November 1924
"It's good to be home!" Matthew sighed with relief.
Mary smiled as she shed her coat, hat, and gloves. Handing them over to Anna, she thanked her lady's maid and headed into the library with her husband. They had just returned from Brancaster, travelling ahead of her parents to oversee that the preparations for the war memorial unveiling were all arranged before the ceremony on Remembrance Sunday.
"Carson, could we have some tea please?" Mary requested.
"Certainly, My Lady." Carson replied.
"And could you ask Nanny to bring the children down when we're done, please?" Matthew asked.
"Of course, Mr. Crawley."
The butler left the library, leaving Matthew and Mary alone as they made themselves comfortable.
"I'm glad to be home, even if only for a short while before we travel again." Matthew sighed tiredly.
"It feels like everyone is leaving," Mary sighed unhappily, "Tom with his plans to move to America. Rose marrying Atticus. Before you know it, the children will be grown and leaving to start their own lives."
Matthew smiled at her sympathetically, which only made her feel more pitiful than she already felt.
"The children are two and three, darling. We don't need to worry about them leaving for a while." Matthew reminded her.
"Perhaps. But we do need to start thinking about schooling before too long." Mary stated.
"I think we should focus on current problems. Did you notice your father's pains during the shoot?" Matthew asked.
Mary nodded; she couldn't hide her concern about her father being in pain. She knew that her mother had ordered Papa to rest and not participate in any further shooting and she hoped that the pains would settle down soon. Before she could say anything on the subject, Carson brought in their tea tray and left the library, closing the door behind them. The two adults crossed the room and helped themselves to a cup of tea before taking their seats again.
"Darling…I've been thinking…"
"Yes?"
"With Tom leaving, the role as agent of the estate is going to be vacant." Matthew stated.
"Of course. I suppose you'll be finding someone to fill it?" Mary asked.
"Yes. I've got an idea of who but it's whether they'll accept." Matthew mused.
"I suppose it can't be you, can it?"
Matthew shook his head.
"Not as the co-owner of the estate. But I think you would suit the role quite well." Her husband smiled.
Mary raised an eyebrow, feeling surprised at her husband's proposal.
"That's rather progressive of you, darling." Mary mused.
"Why shouldn't it be you? You and Tom attended that conference back in May and it got you interested in crop rotation, grain sales, it even got you interested in the pigs." Matthew stated.
Mary smirked. A while ago they had received a shipment of new pigs and they had escaped their pen whilst Drewe was out with his family. Mary and Matthew had spent a rather muddy afternoon trying to round them all up and get them back to Yew Tree Farm and safely secured in their pens. Mary had never thought she would be one to chase pigs around the estate, nor was she one to try and get them back safely. Of course, she was used to mud with the hunts she had participated in over the years and the number of times that she had gone riding on the estate, but pigs were a new venture. After that day, she had taken an interest in building more secure pens for the estate livestock and often took George, Charlie, Sybbie and Marigold over to the Drewe farm to see the pigs.
"I think George has more interest in the pigs than I do," Mary laughed, "He wants to be a pig farmer when he grows up."
"That should be interesting, the heir to the title a pig farmer. But if it makes him happy then we should support it." Matthew chuckled.
"Let's hope he's not afraid of hard work." Mary laughed.
"You're certainly not. The interest you've taken in my handling of estate matters has shown me that you could handle the role of agent. I think it would be a natural fit for you." Matthew said warmly.
Mary smiled.
"Have you spoken to Papa about this?" she asked curiously.
"No. Not yet anyway. I thought I would give him time to get used to the idea that Tom is leaving for America first and then bring the topic up." Matthew replied.
"I suppose that's a good idea. Papa is struggling to accept that Tom is going. But I suppose he's relieved that Miss Bunting leaves for Lancaster soon."
"True. But Robert will have to accept it all one day."
They finished their tea and pulled the bell, asking Barrow to clear the tea away and then Nanny entered the library with the four children.
"Mama! You're back!" George exclaimed happily, running from Nanny and across the library to where Mary sat.
Mary opened her arms to George and hugged him tightly and then opened her arms for Charlie and hugged him too. Then in turn she hugged Sybbie and Marigold and the two of them decided to read a story to the children during their time together. Mary enjoyed having Charlie and George snuggle into her as Matthew had Sybbie sit on one of his knees as Marigold cuddled into his side in the armchair. She smiled as Matthew read from the book, the chosen novel Treasure Island until Nanny arrived back at the library to take the children back to the nursery.
"I'll check in on them before I turn in for the night." Matthew said.
"Very good, Mr. Crawley." Said Nanny.
The children waved and left the library.
"I think Miss Marigold enjoyed sitting with you, she seems to be fitting in quite well in the nursery." Mary commented.
"Your sister truly has taken a shine to the girl." Matthew agreed.
"I still find it rather odd. Why would Edith take on an orphan? There has to be more to it than she took a shine to a little girl the Drewes took in." Mary said with a frown.
"Well…even if there is…just leave Edith to it. That little girl has given Edith a purpose and a shine back in her eyes. She seems a little bit happier than she has been over the last few years." Matthew ordered.
"I suppose. Now that Mr. Gregson has been confirmed as dead, Marigold has proven to be just what Edith needs."
"Exactly. Marigold has given Edith some happiness."
"And what about you? Do you like that little girl?" Mary asked.
"Marigold? She's a sweet little thing I suppose. Why do you ask?" Matthew questioned.
"I've been thinking…about how much I would love you to have a little girl to call your own." Mary answered.
She observed how Matthew saw up a little straighter in his chair, smiling at her declaration. She smiled as she twiddled her thumbs in her lap as the silence in the room made Matthew ponder what she had said. Ever since the fire, she and Matthew hadn't been using preventative measures whenever they made love, but they hadn't yet conceived a child. The more time that passed, as George and Charlie were getting older now, she enjoyed watching Matthew with their sons but even with Sybbie and Marigold. She saw how much Matthew loved Sybbie and had extended that love to include little Marigold and it made her heart swell. It only added to her yearning to give him a daughter that he could take pride in and love just as much as he loved their boys.
"Darling, it will happen." Matthew assured her.
"I know. I'm not in a rush by any means, Charlie's only two and George three. But I thought it might have happened by now." Mary muttered.
"It will happen, Mary. Be patient. We aren't in a rush." Matthew said encouragingly.
"I know. I suppose the longer we leave it the older the children get; I yearn to give you another child. I'd love to give you a daughter." Mary sighed.
"Girl or boy, I would be delighted to be a father again. But please don't feel downhearted, Mary." Matthew pleaded.
"I'll try." Mary promised.
"Remember darling, you had two children in less than a year. It must have been exhausting for you."
"It was."
"Whenever we conceive another child, I'll be happy. But being with you is what makes me the happiest." Matthew assured her.
Smiling happily, Mary stood from her seat and crossed the room before taking a book from the bookshelf and handed it to her husband. She sat next to him and nestled into his side as his arm wrapped around her and he opened the book and started to read to her.
oOo
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."
The two-minute silence that followed made Matthew close his eyes and for those two minutes he relived the sounds of guns, bombs, screams, and shouts. He squelched his boots on the dewy grass, imagining that he was back at the front, that he was running through the trenches and was almost knee deep in mud. A whole lifetime ago that had nearly cost him the life he had now. But he had gotten through it. And now he stood here, lucky that he was still alive and remembering those he fought with side-by-side. His thoughts went to William who had saved his life by shoving him out of the way of that grenade. It had been a decade since the start of the war. How time had flown by so quickly.
He felt a tug on his hand and his eyes opened to look down at his three-year-old son who looked up at him with big blue eyes that were identical to his own. He smiled down at George who squeezed his hand and then the two-minute silence was over. They lingered at the memorial, smiling, and clapping at Robert unveiled a plaque remembering Mrs Patmore's nephew, and then the crowds began to disperse. Matthew lingered with his sons and Mary, looking over at William's name on the stone.
"Who is it Papa?" George asked curiously.
"He was a friend, Georgie. William Mason." Matthew replied softly.
"Don't be sad, Papa." George said, his eyes wide.
Matthew knelt to the floor, staring at his son, and smiled.
"I'm not sad, George. William Mason saved my life in the war and it's because of him, I remember his sacrifice and how lucky I am to be here with you." Matthew whispered.
"And Charlie?"
Matthew chuckled, ruffling his son's hair.
"Yes. And Charlie and your mama."
"Did Donk fight in war too?" George asked curiously.
"No dear boy. But he fought in a different war." Matthew replied delicately.
"Did Granny Violet go to war?" Sybbie asked loudly.
Standing up, Matthew looked down at his niece, noting that she and Tom had just walked over from the plaque.
"Why do you ask that Sybbie?" Mary questioned.
"Nanny says she's always on the warpath." George stated.
The adults shared an amused look at the imagery of Granny wearing a war uniform. The thought alone brought a bit of cheer to a sad day remembering all those who went off to war ten years ago.
"Shall we head back to the car?" Tom asked.
"You go with Sybbie. I was hoping to walk." Matthew replied.
Tom nodded and headed back to the car with his daughter as Matthew picked Charlie up from the ground and placed the toddler on his shoulders. Mary held George's hand as the four of them started to walk back in the direction of the Abbey.
"How are you feeling?" Mary asked quietly.
"I feel fine," Matthew reassured her, "It just feels a bit surreal at times."
"I understand. Sometimes it doesn't seem possible that it was so long ago now."
"No, it doesn't. But I believe that I owe a lot to William Mason. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here today."
Mary looked at him and smiled sadly.
"But you are here, Matthew. You're home. You're save. You're loved." Mary assured him.
"I know darling. If it weren't for William's sacrifice, I wouldn't have married you. I wouldn't have two sons. I wouldn't be deliriously happy."
He leaned across and kissed her softly before taking hold of her hand and walked with his family back to his home.