Mary and Matthew's sitting room, July 17th, 1922
"Rose, could you talk with me for a moment?" asked Mary, inviting Rose to her and Matthew's sitting room. She sighed seeing the instantly wary look on her young cousin's face.
"Of course," said Rose airily, sitting down daintily on one of the sofas. "What about?"
"About you and Mr Ross," answered Mary plainly.
"Is it about the kiss? Because that was perfectly innocent!"
"And what about your meeting with him in London? Was it equally innocuous?" asked Mary, giving her a significant look.
Rose gaped at her.
"How do you even know about it? Who told you?!"
Mary rolled her eyes. Seriously!
"I would say that the fact that it took place at all is more important than discussing how I learnt about it, don't you think?"
"There's nothing wrong with me spending time with him!" exclaimed Rose defiantly, making Mary sigh again.
"My dear, all I want is for you not to lose control of your life."
"I love him. And I won't listen to any imperialist nonsense about racial purity and how he should be horsewhipped for daring to dream!"
Now it was Mary's turn to gape at Rose.
"Don't you know me better than that?" she asked incredulously.
"I'm going to marry him, Mary. And I don't care what it costs and I won't keep it a secret. Not once I've told Mummy. I want to see her face crumble when she finds out," said Rose fiercely and stormed out.
Mary dropped her head in her hands.
That went well, she thought sarcastically, and then wished desperately that Sybil was here.
She couldn't imagine more perfect comeuppance than making Sybil deal with Rose.
The door opened and Matthew walked in.
"How was it?" he asked tentatively.
Mary raised her head from her hands and looked at him dryly.
"An utter disaster. Also, it's your turn to try to speak some sense into her."
"So bad, huh?" sighed Matthew, sitting next to her on the sofa and offering her a hug. Mary gratefully relaxed into it.
"She claims she is going to marry him. Also, she wants to see her mummy's face crumble at the news."
"Ah," said Matthew solemnly, "the most mature reason for marrying I've ever heard."
Mary snickered despite herself.
"The thing is, I would love to see Cousin Susan's face at the news too," she confessed, her eyes twinkling. "But I don't want Rose to throw her life away. And I thought dealing with Sybil was bad!"
Matthew looked at her with interest.
"Wasn't it? I didn't witness much of it, except her and Tom's big announcement, of course, and then some of her defiant statements at dinner."
Mary rolled her eyes.
"Oh, you don't know half of it. Like the fact that she and Tom did actually elope and I, Edith and Anna took the car and chased them during the night until we found them at an inn near the Scottish border."
"No!" Matthew stared at her incredulously. "Really? They actually ran off to Gretna Green?"
"Oh, yes. And I risked my life being driven by Edith of all people to stop that particular idiocy."
Matthew frowned.
"But doesn't Scotland have a residency requirement to allow a marriage?"
Mary smirked.
"It does. Three weeks. But I guess they didn't check anything except some romance novels."
Matthew laughed, shaking his head, then looked at her with interest.
"But how did you manage to convince them to come back? Without anybody realising what happened?"
"By appealing to her sense of fairness and hate of deception of any kind," answered Mary quietly, her face softening in remembrance of her little sister. "It was rather desperate gambit on my part, but it worked. Sybil always wanted to stand up for her principles, to do things openly. Even though she was immeasurably better at sneaking around than Rose could ever hope to be."
"She really was exceptional," agreed Matthew sadly, tightening his arm around Mary. "Sometimes I cannot believe she is gone."
"Me neither," said Mary, blinking to stop her tears from falling. "I look at Tom and Sybbie and think how blatantly unfair it is that we all lost her so soon."
She leaned into Matthew's embrace and forced herself to go back to the topic on hand. She feared she was going to fall apart otherwise.
"Anyway, Rose is no Sybil. She is just as defiant, but doesn't have half of her sense, seriously. Can you imagine her living the life she would have with him?"
Matthew tried and failed.
"Do you think she even considered any of practicalities involved or just focuses on the prospect of spiting her mother?" he asked drily.
Mary scoffed.
"Don't forget kissing Mr Ross," she added with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "He is a very attractive man after all."
Music room, Downton Abbey, July 18th, 1922
Edith pulled Matthew into rarely used music room straight after breakfast.
"I talked to Michael," she said without preamble. "He is so very sorry..."
"As well he should be," growled Matthew. He was determined to do everything in his power to help Edith, which down the line meant of course getting her and Gregson married and accepting the cad as part of the family, but at this point Matthew was unsure if he would ever be able to forgive him.
"Well, he is!" insisted Edith.
"And what does he intend to do about the whole thing?"
Edith floundered.
"You know he cannot do much at present," she said quietly. "But he said he will support me in whatever decision I will make. He proposed I come to him in Berlin."
Matthew's eyebrows shot up.
"To what purpose?" he asked darkly.
Edith blushed and wrung her hands nervously.
"To stay with him until he is free and able to marry me and formally adopt the baby. He said that we can come back married and just fudge the timing of the wedding if anybody cares to ask."
Matthew stared at her incredulously.
"And you would want it? To live with him in sin while he remains married to another woman?"
Edith winced.
"It's hardly what I want... I've never imagined I would even consider such a thing, but I cannot be more ruined than I'm already, can I?"
Matthew raked his fingers through his hair.
"That's beside the point!"
He took a deep breath to calm himself and looked at Edith seriously.
"Edith, it's your decision to make, of course."
"But you don't approve of the idea," she said with a sad smile.
"No, I don't," answered Matthew firmly. "I feel it's wrong for you two to act as if he was not married. I've felt like this from the beginning, however sorry I felt for his situation. But, in the end, this is your life and it's not my opinion which counts the most."
"Whose then?"
"Yours. You have yourself and your baby to think of. If that's what you decide to do, then I will have to deal with it."
"I would hate to lose your good opinion though – if there is still any left, at this point," said Edith sadly.
Matthew grasped her hand.
"Of course there is," he said. "I think you made a mistake, but you did it out of love. And I am in no position to judge people for such mistakes, not really."
Edith looked at him with clear question in her eyes but he didn't offer any other details.
"Thank you for being so understanding," she said and kissed him on the cheek as they were leaving the music room.
Only to walk straight into Mary.
"What were you two doing there?" she asked with obvious surprise.
"Talking," answered Matthew easily and went to greet her with a kiss. "What are you doing up so early?"
Mary sighed.
"I am supposed to attend a meeting in the village hall regarding the church bazaar," she said. "I would have completely forgotten if Anna didn't remind me. It used to be Mama and Papa's job."
Matthew grasped her hand comfortingly.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Mary brightened up.
"Oh, could you? It's probably unwise of me to warn you, but from Mama's complaints over the years it's likely there will be a lot of squabbles and village politics involved."
Matthew smiled at his wife.
"For you, I will brave anything," he promised gallantly, making her answer his smile with her own.
Edith judged that Mary was sufficiently distracted for her to abscond without further notice.
She did her best not to feel envious.
Drawing room, Dower House, Downton Village, July 19th, 1922
If Matthew hoped his involvement in solving Edith's situation was going to remain a private matter between the two of them, he was sorely mistaken.
With a sigh, he thought that he should have suspected something yesterday when Lady Rosamund arrived unexpectedly from London, supposedly to check on her mother after her latest brush with bronchitis – even though the Dowager had recovered from it days ago without any complications. Then this morning he was unceremoniously informed that he was invited to the Dower House for tea – and that he was supposed to come without Mary or even letting her know about the invitation. So he shouldn't really be surprised about finding himself in the middle of the Crawley family crisis management meeting, seated between Cousin Violet and Rosamund, with pale Edith opposite them, and a cup of tea handed to him as both a prop and a thank you for obeying his summons.
At least there was cake as well.
"Edith informed me that you guessed the unfortunate situation she has found herself in and are fully aware of the particulars," Violet started without preamble. Matthew swallowed his bite of cake and nodded. Violet looked at him sharply.
"Then what is that nonsense about her keeping the baby?"
Edith put down her cup with a clang.
"Granny, I just cannot stand the thought of giving it up," she said desperately. "And Michael said we can just say we married earlier than we actually will..."
"And what about people who know he is married now?" asked Rosamund sharply. "And about the lack of marriage announcement? What are we supposed to say when people will ask why we never mentioned your wedding or the birth of your child? And they will ask!"
Edith seemed to shrink under the onslaught and Matthew could not remain silent.
"We can say that the wedding was private and quiet, due to both the fact that Edith was still in mourning for her father and that it was Gregson's second marriage," he volunteered, thinking fast. "And Sybil's marriage was not announced either."
Rosamund sent him a poisonous look.
"But at least we were able to tell that it took place when people asked! Here Edith is just going to disappear for nearly two years and then return with a husband and a baby nobody heard about before, and all of us forced into lying through our teeth to give it a veneer of respectability!"
"Rosamund does have a point," said Violet, looking significantly at Edith and Matthew. "Appearing to have kept a marriage secret invites all kinds of unwelcome attention and curiosity. With Sybil we were obviously not making a big production out of it, but we did allow the news of her marriage to spread through less official channels."
"Couldn't we... couldn't we try to do that too? To tell some people that I married abroad, without going into details?" asked Edith hesitantly.
Violet looked at her sharply.
"To lie, you mean?"
Edith winced.
"Well, yes."
"But what if somebody makes the connection that your supposed new husband is in fact already married?" asked Rosamund, striving for a reasonable tone.
"It's not widely known..." said Edith weakly, making Rosamund snort.
"He is not widely known in any proper circles, but it only takes one wrong person to know to completely ruin you!"
Matthew rubbed his forehead tiredly, wishing he was anywhere else except here.
"Wouldn't the presumption of family's disapproval actually work in Edith's favour?" he asked.
Violet looked at him curiously.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Well," said Matthew slowly. "Assuming we just let some chosen people know that Edith married a journalist abroad – with a strong hint that we do not want to talk about it, because he is not an ideal candidate or because she did it without the family's permission, you would know better how to spin it so it would work best – wouldn't it be the explanation enough for lack of details?"
To his surprise, Violet seemed to consider it seriously.
"And then we could stage her return to England as a reconciliation with the family..." she said thoughtfully.
Rosamund looked between them incredulously.
"You cannot be serious about it! It's never going to work!"
Violet shrugged.
"It is a big risk. But it might just work," she looked at Edith intently. "But you have to think about it very carefully, because besides the risk of somebody discovering the truth, it would also mean a huge step down for you in the society. The only way to make it work would be to give the impression that your marriage is a disgrace and disappointment to the family, and even after everything is resolved, you might never be properly welcome in the circles you're used to."
"Haven't you told me that you don't want to be an outcast? That you cannot imagine yourself living in some middle class neighbourhood, forgotten by society?" asked Rosamund earnestly.
Edith raised her head.
"I have. But this was when I was imagining myself as an unmarried mother. If I can return to England as Michael's wife, with our baby – I wouldn't mind living in his flat or lack of invitations."
"But are you sure he will marry you in the end?" asked Violet, looking at her intently. "Because we can lie for you all we want but if in the end he changes his mind, there will be nothing we can do to save you."
Edith's eyes widened in shock.
"Of course he will marry me! He's trying to become a German citizen to do so, for heavens' sake!"
"Maybe he just wants to be free of his wife," continued Violet seriously. "Maybe he wants to marry again. But are you completely sure that in a year and a half it's still going to be you?"
"Yes!" cried out Edith desperately, but Matthew could see fear appearing in her eyes. His heart clenched at the realisation that it must be a horrifyingly realistic threat to a woman jilted at the altar.
"Matthew," Violet turned her penetrating gaze to him. "You spoke with the man. Do you think we can count on him to keep his promises to Edith or is it too big a risk to take?"
Matthew swallowed hard. The last thing he was able to say was that he had any trust in Gregson's honourable intentions or moral integrity. This man had openly stated that he wanted Edith as his mistress, then had promised to end his relationship with her only to continue it in secret and eventually seduce her and get her with child with no way to rectify the situation by marrying her in time for the baby to be legitimate. No, he did not trust the bastard. But if he said so, they would do their utmost to force Edith to give up her baby. And she would either break under pressure or run to Gregson without the family's support, putting herself totally in his mercy. He didn't like either of those scenarios.
He saw Edith's pleading look and chose his words carefully.
"Whatever his faults, he does seem to love Edith and be determined to make it possible to marry her. I believe that he means it, even though I question his conduct while waiting for it to happen."
Violet nodded, accepting his assessment.
"We will have to inform Cora and Mary," she said, making Edith flinch. "They will have to know enough not to contradict the story."
Rosamund looked at her mother in disbelief.
"You cannot tell me that you're going to support this ridiculous plan!"
"I am not happy about it," sighed Violet heavily. "It would be much safer if we went with your original idea, Rosamund. But if she is too stubborn to agree to it, we can hardly force her to. Especially with Matthew getting behind it as well."
Rosamund glared at Matthew, but Edith seemed preoccupied with her grandmother's earlier pronouncement.
"I will write to Mama," she said pleadingly. "But do we really have to involve Mary?"
Violet looked at her with exasperation.
"I know it's not ideal, but how do you imagine for it all to work with her none the wiser?"
"I'm not sure how it's supposed to work with her knowing the truth!" exclaimed Edith helplessly.
"Mary is family," said Violet dismissively. "She might not be pleasant about the whole thing, but she won't betray you to the outside world. She's too loyal for that."
Matthew looked at Violet gratefully and tried to give Edith reassuring smile but he could see that she was not convinced in the slightest.
"Can we at least wait with telling her?" she pleaded again. "At least until we put everything in motion?"
"If you want," said Violet. "It's hardly the most urgent matter. What we need to decide is where you will be living until Mr Gregson can marry you."
Edith looked up in surprise.
"I thought I would join Michael in Berlin..."
"Out of the question!" exclaimed Rosamund, looking scandalised. "To live with him as his mistress?"
Violet's face was also tight with disapproval. Edith looked imploringly at Matthew, but he felt unequal to supporting that particular plan. He would, if she was determined to go through with it, but he did not intend to encourage it.
Edith's shoulders sagged.
"Then what do you advise?" she asked heavily.
"To take Rosamund on her offer to go to Switzerland. Or join your mother in America, I am sure she can find some discreet accommodation for you there. Whatever you choose, at least you won't be putting herself wholly in his power until you know that he's going to honour his promises to you," her stern face softened. "Take few days and consider your options, my dear. We are going to support you in this."
Edith nodded woodenly.
Driveway, Dower House, Downton Village, July 19th, 1922
Edith practically collapsed into the passenger seat of Matthew's AC.
"That was tough, wasn't it?" he said with compassion, getting into his own.
Edith laughed.
"You could say that!" she said. "I think facing Spanish Inquisition would have been easier!"
He grinned in response, starting the motor.
"I would prefer the inquisitors over Cousin Violet myself," he shook his head ruefully. "She's worse than any general I had to deal with in the army."
They drove off, neither noticing Mary approaching the gates of Dower House with deep puzzlement on her face.
Mary and Matthew's bedroom, Downton Abbey, July 19th, 1922
"What have you and Edith been doing at Granny's earlier today?" asked Mary casually, applying perfume to her wrists and behind her ears.
Matthew looked up from his book, visibly startled, which only increased her vague suspicions.
"We were invited for tea," he answered with what she perceived as too carefree tone.
"Without me?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
Matthew shrugged slightly.
"Well, you've been gone to meet with the vendors for the bazaar, haven't you?"
She had been. It all sounded perfectly reasonable. Granny was known to demand presence of different family members whenever she was bored or had some sudden business to delegate. And of course Aunt Rosamund's visit, while surprising, was also not unprecedented. And yet Mary was sure something was afoot.
Before she could try to drag it out of Matthew, there was a knock on the door. Tom came in, looking extremely awkward.
"Can I have a word? I've seen something, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong about it, but I'd feel uncomfortable if I kept it to myself."
"I'm all ears," said Mary, feeling her stomach drop.
"This morning in Thirsk, I saw Rose."
"Yes, she was shopping," said Mary, with a growing certainty that it was not at all what Rose was doing. Apparently keeping her away from London was not enough to keep her out of trouble. She noticed Matthew dropping his face into his hands.
"No, she was not shopping. She was... meeting a man. I saw her as she reached up to stroke his cheek."
"Oh, golly. Who is it this time?" she asked, fully expecting the answer.
"It was Jack Ross - the singer with the band who came up for Matthew's party. That's it. I've told you and I have nothing more to add."
He left the room as if chased by monsters, leaving Mary and Matthew staring at each other gloomily.
"Your turn," she pointed out sharply.
Matthew just flopped against the armchair with a groan.
Matthew's study, Downton Abbey, July 20th, 1922
Rose flung herself into an armchair, crossing her arms and glaring at Matthew defiantly.
"I love him!" she declared passionately. "We're engaged and we are going to get married. And nothing what you or Mary can say is going to dissuade me!"
"Rose," said Matthew firmly. "I am not going to tell you what to do. I just want to make sure that you know what you're really about. Can we talk?"
She looked at him suspiciously but nodded.
"Answer me this question first," said Matthew, eying her carefully. "Have you ever washed the laundry? Or the dishes?"
She looked at him with open astonishment, then scowled.
"I did serve tea and cakes to the Russian refugees and I helped to collect and wash the cups," she said triumphantly. Matthew nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, your Russian refugees. Are you truly prepared to live like they do?"
For a moment, she looked stricken again, but again she rallied.
"Jack has a good gig at the Lotus Club. And I am sure Daddy will give us some money."
"If he has money to give," said Matthew quietly, feeling a bit guilty seeing Rose's eyes grow wide at this statement. "He is paying for your clothes and other expenses, but we agreed to pay for your ball next year ourselves in face of his difficulties. We didn't want to tell you, but we decided to treat it as our present for your debut. I wouldn't have mentioned it, except that if you are counting on your father to support you and Mr Ross you should speak with him about it first - both if he's able and if he's willing."
"Of course he's going to be willing, if only he has some money left! He wouldn't leave me without help!"
"No, normally not. I know how much he loves you," agreed Matthew. "But if he knew that his support could be a deciding factor for you to marry Mr Ross or not, what do you think he would do?"
Rose pursed her lips, her confidence waning.
"Even if not, I will still marry him. Money is not as important as love! What kind of love it would have been if I was only going to marry him if there was money?"
"I understand this line of reasoning better than you think," said Matthew seriously, thinking of a young man asking the woman he adored whether she loved him enough to live with him on his wits alone. "I used to think the same way, truly. But, with a bit more experience with marriage now, I no longer think it's completely black and white."
He smiled ruefully.
"Money alone can cause so many quarrels between the couple. Especially when there is very little of it. And money is hardly going to be your only difficulty. You will have it all: likely poverty, family opposition, scorn of the society, your different upbringing and expectations getting between you at most unexpected moments."
"Sybil did it! She married Tom and lived working class life with him! And they were happy!"
"Yes," acknowledged Matthew. "It's true. But ask Tom if you don't believe me - it wasn't always easy for any of them. And the difference also is that Sybil had much better idea both of what she wanted and what she could expect. She and Tom waited for years to make their move and confirm their commitment to each other. They didn't elope, they waited for at least partial family approval. And finally, Sybil spent years doing hard physical labour as a VAD nurse, seeing unimaginable horrors. She was not only older than you, she had to mature a great deal due to everything she went through. And I repeat - for all their love, their marriage went through some very rough patches due to their differences. Tom still has difficulty with feeling he fits in. Can you imagine Mr Ross ever becoming part of your world? Your family?"
"You wouldn't accept him either? If so, I am so disappointed in you!"
Matthew sighed.
"I would. I don't really know him, so I cannot say whether I would like him or not, but if he was your husband, I would try to be as welcoming as possible. I did it for Tom and I gained my best friend as a reward."
He raised his hand to stop the words ready to follow her delighted smile.
"But it still wouldn't work, Rose," he said seriously. "It wouldn't be enough. Ask Tom. We all love him and yet he struggles to find his place and acceptance both among our circles and with the servants. And Mr Ross would find it unimaginably harder. You know how generally open-minded and accepting our kind of people are. Do you truly expect that they would abandon their collective prejudices just like that for you two?"
"But those prejudices are wrong!"
"They are. Which does not change the fact that living your life as a standard bearer for a righteous cause is exhausting and challenging in a hundred cruel ways. If that's what you want - if that's what you two fully want - I will try to accept it and I won't cut you off. But Rose, you must be very, very sure. Because there will be no way back if you get tired of it, not truly. It will never be forgotten by others even if you and Mr Ross decide to go your separate ways in the end. So think about it, really, properly think about it. Go visit your Russians in their cold one room flats in the attic and imagine you're in one as well. Ask Mr Ross how much money he actually makes and how much he would be able to spend on your dresses. Go to the kitchen and learn some cooking - somebody will have to do it after all. And ask Mr Ross if you would be even allowed into Lotus Club as his wife."
Despite the grave seriousness of the topic he had to stifle a laugh seeing that his last argument seemed to strike Rose the most.
"I will also remind you," he finished, getting up from his armchair. "That you cannot marry him without your father's permission until you're 21. And that's still a year and a half away."
Library, Downton Abbey, July 20th, 1922
"I feel like such a hypocrite, intervening in other people's relationship like that," said Tom, pouring himself some whisky at their impromptu evening war council.
"But you will talk with her? She might find you more believable than either of us," asked Matthew, nursing his own glass of whisky and soda.
Mary looked at him sourly.
"At least she talked to you. She didn't even deign to do that with me, just stormed out after accusing me of being blood purity obsessed imperialist."
Tom snickered.
"I wonder what gave her that impression."
Mary glared at him.
"Not you too! I might not be a socialist, but honestly, I am not as bad as that!"
Tom raised his hands in a pacifying gesture.
"No, you're not. I'm sorry for teasing you."
Mary huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms.
"But hypocrite or not, you do see the need for intervention?"
Tom sighed.
"I wouldn't have told you what I witnessed in Thirsk otherwise," he said, clearly uncomfortable. "I don't see them marrying as bad, but..." he stopped, unsure how to put his uneasiness into words.
"But you don't think Rose is doing it for the right reasons?" asked Matthew.
"Or that she thought it through at all?" added Mary dryly.
Tom chuckled awkwardly.
"Yes, for both," he took a big sip of his drink and continued seriously. "It took Sybil years to decide whether she was ready to marry me and as big as the gap between our social positions was, and even with added issues of the hostility between Ireland and England, it was still easier than what Rose will face if she goes through with it. And she has known him only since April! Three months!"
"And actually talked with him in person maybe a handful of times," pointed out Mary. "There might have been letters and telephone calls too, but it hardly seems enough for the commitment she is considering."
The men nodded in agreement.
"If anything, I am more surprised at Mr Ross," said Mary thoughtfully. "Granted, I have not talked with him much, but between Rose and him, he seems more reasonable of the two."
Matthew sighed.
"I guess I should try to speak with him about it," he said reluctantly. "I am in position of her guardian until she is of age."
Tom snickered.
"Just don't offer him money to leave her alone," he said in response to Matthew and Mary's surprised looks. "Trust me, it's not likely to work."
Mary's eyes widened in horrified comprehension.
"No, you cannot mean to say that Papa actually..."
Tom nodded solemnly.
"He most definitely did. It went about as well as you could expect."
Matthew shook his head in a mix of amusement and fond exasperation.
"Duly noted," he said. "Approach the whole matter as Robert wouldn't have and maybe we have a shot at it."
Dining room, Downton Abbey, July 21st, 1922
"You're going back home already?" asked Mary with surprise, after Aunt Rosamund asked at lunch to have the car brought for her within an hour.
"I only wanted to check how Mama was doing," answered Aunt Rosamund, cutting her meat daintily. "And I have some pressing business in London to deal with."
"Ahead of your trip to Switzerland?" asked Mary without giving it much thought, but Aunt Rosamund's reaction piqued her interest. Her eyes widened for a moment in alarm and turned towards Edith. She covered for it quickly, but it was unmistakable.
"Oh, I don't yet know for sure if I'm going or not," she said casually. "It was rather an impulsive decision and I have to think about it a bit more."
Mary was certain.
There was a conspiracy afoot.
A conspiracy she was conspicuously excluded from. And which seemed to centre around Edith of all people. Granny, Aunt Rosamund and, to her astonishment, Matthew, were all definitely involved.
What could it possibly be? Edith was normally about as mysterious as a bucket. The only scandalous thing she had ever done was getting involved with Mr Gregson, despite knowing he was married. So whatever it was, must have concerned him somehow... Mary would eat one of her hats before Edith managed to find herself embroiled with two unsuitable men.
But why all this sneaking around and involvement of multiple people? Of Matthew? And that sudden idea of a trip to the Continent... Was Edith trying to join Mr Gregson there? With Aunt Rosamund as her cover? But why would Aunt Rosamund ever agree to play such a role?
Oh, that was all too frustrating. She needed facts.
Who was the weakest link?
She immediately scratched Granny off the list. Matthew would have been an obvious choice - she had her ways of extracting secrets from him, both pleasant and unpleasant - but if his word or principles got involved, well, she would be facing an uphill battle if there ever was.
Which left Edith and Aunt Rosamund.
Edith was easy to goad, but also the least likely person to ever confess to Mary.
Aunt Rosamund it was then.
Well, since they were going to London to talk with Mr Ross anyway...
"Matthew and I have some pressing business in London tomorrow," she said, smirking slightly at the sudden look of alarm on Rose's face. "Could we spend the night at your place?"
London, July 22nd, 1922
Matthew was greeted by melodious singing when he entered the dimly lit backstage of the club, which promptly ceased when he was noticed by the singer.
"Lord Grantham. Huh. I was wondering if it would be you."
"How did you know someone was coming?"
"Rose telephoned. She said she'd told Lady Mary we were about to set the date. I just made some tea. Would you like a cup?"
"Thank you."
He sat on a chair at a small table in the middle of the room, while Mr Ross cleared away the beer bottles that were left standing on it.
"I suppose you're here to say that Lord Flintshire would find the prospect of a black son-in-law preposterous. And that you agree."
"To be fair to Rose's father, he might be more horrified at the prospect of a band leader as his son-in-law than at your colour. Rose's mother, on the other hand, might find it more of a problem," answered Matthew calmly. "As for myself, I like to consider myself open minded when it comes to people loving each other, as long at least as they are willing and able to commit to each other properly and for the right reasons."
He thought about Edith and Gregson and barely supressed a wince.
Mr Ross looked at him intently.
"And you doubt our reasons?"
"Not yours, necessarily. But I am not convinced about Rose's."
Mr Ross chuckled without mirth, putting two steaming cups of tea on the table and sitting down opposite Matthew.
"My mother said that she is most likely trying to prove some point by agreeing to this."
"Mothers are often wise," said Matthew, taking a careful sip of his tea. "Yours sounds like mine, both wise and blunt. Unfortunately, Rose's mother is quite different, and I am afraid rebelling against her might be influencing Rose more than it should on such a serious matter."
"You don't believe she simply loves me?" asked Mr Ross, reaching for his own tea.
Matthew looked at him seriously.
"I do believe she does love you, actually. But Rose loves very easily and she is very young. And forgive me, but considering how shortly you know each other, I am concerned whether she is quite ready to make such a lasting commitment."
"To a man like me," said Mr Ross with a wry smile.
Matthew nodded.
"Yes, to a man like you. I would be concerned about any engagement of hers entered at that age and after such a short acquaintance, but we both know that a marriage between you and her would necessarily mean all kinds of difficulties and challenges. And I am simply not convinced that Rose gave it enough serious consideration."
"Is that a moment when you offer me a significant amount of money so I can quietly disappear from her life?"
Matthew shrugged.
"I don't want to insult Rose by assuming that she would be willing to engage herself to a man who would accept such an offer. No, what I want to ask are your intentions. How do you expect to support her? How do you imagine your life together to look like?"
"You're not going to bribe me to abandon her, but you want to me to realise that there will be no money in marrying her either, don't you?" asked Mr Ross with a smile.
"I cannot imagine Lord Flintshire giving Rose her settlement in the circumstances," answered Matthew honestly. "Not if he had any hope that it would make either of you likely to reconsider the whole idea."
"Thankfully for him I've never counted on his money. Rose's family's wealth has been more of a hindrance than hope for me from the beginning. If she was a shopgirl, the whole thing would have been so much easier."
Matthew found himself believing him and feeling beginning of sincere compassion stirring in his breast. He was increasingly convinced that he was looking at a man deeply in love.
"It probably would have been," he acknowledged. "But as it is, how do you imagine your life together?"
Mr Ross sighed.
"When I imagine myself and Rose alone," he answered quietly, looking into his tea. "I imagine bliss. I see love and joy and happiness and passion. But then, I imagine the rest of the world getting involved and the vision darkens. I see people pointing at her and jeering. And I find that I cannot stand the thought of Rose dealing with any of that."
He raised his eyes to Matthew.
"Don't worry, Lord Grantham. I won't be marrying your cousin. I enjoyed her dreams, but I won't spoil her life. I love her too much to do that."
"You are a good man, Mr Ross," said Matthew, standing up and offering him his hand. Mr Ross accepted it but looked at him defiantly.
"It doesn't mean I think it's right. I wouldn't give in if we lived in even a slightly better world."
"It may surprise you, Mr Ross, but if we lived in a better world, I wouldn't want you to," said Matthew sincerely, meaning every word.
Sitting room, Painswick House, Eaton Square, London, July 22nd, 1922
"It was very nice of you to let us stay on such a short notice, when you only came back from Downton yesterday," said Mary, reaching for one of the colourful macaroons on a silver serving dish.
"My home is always open," answered Aunt Rosamund pleasantly, taking one herself. Meade served coffee and hot chocolate and discretely left the room.
"As Edith had occasion to experience, recently," said Mary serenely, pouring herself some of the hot chocolate.
She barely restrained a triumphant grin when she noticed an alarmed look on Aunt Rosamund's face. She was obviously on the right track!
She busied herself with the pot and her cup instead, pretending ignorance.
"Whatever do you mean?" asked Rosamund sharply.
Mary feigned innocence.
"Oh, only that she was lucky to have your support at such a trying time."
"You know about it?" asked Rosamund disbelievingly.
"Of course," said Mary with a shrug. "Took me a while, but I have guessed in the end. I am not completely oblivious."
She kept her face carefully impassive as she waited with bated breath to see if her ploy would work.
"You're taking it awfully calm," noted Aunt Rosamund suspiciously.
"Well, it's not my problem in the end, is it?" said Mary with studied indifference, hoping that her usual lack of concern for Edith would be enough to make it sound true.
Obviously it was believable enough because Aunt Rosamund huffed and relaxed against her chair.
"That girl really needs to be more careful if she does want to retain any hope of keeping it secret. Too many people guessed it already."
So there truly is a secret to guess! I was right!
"I would hope that her life is usually too boring to invite much curiosity or attention from outside the family."
Rosamund smirked.
"Well, we both know that it's been untrue for some time now, don't we?"
Do we?
"Quite," Mary smirked back over her cup, then asked casually. "So, what's the plan then? Switzerland or Germany?"
Rosamund rolled her eyes.
"It would be Switzerland if Edith had an ounce of sense," she grumbled. "She could give the baby to a nice family and all would be well. But no, now that she got it into her head to keep the baby and with Mr Gregson and your husband supporting this ridiculous notion, God only knows what she's going to do. Mr Gregson tried to persuade her to join him in Germany for now, but Berlin is hardly a deserted island. It's enough that one wrong person learns about her playing happy families with Gregson there before he is safely divorced and then what?"
It took all Mary had to stop herself from dropping her cup as her fingers got suddenly numb.
Edith is pregnant?!
Just as soon as she thought it she wanted to slap herself on the forehead. Of course she was pregnant. The shocking thing was that it took Aunt Rosamund spelling it out for Mary to realise. All the clues were there. What other secret could Edith have that would demand family's councils, extensive trip to Switzerland and keeping it all from Mary? If she just wanted to live in sin with Mr Gregson, she would hardly need to involve Aunt Rosamund in it, never mind Granny and Matthew. Mary never noticed any signs of pregnancy, but then again she barely paid attention to Edith on a good day...
But she wanted to keep the child? And Matthew not only knew, but was supporting that insanity?
Mary felt as if her head was reeling.
She realised that Aunt Rosamund was expecting some reaction out of her and it wouldn't do to raise her suspicions.
"I can hardly believe she got Matthew roped into this," she said sincerely. Matthew's involvement - and the fact that he kept it all secret from her - was truly bothering her.
"From what she told me, he guessed the truth as well and forced her to tell him the rest. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if he didn't let sentiment override common sense."
Mary unwittingly touched her still barely visible bump. She had an inkling why Matthew could be aghast at the idea of giving up a baby. Even one conceived in circumstances he had been actively trying to prevent from the start.
The circumstances... She could still scarcely believe that Edith actually went and had a full-blown affair with a married man. The hypocrite!
Well, served her right that she ended up in a proper mess as the result.
"Mary? Are you quite alright?"
Mary looked up at Aunt Rosamund, realising that she must have missed a question. She forced herself to smile.
"To be honest, I am quite tired. Would you excuse me? I think a nap would do me a world of good."
She put down her cup, still half full, and made her way upstairs on slightly shaky legs. She needed time and solitude to properly think about it all.