Previously:
Downton Abbey, England, November 1913
"One moment, Mary," Matthew smirked. "There's a tradition that we need to observe first."
"Tradition?" Mary frowned. "What would that be?"
"There's something I've been meaning to do since we left the Church on our wedding day," Matthew smiled.
"And that is?" she asked.
Mary shrieked as he quickly scooped her up in his arms and carried her out the door and down the hallway. She laughed and kissed his face and neck as he stepped over the threshold of their new home with her in his arms.
"Can I look forward to you sweeping me off my feet and carrying me to bed each night, Matthew?" Mary drawled in his ear, kissing his neck.
"Count on it," Matthew said confidently, kicking the door closed. "Although we may need to break in some of the other rooms as well," he smirked as he lay her down on their new bed and kissed her soundly.
Chapter 18:
Home of Isobel Crawley, Manchester, England, December 1911
"Happy Christmas, Mother," Matthew smiled, handing the wrapped package to her.
Isobel beamed as she took the box and unwrapped it neatly and carefully, setting the wrapping paper aside for later use. Matthew smirked and shook his head. She always did that. Even when he and his father would rip the wrapping paper to shreds to get at their presents, Isobel always took the time to unfold all the seams and lay the paper flat as if it were brand new.
"Matthew! Thank you! It's wonderful," Isobel beamed as she looked at the leather bound volume.
"Well you should like it, you asked for it after all," Matthew chuckled.
"The days of you surprising me with a hand made finger painting or tacky necklace are long past, Matthew," Isobel smiled.
"Father said you liked hearts!" Matthew grumbled as his mother laughed at the memory.
"Your father loved playing jokes," Isobel shook her head as she opened the book.
"I didn't think you would particularly care for Lady Windermere's Fan," Matthew said. "The mother portrayed in the play is rather dastardly."
"Your father took me to see the production when you were just an infant," Isobel smiled, turning the pages. "And Mrs. Erlynne is not dastardly at all. She sacrifices her reputation to save her daughter's marriage. There's something noble about that, surely?"
"If you ignore the fact that she abandoned her daughter to begin with," Matthew said pointedly.
"My dear boy," Isobel smiled patiently. "Sometimes we must give up what is most important to us to realize its true value."
"Perhaps that's true," Matthew said quietly. "Or we can simply not give it up at all and learn to appreciate it," he smiled.
Isobel smiled again. She picked up a small box and handed it to her son.
"For you, Matthew. Happy Christmas."
"Another gift?" Matthew frowned. "Mother, that's not necessary. The briefcase you gave me is perfect already."
"That's just a practical tool for work," Isobel scoffed. "This is a much more important gift."
Matthew tore off the wrapping paper and Isobel smiled. He frowned as he opened the velvet box, then stared in wide eyed disbelief.
"Mother," Matthew said softly, looking at the sparkling white gold ring with three diamonds raised above the band. "Is this?"
"Yes," Isobel nodded with a grin. "It belonged to your Grandmother. She told me to keep it and give it to you when you were old enough, and that you should only give it to the love of your life."
"Well of course," Matthew smiled. "It's a betrothal ring after all."
"And I hope someday you find yourself a lovely girl to give it to," Isobel smiled.
Matthew stared at the ring and frowned briefly. Realizing his mother was watching him, he closed the box and rose to his feet.
"Thank you, Mother," he kissed her cheek. "I'll take good care of it, I promise."
"Yes, I know you will," Isobel smiled.
Matthew walked upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him. He went to the window, holding the ring box in his hand and looking out into the distance, in the direction of Yorkshire.
Downton Abbey, England, December 1913
"Darling, come here, please," Mary called.
Matthew put down his papers and got up from the desk, smiling at his wife as he crossed the room to her.
"It's the holidays, Matthew," she scolded gently. "Work can wait while you make merry with your family can't it?"
"That depends," he smiled. "On just what type of merrymaking you are suggesting."
"Matthew!" Mary blushed. "The family is just outside in the Great Hall!"
"Then let's go upstairs so we can be alone," he said with a raised eyebrow as he drew Mary into his embrace.
"Matthew!" Mary laughed.
"Why don't we make merry the way we did last night?" Matthew smiled, kissing her neck. "I seem to recall your experiment was a rousing success."
"Behave yourself!" Mary smiled, allowing him to linger on her skin for a moment before gently pushing him away. "Come," she said, taking his hand and going out into the Great Hall.
As Matthew stepped into the large room, he smiled. Sybil, Edith and O'Brien were putting the finishing touches on the family Christmas tree.
"It just arrived this morning, finally," Mary said.
"What do you think, Mary?" Edith asked, smiling at them.
"Perfect," Mary replied. "Papa, are the lights ready?"
"A little bit higher, Carson," Robert directed, before smiling at his eldest daughter.
At a nod from the Earl, the butler plugged in the lights. Edith, Sybil and O'Brien stepped back as the large tree was lit up.
"Ah. Lovely," Mary smiled, squeezing Matthew's hand.
A sudden zapping sound came from overhead and the lights flickered. Matthew looked up and frowned. The lights on the tree and in the Great Hall went out completely.
"Blast," Robert muttered.
"It was a wise decision to decorate the tree during daylight," Sybil said wryly, as light from the windows streamed in.
Mary and Matthew laughed.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it's just a slight problem with the generator," Robert declared, as he and Carson made their way to the door.
"Would you like me to go with you?" Matthew asked.
"Oh, it's no bother," Robert shook his head. "We'll go take a look and rouse our man if need be. Stay here, Matthew," the Earl smiled, looking at Mary. "You're the man of the house while I'm away."
Edith and Sybil laughed.
"Is Alex coming for luncheon?" Mary asked as they walked over to the drawing room. "It seems a shame to spend Christmas alone."
"He sends his regrets," Matthew replied. "I think he's in London today. I told him you would be disappointed in him if he didn't show, and he said he begs your forgiveness."
"I'm inclined to withhold it," Mary said haughtily. "The man is testing his status as a dear friend by refusing our invitations."
"Edith, Mary, please check to make sure all the servants' presents are organized," Cora called from across the room. "When your Papa gets the lights back on, we'll hand them out."
"I forgot what a production Christmas can be around here," Matthew smiled as they went over to the table where the wrapped servants' presents were set out.
"I enjoy it," Mary nodded. "There's a sense of satisfaction that comes with seeing someone open the perfect present."
"Mmm," Matthew agreed. "Although I tend to enjoy the satisfaction of being thanked for the perfect present a bit more."
"Oh?" Mary asked, smirking as she looked through the boxes. "And do you think you'll be receiving profuse gratitude today, darling?"
"I'm counting on it," Matthew said quietly. "Except it may be left until later this evening before I receive appropriate appreciation."
Mary blushed and looked sideways at her husband.
"If you expect such gratification tonight, your gift will need to be perfect, indeed," she whispered.
"Have no fear, darling," Matthew looked at her lustfully. "It is."
"You both realize that you're back in Yorkshire, and no longer in Cannes?" Edith teased from across the table.
Matthew blushed and swallowed.
Mary shared a chuckle with her sister. "See, Matthew? You must act properly otherwise you'll shock Edith."
"My apologies, Edith," Matthew mumbled.
"Oh, it's no concern of mine," Edith smiled. "But we are about to bring the servants through, and you wouldn't want to feed them any more gossip about what the two of you get up to in your wing of the house."
Matthew's mouth dropped.
Mary and Edith laughed as the lights came back on.
"That's it," Cora called. "Let's round them up."
Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Palace of Westminster, London, England, June 1913
"How do we address him?" Matthew asked nervously.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked with false confusion.
"Don't play with me," Matthew frowned. "He's a nobleman but he didn't take his father's title, so he isn't a Lord. He's a politician, but he's not a Minister. He's head of the Admiralty, but he isn't an Admiral."
"So call him Mr. Churchill, then," Alex said offhandedly.
"That sounds too simple," Matthew muttered. "What do you call him?"
"Winnie," Alex smiled.
"You're no help at all," Matthew shook his head.
"Alex!" a voice called and Matthew and Alex stood at attention as a short, stocky man came into the room. He was balding, and had a large nose, fiery eyes and a fierce expression. Matthew swallowed and his hands began to shake slightly.
"Prime Minister," Alex nodded, shaking the man's hand firmly.
"Stop calling me that, Alex," Churchill rolled his eyes. "You'll have rumours and gossip flying through these halls before the day is out."
"Well someone needs to motivate you," Alex smiled.
"If I were to run for Prime Minister," Churchill smiled. "It certainly would not be now with everything swirling around us. Besides, I'm too young."
"So you say," Alex smiled.
"Who's this?" Churchill frowned, realizing Matthew was in the room for the first time.
Matthew's eyes widened.
"Matthew Crawley, one of my lawyers," Alex nodded. "We're going to see Lord Reading this afternoon so I brought him along. He can be trusted."
"Very well," Churchill said after a short pause. "Young man, have you ever been in an aeroplane?" he asked, walking around his desk to the window.
"Erm, no, no I haven't, erm, sir," Matthew replied.
"Well you may be someday soon," Churchill muttered, looking out the window. "So, Alex? What do you say? Do we have a deal?"
"Yes," Alex answered. "I read the report. Oil supplies seem to be plentiful, and keeping the reserves at the level you requested won't be a problem."
"How is production at Abadan?" Churchill asked, his back still to the both of them.
"It's the largest refinery in the world," Alex said. "It will meet your purposes."
"This will need to be discrete," Churchill said, finally turning back towards them. "I need a reliable supply for the Navy, but I don't want to be grilled about our getting oil from Persia every day in the House."
"Of course," Alex agreed. "We can create a network of companies that will ensure the true customer is not in public records. There will be a lot of documents, no way to avoid that, but if you can convince the government, we'll be able to proceed."
"I'll have the authority you need," Churchill nodded. "Payments will be in advance. Supply must be uninterrupted, Alex."
"Yes, sir," Alex smiled.
"Young man," Churchill said to Matthew. "Tell me what rights a company would have in the event that a supplier fails to perform on its obligations."
Matthew blinked. He looked quickly at Alex, who nodded to him.
"Well, if negotiations did not work, then one could sue for specific performance," Matthew said slowly, his mind racing.
"Not good enough," Churchill spat. "Anything in the Court is public record, and this all needs to be kept secret. Lives depend on it, you know."
"Well, sir," Matthew continued. "Given the nature of this particular customer, I would say that sanctions could be threatened to boost your leverage in negotiations. Taxes, audits, investigations and the like. Threaten the supplier with shutdown and they will capitulate."
"Clumsy," Churchill said thoughtfully, "but not out of the question."
"If I may so, sir, the best way to ensure that a supplier does what you want is to have control over them," Matthew said nervously.
Churchill's eyes narrowed as he focused on Matthew. "Go on," he said.
"If it's the supply chain that you're concerned about, then it would seem to me that the most efficient way to ensure everything goes smoothly is to…buy the supplier," Matthew concluded.
Churchill stared at Matthew. Alex stared at Churchill. Matthew stood frozen, holding his breath as if the First Lord of the Admiralty could look into his mind and see his thoughts.
"Alex," Churchill said, keeping his eyes on Matthew. "I want to change our deal."
"That can be arranged, sir," Alex smiled.
Downton Abbey, England, January 1914
"You look marvellous," Matthew smiled, kissing her cheek.
"Well I've been looking forward to wearing my Christmas present," Mary said. "It fits perfectly, darling, thank you. And you look quite dashing."
"My shooting leaves much to be desired, but at least I can dress the part."
They laughed as they walked outside to join the rest of the hunting party.
"Matthew, come draw your lot," Robert called. "We want to get moving."
They gathered around Thomas and drew their lots for the posts they would take up for the first drive of the annual New Year's Shoot. Mary smiled as Matthew came back beside her. His first Shoot had been a complete disaster, as he was almost comically inept with a shotgun. Normally she would have been embarrassed for him, but this year, she was rather looking forward to standing next to her husband for the Downton tradition.
"We'll walk to the first drive, then use the wagonet after that," Robert declared.
"We'll have to spread our luck around and change positions for the second drive," Cora smiled, looking at her daughters. "There are only five of us, including Rosamund."
"I'm standing by Matthew," Mary replied.
"Darling, your Mama is right," Matthew smiled. "With only your sisters, Cousin Cora and your Aunt Rosamund, some of the neighbours will feel left out."
"They can spread the luck around to whomever they choose," Mary scolded him lightly. "I already have a champion to stand by and I'm not changing from one drive to another."
Edith and Sybil shared a knowing glance and smiled.
"Right then," Robert called. "Let's be off."
Carson and the male servants went ahead to the hunting lodge to prepare for lunch. Mary and Matthew walked out to the grounds, their hands linked together. They wore matching outfits, the grey of his coat matching her skirt and her hat and plaid coat giving her just enough to distinguish herself from all the others in the party.
The horn sounded and as the staff went through the thick fields with their dogs and swinging their sticks, the birds were flushed out slowly but surely. Matthew raised his gun and tracked a bird, firing and missing. Shots rang out across the ground. Matthew took his time loading his shotgun before readying for another shot.
"Why don't you have a loader? Barnard would have found you one," Mary asked.
Matthew looked back at her and smiled ruefully. "I told you. I'm not very good at it. This or double guns, and I don't want any witnesses."
"I'm a witness," she teased.
"Then please don't spread the word of my incompetence," he smirked.
"You may need to buy my silence, darling," Mary said with a raise eyebrow.
"Or find a way to distract you?" Matthew replied.
Mary laughed. Was this the same timid music teacher she had fallen in love with years ago now clothed as a nobleman and so confident that his voice made her knees buckle?
"I never know what's worse. The sorrow you feel when you hit the bird, or the shame when you miss it." She covered her ear as he raised his gun again.
Matthew tracked another bird, aimed and fired, missing again. From across the field, Mary could see Sybil and Aunt Rosamund standing with her father. The Earl brought a bird down cleanly, drawing applause from her sister. Edith was standing by Sir Anthony Strallan. Mary turned her attention back to Matthew. He was reloading once more as the horn sounded to end the first drive.
"You must promise faithfully to lie when they ask you how I did," Matthew muttered.
Mary laughed.
They walked towards the others hand-in-hand, standing by as the next posts were assigned. While Aunt Rosamund, Edith and Sybil moved to stand by other hunters this drive, Cora stood by Robert, and everyone knew not to bother asking Mary to switch off.
"Perhaps a new post will change your luck, Matthew," an annoying neighbour chided him.
"I'm not particularly bothered," Matthew replied, although his tone indicated otherwise. "I'm not out here to take down a bird."
"Then why bother coming out then?" another neighbour inquired.
"To spend a lovely day with my wife, of course," Matthew said, smirking at Mary. "I apologize if I prefer her company to that of a dead bird."
Mary blushed and bit her lower lip in a smile as Matthew offered her his arm and walked away.
As they headed to their next post, Mary leaned over towards him. "Darling, thank you for indulging me today. You know how much I enjoy the Shoot, and I do appreciate you playing along, although it must be dreadfully boring for you."
"Not at all," Matthew smiled, gazing at her as they walked. "I'm just sorry that my terrible shooting has not improved much since last year. I do hate to disappoint you."
"Well it's early still," Mary remarked, before lowering her voice. "Have more faith, Matthew. Perhaps all you need is the proper incentive."
Her tone was mischievous and Matthew looked away from his rifle to take in her smiling face, her eyebrow arched at him.
"And what reward or incentive are you prepared to offer me, Lady Mary?"
"Well I would say a kiss would be appropriate, but you may not be sufficiently motivated by that, as you've already tasted my kisses," she said demurely.
Matthew swallowed. "I disagree. Actually, each one of your kisses only has me looking towards the next with great anticipation."
"Well, if you are able to bring down a target during these next drives, I will reward you with a prized kiss, and perhaps something more."
Matthew cleared his throat and she smiled at his obvious arousal. "Very well. I shall rededicate myself to such a noble pursuit."
He smiled at her knowingly, shaking his head at her teasing and the effect it had on him.
They went into a forest area and Matthew looked up past the canopy into the sky. He finished loading his rifle and waited for the horn. He slowed his breathing slightly, looking for any sign of movement. He tried to recall Alex's advice to him after his recounting his horrible showing of the previous year.
"Matthew, a target does not always move directly towards you. Those shots are easy. You barely need to aim. Shoot anywhere in front of your face and the target will run into your shot. When a target is moving away from you, that's another story altogether. Most would tell you to track the target, but that's foolishness. The target is moving in a different direction, shooting where it's been will do you no good. No, the key is to anticipate where the target will go. Understand its direction, aim ahead of it, and your shot will arrive to the precise spot at the same time as the target."
Matthew focused his gaze as he heard the horn. He raised his rifle to the sky, cradling the stock against his shoulder firmly. His mind was focused only on one goal – doing what was necessary to win his prize – his wife's kiss.
He heard the flutter of wings before he saw the bird fly through the air. He was on it quickly, and old habits had him tracking it initially. He kept his eyes focused and instead aimed ahead of the bird. He could see the trajectory of the bird's flight as it arched through the air. When he was confident the bird would not change course, he moved his aim further forward, steadied himself and fired. The shot rang out clearly in the cold air.
Mary's gasp and cheerful yell sounded out and the dark form of the bird fell from the sky. Runners went immediately to it and Matthew opened the barrel of his gun, not bothering to reload as he looked at Mary with a wide grin.
"I think I might have caught that one," he said to her with a knowing look.
"Well done, Matthew!" Robert called from across the field, raising his hand.
Matthew nodded as the runners held up the fallen bird. He looked back at Mary, who's face was bright and still smiling. She came closer to him and kissed him on the cheek lightly.
"That's just a preview of your prize, darling. You'll have the rest tonight."
Matthew smiled at her. "The Shoot isn't over yet. What shall I win if I bring down another one?"
Mary smiled and arched her brow to him. "I guess we'll just have to see if that happens."
He smiled back and reloaded.
The rest of the morning was fun beyond Mary's dreams. Robert beamed as they carried Matthew's three birds back to the lodge. It was a marked improvement from the previous year when he hadn't landed anything.
"I dare say, Matthew, that was a fine performance. You've gotten much better since last year."
"Thank you, Robert. I suppose I had more luck this year than last."
"Indeed," Sybil echoed. "He didn't have Mary standing by him so faithfully last year."
Edith and Sybil giggled while Mary smiled at Matthew and blushed slightly.
"Mary went up rather early," Robert noted as he sat down next to Matthew.
"All the excitement of the day must have worn her out," Matthew replied carefully.
"Quite," Robert laughed. "I'm sure she was as in shock as I was at how well you did."
"She was probably more shocked, to be honest," Matthew laughed.
They sat in relaxed silence enjoying their drinks. The ladies had all gone up already and the house was quiet.
"Today was a very good day," Robert smiled. "The type of day I always envisioned having around here. Enjoying a true nobleman's pastime surrounded by my family, including my son."
"I hate to bring up business, Robert, but seeing some of the neighbours today reminded me that I wanted to look at the tenant ledgers once again. I was thinking I might be able to find something to make us more efficient."
"Of course," Robert replied. "Look all you want. Just remember, Matthew, this isn't a City business. We have many people we must take care of, and sometimes that means showing some leniency."
"Certainly," Matthew nodded, holding back what he truly wanted to say. "It's just that now that I'm married, I want to pull my weight around here, is all."
"You don't need to worry about that, Matthew," Robert smiled. "Keep Mary happy and you're doing the rest of us a large favour. Anyway, let me know what you think once you've done your digging around the numbers, but I expect you'll find everything in order. I have been at this for quite a while, after all. Good night."
"Good night, Robert," Matthew said, watching the Earl rise and leave the room.
Matthew went to the window and looked out across the moonlit grounds. He finished his drink and sighed.
"No need for a braid this evening, Anna," Mary said, smiling at her maid through the vanity mirror.
Anna smiled, pursing her lips and remaining quiet. After accompanying her Mistress on honeymoon, Anna knew what it meant when Mary left her hair down at night.
"Mr. Carson and Thomas told us that Mr. Matthew did quite well at the Shoot today," Anna remarked as she brushed out Mary's hair.
"It's such a trivial thing, Anna, but I am so proud of him. To be honest, I didn't even know he had it in him, but he was quite brilliant," Mary smiled.
"He seems to be settling in, Milady," Anna remarked. "We keep seeing him around the Village speaking with the shopkeepers and visiting the farms."
"Yes, Mr. Crawley is rather diligent," Mary smirked. "He can be quite relentless when he has a cause to pursue. Granny would say he gets that trait from his mother."
Anna smiled.
Matthew opened the door and came in from his dressing room. He smiled at Anna as she finished with Mary.
"Good night, Milady. Good night, sir. Congratulations, sir," Anna bowed and left.
"Word has reached downstairs, has it?" Matthew smiled.
"You can't be surprised," Mary said as she rose from her vanity. "Carson and most of the male servants were probably spreading your legend before the wagonet even returned to Downton. Everyone probably believes that you leaped into the heavens and snatched the birds with your bare hands."
Matthew laughed, pulling his wife into his embrace, holding her by her hips as he gazed into her brown eyes and marvelled at her teasing smile.
"I suppose I should count myself lucky that they don't know all the details of what my motivation was for performing so well, then," he smirked.
"Oh?" Mary said innocently. "And what were you motivated by, Matthew?"
"The promise of your kiss of course," Matthew said in a low voice that made Mary shiver.
"Then claim your prize, darling," Mary grinned, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. Her hands ran up his back and pulled him closer as her tongue danced into his mouth playfully. Matthew groaned as she broke the kiss and pulled back, remaining in his hold.
"There, that's for your first bird," she said.
"A lovely reward, indeed," Matthew smiled predatorily. "But I took down three birds, Mary. What of my prizes for those?"
"Will two more kisses suffice?" Mary asked.
"I'm afraid not," Matthew challenged. "I think that each reward should be markedly better given how truly exceptional my performance was today."
"Is that so?" Mary nodded in agreement. "I'll have to truly do my utmost to meet your requirements then, darling."
Matthew gasped as Mary quickly undid the sash of his robe, casting it to the floor and smiling as her husband's bare chest was exposed to her lustful gaze.
She kissed his neck, then his shoulder, her hands pushing him backwards towards their bed. Matthew's legs came up against the foot of the bed. With a firm shove, Mary put him on to his back. She was quickly upon him, kissing his chest and holding his arms at his sides when he tried to reach for her.
"Hands off, Matthew," she growled in his ear. "Lay back and receive your rewards."
Matthew groaned in pleasure as his wife moved upon him. He closed his eyes and breathed out as desire flared across his body.
1914 was off to a tremendous start, he thought fleetingly before a fresh wave of sensations overtook him.