Thanks to everyone who has read, favorited, and/or reviewed this story. I hope you continue to like this incarnation of Mary and Matthew Crawley.
XX
"Lie back and we'll get started." Dr. Walsh put the stool near the examination bed where Mary leaned back with Matthew's help. Her center of balance was completely out of whack and Matthew balanced her arm with his two hands and helped her onto the bed so that she did not fall off.
At 35 ½ weeks Mary had never felt so much not herself. She had always been slim, athletically built. Built to glide over obstacles astride a thoroughbred. The two working together as one aerodynamic force, cutting the air, and landing without so much as a tremor from the rail below the horse's hooves.
Now she believed she was actually waddling. There was a distinct sway to her gait.
She could no longer see her feet. And they were swelling.
Tired all the time now, Mary tried not to let it all overwhelm her. She was strong. Capable of doing all of this without complaint. It was vulgar and rather common to complain when she had so much.
She had her own thriving business. A loyal and supportive family. A husband who loved on her. Making sure her shoes matched. Making sure she had enough rest. Reminding her to take her antenatal vitamins and her blood pressure.
Doting.
Hovering.
Concerned.
Anxious.
And frankly Mary found it annoying as hell.
She'd snap at him saying "if he ever spoke to her in that patronizing childlike tone again she'd give him a real reason to sound like that." Her eyes cut down to his groin.
He'd smirk, in that way he had. His head cocked to one side, his eye arched. His response soft next to her ear, "I'll keep that in mind. But in the meantime, you still need someone to help you to a standing position. So take my hand and I'll make sure you won't fall."
And he outstretched his arm. His fingers long, reaching towards hers. A slow smile creeping across his lips.
Mary would inevitably return the smile and clasp his hand. Grunt and he'd catch her in a bear hug.
And they would stay like that for lingering moments.
And she'd remember, with his scent of La Nuit de L'homme tickling her nostrils, why she kept him around in the first place.
"I am concerned about these numbers." Dr. Walsh tapped her iPad. "Your blood pressure has spiked recently."
Matthew's eyes tried to hide his concern. He did know that got on Mary's nerves. But he blurted out. "Why? Isn't that very dangerous at 36 weeks?"
"It can be." Walsh answered. "Mary has had good numbers all along though. So…"
They both turned to Mary.
She was idly rubbing her rounded belly. The twins kicking with tenacity. "I'll rest for the day. It'll be fine. I probably exerted too much this morning at the Stables."
Matthew twisted his mouth and started to speak but she interjected. "I just helped out in the office. The computer was off line and we had to get some tech help."
"Still…" Matthew muttered.
"Let me give you a thorough exam. Make sure the babies are positioned correctly for this stage of the pregnancy. And then we'll see about anything else." Walsh started to unhook the stirrups.
"Such as?" Mary inquired though she really didn't want to hear the answer.
Dr. Walsh gave her the straight answer. "Bed rest until we decide whether you need to schedule a C-section."
"No." Mary lifted her head from the table. "I want a natural child birth."
Dr. Walsh looked to Matthew. His eyes shifted back and forth, but he took a step towards Mary and took her hand in support.
The doctor sighed. "We don't have to make a decision today. But it is the safest type of delivery for twins. Both for the mother and the children."
Two sets of concerned eyes opened wide. "I won't be frightened." Mary said irritably.
"I'm not." The doctor's voice firm. "I'm telling you like it is. That is what you want?"
Mary's eyes closed. "Yes." She admitted.
"As I said." Dr. Walsh answered diplomatically. "We don't have to make a decision right now. Just think about it."
Matthew pursed his lips in a grimace. He knew Mary was rather adamant on this issue but he tended to side with the medical opinion. "Thank you, Doctor." He said. "We'll consider it."
Mary gave him a stinging side eye but said nothing. Instead she turned her immediate antipathy towards her physician. "Can we get on with the examination? We're supposed to be at the CPR class in an hour."
"Of course." Dr. Walsh said tactfully, and threw a reassured smile at Mary's flustered husband. She was very used to even more vitriol from expectant mothers in the last terrifying weeks before birth.
She then calmly proceeded to ask the nurse to strap on the heart rate monitor.
XX
Mary sipped the jasmine tea the server brought. Matthew took a bite of his sandwich. They were relaxing at an outdoor café in Downton Village. Mary was to meet her sisters for an afternoon of spa and massage treatment. A gift from her sisters in lieu of any kind of baby shower. Mary said she and Matthew had everything in hand and all she wanted was quiet sister time.
Matthew needed to go office hunting with an agent in Ripon. Sandy was meet him and tour several options for his Crawley Consulting and Investments. He also had an idea of offering small business hopefuls the opportunity to win him over as an investor in their product. He wanted to be a part of the community not just having an office in their town but shunning locals in lieu of bigger fish in London or New York.
"That was certainly eye opening." Matthew looked over at Mary. "I feel quite inadequate to the task."
Mary rounded her eyebrows knowing what he meant. "Baby CPR is something I hope we never have to face." She shuddered. "The delicate touched needed and the counting."
"And the choking technique." Matthew rubbed his brown. "The way the intern used the heel of his hand to deliver those firm blows. I mean how do you know what's firm? And how to do that while holding onto the mannequin baby's head to get it to cough up the coin accidentally lodged in the throat."
That demonstration horrified her. "I know we managed to do it with the doll baby but…"
They both gave mirrored wide eyed looks. "What if both are choking at same time?" Matthew voiced their ultimate fear.
Matthew stopped eating as he felt a bit queasy.
"We'll make sure the staff has CPR training of course." Mary tried to clear some of the doubts in her head.
Matthew curved his lip at the corner but said nothing. It had been a point of contention between them. She believing they needed a night nurse and a nanny hired before the babies were even born. He believing they could manage on their own with family help. Cora was coming to live with them, she had promised. Having too many strangers in the house when the stress level was already so high he thought would be a pushing the boat out and strain everyone's patience to the limit.
Mary thought the opposite. That instead, having a calming, knowledgeable professional in the house when everyone was up all night sounded almost like a no brainer to her. She had intimated that it secretly went against his middle-class sensibility to have what he'd thought of as servants in the house and taking care of his children.
Matthew didn't want to cop to that. But Mary was probably right. Even his mother agreed with Mary.
So, as he inexorably found himself these days, he was convinced to support it. And he did see the sense of it. He was just being stubborn.
Anything to help Mary. She was going to be stressed enough without his irrational contrariness.
He was just more than a bit thrown by idea of so many people in what was going to be a catastrophically disorganized house. It set his teeth on edge.
"Remember darling," Mary spoke in only a slightly mocking tone knowing her husband's tidy proclivities. "One of the tasks associated with a night nurse is to keep everything in order so that the parents can get a good night sleep so as to concentrate on the baby's needs."
He pursed his lips in an amused pout. "Alright. Alright…" He grazed a kiss along her knuckles. "When do we finalize our selection? You narrowed it down to three you said."
"Yes." Mary nodded. "Mama said she'd help me out. And since she'll be either staying at the house or nearby in Ripon I want her to get along with the nurse. You as well. Do you want to interrogate them about their cleanliness protocols?" She threw him a teasing look.
"Uh…" Matthew swallowed. His eyes beetled. Did he? On the one hand he did as he was curious as to Mary's choices and wanted to ensure they understood that they were the twins' parents and wanted to be involved in every aspect of their infancy. On the other he didn't want to push in and appear he didn't trust Mary's judgement.
Mary eased his dilemma by turning serious. "I really would like you there. You're going to have live under same roof as well. We all need to get along."
"That's settled then." Matthew answered. "I'm sure we can find someone to suit us all."
He changed the subject. But this one was even more delicate. "I know you said nothing too stressful happened to cause that spiked blood pressure, but …" He hesitated but plunged on. "Was that the entire truth? You've seemed on edge more than usual lately."
"More than a woman near birth with twins should be you mean?" Mary retorted. And then immediately relented as Matthew winced and sat back against his seat. He only wanted to help. She shrugged helplessly. "It's Mama and Papa. I don't think they're going to back together. Mama seems set on going her own way."
"Is that so bad?" Matthew inquired gently. "Given the circumstances." Not that he really wanted to get into this conversation. His own behaviour still so raw. Even though he knew he had not anything equal to Robert's betrayal, it didn't make him feel any less guilty.
"I suppose." Mary had to admit. "But you don't like thinking of your parents splitting up. Even as we're all adults, I think of us as a family going on through it all. Being there for each other. Even if Papa deserves to be boiled in oil for this sordid affair. At least the tabloids haven't a clue."
Matthew could not agree more on that. "So what does Cora want? A divorce?"
Another long sigh from Mary. "She's not said. She does want to be a part of meeting Peter which I took as good. That maybe a separation and then some kind of reconciliation down the line."
Matthew said, "It's not on us to tell her what to do. It's going to hurt everyone for a long time. I should know."
Mary took his hand. They stayed silent for a few minutes.
Then Matthew dropped another surprise. Why not get them all out, he thought. "Mother wants to visit Lavinia in Australia."
"What?" Mary eyes widened. "I thought she wanted to be here." Did that sound selfish, Mary wondered.
"She does." Matthew reassured. "She does. This won't happen until later this year. Well after she's had her fill of twin love." He laughed. Then said, "She thinks of Lavinia as a daughter. I can't tell her not to. She thinks Lavinia might be lonely."
He knew this was a delicate subject.
"I wouldn't want you to. It's nice of her. Is she?" Mary inquired tentatively. "Lonely?" She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about that. She knew Matthew would always carry some guilt. But it was not to intrude upon their happiness.
"I don't really know. We've talked as I told you. But she'd never disclose anything like that to me." His body language showed his discomfit. His words getting terser. "To me she's all I'm fine. I'm happy. Best decision ever to move to Brisbane." His shoulders sagged. "I hope she's telling the truth."
"I see." Mary responded quietly. She knew that was probably just for show on Lavinia's part. She'd have done much the same. She would not quote her grandmother's adage at Matthew, "Hope is a tease designed to prevent us accepting reality."
Another change of subject was needed.
"Edith is about to travel as well." Mary informed him. "Cannes. Bertie is to join her there next week."
"So that's why you're getting together today." He nodded. "When do you go to Cherrywood?"
Mary checked her mobile. "I'm supposed to be back home at 1:30. Sybil's picking me up. I seem not even to be allowed to drive myself now."
"Good on Sybil." Matthew answered back. A wispy smile crossed Matthew's lips at Mary's mention of Crawley House. He was so happy they had managed to overcome that difficulty and had worked through his thoughtlessness to create what both considered a place where they'd raise their children in a snug, happy home.
"I'll meet you this evening then?" He stood up to get to his meeting with the estate agent. He leaned over to kiss his wife.
"All relaxed and pampered." Mary purred mischievously.
"I can't wait." His voice low, making her shiver. He kissed her again, longer and lingering. "I can finish the project tonight." He whispered in her ear.
Mary knew exactly what he meant. The drawings of every stage of her pregnancy had progressed every other month or so. They were nearing the end, and so was Matthew's sketches. "How you can find me sexy as I look like a beached whale I have no idea."
"You are so very beautiful." Matthew's lips once again near her ear. "So very beautiful my darling."
"Get away with you…" But Mary's lips crushed into her husband's as he made ready to go. "Until tonight."
XX
Matthew's eyes scanned the space. It was adequate for his needs. But offered no views of the city or any urban landscape at all. Just a wall from the adjoining semi-detached.
Sangodele Abayomi, or Sandy as he had told Matthew on the phone, was an experienced estate agent in the north of England. His parents had emigrated from Nigeria in the 1960s during the Biafran War and settled in Ripon and opened a restaurant. Matthew had liked him immediately. He had a quick brain that had selected three or four small office spaces to fit Matthew's needs as their first conversation ended. So Matthew met up with Sandy on North Street a week after that talk.
"What else?" Matthew asked as they walked out the door.
"No problem at all." Sandy took the rejection of the property in stride. He wanted to please. Matthew Crawley was one of the top young entrepreneurs and his company was a place known in the real estate business a place where young operators had opportunity to shine. It would be a coup for him to win him over. "We have another property around the corner."
Matthew said easily, "Lead the way."
Later as he laid out the ingredients for dinner in the kitchen at Crawley House Matthew was more than satisfied with the corner office he selected out of the four on offer. Sandy had done his homework and there was no waste of Matthew's time which he appreciated. He had said he had one day to find this office space and they had accomplished just that. He would finish the paperwork with his own people back in London and be able to move forward in getting the consulting business up and running whenever he wanted. Probably a few weeks after the twin's arrival. He had already been in touch with the clients Morton had arranged and knew Matthew's priorities at the moment were with his family.
Mary had put him onto Fresh Foods, the mail-order meal service. He had ordered the ingredients for the pasta dish on line and they were delivered that afternoon. It included the cavatappi pasta, asparagus, the spices and condiments, pine nuts, cheese, and pancetta. Mary was expected back within the hour from her day spa with Sybil and Edith and he wanted the meal ready to eat.
He had the wireless audio system playing some classic tunes from the '50s and '60s and was sipping a sparkling water as he finished up the preparation.
Soon he heard Mary's keys jangling in the door.
"Hello…" Matthew called out from the kitchen. "In here."
"Smells amazing!" Mary walked in and sat down at the counter. She had particularly loved the redesigned kitchen of Crawley House. Warm and inviting, a modern spin on a turn of the 20th century kitchen, the space reflected her own vision best. Matthew took out a glass and poured out some more of the sparkling water for his wife.
"Have a good time?"
"Delicious." Mary said, taking a sip. "I'm not usually for excessive pampering like that, but I loved it. They gave me a deep massage that was heaven. Really helped with the lower back pain. And then a cleansing facial and a mani/pedi…. What more do you want?" She laughed, showing off her nails of perfection to Matthew.
Matthew admired the subtle hue of creamy pink as her fingers intertwined with his and he gave her palm a deep kiss.
"Hungry?" He asked.
"Hmmm.." She answered huskily. "In all ways."
Matthew's eyes twinkled at her response. Mary had been so sad of late, after returning home from that week end with her mother. So anything he could do to make her smile made his heart sing.
"It's almost done. Just a few more minutes on the pasta." Matthew turned away and back to the Aga.
"Did you find a place?"
"I did. Sandy found a spot on North Street. A corner office with big windows so I won't feel like I'm working in a cell. Now I just need to get a logo and hang out my shingle. But all that can wait until later."
He served up a plate of the pasta with asparagus, pancetta, and pine nuts and then started to rinse off the pans.
"Matthew." Mary called out mockingly. "Come and eat. The pans can wait."
He sheepishly turned back and said, "Right." But he did soak them in the sink so that they wouldn't gunk up in the dishwasher.
Mary dug straight into the pasta. This mail order innovation was as a gift from the gods. She hated shopping for food. And Matthew liked to cook more than she and that was a bonus. She had considered hiring a cook/housekeeper to come two or three times a week to clean and prep food but she thought Matthew would baulk at yet another person in the house. So the Fresh Foods meals was a great substitute. They could all take turns cooking the prepped foods.
When they were done eating, they curled up on the sofa in the living room. The music wafted softly around the room.
Just the kind of quiet evening at home Matthew had envisioned when he first considered buying Crawley House. No parents' downstairs. No one to knock on the door wishing them a good night, which as much as Matthew liked Cora, he did not miss at all.
This was their house.
Their space.
He leaned back into the sofa and wrapped his arms tighter around Mary's rounded abdomen, occasionally feeling one of the twins lightly kicking.
"Jeremy is active." He said, touching the right side of her belly.
"Yes." Mary said, grunting in irritation. She twisted slightly to get more comfortable. But it was simply impossible at this late stage of the pregnancy.
She was sweating as well, which she considered vulgar.
"What can I do to help?" Matthew's tender words, which should have helped, only made her more frustrated.
"Get these out of my body?" She snarked back.
Matthew couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think I can help with that. Anything else?"
"Dr. Walsh told me to walk around in these last weeks, to ease some early labour pangs."
"Ah…I can do that in style." Matthew gently moved her aside and got up. He moved his arms outward, rounding his hands and putting his palms out in front of his body. His long fingers reached towards Mary. "May I have this dance?" His smile was seductive. He looked up from under his eyes, willing her into his arms.
Mary looked reluctant to get up from her comfortable spot on the sofa, but how could she resist that silky tone, his pools of blue.
"Why yes." And reached her hands into his own. His strength lifted her up and protectively gathered her arms around his back.
Their heads tucked into each other's neck, as two puzzle pieces fitting nicely together. Perfect.
Mary felt Matthew's hot breath against her skin. And then a delightful tingling sensation made her shiver. He was humming softly against her ear.
And then he began to sing softly, "Some day…"
The music wafted in from the audio system to accompany his words. "…when I'm awfully low. When the world is cold. I will feel a glow just thinking of you… and the way you look tonight."
And Mary, against all the odds, felt at peace with the world.
Just the two of them.
Dancing slow. His arms protecting herself and the lives within.
"Lovely…don't you ever change. Keep that breathless charm…"
Matthew had a good mid-range voice that he used to great effect.
"…Won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you. Just the way you look tonight."
And as she suspected she would, Mary started to cry. Hormonal tears as she tried to laugh them off whenever it happened. Putting the bedding down in the cribs. Finishing the decorative touches in the nursery. Even buying the first pieces of clothing the twins would wear. Anything seemed to set off a flood of tears.
She was usually so stoic. So self-contained. It was quite new when it first happened. And she was slightly embarrassed.
But now she let it all wash over her. These last days alone with Matthew had been so perfect. Days they needed to cling to each other before their house was no longer just theirs.
But their family's.
She couldn't wait for that. To end this endless pregnancy. To see her children's eyes. Feel their soft skin. Hug them. Smell them. Be with them.
But she also wanted to savour each moment alone with Matthew.
As did he.
Matthew's lips engulfed Mary's in a slow kiss. "Better?"
"Oh yes." Mary returned her lips to his. "Much better."
Matthew helped her back down onto the couch. He moved to the other chair and reached out for his sketch pad.
Mary loved that Matthew wanted to capture their life together in his drawings, even as she felt uncomfortable being the object on display. She knew body image issues shouldn't bother her. She was pregnant and that was that. But she also felt bloated, her skin was blotchy, her hair frizzled.
Matthew always thought she looked amazing. Even as she questioned his eyesight she appreciated his thoughtfulness.
She leaned back against the sofaback, a couple of pillows supporting her.
And as he always did, Matthew started with "Perfect. Just like that."
A wistful smile crossed Mary's lips. "I'm going to miss this."
Matthew softly raised an eyebrow. "That's a change. I've always thought you half hated this project."
"Oh Matthew…" Mary gave a wink. "What am I always telling you? You must pay no attention to the things I say."
Matthew leaned forward, "I'll remember that." Then he countered, "But right now you have to pay attention to me. Sit still and stop talking." His tone playfully sharp, but his eyes twinkled.
"Yes sir…" Mary riposted, but licked her lips in that slow seductive fashion Matthew found irresistible before she held the pose so that the sketching could commence.
XX
"So you've worked for three families before?" Mary was increasingly uncomfortable in the kitchen chair. The pangs were sharp in her abdomen. She wasn't sure if they were Braxton Hicks contractions as the doctor warned or the real deal. She was 36 ½ weeks. It was too early, wasn't it? Cora was late getting to the house and Mary had started the interviews without her. The first two were dismissed almost summarily in Matthew's opinion, but Mary clearly knew what she wanted.
"Yes." The young woman replied. "Two in Scotland and one here in Yorkshire." She dug around in her bag for a folder. "Here's their letters of recommendation."
"Thank you." Matthew took the folder. "Were those with multiples? Twins?"
"Erm…no." Emily Buchanan faultered slightly. "But at school I cared for a set of triplets when their parents went out for dinner. It wasn't every night but I learned how to juggle priorities and keep them calm when one set off the others."
Matthew liked that response. Honest and informative. But her age made him doubt her experience. Wouldn't someone older be better? "But that was only short term."
Emily slumped a bit.
Mary had other ideas. "But it shows quick thinking on the spot." She leaned in to her husband, whispering, "calming three screaming babies must be a plus."
Matthew could not disagree with that.
But then Mary turned pale and the paper with interview questions dropped from her hand as she gripped her stomach. 'Ahhh…" A low moan emitted from her throat.
Then she gave a long agonizing moan. Her leggings were suddenly damp.
Emily knew what was happening. She leaped up from her seat. "Her water's broken. You need to get her to the hospital."
"It's too soon…" Mary tried to speak, but was stopped by more cramping.
Matthew eyes widened in sudden fear, but he broke into action. "I'll get the car."
The hospital was only a few minutes away and they had done a couple of test runs already. He threw his mobile to Emily. "You're hired. Please call that number listed for the maternity unit to tell them we're on the way."
XX