, noticing how he was sleeping with an undershirt and the buttons were half-undone and she could very well see chest hair and she had seen many, many men like this when she was a nurse but this feel intimate in a way that shouldn't, that was wrong-the problem was that it didn't feel wrong.

But she was here for Edith, not Tom. Edith. So she straightened up her back and breathed out looking away from him. "I-I wouldn't want someone to see me here and get the wrong idea. Good evening Mr. Branson," she said before storming off.

"Good morning" Maggie greeted while walking into the dinning room quietly, a few minutes after her friend. She was still terrified of the previous day, of dinner and of her terrible slip-up at the nursery. Of course someone from the family would go and watch the children. She wasn't a nurse anymore, she wasn't part of the help and she wasn't part of the family. She had no business going into the Nursery to calm the baby down, none at all. She was lucky it had been Tom the one to find her there and not Lady Cora or Mary, whom she hadn't even met.

And at the same time, seeing Tom in his pajamas and pillow hair, talking softly to her, looking at her in a way no one had looked at her in quite some time was making her question herself and the reasons why she had decided to stay. Maggie had told herself she was here to help Edith's case, to help her altogether because Edith was her best friend, one of her closest ones and she was going to be her sister-in-law (or as good as) once Michael managed to divorce Lizzie. Then again, now that she was here about to have breakfast with the Earl and Edit and Tom sitting in front of them at the table... well.

"I was thinking we could show you the Abbey today and the fields. Mary is still sick and little George as well so I'm afraid you won't be seeing them but-Tom, would you come with us?" Edith asked of her brother in law who was eager to reply affirmatively. Maggie pursed her lips into that courteous and yet not-at-all truthful smile of hers she had managed to improve at the newspaper and turned to face Edith. "I believe Dr. Carson was going to show me the hospital today," Maggie said softly. "I wouldn't want to leave him waiting Edith it wouldn't be polite of me to do that. Besides, I was thinking that maybe we could write a piece about it for the newspaper."

The Earl wasn't entirely sure what was happening but agreed wholeheartedly with Magdaline's idea. The least time she'd spend near Tom the better for Cora and everyone else's sake. "Well then we can drive you there," Edith added meeting her smile with a fake one of her own, determined to go on with her mission of bringing Tom and Maggie together.

There was no way to avoid small talk with the Earl and Tom as the subject of war came up once more and of Michael and the newspaper. Keeping it as casual as possible, Maggie rushed through her tea and toast and was eager to get out of the awkward situation, her eyes finding Tom's more often than what she cared to admit. After a considerable amount of time, Edith got up and both Tom and herself followed suit, Tom heading to the fields while Edith and Maggie went towards the garage. "Good day Mr. Branson," Maggie managed as he walked away from them looking a little distraught and confused. Once she realized she was staring, she looked up at Edith. "What?"

"You like him," Edith said simply, setting her arm around her friend's. "And I'm pretty positive he likes you. This is all so childish. You're both adults, do something." At her words Maggie stopped on her tracks and looked at her with a visible frown. "Wh-I do not. I just find him... odd. He doesn't belong here. He's the odd one out."

"Like you," Edith added amused. "My sister would approve you know. I'm sure of it," she said wholeheartedly as they made it to the car. "Nathan is gone and so is Sybill. I think Tom and you have a lot of things in common, that's all," Edith added turning on the car, getting a rolleye from Maggie. "We don't. I'm not interested. Drop it and stop making us uncomfortable."

Driving away, Edith waved her hand at Tom who was at a considerable distance and waved back at them and decided that she would most definitely not drop it.