Previously:
Downton Abbey, England, February 1914
"When you're done escorting these gentlemen, please come up and see us, Carson," Matthew said quietly. "I want to know if they continue to examine the art in each room and whether the one gentleman keeps writing things down or not."
"Yes, Mr. Crawley," Carson nodded. "Is something the matter?"
"No, Carson," Matthew said, glancing at the butler. "Not yet, anyway."
Matthew turned and walked out of the room, heading towards the stairs in the Great Hall so he could rejoin his wife.
Chapter 21:
Downton Abbey, England, February 1914
"You're sure that those men were appraising all of the art in the house?" Mary asked, rubbing her hands with cream as she looked at her own reflection in the vanity mirror.
"I can't be sure without seeing their notes or questioning them myself," Matthew huffed, rolling his eyes and staring up at the ceiling. "All I know is what you heard Carson tell us."
"And what happened when you asked Papa about your suspicions?" Mary continued.
"What do you think? He gave me some nonsense about it being Estate business and shooed me away. He always uses the same excuse – 'Matthew, you don't need to concern yourself with this. It's not your time yet. Be young. Make Mary happy. That is all that is important'"
"Not entirely terrible advice," Mary smirked at him.
"I would like to see how happy you are when we inherit an Estate that is bankrupt," Matthew shot back.
Mary rose from her chair and walked over to their bed. She slid under the covers and moved over to his side, their bodies separated by the thin silk of her nightgown. Matthew had come to bed shirtless once again.
"Don't try and distract me," he looked at her knowingly. "It's plain as day what's going on here."
"Maybe Papa is merely having the art appraised to update his records? You yourself said that it's been ages since that was last done," Mary noted.
"Darling, one only asks appraisers to come by for two reasons – either to garner something's value before selling it, or because one has already pledged something to someone else and the other party wants to confirm its value. Either of those situations is hardly beneficial for us," Matthew frowned.
"You know Papa would never sell the family art collection. Granny would hang him for that," Mary said with a raised eyebrow.
"Well perhaps that's why he doesn't want to talk about it. He may have done something he isn't entirely proud of, and now he's searching for a way out of it."
"What could that possibly be?" Mary asked.
"I don't know, but I fear that if he's mismanaged the Estate funds, and the rents are behind, he may be in more trouble than we thought."
"Jarvis didn't think anything was amiss," Mary said.
"Neither did Murray the last time I talked to him," Matthew nodded. "Unfortunately when speaking about money, by the time something is amiss, it's usually too late."
"What will you decide to do?" Mary asked.
Matthew turned his head and gave his wife a smirk. "We will decide what to do," he said pointedly.
Mary nodded. "Do you think anything can be done this evening?"
Matthew crinkled his brow in confusion. "No, I can't imagine that anything can be accomplished at this late hour. Why?"
"Good," Mary smiled, moving on top of him, her legs straddling his waist. "Because you are occupied for tonight."
She placed her hands in his hair and leaned forward, kissing him softly. Matthew's hands moved down her sides to her hips, then caressed her bottom through the silk nightgown, pulling the garment higher up her body.
"Don't tempt me unless you are prepared to follow through," he said with dark eyes. "If I am to be occupied all night with my wife, then I expect that to mean throughout the entire night."
"Well then you should not waste any more time or energy talking," Mary smiled, kissing her husband's neck and drawing a muffled groan from him. "You need to conserve plenty of both, darling. Dawn is a ways away yet."
The Crystal Palace, London, England, April 1911
"Lady Mary, may I have this dance?" a smooth voice called.
Mary turned and kept her expression neutral as she appraised the man who had approached her.
"Baron Stafford," she nodded demurely.
"Please, Baron Stafford is so formal, Lady Mary," the Baron smiled, taking her hand and guiding her on to the dance floor without waiting for further invitation. "My dearest friends call me Edward, and so shall you."
Mary swallowed as the Baron guided her across the floor in a waltz. His naval uniform was crisp and clean, golden stripes indicating his rank were stitched across his sleeves. He had to be at least twice her age, Mary thought as they danced.
"Sir Campbell tells me that the gala has been a smashing success," the Baron smiled, looking down at Mary with playful eyes. "I would hope so, given that I am one of the College's most generous patrons."
"And what particular faculty do you support, my Lord?" Mary asked, keeping her gaze away from his eyes.
"I prefer the arts," Baron Stafford said quietly, his eyes moving quite obviously from her eyes to her mouth. "I am more than willing to pay to ensure that beauty is properly put on display."
Mary simply nodded in acknowledgment. She glanced around the room as they moved, trying to find where Matthew had gone to. He had not asked her to dance all evening, and had barely said two words to her since she arrived. She had not noticed him dancing with anyone else either, much to her relief.
"I understand your debut is this coming Summer, Lady Mary," the Baron interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes," Mary nodded. "I am looking forward to it."
"It can be rather fun to engage in all of the ceremony and pageantry," the Baron agreed. "We always host a grand ball at our home in Belgravia. I do hope to see you there this Season."
"That is very generous of you, Baron Stafford," Mary replied nervously.
"Edward," the Baron reminded her. "Think nothing of it, my dear. If you make the proper decisions, you may be seeing more of my family home than you could have dreamed."
Mary frowned slightly, then composed herself. "Are you planning on hosting more than one ball, then?"
"No," the Baron laughed. "But I am considering hosting you more than once, Lady Mary."
Mary smiled uneasily as they continued to waltz.
"I have had my eye on you for quite some time, Lady Mary," the Baron whispered in her ear. "I am certain that I can offer you far more than any young novice you meet this Summer. You will have a title, homes in London and Swynnerton, and far more freedom than any of your fellow Ladies would enjoy in the same position. My duties to the Royal Navy shall keep me away for several months at a time. I only ask that you be discrete when I am away, and I shall do the same, of course."
"That is a lot to consider," Mary answered, her mind reeling from the offer presented to her so unexpectedly.
"You strike me as a progressive woman, Lady Mary," the Baron smiled devilishly, looking down to the neckline of her gown. "Someone who decisively goes after what she wants. I know that you must be tempted by all that I can give you. I am offering you all that you could possibly desire – wealth, power, privilege, and the promise that I shall instruct you in the ways of the world. And you can of course still have your debut. It is important that my future wife be seen as sophisticated and properly adored by Society. We can reveal our understanding in due course after your Season is finished."
Mary remained quiet.
"Perhaps we should speak about this further in private?" the Baron suggested, running his hand down Mary's back. "It would be prudent for us to ensure we are entirely compatible in every way before I decide whether to complete our union."
As they turned, Mary saw Matthew disappear into the darkness of the balcony outside. Her eyes widened as her mind silently called out to him.
"Do not fear, Lady Mary," the Baron hissed. "I shall be gentle with you, and no one need know. Allow me to give you a glimpse of the pleasure your life will become at my side."
Mary disengaged herself from the Baron as the music ended and the couples on the dance floor separated. She curtsied formally to the Baron.
"Thank you for the dance, Baron Stafford," Mary smiled politely. "I'm afraid I shall need more time to consider your offer."
"Do not take too long, Lady Mary," the Baron answered. "My offer may not stand beyond this evening. One could interpret your hesitation as rudeness."
"I certainly shall not be able to answer you tonight, Baron Stafford," Mary replied, her eyes narrowing. "Perhaps you should seek out another girl who may be more open to discussing your plans."
Mary turned and left the Baron standing on the dance floor without another word. She moved briskly to the balcony to find Matthew.
Downton Abbey, England, March 1914
"Matthew," Robert nodded stiffly, looking up from his desk, then returning to study the papers in front of him.
"You seem rather focused on your task," Matthew noted, walking over to the bar and pouring himself a drink.
"It's nothing particularly important," Robert replied, not looking up. "Just mundane Estate business."
Robert stacked the documents together and turned them over as Matthew approached. The Earl looked up and nodded politely as he accepted the offered glass.
"Thank you," Robert said plainly, taking a long sip.
"Robert, I hope that we can always be honest with each other," Matthew said, taking a seat on the sofa.
"Of course," Robert answered, keeping his back to Matthew and looking at him over his shoulder. "Is there something you have on your mind?"
"I hope you understand my concern when I see men going through the house looking at all of the art, and when I hear about the state of rents. As a lawyer, I'm afraid I'm trained to be rather curious about such things," Matthew said diplomatically.
"You aren't a lawyer here," Robert noted coldly. "You're my son, and I expect that you do not question my judgment in some way?"
"No," Matthew retreated. "No, of course not. I have no reason to think that you've done anything wrong, Robert."
"I would hope not," Robert replied. "Matthew, you really have no experience with this. You're rather a novice. I am pleased that you are so…curious. It makes me believe that all of my lessons are beginning to take hold. But there is no need for you to take on more than you understand. The current Earl is still here."
Matthew sipped his drink slowly, looking up at a large painting hanging above the fireplace. He felt the familiar frustration that permeated his recent discussions with Robert. Mary's words flowed through his mind.
'Just try and carry Papa with you. That's all I ask.'
At this point, Matthew could not begin to think how he could carry Robert anywhere unless it was kicking and screaming like a child throwing a tantrum.
Robert's hand shook as he kept the stack of papers turned over. He felt Matthew's eyes upon him, even though his son-in-law was looking somewhere else. Robert shuddered slightly. This young man, who had come into their lives so unexpectedly and changed so much, done so much good, made Mary so happy, was now a bane to him. Matthew could see right through his excuses, Robert thought. How much had he told Mary? Would Mary dare breathe a word of his suspicions to Cora? Robert frowned as he contemplated the dominoes falling around him. A proper gentleman would know what secrets to keep from his wife and what was sufficient to tell her to keep her happy. But Mary was always so inquisitive, and Matthew seemed se eager to please her. Robert was now finding that, much like his eldest daughter, he was having great difficulty fitting Matthew into a neat and convenient box.
"It's funny when you think about it, isn't it?" Robert mused aloud.
"What is?" Matthew asked, looking back over at the Earl's back.
"You haven't even been here for two years, and it seems that you have settled in quite quickly," Robert explained. "I see you and Mary, and it's as though you've known each other far longer than that. She's more comfortable around you than around some men she's known since childhood."
"I am grateful for that," Matthew replied carefully.
"You'll do well together, Matthew," Robert said, looking out the window now. "Mary knows our world. She'll give you invaluable advice on just where your place is in all of this."
Matthew's eyes narrowed and he rose from the sofa. "Yes," he answered evenly. "Her help has already been invaluable in making me realize what the lay of the land is. We both agree on just what needs to be done around here."
Matthew nodded to Robert and left the room.
Robert turned the stack of papers over again and took a deep breath as he began reading them once more.
The French Restaurant, Midland Hotel, Manchester, England, October 1911
"A toast!" the older gentleman bellowed, raising his champagne glass in the air. "To Matthew Crawley! Not only the youngest lawyer here, by far, but also once again closing the most lucrative transaction in our firm's history! To Matthew!"
"To Matthew!" the others replied, raising their glasses and laughing merrily as waiters came forward to refill the glasses and clear away the used plates.
Matthew blushed and sat back down, sipping his drink to calm his nerves.
"What's that, four records in a row, Matthew?" another lawyer laughed. "If you weren't making me so much money, I would be insanely jealous of you!"
Matthew smiled back uneasily at the compliment. He knew that this dinner would quickly devolve into a rather embarrassing drunken display by the older partners, but he could hardly extricate himself so early in the evening. Besides, as annoying as it was, part of his job was to attend these events and endear himself to his colleagues.
"I must say, Matthew, when you proposed the idea that we be paid a percentage of the total transaction price rather than our usual retainer, I was very worried," a lawyer said cheerfully, his face quite red with both drink and mirth. "But when I saw the bill that we sent over at the closing, I said to Spencer 'this lad may be on to something!'"
The table roared again and the champagne continued to flow. Matthew declined the cigars as they were passed around. The dessert course was coming and, by his calculation, he could politely excuse himself about an hour afterwards and finally escape.
"Matthew," a quiet voice called.
Matthew turned and nodded as one of the senior partners sat down beside him. "Congratulations again, my boy," he smiled.
Matthew shook his hand and nodded. "It wasn't all me, sir," Matthew said quietly. "You know that Alexander Lewis of Harvell, Carter & Lewis in London referred us to the purchaser."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Lewis is quite generous with you," the senior partner replied, his face showing less drunkenness than his colleagues. "It has worked out splendidly for everyone concerned, and I hope it means we can count on you going forward."
"Of course," Matthew replied. His mind whirred as he contemplated those words.
"You have a bright future in Manchester, Matthew," the senior partner continued. "We all like your spunk, your tenacity. Look around you, there are a number of my partners who are getting on in years. There will be opportunities for an ambitious young man such as yourself to fill the void when the time comes. I hope we can tempt you to continue on with us for the long term."
"That sounds somewhat far away, sir," Matthew answered neutrally. "For now, I'm just trying to do my job."
"And you are doing it very well, Matthew. I hope the bonus that we provided to you was satisfactory?" the senior partner asked, taking a bite of his unlit cigar.
"It was very generous, sir," Matthew agreed.
"Good. I want you to be happy with us, Matthew. That's why we've held this private dinner. It's always important to champion our victories. It's good for morale, wouldn't you agree?" the senior partner smiled, the cigar sitting between his fingers.
Matthew nodded.
"Excellent. Then we are of the same mind. Enjoy your evening, Matthew," the senior partner said, rising from his chair and returning to his original seat to begin gossiping in a rather loud voice with his partners.
Matthew made polite conversation for a while longer, eating his crème brulée as quickly as etiquette allowed. He began counting the minutes in his mind until he could quietly take his leave.
"Mr. Crawley," a voice called.
Matthew turned and looked up at a concierge from the hotel.
"There's a message for you, sir. You can take it over in the hallway through those doors," he pointed.
Matthew nodded and rose from his chair, making his excuses to those seated around him. As he crossed the room, the partners exchanged knowing smiles with each other.
Matthew opened the door and walked down the hall. He looked around, trying to find a desk where his message was presumably being held for him. He turned a corner and almost ran into three women standing there.
"Excuse me," Matthew apologized, stopping before them.
"Matthew Crawley, I presume?" a blonde woman smiled, bating her long lashes at him.
"Yes, that's me," Matthew frowned.
"My name is Lady Valeria," she replied. "I'm pleased to introduce you to my friends, Lady Elaine, and Lady Stefania."
Matthew nodded to each of them, his mind growing more perplexed.
"If you'll pardon me, ladies," Matthew muttered. "There's a message waiting for me that I must see about."
"We have your message, Matthew," Valeria grinned. "Consider it more of a reward than a communication."
"A reward?" Matthew repeated. "For what?"
The ladies all laughed in concert and Matthew grew more uneasy.
"Why for your wonderful accomplishment of course," Valeria smiled, taking Matthew's arm and guiding him down the hall. Elaine and Stefania fell in step at his sides.
"The biggest deal in the history of the firm!" Elaine said.
"You must be very good at what you do," Stefania gushed.
"And since tonight is about celebrating you, Matthew, the senior partners wanted to ensure you enjoyed yourself as much as you wanted," Valeria finished.
Matthew soon found himself in front of the lift. Stefania pressed the call button and Elaine took his hand in hers, placing a hotel room key in his palm and closing his fingers around it.
"We're yours for the evening, Matthew," Valeria whispered in his ear. "All three of us are very eager to show you just how appreciated you are by the firm."
Matthew swallowed. His eyes widened at her words. When Matthew had first run into them, he had not paid any of them particular attention. Now, standing with all of them closely around him, he noticed the three ladies were dressed immaculately, with lavish evening gowns, sparkling jewellery, and just a hint of rouge across their cheeks and lips. Matthew looked from Valeria's long blonde hair to Stefania's fiery red coiff done in a French twist and finally to the dark brown tresses of Elaine.
Dark brown hair.
Elaine, noticing his gaze, smiled back at him, her eyes twinkling. Her skin was pale, the slight trace of freckles across her cheeks.
Pale skin. Freckles.
"You have a very bright future ahead of you, Matthew," Valeria continued as Elaine and Stefania moved closer to him. "We may see a great deal of each other in the future. The firm is one of our most loyal and discrete clients. And we would be available to you whenever you wish."
The elevator doors opened and the operator stood at attention. He took in the scene of Matthew with three beautiful women draped over him and smirked at Matthew with admiration.
"Ladies," Matthew said quietly. "I assume the room is reserved for the evening?"
"Yes, Matthew," Valeria replied. "We have all night."
"They why don't the three of you go ahead? Enjoy drinks and room service," he said, handing the key to Valeria.
"Our instructions were to show you a good time, Matthew," Valeria said.
"And you certainly have," Matthew nodded. "I have enjoyed myself tonight very much, and you have made certain things quite clear to me."
Matthew nodded politely to the three ladies, leaving them in the elevator. He walked down the hallway and found his way back to the lobby, quickly retrieving his coat from the porter and leaving the hotel.
Downton Abbey, England, March 1914
"I could ask Mama," Mary suggested.
"He'll just put her off," Matthew mumbled, kissing his wife's bare shoulder. "And truth be told, she probably doesn't want to know."
"Granny, then," Mary said.
"At first glance you would think that would work," Matthew said, moving his hand down her thigh to take hold of the hem of her nightgown. "But when Robert says that he is the Earl and I have no rights to intervene, she'll have to agree with him, and that will end the conversation."
"Well what do we do then? Just sit and hope that it all works out and all of these peculiar coincidences are harmless?" she asked.
"Outside of rifling through his desk or getting Murray to disclose the precise details of his investments, I can't think of anything else. And the former would result in a horrible row, and the latter would come to nothing. Murray is bound by solicitor-client privilege, and besides, I think the real problem is in whatever your father is doing in private, that Murray himself probably doesn't know about," Matthew sighed, stilling his hands on her body as he contemplated his own thoughts.
"But what could it possibly be? Papa doesn't gamble, he doesn't have a mistress that he's paying for, and he's done nothing illegal. How could he be losing money when all he does is wander the grounds, go into the Village from time to time and go to London to socialize with his chums?" Mary rolled her eyes.
"Sadly, I think it's probably far simpler than that," Matthew said, leaning on his elbow and looking up at her. "If the Estate does not generate enough revenue to meet its expenses, then your Mama's money is being eroded slowly each month. Add to that the lack of rents being maintained and collected, and the problem gets worse. There's no question that your Papa has invested heavily in different companies, particularly in the New World. What those exact amounts are, we don't know. So, if his investments come through, then he's saved himself. But if they don't…"
"Then we're all at risk," Mary sighed.
"Well, not precisely," Matthew said.
"What do you mean?" Mary asked.
"You and I would not be necessarily in danger," Matthew said quietly. "But as for Downton and your family, the way of life that you know, all of that would likely end."
"Darling, I don't mean to sound spoiled or ungrateful, but I doubt that what's left of my settlement and your salary could support all of us," Mary said. "And even if it were just you and me, and your mother, I couldn't stand by while the rest of my family falls into ruin."
"No, of course not," Matthew replied.
"I don't want to think about any of that," Mary shook her head. "I'd rather stop Papa before such a calamity occurs."
They remained quiet for several moments, each of them lost in their own minds. Matthew held her close, the heat from their bodies warming them.
"So what do you propose that we do?" Mary asked.
"Why do you think I have any idea?' Matthew asked.
"Because you're the lawyer, and I seem to recall that you vowed to hold me, cherish me, and love me. So, solve our problem then," she teased.
"I recall that you vowed to obey me, and I knew that would never happen the moment the words were uttered," Matthew retorted.
"I was just repeating after the Archbishop," Mary smiled, turning into his body and kissing him soundly.
"We'll need to think about it some more," Matthew smiled, running his hand back down to pull at her nightgown. "As for now, nothing more can be accomplished tonight."
"I agree," Mary smirked, raising her eyebrows mischievously. "Estate matters can wait until the morning."
He kissed her again as he raised her nightgown up her body.
"Matthew," Mary whispered.
"Yes, darling?" Matthew answered, his eyes still closed.
"I'm thirsty," she poked at his side.
"Mary, you've worn me out," Matthew chuckled.
"Don't be so vulgar!" Mary chastised him. "I feel in the mood for cocoa."
"Well then ring Anna and have her bring up a mug. I'll share yours," he mumbled.
"So now using servants is no longer against your moral compass?" Mary teased.
Matthew opened his eyes. "Well I would expect that she would still be up. We retired rather early."
"I don't want to bother her. I already dismissed her for the evening so that you could help me undress," Mary said pointedly. "Just go downstairs and mix us up a batch. If you're lucky, Daisy may still be there and she can do it for you."
"This is a very peculiar craving you are having," Matthew noted, blinking several times to rouse himself.
"Think about it this way," Mary smiled. "The sooner you satisfy my sweet tooth, the sooner I may consider satisfying something of yours."
"I'll be right back," Matthew said enthusiastically as he leapt from bed. Mary laughed at him as he quickly put on his robe and made a show of running for the door.
Matthew was deep in thought as he walked through the Great Hall towards the stair to the kitchens. Certainly there were numerous issues surrounding them, mainly dealing with Robert's continued defensiveness and secrecy over the Estate. What bothered Matthew more was not knowing exactly what he was facing. Life with Mary was better than he could possibly imagine, but having a looming crisis on their hands was concerning.
He sighed, then noticed a light coming from the sitting room. It had to be the Earl. Everyone else would have retired already. Taking a deep breath, Matthew changed direction and headed towards the sitting room.
Robert stared up at the paintings around the room. He could recite from memory when each piece had been purchased, which Earl had bought it, and now, the precise value of each work of art on the current market. He closed his eyes briefly and imagined the same room with bare walls, the fireplace mantle empty and no sculptures or statues adorning the room. Robert opened his eyes, a frown crossing his face. He shook his head. Failure was not acceptable.
"You're quiet, Your Lordship."
"I have a great deal on my mind," Robert replied, keeping his eyes on the paintings.
"Would you like me to go?"
"No," Robert shook his head. "Tell me again about your son."
"He's into numbers, now. Maths and such. He seems to enjoy it. I'm quite glad to see something keeping his interest."
"Of course," Robert smiled. "It's always a pleasure to see a child's face light up."
"Yes, Your Lordship."
Robert turned away from the paintings and gave her a wan smile.
"Enjoy this moment," he said, taking a step towards her. "It feels much differently when a child gives you a different look, I assure you."
Robert smiled at her.
She smiled back at him.
"Pardon me," Matthew said from the doorway.
Robert looked up, his eyes wide.
"Jane," Matthew said evenly. "I was looking for you. It seems that Lady Mary would like a mug of cocoa to help her sleep, and I can't seem to find Anna. Could you please see if Daisy is about and have her prepare two mugs and some shortbread biscuits if there are any? I can take the tray up once it's ready."
"Yes, Mr. Crawley," Jane said quickly. "Your Lordship." She curtsied to both Matthew and Robert and quickly left the room.
Matthew's eyes met Robert's. They stared at each other across the room for a long moment.
"Matthew," Robert stammered.
"Good night, Robert," Matthew said, keeping his eyes firmly upon him before he turned and made his way back towards the kitchens.
The Earl of Grantham looked into the fire and frowned.