A/N: New Modern Day idea I've had. This story is rated T and is only going to be a short introductory piece to the main modern day AU that I'm writing alongside A Wonderful Life. The sequel to this piece will be an M rated so you've been warned prior to posting it.
Disclaimer: Not mine!
October 2016
The days were getting colder, and the seasons were rapidly changing – much like everything did in Mary Crawley's life. As she walked through the grounds of her ancestral home Downton Abbey, she listened to the sound of her feet crunching over the crispy red and brown leaves that covered the gravel paths and squinted when the weak autumn sun hit her eyes through the gaps in the tree branches that stood tall around her. Walks around the grounds were peaceful and just what she needed when she had to gather her thoughts before putting on a brave face.
She came across a wooden bench that sat underneath one of the many mighty oaks that had been in the grounds for centuries. Mary ran her fingers over the damp wood, smiling fondly at the many memories she had shared on this bench only a short few years ago. Memories of kisses, of flirtations, of teasing and confiding talks with Matthew. It had been the place of his proposal, a proposal which she wished she could change the outcome of.
She heard footsteps behind her, and she turned, her brown eyes meeting those of Matthew's mother, Isobel.
"Hello, I thought you weren't back until next week?" Mary asked.
Isobel smiled.
"I got back early from my trip. Mary, there's something I need to speak to you about."
"Oh?"
Isobel smiled sympathetically.
"I had wanted to discuss it with your parents first but as they are still out of the country…your grandmother thought it best that I tell you instead…"
"Isobel, what is it?" Mary asked, her voice filled with concern.
The older woman gestured for them to sit on the bench, both ignoring the creaking sound it made. Mary held her hands in her lap, her heart beating worriedly.
"My dear…you know that I wish things had turned out differently for you and Matthew. I've always considered you family…a daughter I never had…"
"Isobel, my reasons for turning down Matthew's proposal was never because I…I was twenty, about to start my third year at university…I didn't know what I wanted…Matthew was still training to be a solicitor…"
"I know, you were both so young," Isobel said sadly, "Nevertheless, I wish things had turned out differently."
Mary nodded her agreement. Four years ago, after two years of dating, Matthew had proposed to her under this very tree, and she had declined. Or rather, she hadn't given him the yes or no answer that he craved, instead ranting about how young they were, how the timing wasn't right, how they should wait a while longer. But seeing the hurt and the broken look on his face had caused him to break things off with her entirely.
"Anyway, what did you need to tell me?" Mary asked.
Isobel cleared her throat and reached for her hand.
"Matthew will be coming home to the village next week and he wants to reconnect with the family. Only…"
"Only what?" Mary pressed.
"He won't be alone. He'll be bringing his fiancé with him, Lavinia Swire." Isobel replied kindly.
If she thought that a heart couldn't physically sink in a chest, she was wrong. It felt like her heart had fallen into the very depths of her abdomen, tightening her chest as it went.
Matthew was engaged.
"I know this will be hard for you to hear, Mary. And I'm sorry for it. But it's been four years and he had to move one eventually-"
"Of course!" Mary insisted, painting a smile on her face, "I want him to be happy and I wish him luck."
Isobel looked surprised by her declaration.
"Oh. I uh…" Isobel coughed and cleared her throat again, "I'm glad that you see it that way."
"I hope that we can all be friends. I'm sure Lavinia Swire is everything Matthew wants and needs." Mary said reassuringly.
"Well then that's good to know." Isobel replied.
Mary felt the older woman give her hand another squeeze before rising from the bench and bidding her goodbye. She watched as Isobel walked away until she was out of view when she felt herself let out a strangled sob, her hand covering her mouth as she cried.
The truth was that she wished she could do it over. That she hadn't hesitated about a life with him. She could have been married by now, with a child or two. She could have been happy. Instead, she had spent the last four years regretting not giving him a proper answer, for not fighting for what they had.
When she heard footsteps crunching leaves underfoot, she wiped her eyes and sniffed, trying to appear somewhat normal. When she looked up, she rolled her eyes at the smug look on her cousin's face.
"Well Mary, little Matty is getting married! And it's to someone else." Patrick boasted.
"Yes, he is. I hope he's happy." Mary replied, rising from the bench.
As she tried to walk away, he grasped her upper arm tightly and stopped her. His grey eyes cold as he stared into her brown ones.
"You know a hundred or so years ago it would have been perfectly acceptable for you to marry me and keep the bloodline pure. What you ever saw in Matthew…some bookish worm…I don't know…although I suppose cousins can have their fun…" Patrick whispered.
Mary shuddered with disgust and pushed him away from her with her free arm.
"Matthew isn't a blood relative, he's my father's godson because Reginald and Robert Crawley were best friends at university. Although It's rather unfortunate that we had to take in a sewer rat like you because your father died." Mary sneered.
Patrick's jaw tightened, his grey eyes flaring with anger.
"It wasn't me who broke your heart-"
"I don't have a heart. Everyone knows that." Mary retorted.
Patrick glared at her.
"Be that as it may. Eyes will be on you when your parents return next week, and they'll expect you to accept little Matty has moved on with his life." He goaded.
"Perhaps you should worry about my parents one day needing to keep an eye on you." Mary stated firmly.
Giving him one last glare, Mary turned her attention back to the house and walked as fast as she could away from her cousin.
oOo
A week later, Mary heard a car pull up on the driveway and voices. She peered out of her window and saw Matthew stood outside the front doors, his left arm wrapped around a woman with light red hair and glistening blue eyes. This woman…Lavinia Swire…she looked angelic with a sweet smile and an air of naivety about her.
She stepped away from the window and smoothed out the front of her dress for imaginary creases and left her bedroom, her heart beating faster in her chest as she descended the staircase. She heard voices in the great hall and the familiar sound of her ex-lover's voice made her heart skip a beat. Stopping on the bottom step, her eyes met his and for a moment, the world stood still. Matthew looked at her with confusion, but she gave him a small, reassuring smile and he relaxed.
"Hello Matthew." Mary greeted softly.
She moved from the staircase and stood with the rest of her family.
"Hello, Mary." Matthew replied.
She could feel everyone's eyes on her as she hugged Matthew briefly, trying to ignore his soft scent before pulling away from him. She turned to his left, holding out her hand to the redheaded woman.
"Hello Miss Swire, I'm Mary Crawley." Mary greeted.
The redhead smiled warmly and shook her hand.
"Of course, you are! I mean…Matthew has told me a little about you…it's nice to meet you, Mary. Please, call me Lavinia." The woman replied happily.
"Shall we head through for dinner?" Robert suggested.
The family went through, and Mary found herself sat next to Matthew at the dining table. She listened to her family ask Matthew's new fiancée questions and she noted how the woman looked nervous about being accepted into the family. But so far, she had learned that Lavinia was an only child, her mother long dead and her father still living; a lawyer, a partner in the firm where Matthew worked in London. She had an uncle who was a government minister and she volunteered reading to sick children at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
She really was as sweet as she looked.
The conversation turned to Lavinia asking questions about the family and Mary wished that Patrick hadn't bothered turning up for the dinner. He'd drunk a lot throughout and he had that familiar look of mischief in his eye when he decided to steer the conversation.
"So how is Matthew related to you all?" Lavinia asked.
Patrick let out a chuckle.
"Is that what you're thinking? Or are you thinking he likes to keep it in the family?" Patrick teased.
"Patrick!" Cora scolded.
"Relax, Aunt Cora, you know I like to tease!" Patrick cackled, "No, Lavinia. Matty is Robert's godson, his father and Robert were best friends in university and Matty's been stuck with us since birth."
Mary noted the uncomfortable shift Matthew took in his seat, his jaw locked and his eyes glaring at Patrick. Lavinia simply looked confused, but Mary was unsure how to read her confusion. She felt sympathy for the poor redhead, having to be subjected to Patrick's nasty ways.
"Ignore him, Lavinia," Mary encouraged, "He doesn't know any better, his father didn't seem to teach him any manners."
Patrick cocked his head in her direction and glared at her. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Sybil had taken a sip of her drink to hide her amusement whilst Edith shook her head disapprovingly. Lavinia gave her an appreciative smile and Robert steered the conversation to tales of his university days with Matthew's father.
Dinner seemed to be a little more pleasant after that.
oOo
Mary stood in the doorway typing a reply to Anna's text that the dinner had gone well and she'd be back in London for work on Monday. As she sent the message, she was joined by Matthew who shuffled on his feet with uncertainty. She pocketed her phone and drew her jacket around her tighter, trying to keep the night chill away.
"Dinner went better than I expected." Matthew began.
"Lavinia seems like a sweet woman, I can see why you chose her." Mary replied.
Matthew looked at her curiously. His blue eyes searching hers as if looking for an answer. As if questioning if her words were genuine or a veiled venomous statement which would come back to hurt him later.
"She…she's good…she always puts others before herself and she makes me happy-"
"Then isn't that all that matters?" Mary interrupted.
Matthew paused.
"Mary…I don't…I didn't want to cause you any hurt by my news…" he said quietly.
She smiled up at him, blinking back the tears that threatened to flow.
"Matthew, please be assured that all I want is for you to be happy." She whispered.
"I know things between us ended badly…well they ended worse than badly actually-"
Mary stopped him, taking one step closer to him and looked into his eyes.
"It's in the past. We shared something once, but it's gone now. You're a solicitor and you have found happiness with Lavinia. You will marry her, have children with her and be so successful that one day you'll know that what we once shared was a lovely dream." She smiled sadly.
"Mary, can we be friends at least? I don't want to start a new life without knowing we made up when we had the chance." Matthew requested, his eyes pleading with her.
"Of course!" Mary agreed, trying to stop that nervous fluttering of her heart.
He beamed and squeezed her hand. She tried to ignore the familiar touch of his hand on hers, one that she had missed for the last four years. Leaning into him, she pressed her lips lightly to his cheek and then pulled back, watching as his eyes fell to her lips and she smiled at him once more.
"I wish you and Lavinia the best of luck." She whispered.
Turning away, she walked back into the house and heard him say 'goodnight' but she didn't turn to look back at him. Instead, she climbed the staircase and walked along the gallery to her bedroom. As she closed the door behind her and crossed her bedroom to the dresser and pulled out a pair of pyjamas to wear when her bedroom door opened – and Patrick stumbled in drunk.
"Your bedroom is on the other side of the hall." Mary reminded him.
"I know, Mary, I'll leave you in a moment…" Patrick laughed.
"What do you want Patrick?" Mary snapped impatiently.
Patrick crossed the bedroom, his feet nearly tripping over the other that he had to grip the tall bedpost of the four-poster bed. He braced himself against it as Mary held her arm out to keep a distance between them both.
"How did you find her?" Patrick jeered.
Mary rolled her eyes.
"I find her nice. I find her good for Matthew." She replied.
"And who do you think Matthew pictures when he fucks her? Her sweet little face or yours?" Patrick laughed.
Mary shoved him and gave him a rude hand gesture to which he merely laughed and left the room. She crossed the room and locked the door behind him, silently wishing that she hadn't bothered to return home for this introduction dinner. All that had happened was her trying to pretend that Matthew's news didn't break her heart and her cousin's constant jeering about the engagement only proved to be a source of amusement for Patrick.
She changed into her pyjamas and climbed into bed, switching off the bedside lamp as she rolled on to her side. Her eyes closed and she wished for sleep to come quickly.
