AN: Here she goes, Yet another chapter!
"Did Papa say why we needed to be at the Abbey tonight? I thought he said Mama was on the mend?" Mary asks, holding William tightly to her chest against the cold night air.
"He said he had urgent business to discuss." Matthew sighed, shifting Catharine's weight to his other arm.
"Well, I can't say I mind. Whether Papa and I are speaking or not, I'm excited to see Mama, and Sybil again." Mary says as the silhouette of Downton grew larger.
"It probably as to do with the poor scullery maid who died. God rest her soul." Matthew said.
"Scullery maid? Not Daisy Mason?" Mary gasped, her heart sinking to her stomach.
"No, No! Daisy is well. Some girl named Winnifred?" Matthew asked.
"I'm afraid that I'm not sure who she was- Isn't that strange? She lived in my home, possibly for many years, and I never knew her- not her name, not even that she was in the Abbey." Mary murmured, tears filling her eyes.
"Darling, are you quite alright?" Matthew asked, ceasing walking, and reaching one arm to gently caress her cheek.
"I'm alright Matthew- it's just been such an emotional two weeks what with Mama being at deaths door, Sybil and Tom and Papa being at wits end with each other, and then Lavinia's kindness, Richards death- and now the poor scullery maid! And to top it all off I'm having another baby, so my emotions are running far too high!" Mary stammered, blinking back tears.
"Oh my darling." Matthew carefully pulled Mary against him- or as close as she could be to him with the wriggling babies they held.
"Mary, Matthew!" Sybil called, having exited the abbey to come and find them.
"Sybil my dearest sister!" Mary grinned, and gladly accepted her sisters hug. "My I hold my niece?" Sybil asked, and Matthew gladly handed her over.
When they had entered, Sybil looked at Mary, and frowned. "Mary, have you been crying?" Sybil whispered, her voice full of concern.
"No, not quite. I'm just a bit emotional recently I'm afraid." Mary sighed, and looked to Matthew, unsure of whether or not she should tell Sybil now. "That's odd Mary, you're never emotional! I've only seen you this emotional when Matthew was away and when you were carrying Catharine and William- And if Matthew is here…Mary, you aren't- are you?" Sybil gasped, her eyes dropping to Mary's belly.
"Very early on, but yes, I am!" Mary laughed, and Sybil laughed and jumped up to kiss her sister on the cheek. "Oh Mary, that's wonderful news! It looks as if you shall have three babies before I've even had one!"
"Don't mention it to anyone else though, Sybil, not Tom, or even Edith. We aren't going to announce it for a few more weeks." Mary cautioned. Sybil nodded in understanding, and then smiled and pressed a kiss to Catharine's curly blonde hair. "Mama Is eager to see you, and her grand children, she thought she'd never see them again." Sybil said, with a sad smile.
"Of course!" Mary nodded, and the trio, with two babies in tow, headed up the steps to Cora's bed room.
"Is that you Sybil?" Cora asked quietly when the door opened.
"Yes Mama, with visitors." Sybil announced, and then gestured to Mary and Matthew.
"Mary, Matthew- oh my grand babies!" Cora gasped, looking away from Robert.
"Mama, I was so worried about you!" Mary cried out, and practically ran into her mothers waiting arms.
"I haven't seen you in such a very long time Mary, all because of the silly argument you were having with your Papa. I thought I might never see you again Mary- any of you." Cora cried, and embraced her daughter tightly with tears in her eyes.
"Oh mama- I love you so much." Mary sighed, letting her tears fall against her mother's shoulder.
"Now, let me see my little Catharine." Cora demanded as she leaned back into her pillows. "Here she is mama." Sybil said, and gently lay the cooing baby in her grandmothers arms.
"Mary, may I talk to you in the hall?" Robert asked, and Mary stiffened.
"Lord Grantham, I don't know if that's a very good idea." Matthew said warily.
"Don't worry Matthew, I'll be civil. I just want to talk to my daughter." Robert sighed.
"Alright Papa." Mary agreed, and followed her father out of the room.
"Mary- I want to say that I am very sorry for what I said to you that day. You my darling girl, have never been anything but a treasure to me, and I'm afraid I'm very poor at showing it. I'm not angry at you over the situation with the turk- and I never really was, but I was so enraged with Sybil that I'd have said anything to make anyone else as miserable as I. You've done everything wonderfully right- and your children are the most wonderful things, and I realized a few mornings ago, while your mother was still horribly ill that if she…died because of this, who would I have left? I'd disowned my youngest, an act that alienated me from you, and from Edith, my mother wouldn't want anything to do with me, and I'd never meet Edith's child. I'd never make memories with Catharine and William. And all because I've been a stupid old man." Robert said, speaking words from his heart.
"Papa, do you really mean all of that?" Mary asked, her lip trembling with the effort of keeping tears from falling again.
"I mean every word Mary, I've already spoken to Sybil, I've apologized for everything, I've even made an effort to befriend Bran- Tom." Robert said, his own eyes becoming a bit misty.
"I forgive you Papa. I do, for everything." Mary said, hugging her father impulsively and he returned the gesture. They stayed like that for only a moment before they re-entered the room.
Robert went and sat back at Cora's side, taking Catharine from her so that she could cradle William.
Mary turned to face Matthew who was seated by the door.
"How much did you hear darling?" Mary asked knowingly.
"All of it." Matthew admitted, a bit shamefully.
"So it is over now." Mary sighed with relief, and leaned into his warm embrace. It was over, the feud that had separated her family, and her mama's illness. They were all alive, and together and happy.
"Mama?" Edith's voice came suddenly from behind the door, and it quickly swung open.
"Edith, should you be out of bed?" Sybil gasped, knowing that Edith's pregnancy had become progressively more difficult, and that she had been put on bed rest for the next month and a half.
"She should not be, but she would not be kept away from her family a moment longer." Gregory explained with a light laugh as he followed Edith in.
"Darling, I'm ever so pleased to see you, but you really must take care of yourself, and my newest grand child!" Cora laughed, and gently stroked Edith's blonde hair.
"Oh Mama, I'm going to be perfectly fine, and so is she!" Edith insisted.
"She?" Cora asked curiously.
"Gregory and I decided that our child is probably a girl. A lovely little girl." Edith explained, smiling as she gently caressed her belly.
"Edith, may I speak to you in the hall?" Robert asked.
"I don't know if that's a good idea Lord Grantham." Gregory protested. The situation much mirrored the one that had occurred in the room not fifteen minutes prior.
"No, Gregory, it's alright." Edith decided after a moment. She reached out her hands, and Gregory quickly helped her rise. They exited the room, and Sybil and Mary quickly surrounded their mother while Gregory stood beside Matthew, just near enough to the door to hear everything, but not near enough to be suspected.
"All of my family under one roof again. Oh it is wonderful!" Cora laughed and handed William to Mary before she leaned weakly on her pillows.
"We couldn't stay away forever mama. We do all love each other so terribly much, even if we do make each other horribly cross." Mary laughed. Cora smiled at her daughters, and then her eyes closed, and her breathing evened out.
"Mama?" Mary asked in alarm, reaching a hand towards her.
"She's only fallen asleep Mary, she's still recovering." Sybil explained quietly. Mary sighed in relief and then nodded. For a few moments it was silent, until a loud gasp came from the hall.
"No- OH! Gregory!" Edith's voice sounded loud.
Gregory had opened the door, and taken Edith's hands in less than ten seconds time.
"What did you say to her?" Gregory asked Lord Grantham accusingly.
"No, Gregory it isn't that at all! I- Oh!" Edith couldn't finish as she felt that awful pain rip through her abdomen again.
"Darling, you aren't…" Gregory seemed unable to speak.
"The child is trying to come early again it would seem…" Edith spoke in pained gasps. It was not the first time she'd had contractions, but they had always stopped after only one or two… this was something different entirely.
"Edith, I'll take you to your old bed room, Mary, come, help me get her ready, someone ring for Anna, and call for Clarkson!" Sybil said, she being the only one who was thinking straight enough to take any action. Her instructions were followed quickly, leaving Gregory standing in the hall, mouth agape.
Matthew laid a hand on his back, and Gregory shook his head. "I've delivered twenty babies, both of yours, seen eighteen women through labor, and I was a doctor in the bloody trenches for God's sakes! And here I stand, my own wife goes into labor, and I'm rendered motionless." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Everything will be fine Gregory, the child must be ready." Matthew insisted.
"I've delivered two babes who came a month and a half early. One lived, the other…didn't." Gregory said hoarsely. Matthew swallowed nervously when he heard that…
One way or the other, what ever the end result, a child was to be born, and soon.
AN: Don't hate me for the cliff hanger! I hope you like this chapter!