At The Old Deanery: next morning
"We really should get a move on."
But Mary made no real effort to leave Matthew's arms.
Matthew burrowed deeper into the bedcovers. Nuzzled against Mary's cheek.
"It's cold outside." He reasoned. "Let's wait a bit."
"Mama is expecting us. Sybil arriving late this morning. Edith and Bertie too. I wanted to get everything out of the way beforehand."
She heaved a sigh but did not protest at all as Matthew kept her by his side. Stroking her belly under the duvet. Instead she shivered in delight.
"You already Skyped Jerry and he said with the snowfall expected later tonight nothing is on the agenda for today." Matthew's logic was impeccable.
But Mary had an answer. "All the more reason to get home. Before it starts."
Matthew peeked his eyes over the covers at a streak of brilliant sunlight flooding across the room from the slit in the curtained windows. He nestled her closer to him. "Plenty of time."
His hand slid towards her inner thigh. Inside the folds. She parted her leg, squeezed her arse against his lower torso. He groaned as she glided her wet flesh up and down against his growing arousal.
"No…" He could hardly get out the word, his speech failing him as he lost himself once again to Mary's sweet ministrations. "We're not going anywhere."
XX
Matthew's hand paused in mid motion. His fingers hovered over the pencil sketch of Mary eating breakfast in bed. Clad in the handmade silk slip, knickers, and bed jacket he had purchased while in London for an early Christmas present Mary presented a delicious image. One he could not resist, so out came the sketchbook.
Mary had changed into the garments after they had ordered room service. Matthew pulled on a pair of jeans and opened the door. He brought the tray over to her sitting crossed legged under the duvet.
She had tucked into the breakfast, saying "Yummy." Whole grain waffle, cup of yogurt, dried fruit, banana, and milk.
Matthew gazed up from his coffee. He had chosen a similar breakfast except for the coffee. Mary had said it was a myth that women could not consume coffee during pregnancy, but just in case she would drink the milk.
Matthew could not function without caffeine in the morning. He would usually take an insulated mug to the gym near his London flat where he worked out on the rowing machine before heading into the office. He had not yet found a nearby gym in Downton or Ripon. He thought he'd eventually bring his own rowing machine out of storage. Perhaps to Crawley House once he ever got up the nerve to tell Mary that he'd made an offer. The house had not been exactly for sale but the estate agent said she'd make discrete inquiries as to whether Matthew's rather generous offer would be accepted.
He got distracted with that musing by watching Mary cut and slice the waffle, open her mouth, and savour every bite, her tongue twisted around the fork.
He noticed she chose to swathe the waffle with maple syrup.
"What?" She asked insouciantly. "I am following every low sugar, low fat regulation of Dr. Walsh. I think a little indulgence is fine. I am eating for two...no three!"
And she taunted Matthew by waving a forkful of waffle covered in syrup in front of his face. He leaned over the bed and took the bite slowly in his mouth.
Licked his lips, then pulled Mary in for a sticky, sweet kiss. "Yummy indeed." His voice rich and seductive. He almost tilted over the tray in his haste to reach over pull her in for a longer caress.
"Not now…" Mary said through a muffled mouthful of waffle. "After…" And she playfully pushed him away. "I've still got the yogurt and fruit."
Matthew guffawed and returned to the end of the bed. He leaned against the large post and reached over to his bag to get the sketch book.
"I must look a fright." Mary protested.
"No such thing." He riposted cheekily. "You always look gorgeous to me."
She glowered at him. "My hair's not brushed. We've not even showered."
A rascally grin danced on his lips as he declared, "Perfection my darling." And he started to brush the graphite pencil across the paper.
After a few strokes he glanced up from under his eyelashes. She was ever so coyly smiling, enjoying his attentions.
Matthew spent a few minutes trying to get the first strokes down. He finally said, "So what do you think about names?"
"Baby names?" Mary scrunched her face into a frown, taking a scoop of the yogurt. "We don't even know the sex."
"True." Matthew said, peeking back and forth between Mary and his sketchbook. "But we should probably toss around some suggestions."
"Such as?" Mary took a sip of the glass of milk.
"Well…" Matthew thought for a moment, "there are rhyming names. Like um…. Blake and Jake."
"No." Mary said categorically.
"There were twins at my school named Gage and Sage." Matthew offered up. "Though I hated them both. It was a great pleasure to see their mirror looks of horror as we defeated them in double sculls."
Mary shivered in mock disgust. "Too trendy. I'd rather traditional names."
"Or… theme names. Say Patience and Constance."
"Do you have a story for them as well?" She asked drolly.
He looked up, scrunched his face as if in deep thought. "I dated a Patience once." He waited a beat before adding with a short cough and a laugh, "She wasn't very..Patient that is. Bit more eager I'd have called her."
Mary tossed a pillow at him.
He caught it and laughed exuberantly. "What are your suggestion, then?"
"If girls Ava and Olivia." Mary asserted with far more quickness than Matthew expected.
"Boys?" He dared ask.
"George and Jeremy." No doubt in her response.
"Boy and girl?" He threw out. She looked doubtful. "Rare but possible. I looked it up," he asserted. "Like Game of Thrones."
"Ummm…Emma and Ethan." She rejoined quickly.
Matthew was dumbfounded. "I thought you said it was too early to even think of such things."
"Sybil gave me a book." She puckered her lips and shrugged. "I might have just thumbed through it."
"Ah Ha!" He cried out. "And are those decisions final? I don't know I might rather like say…" He pulled out his smartphone and scrolled around. "Uh… Chase and Jace? Dax and Pax? Kent and Trent?" He started to laugh as he could feel Mary put down the tray and crawl across the bed towards him.
He got one last out, "Lester and Ester!" before Mary squealed in utter repugnance and tossed the mobile on the floor. "No more of that…" And she buried his mouth in kisses.
They rolled over the sketchbook in haste to undress. Matthew felt it under his shoulder. He carefully placed it on the nightstand before turning back to Mary, who lay on the bed, lingerie disarrayed in a most becoming manner.
She tossed her hair just as she knew he liked it.
He groaned, immediately aroused by her actions. He pulled down the knickers, kissing all along her belly and moved his face, his lips, his tongue closer to the folds of her inner thighs. They were wet and inviting.
Mary pushed herself closer to him, arching her back and whimpering demands as he vigorously pushed his tongue into her wetness. He grated against the sensitive ridge of the spot that most drove her mad.
She screamed and panted, delirious and barely conscious of time passing.
Nothing would do but to finish her climax with a series of upward thrusts of his long tongue making her thighs shudder against his cheeks as her breath exited her mouth in delicious tones of ecstasy.
Mary fell against the bed covers, an erotic look of pure exhausted lust across her face.
Her eyes opened, half lidded, dilated. Matthew's hair was pushed down over his face, his cheeks flushed with exertion. His mouth puffy and red from his intense need to prolong her release.
"Come here…" She whispered in hoarse, suggestive tones.
Matthew didn't need to be invited twice.
XX
They were finally dressing after another unhurried love making session first on the bed and later extended in the shower. Matthew's hand had caressed every secret part of her body. She leaned into him under the spray of water, all wet slippery kisses and tangled body parts.
She took him into herself. She felt his taut, hard body push against her.
They didn't know where one stopped and the other began.
Matthew was drying off his hair, a towel still around his waist. Mary was brushing her hair after pulling on a turtleneck and leggings.
"Mrs. Hughes was so good to take charge of the Christmas decorations this year. She and Mama usually organize the tours together, but with everything upended she did it all herself. We have two tours today." Finishing with her hair, she turned back towards the bed.
Matthew was surprised. "So how often is the house opened?" It was another curious point he wanted to further investigate but was unsure of how well that would go down with Robert. Or Carson come to think of it. Both men might see his interest in the running of Downton as a business venture as interfering in places he had no right to be. So he was still very much in the dark, but he suspected there would be possible changes that could help alleviate some, but certainly not all, of Downton's debts.
"It's open every other week end for two tours. At Christmas, we add several more." Mary pulled on her boots. "So there's another reason we really should get back."
"Does the family participate?" Matthew asked, buttoning his shirt before putting on the warm jumper he brought from his London flat. He knew the snow was expected and packed accordingly.
"We sometimes contribute. At the beginning or end of the tour we thank them for visiting and maybe tell a family story or two. Most are quite polite and interested."
"And then what?"
"We go to Christmas Eve service at the village church. And then home for spiked egg nog or cocoa. Granny stays the night and next morning we fend for ourselves as everyone has the day off."
She turned to her new husband. "I'm glad we invited your mother for Christmas dinner. I do hope she'll like the vintage brooch we picked out for her present."
"I'm sure she will." Matthew said. "On Christmas can walk to the station to meet her. That will also allow us to get out on our own for a bit."
"Is that important for you?" Mary was curious. "Apart of course from just wanting to be alone." She brushed her hand along his shoulders, a gesture Matthew had grown to love. Simple. Tactile. Connecting them together.
He tilted his head to capture her hand against his cheek. He moved to kiss her fingertips as they grazed his skin.
"I come from a very small family compared to yours. It can get overwhelming being around so much family. I think better in a quieter head space."
"I hope it will be special, though. It will for me. Now that you're going to be a part of it all." She leaned over and languidly kissed his lips.
"I can't wait." He pulled away reluctant to lose the warmth of her lips on his.
But Mary sensed a hesitation in Matthew's enthusiasm.
"What?" She looked concerned.
There was so much left unsaid still between them. Matthew wanted to linger in these moments of just the two of them forever. He knew it was impossible.
Life got in the way.
Truths had to be spoken.
"You said something last night when we pulled into the car lot at the restaurant. You asked if I was happy."
Mary sat down on the bed beside him. "And you said you have never been happier in your life. Thank you for that darling."
"I mean it." Matthew repeated ardently. "I know I should be much more guilty perhaps. Or cautious. Tom says this is quite unlike me. But I don't care. I know we've got a long road ahead of us. The children. Robert. Getting to know each other."
"We'll certainly argue." Mary pointed out.
"I'm sure we will." Matthew didn't even dare bring up the potential first blow up about their living arrangements quite yet. "But it won't matter to me. While I am a cautious businessman, inclined to think the worst in others, I love you so recklessly, so without condition it terrifies me. And yet it makes me even more certain we can weather anything."
Mary didn't answer. She seemed frozen in place.
Had he frightened her? It all came in such a rush of words, of emotions. Suddenly drained of thought, he felt at sea.
A chasm of silence between them.
He began to tap his fingers nervously against his leg.
Not daring to look at her. He had said too much.
Unexpectedly Mary slipped down on the floor, knelt in front of him and clasped each side of his face inside her hands.
His eyes gazed searchingly into hers. He felt her warm touch. His fingers were numb as the fumbled to entwine into hers.
"I love you," Mary declared, her hand stealing down his chest to his thumping heart. She closed her eyes and felt it speak to her.
She then reopened them to greet the bluest eyes she had ever seen.
He looked for any sign of doubt. He found none.
"Then what?" He asked, a desperation creeping in. "You said you weren't as happy. What can I do?"
Mary lowered herself down onto her calves. Matthew responded by slipping off the bed to rest beside her on the floor.
"There's nothing you can do, but be yourself. It's me. As you said you weren't used to having a large family. I'm not used to trusting my heart. When I'm with you, I feed off of your love. We are one. But your unconditional love frightens me, if I'm being honest. It's such a dramatic gesture. You've given up your entire life for me."
He started to protest.
She wouldn't let him. "You have Matthew. You had a wife. A home. You can't say that didn't matter to you."
"No." He admitted truthfully. "I would never say that."
"And you loved Lavinia."
His eyes beetled back and forth in utter confusion. What was the point of dredging all this up again?
"Yes, but not as much as I should. I found myself in your love. Is that what frightens you?"
"Not as such." Mary struggled to explain. "It is overpowering."
"Stifling you mean?" Matthew looked alarmed.
"No. Not at all. Indeed the opposite. I feel so secure, so loved when I'm with you. Your love shines and I can bask its warmth, its strength. But it is also quite seductive."
Matthew blinked in certain confusion. "Seductive? I'm not trying to beguile you."
"Oh Matthew. You don't have to try. Mary responded dryly. "You've got charm oozing from your pores."
That broke the tense mood. He chuckled as his cheeks flushed red. "I don't understand then."
"It's so easy to love you when we're together. I need to learn to do so when we're apart."
"Because you don't?" A plaintive tone entered his voice, but he shook his head. "No. That can't be it." He laughed and pulled her in for another kiss. Her lips were warm, inviting. "Do you mean you feel less independent? Less living for yourself?"
"Maybe a bit. The selfish part of me. The part that's is afraid. To become less by giving so much of myself to someone else."
"I can respect that." Matthew said, more calmly than he felt. He believed it was one of the very reasons Lavinia didn't challenge the divorce too much. She had realized much the same. "I never want to do that to you."
"But it's more… It's just so much has happened." Mary tried to put her inarticulate feelings into words. "I'm finding it hard to get my feet under all these changes. I had a plan with the business. My riding. Now all that has changed. And new things have taken their place. Our marriage. A baby. Now two babies. You seem to take it so much in stride. And being with you allows me to lean on your strength of purpose. And when we've been apart recently, the doubts creep in. Not about us…." She hastened to add.
Matthew was slowly beginning to understand. He started to nod affirmation.
"I'm happy Matthew. And crazy in love with you. But to be so happy is just not me!" Mary shook her head with incredulity. "I make no guarantees it will last. I am by nature a fighter. We will have all sorts of arguments."
"It's all I would expect. I'm always up for a good argument." He said evenly, "But," coming back with a scrunch of his nose and a scratch to his head, "A lot of what you see hides an appalling stubborn streak as well. I like getting my way just as much as you."
"Hmmmm…." Mary's eyes danced playfully. "I think I'm liking this marriage more and more."
She moved in for another kiss.
The side of his mouth curved into a smile. "I will say, however, if speaking the truth. The surety you see is really just my game face. The one I wear into a meeting where you don't want them to see you sweat."
She laughed. "Well that is very good to know."
"You are wrong about one thing though." Matthew said in sudden seriousness.
"What?" Mary furrowed her brow in confusion.
"I do think my Mary is the true Mary. The one who is happy. The one who makes me so very, very happy as well."
He clasped her waist with his arms, drew her to him. "Between us we have strength and stubbornness to withstand anything I think."
"Shall we put it to the test?" Mary inquired only half-teasing.
He arched a curious eyebrow.
"Papa's off his bed rest completely. He'll be down for Christmas with the entire family. Will you be ready?"
He heaved a heavy sigh. "I can only say I'll do my best."
Matthew's creased brow and downcast eyes made Mary realize just how heavy a burden this was on her husband.
"It's not just his finances, is it?" She asked with dread in her tone.
He swallowed before answering. He so wished Robert would just get on with telling the family. They deserved the truth. "No. It's not. I can't say more."
"But it will affect us all? As a family?"
He blinked, saying cautiously. "Yes. I think it will."
Mary visibly shivered. He so wanted to give her words of comfort. But he had no idea how Robert intended to reveal his affair. His son born out of wedlock. His titular heir.
Those sorts of revelations could potentially destroy the fabric of the Crawley family.
Matthew pulled Mary close into his embrace.
Or clear the air and allow for a new chapter to be written.
"I'm sorry you had to be dragged into all this." Mary buried her head in his chest. "You didn't ask for it."
No, Matthew thought as he cradled Mary in his arms. Wanting to protect her from what was to come. But he was an unwilling partner of the conspiracy to keep the information from the her.
Would she resent him bitterly for it?
He closed his eyes, hated to even think about it. Held her tight. He'd be there for her. No matter the consequences.
XX
Yes I know it's impossible to have identical boy/girl twins...just messing around with that. Maybe Mary will get scientific next chapter
Ok… I really just wanted more time of them together. I hope you liked it. These conversations will continue to take place as they return to Downton for the Christmas festivities. I hope this story is all you want it to be.