As she hurried up the stairs from the servants hall Cora did her best to remain poised and dignified even though her heart was racing and all she wanted to do was race up the stairs like she was being chased by the dogs of hell. It was a primal need she felt in her chest, the need to escape not a physical threat but a threat nonetheless. She'd always prided herself in being in control, of not allowing herself to get emotional in public or in front of others. Cora had sworn early on in her marriage that she wouldn't be some 'flighty, overly dramatic American house wife who sobbed and screamed and shrieked at the drop of a hat'. She'd understood well what was expected of her, both in terms of how she had to behave and how her enemies believed she actually would. She'd known that everyone, including her new husband's family, was watching her to see if she slipped up and confirmed all their cruel conceptions of her. So she'd worked hard to maintain the image of her being a proper British wife who maintained control of herself and her reactions. Even though the years had gone on and people now accepted her as one of them (so much so that many forgot she was the daughter of a Jewish Cincinnati businessman) she still maintained control, though more out of pride than fear.
And yet as O'Brien's words echoed through Cora's head, taunting her, she felt the urge to collapse into a shaking fit right there in the stairwell.
"And if anyone thinks I'm going to pull my forelocks and curtsy to this Mr. Nobody from Nowhere…"
She knew that the servants thought her anger stemmed from catching O'Brien speaking ill of a member of the family and in truth that was a part of it. But Cora knew such things happened. She wasn't like some of the upper class who seemed to believe at times that they lived in an Elizabethan novel where the servants were always loyal to a fault and would do all they could, from the highest butler to the lowest stable boy, to ensure the prosperity of the house. In their minds Carson wasn't a gem but the norm and O'Brien's snarled comments about Matthew were a rarity that shocked all that heard it.
'Oh, I'm sure Robert believes I think the same way… heavens knows he'd made enough snide little comments about O'Brien.' Robert had never understood why Cora had picked O'Brien to be her lady's maid, thinking that she'd have wanted someone that would be more like Anna, especially in the way she was with Mary. But it had been Violet who had suggested Cora find someone like O'Brien… it had, in fact, been her first kind piece of advice.
Not that it had sounded as such at the time…
"While you are not the woman I would have chosen for Robert he has chosen you and thus how you succeed and fail will forever shine upon this house. That is why I want you, when searching for your lady's maid, to find one with experience and ignore all else about her."
"But shouldn't there be a connection between us?"
"Oh my no. In fact, if there is one that seems as if she were the last woman you'd ever be friends with select her!"
"But why?"
Violet shot a level stare at her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "People are going to look at you and expect you to fail. They would have done this with any wife Robert chose, as it is in our nature to want to see ourselves rise while others fall, but you being an American, the daughter of a businessman and a Jewish one at that? Oh, they will quiver in anticipation. Don't be shocked when you receive not a single rejection for a dinner party… but understand they are only accepting because you are an oddity. Like some strange jungle cat at the London Zoo to be gawked at. They will be looking to see how you fail, what mistakes you make, and that is why you must find a lady's maid who seeks to do her job properly and not be your friend. One wanting to confide in you and gossip will allow you to get away with errors so not to upset you. One who sees her job as one she must do will not, as you Americans say, 'pull her punches'." Violet sighed, waving her hand. "Later on, when you've had proper British children and all have forgotten that you have been anything but Lady Cora Crawley… then you may find one who is kind and gentle and who you can share silly secrets, if that is what you want. But for now? Pick one who is stern. Who is tough. Who will refuse to stand down."
And so Cora had chosen O'Brien and soon seen the wisdom in Violet's words. The woman was dour and she knew she tended to stir things up downstairs (especially in the last few years when Thomas had come on board) but she knew what needed to be done and could do it quick and efficiently. Cora also found that, as mad as it sounded, she could ask questions to her she'd never be able to utter to a maid she was close friends with. Had she someone like how Mary had Anna Cora would have been too embarrassed to ask about certain social expectations. But with O'Brien she knew the woman would answer her truthfully; she might whisper it amongst the staff, of course, but Cora knew that was true with any servant. Better that than being revealed to be a fool. O'Brien was rather like a dry book that Cora could reference whenever she needed too.
Yes, she wasn't surprised that O'Brien had talked as she did. And while upsetting it wasn't all because of her disrespecting the family. What shook Cora was that O'Brien's words and attitude so reflected her own.
As she made her way up to her room, thankful that there was no one to see how flush she was, her mind went to another memory, this one further back, to the days when childhood had passed her but womanhood seemed out of her grasp. An awkward time, when one could not decide if they wanted to put away the toys of their youth or cling to them one final time. Her mother had taken her to a restaurant during a visit to their New York house, she forgot the occasion and perhaps there had been none, but they'd had the misfortune to end up with a terrible cook. The bread was too salty, the fish dried out, the sauce clashed with the meat. Cora had seen her mother's eyebrows twitch and heard her muttering under her breath only to pause when another woman at a table near theirs began to cry out over the same offenses that Martha had been annoyed by. Cora had watched the waiter try and make amends but the woman continued to mock him and everyone who worked at the restaurant.
"Oh, leave the boy alone," her mother said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "It isn't his fault and you aren't changing anything acting like that."
"Who… who do you think you are?" the other woman snarled. "I'll have you know I am Lillius Grace, wife of Mayor Grace!"
"Well, I'm Martha Levison, the woman who will be making sure your husband's rival for his position receives a very hefty donation. Now please shut your mouth, it reminds me of a sow's." She then pointedly turned away and gestured to the waiter. "Tell the cook that I appreciate what he is trying to do. We all have bad days."
Cora stared at her mother in shock as Mrs. Grace stormed out of the restaurant and the waiter went to relay the message. "Why did you do that?" she whispered. "You were complaining about the same things she was."
"Yes. And then I got to see my own words and thoughts coming from another person and I found myself disgusted."
Cora had never really understood what her mother had meant… not until this day. Hearing O'Brien's comments about Mathew, about how he was "Mr. Nobody from Nowhere" and how she wouldn't bow to him had struck Cora. Not because it insulted a member of the family. Not because it insulted Robert's heir. It struck her because she had held the same thoughts. She'd questioned the wisdom in allowing a middle class lawyer to be heir of Downton. She had thought Robert mad when he'd proclaimed Matthew to be perfect for the role. She'd scoffed at his suggestion that Matthew would be a perfect fit for Mary, better than Patrick had ever been. Even though Matthew had proven himself during dinner to be polite and considerate and to know far more about how to behave than Cora had her first time eating at Downton she'd still looked down at him and found reasons to look at him as an intruder.
Yet hearing those same words and thoughts spoken so cruelly by O'Brien…
She tried to tell herself that it was different. That she wasn't like O'Brien and when she said things it was less to do with ego and pride and more about wanting what was best for Downton. O'Brien lashed out out of pettiness while she grew concerned in the face of this potential disgrace for the family.
But then she remembered another man she'd mocked and scorned and how Robert had looked at her. How he'd asked if she heard herself speak as she belittled his old batman Bates. They had fought plenty of times, that was marriage after all, but she'd never seen him utterly disgusted like that before. And she'd felt herself making the same face and thinking the same words when she heard O'Brien in the servant's hall.
"And then I got to see my own words and thoughts coming from another person and I found myself disgusted."
Those words stayed with her the entire day, whispering in the back of her mind as she went about her tasks. Like a horrid perfume worn by an old duchess trying to hide the scent of death that clung to her bones, the words lingers long after the source of them had left. Even hours later, as she approached Mary's room where the girls made final preparations for their second dinner with Cousins Matthew and Isobel, the words haunted her.
"Why are you so against him?" Sybil asked, her voice muffled by the door but still discernible. "He hasn't done anything wrong."
"You mean aside from the fact that he is planning to steal our inheritance?" Mary asked sharply.
"Except it isn't ours, is it?" Edith asked. "Sybil and I would have never gotten it. We're left on our own."
"And it isn't yours either," Sybil pointed out. "You act like Matthew is a thief who has snuck during the night to rob you of your jewels, only they never belonged to you at all and he has not stolen them but been given them legally. You were only going to get it because you were going to marry Patrick."
"Which you made quite clear you were quite again," Edith pressed.
"Don't try and be smart, you fail miserably at it," Mary retorted. "He isn't one of us."
Sybil chuckled at that and Cora leaned closer to the door, curious what her youngest would say. "And what would make him 'one of us'? His birth? If that is the case then none of us truly matter. We deserve all of this only because Mama gave birth to us. Why bother bettering ourselves then? Why learn French or how to ride?"
"You've being absurd," Mary groused. "It is how we hold ourselves, our respect for tradition, our understanding of the world that makes us who we are… and his lack of it makes him who he is."
"How we hold ourselves?" Sybil asked. Cora was startled that Sybil was still fighting this; she knew that her youngest had the fieriest temper of her children but she'd never seen her to go at Mary the way Edith did. "We are taught to show respect and nobility to all… you snipe at Cousin Matthew in front of everyone and disgrace yourself in front of our family." Mary made a choking sound but Sybil wasn't done. "Respect for tradition? Tradition states that Matthew inherit and you are throwing a tantrum over it. Perhaps you meant 'Respect for traditions that benefit only Lady Mary Crawley'? Our understanding of the world? If I were to drop you and Matthew on a London street and commanded neither of you to use your titles he would be back here in a day. You'd be dead in an hour after you called a chimney sweep an ignorant little gutter snipe." Sybil scoffed. "Yes… he isn't one of us… he's clearly better."
Cora blinked at that. 'No… not like Edith. Edith makes snide remarks and insults, same as Mary. The two of them launch their stones and hope to hit the battlement. Sybil is attacking like a swordsman, using facts as her blade, each one a lethal blow.'
"Better?" Mary growled only to calm herself. Even with Sybil coming at her from all sides Mary couldn't attack her baby sister. She wasn't Edith, who seemed to be locked in battle with her, the two like falcons tearing into each other even as they plummeted to mutual destruction. "So now you subscribe to his theory that the middle class is better than us? I suppose next you'll be saying that we should all get jobs as well? Edith could be a secretary, you a nurse, and I would drive trains?" Mary let out a snort. "That is why it is dangerous to dine with these people. They put mad ideas in your head. Papa should be keeping them at a distance from us instead of making us dine with them."
"And if anyone thinks I'm going to pull my forelocks and curtsy to this Mr. Nobody from Nowhere…"
Cora entered the room, forcing a smile on her face as she saw Anna, who'd been making ready to leave, standing before her. While she forced herself to wear a mask of calm inside she recoiled. Mary had once more acted as if Anna would hold all her secrets or had simply forgotten she was there… but Cora felt dread slither through her chest as just what the servants would be talking about at their meal. 'First Thomas and then O'Brien… Anna may hold her tongue but how long before Mary slips in front of the wrong person and the entire staff believes it okay to revolt against Matthew?'
As she dismissed her youngest daughters Cora was suddenly struck with a horrifying vision of what could come. The servants turning openly hostile towards Matthew until Robert was forced to do something. But by then it would be too late. Word would spread, it always did, of what had happened, how even his own servants cared not for his heir, and Robert would become a laughing stock. Cora could see the offers for Mary's hand wither like a strawberry in a drought, the old families seeing how bitter she was and how she wanted to break with tradition and would fear allowing her to pollute their houses. Mary thought herself a traditionalist but Sybil had hit it on the head: Mary only cared about what aided her, damn the rest. And while there were plenty of women like that (Violet Crawley came to mind), Mary did not have the subtly they had gained through time and wisdom. No, Mary would drive away everyone and possibly everyone for Edith and Sybil, forcing the girls to either marry into a lower station… or be at the mercy of a now bitter and embarrassed Matthew who had been treated cruelly by the servants and the family and expected to simply accept it.
Cora remembered Robert telling her a few years back about a similar case. An earl or a duke, she couldn't remember which, had two sons. The oldest had been born handsome and was favored, seen as the perfect heir. The younger had been born short, almost a dwarf, and the earl had seen the child as a mistake, an embarrassment. He made it clear his hatred for him and thus bred scorn among his other children (including his two daughters, born after the ill-fated second son), their friends and neighbors, and their servants. Finally, on his 18th year, the younger son left with merely a suitcase and nothing else, not even a farewell from anyone in the house. The only regret they'd had was that they were no longer able to mock him to his face, as watching him seethe impotently was always such fun for them.
And then the elder son had died in a riding accident, the father gravely injured and not long for the world himself.
The scorned second son had waited until his father was breathing his last breath to enact his revenge. He fired every servant and swore none would receive reference, ensuring that even their butler who'd served for decades would struggle to find work. He made it clear he would pay no dowry for his sisters and they would receive no aid from him; according to Robert they had died in a workhouse but Cora sensed their fate was even worse than that. And finally the second son had burned their ancestral home to the ground and plundering every coin the family had once had to their name, using it to set himself up in America.
It had been a horrid story and now Cora could see it happening again with Matthew. He was smart and being a lawyer meant he knew his way around the law. All he'd have to do is wait for Robert to die before he used the power of Downton to destroy everything. He could crush the servants, ruin the girls, and leave herself begging for charity or fleeing to America. Alienating and insulting him so openly would not make him go away… it would create a monster that Cora could not see them stopping.
"Making you dine with whom?" Cora asked, forcing herself to sound cheerful when she was anything but.
"Mary doesn't care for Cousin Matthew," Edith said.
"That is an understatement," Sybil stated, an odd look crossing her face. "Though if she got to know him better-"
"That will never come," Mary said. "His mad idea of us having tea and chatting… who would do such a thing?"
"I did," Sybil said. "This morning."
"That is where you were?" Cora asked.
"Indeed. I found him… refreshing."
"Ah," Mary said with a triumphant smirk. "That is why you are acting out of sorts. The jumped up lawyer has put thoughts into your head."
"…Sybil be a dear and fetch my black shawl." Cora shot Edith a look and, cluing in that she wasn't really interested in the shawl, Edith joined Sybil in making a hasty retreat.
Cora watched Mary tense up. 'Good… she knows she's in trouble.' The question was, of course, would Mary's anger and pride allow her to hear what her mother had to say or would she react first and deal with the damage later?
"My dear… I don't want you—any of your—to feel you have to dislike Matthew."
"You disliked the idea of him," Mary retorted, standing up and moving away from her.
'Anger and pride it is,' Cora thought with a sigh before continuing. "Yes but that was before I got to know him. Now that he's here I simply see no way around it. What good will it do to antagonize him?"
Rather than answer Mary chose to ignore the question and just rant. "I don't believe a woman can be forced to give away all her money to a practical stranger."
"It's not just 'my money', my dear. It is part of the estate."
"I was referring to me," Mary said snidely. "It is rightfully mine and this usurper will need to learn-"
"For once in your life would you please just listen!" Cora snarled. She fought to reign in her temper as Mary recoiled in shock; Cora had never snapped at her before and it was clear from the look on her face she hadn't expected that. Taking several calming breaths Cora finally felt as if she could talk to her daughter without wanting to take hold of her shoulders and shake her. "It was never your money." Mary opened her mouth but Cora just stared her down. "Sybil was right. It never belonged to you. Your father and I made a match between you and Patrick so you might be settled but now I see that was a mistake. Rather than seeing it as making the best of the situation you saw it as you getting what was your birthright when that was never the case. In another time and another age you might have been the heir but this is the world we live in. It is my fault… I sheltered you and allowed you to develop these… feelings," she'd wanted to say 'avarice desires' but bit her tongue, "so you are not entirely to blame. But I will not allow this to continue on a second more. Matthew is heir and has proven himself kind and proper-"
"He insulted us!" Mary bemoaned. "He has Papa twisted around his little finger, giving him the son he always wanted! Sybil has her head full of nonsense thanks to him and I imagine it will be only days before Edith begins to make cow eyes at him. And now you? Am I the only one to see him for what he is? A man who should never have been allowed at our table, a fraud who tries to dress as a gentleman but can't even hold his knife properly-"
"You see him for what you want him to be. It's easier to see him as some horrid monster that has come to steal what is yours than to see him for what he truly is: a man who, due to a twist of fate, has become heir. A role that was never yours… despite what you believed."
Mary just shook her head. "I don't intend to stop, Mama. It isn't fair."
"Life isn't fair." Cora let out another sigh. She knew what she'd say next would go over badly but felt it had to be suggested. "But there is a way to once more make a bad situation better. A way to secure your future and give you a position."
The only reason Mary didn't rage was due to her shock. "You can't be serious."
"Just think about it."
"I don't have to think about it!" Mary turned and grabbed her gloves, tugging them on. "Marry an arrogant, puffed up know-it-all who only gained his power due to his birth and a twist of fate?" Cora stared at her and Mary huffed. "And don't bring up what Sybil said because this is entirely different."
"Is it?"
Mary could see that she was losing this argument and grasped at some way to win Cora over. "Have you told this mad idea to Granny? I hope you did… I'd love to hear how much she laughed."
"Why would she laugh when it was her idea?"
Cora watched as her daughter was once more rendered speechless.
"I'm not saying you must marry him. You have a choice there. But I am telling you that you will be polite to Cousin Matthew. You will show him the respect he deserves." Mary features twitched. "The respect your father and I feel he deserves," Cora amended, cutting off that avenue. "No more sniping at him, no more mocking and prodding him at the table. You will hold yourself as a woman worthy to be called the daughter of the Earl of Grantham."
"…very well," Mary said, shoulders squared and jaw set. "If that is what you wish."
Cora watched her eldest march out and had a sinking feeling she'd just made things worse.
~A~O~O~O~F~
The conversation flowed about her, light and friendly like any family dinner should. It wasn't the stilted conversation that came from strangers who were trying to determine what ulterior motive had brought them to the table or were doing their best to wheedle some favor out of the Lord of Grantham. It was casual talk, concerning their general lives, interesting events they had heard about, opinions on the actions of this person or that. The awkwardness of their first dinner had been replaced by a settling of sorts. Oh, Granny still sparred with Cousin Isobel, but that was the worst of it. Chuckles and quick comments darted about the room.
And through it all Mary schemed.
She had heard her mother's words, her pleas for her to try and get along with Cousin Matthew, and realized that her mother had the right idea but the wrong application. While she could have gone after the usurping little lawyer with knives sharpened it would only make them see her in a negative light while allowing him to paint himself as the wounded victim, gaining more sympathy from the family and allowing him to wiggle and worm his way further into their good graces. She only had to look at how Sybil and Mama had reacted to her version of events concerning Matthew and her first meeting to see that.
(And she ignored the small voice that nudged her and pointed out she'd called it 'Her version' and not 'what had really happened')
No, going on a full attack would never work. She'd made the mistake the first time of trying to needle him and he'd turned her attacks back on her. Worse, he had robbed her of the chance to be insulted by being 'oh so polite' about it. You couldn't continue attacking someone when they made it seem to others as if they were complimenting you.
'That's my trick,' Mary thought sullenly as she nibbled on her food.
So she sat and ate and spoke at the proper moments and waited for an opening to try again. But this time she wouldn't attack or snark… she would use knowledge as her weapon. What she possessed… and what he lacked. She would show the family just how wrong it was to have Matthew Crawley happily sitting here as heir and why Downton would be better served in her capable hands.
"By the way if you ever want to ride just let Lynch know and he'll sort it out for you," her Papa said to Matthew, breaking through her thoughts.
In another time and place Mary might have laughed right there and mocked the idea of Matthew riding. But with her family already seeing her as the bully she found a much better way to remind them that Matthew wasn't of their ilk.
"Of course, if you need some lessons I'll be happy to assist myself," Mary quickly added. "I'm an old hand at it and could easily help you get started. Make sure you don't embarrass yourself."
"That would be lovely!" Matthew said with a surprised but pleasant grin. "It's been a while since I've ridden so I might need a refresher. You won't be dealing with some rank amateur, however, so you can breathe easier on that score. Be a nice ride through the country once I'm get back in the saddle." He chuckled. "Quite literally."
Granny raised an eyebrow at that. "You managed to ride in Manchester?" Mary smirked at the way her grandmother said the word 'Manchester' like it was the punchline to a bawdy joke.
"Not there but at school," Matthew said, unfazed. "I haven't had a chance recently but it would be rather fun."
"You could make a day of it!" Sybil said with a smile. "Mary could show you some of the lesser seen areas of Downton, places most don't even know exist."
"Splendid," Matthew said. "Would three days from now work for you?"
Mary blinked, quickly replying the conversation and trying to figure out how her insult had resulted in her agreeing to spend the day riding with him. "I… suppose…"
"Then, as the Americans say, it's a date."
She nodded, forcing a smile on her face even as she tried to ignore the pleasant smile on her Mama's face and the way her father beamed ('And did Sybil just WINK at him?')
"It will be good of you to get some practice in," Robert said, taking a sip of wine. "We can plan a hunting party. We haven't had one in a while and it would be good fun and allow us to better introduce you to some of the neighbors. You'd like that, wouldn't you Mary?"
"Do you hunt, Mary?" Matthew asked.
"Of course," Mary said, feeling as if she were on stable ground once again. "Families like ours are always hunting families."
"Not always," her father cut in. "Billy Skelton won't have them on his land."
Annoyed at her father for cutting in Mary replied while staring directly at Matthew. "But all the Skeltons are mad." In her head she snarled, 'Like you!'
"Then I'm glad that I have you and not Billy Skelton to teach me," Matthew said with a smile before turning to Papa, leaving Mary once again wondering how her veiled insults had turned to her spending time with him. "When do you think the hunt will take place?"
"Not till after the new year. I don't like sending the dogs out in the cold if I can help it and it sounds like we are going to have a bitterly cold winter this year."
Granny chuckled. "Robert, you treat those dogs as if they are your babies."
"You act as if that is a bad thing," Papa retorted before focusing on Matthew once more. "Perhaps in mid April. The fox hunting season will be coming to a close so we can give everyone one final grand hunt."
"And by that time Mary will have made sure I'm not an embarrassment to the family," Matthew joked.
"Oh, I don't know about that…" she said.
Matthew merely chuckled. "Don't sell yourself short. I think you'll make a lovely teacher."
'I was insulting you, not being humble you miserable…' Mary's jaw worked in frustration before she forced herself to, once more, adopt a mask of pleasant composure.
Dinner moved on to different topics, with her mother discussing a charity she was assisting while Edith prattled on for a good 5 minutes about some boring topic that only she would care about. The entire time Mary sat and waiting, patient like a wolf stalking her prey, waiting for another opening so she might engage Matthew once again. She should have suspected that being a lawyer he would be cunning and he was giving her a rather vigorous challenge but she was sure that she'd be able to score a few blows before dinner was done. She found it utterly invigorating, to tell the truth; it had been ages since she'd had a proper sparring partner. Edith used to entertain her but her sister was like a trick shot that only had three moves. The women of her age that she'd been with during the Season couldn't match her and the men that sought her hand were too busy bowing to her and humbling themselves to give a good fight. The lawyer was challenging her and she loved it.
'No,' she thought quickly, 'I don't love it. Love? And Matthew? They are the complete opposite. Like Edith and… not being a whimpering bore! Love! Ha!'
Her mother and Isobel tried to engage her in conversation and while she was polite she never allowed it to evolve into anything more, as her primary focus was on Matthew Crawley.
"I simply don't know what I'd do in a place like Manchester," Granny said, taking a bite of her meal. "Don't misunderstand, I am sure it is lovely enough for those that live there… but it sounds to me as if it is stuck between two worlds. It lacks the quiet charm of Downton but does not have the multitude of interests London is known for. It seems like it would be dreadfully boring."
"It can be," Cousin Isobel admitted. "Even for those seeking a quiet life it can be rather dull. But of course for many it is the only life they know and thus they don't realize what they are missing." She paused, serving herself from a plate William presented. "We did find ways to entertain. We had dinners, though not as grand as this, a few clubs, and of course one could always read."
"One of my favorite pastimes," Mathew admitted before turning to Papa. "I am waiting with anticipation to begin exploring your library."
Robert grinned. "Perhaps tomorrow after our walk I can make a few suggestions."
"Papa has a wide collection," Edith said. "We all make use of it."
"Indeed," Mary said, smirking slightly as a new opening presented itself. She turned to Matthew and asked, "I've been studying the story of Andromeda, do you know it?"
"Remind me," Matthew said.
"Her father was King Cepheus, whose country was being ravaged by storms, and in the end, he decided the only way to appease the gods was to sacrifice his eldest daughter to a hideous sea monster." Mary pointedly ignored the sour glare her mother was sending her way or the way her Papa flinched. Instead, with a smile still plastered on her face, she continued, "So, they chained her naked to a rock..."
Granny chuckled weakly, casting an eye at papa as if silently asking 'Are you going to stop this at any point?' while all he could do was grimace. "Really? Mary, we'll all need our smelling salts in a minute."
If Matthew was uncomfortable he didn't show it. In fact he leaned toward, locking eyes with her and said, "Ah yes. I remember this one now. But the sea monster didn't get her, did he?
Sybil was looking at the two of them with a bemused look while Edith was trying to grasp just what Mary was doing and why. "No. Just when it seemed her death was the only solution to her father's problems, she was rescued."
"By Perseus," Matthew said.
"That's right. Son of a god. Fitting, isn't it?" She smiled smugly, her point clear.
"I can see why it would appeal to you," Matthew said casually. "Though I do find it interesting that you have forgotten a key aspect of the tale." Mary frowned at that, hurriedly trying to remember the tale so she might clue into what Matthew was getting at but the lawyer was far too fast. "Andromeda wasn't sacrificed purely because the gods were cruel. Like many Greek tales her family committed the single sin that always ensures punishment from the gods."
"And that was?" Edith asked.
Matthew paused to take a bite of food, swallowing before dramatically saying, "Hubris. Andromeda's mother-thank you Carson," he said as the butler filled his wine class, "-declared that her daughter was more beautiful than the sea nymphs, who were daughters of one of Poseidon's friends. The lord of the sea did not take kindly to this insult and requested that his brother, Zeus, punish Andromeda's kingdom by unleashes a monster; not a storm, by the way." He dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin while Mary fumed; she remembered now that it was a monster and hated that he'd correct her. "So, as you can see, Andromeda's fate was not brought about at random but because of hubris… by believing one better than all else in creation."
"A lesson we should all take the heart," mama said, shooting a glare at Mary who promptly ignored it.
"But it wasn't Andromeda's fault that her mother made such a foolish choice. Yet she was punished all the same, sent to be sacrificed to the monster that threatened her father's kingdom."
"Quite right," Matthew said, surprising Mary that he actually agreed with her. "Though I for one am drawn to Perseus' side of the tale." It was Mary's turn to be confused; she didn't get what Matthew was playing at. Neither did anyone else, for the entire family (save Sybil who was merely grinning at the interplay) were looking at Matthew in confusion. "Perseus was of royal blood. But his grandfather feared him, as he had been told by an Oracle that Perseus would lead to his death. Now, if you know your Greek literature, you know that prophesies always come to pass and fighting them never does any good. It is better to accept what fate has dealt you than to fight it; doing so only results in more pain. Try to prolong something or prevent it and you only make the situation worse."
Matthew took a sip of wine before continuing, though Mary saw both her mother and grandmother flinch at Matthew's last comment. "But Perseus' grandfather couldn't accept this. He had lived his life a certain way and the thought that he was no longer in control set him on edge and when his daughter came to him pregnant he knew he had to do something. But to kill one of your own kin is to bring down the rather of the gods."
"As it is now," Edith said dryly.
Granny let out another chuckle. "Women chained to rocks, the murdering of babies… I must say, this reminds me of a ball I attended during my first Season."
"So he decided, since he couldn't eliminate this threat, he would cast them out. Locking mother and child in a chest and tossing it out to sea, the King decided to let nature take its course." Matthew paused again, and Mary opened her mouth to speak only for him to cut her off. "They were rescued by a fisherman who raised the boy to manhood. He would later marry Andromeda and together the two of them would create a great kingdom. Her royal heritage and his understanding of the common man made them perfectly matched to aid their people and see them prosper. Meanwhile, the king and those like him who fought fate and scorned their own blood were left in ruin." Matthew took a drink of wine. "A very good message, in my opinion."
The family was silent after that for several moments until Mama broke the quiet and the family began to chat once more. Only Mary didn't participate, for she was left contemplating Matthew's words and wondering how once again he'd managed to twist her attack into something that complimented him. She hadn't missed both his veiled message. He was a challenge and forced her to think on her feet and made her heart race with the thrill of battle every time he opened his mouth. It was aggravating and annoying and she truly hated him for it.
And that would be the reason she'd give later when Sybil asked why Mary kept staring at Matthew all through the rest of the dinner, a look that certainly wasn't disgust on her features.
~A~O~O~O~F~
Author's Notes: So… I have a BA in communications with a minor in writing (Both business and creative). And one of my favorite subjects is Greek Myth. And Matthew's argument against Mary has been in my friggin' head for YEARS and I am thrilled I finally got to point out all the little things in the story of Perseus that fit towards what is happening at Downton.
We also get here another dinner table scene. These are always interesting because I need to juggle having the story continue on with the POV character while also giving everyone a chance to speak.
Not much else to say so it is PLOT BUNNY TIME!
This idea I've had for ages and is very loosely inspired (or the beginning of it is, at least) by a story whose title escapes me. If someone recognizes it from the beginning of this plot bunny, please let me know so I can give credit.
Basically it starts when Mary is around 18 years old. Patrick is in love with Mary but when he asks for her hand in marriage in this story Mary tells him no, unable to marry someone she doesn't truly love just for a title. Patrick though is livid and wants revenge, feeling embarrassed by Mary's rejection. He goes to Robert and his father after a long talk Mary is summoned. Robert states that Patrick claims that he caught Mary engaged in relations with the new maid, Anna, which is against the law and Patrick is demanding Mary be cast out of Downton. Mary denies this but it is here Patrick reveals his trump card: days earlier he went to Edith and, knowing her crush on him, tells her that he will marry her but only if Mary is gone. Edith, her jealously over Mary coloring her good morals, agrees. And thus Edith comes to the study and claims that Mary has been with Anna many times and threatened Edith if she said a word. Mary is enraged but James and Patrick force Robert's hand: the police have been called and Anna will be arrested for being a homosexual and if Mary doesn't want the same fate she is to leave at once, to journey to New York. Mary, heartbroken, does so but swears that she will never forget this. She doesn't even have time to say goodbye as the police have already arrived to arrest a sobbing Anna and Mary flees from her home with a hastily packed suitcase.
A year later news arrives that Mary died in a carriage accident and Robert and Cora are basically spiritually broken, both regretting what happened with Mary and Cora especially believing that Mary was innocent. But there is little they can do about it now, though needless to say their relationship with Edith is destroyed beyond repair.
Fastforward to the end of the first World War. James is dead, having gone on the Titanic on his own. Robert, heartbroken over what happened with Mary and wishing he'd never cast her out, is a shell of his former self. He gave up the title of Earl to Patrick and he and Cora now live at Crawley House, with only Carson and Mrs. Hughes to serve them (the two refusing to work for Patrick). Edith is married to Patrick and his cruel way of dealing with people has rubbed off on her, making her just as wicked as he is and the tenants live in a state of fear, knowing that one wrong move will see them driving from their lands (this happened with the Drakes, as with Mr. Drake sick in the hospital Patrick forced his wife and soon to be widow to give up claim to the land). As for the house staff they are watched by Thomas, who was promoted to Butler but serves as Patrick's spy. Mrs. Patmore was sacked when she began going blind and now relies on the kindness of the Mason family (with William siding with her and leaving to return to the farm, unable to be under command of Thomas) while Daisy is the new cook, also influenced by the darkness of the house into being a bitter and vengeful task master to her kitchen girls. Sybil was shipped to a convent when she spoke out against how Edith had lied about Mary.
In this darkest of timelines there comes one day a letter for Patrick and Edith, announcing their new neighbors. Count Donavan and his with have bought Haxby Park and wish to know those around them. Patrick and Edith at first do not attend the first dinner party but then word begins to reach them about the Count. He is insanely wealthy, to the point that some whisper he could rival the king in riches. He is handsome… a stunning aristocrat with blond hair, a sharp goatee, noble figure, and dressed in only the finest suits. But he does not like to discuss his past and prefers to listen to others. His wife is even more odd… a dark haired beauty who prefers to wear veils and shows a sharp mind and a sharper tongue.
At this point I will reveal the twist, if you haven't figured it out: Count Donavan is Matthew Crawley and his wife is Mary. After Mary was exiled to America her grandmother, Martha, raged at what had happened. Never one to give up a fight, Martha discovered who was next in line for Downton and contacted Matthew and Isobel, bringing them to America. Originally the plan was for Matthew to just help them but Mary and Matthew fell in love and decided to get revenge on Patrick and Edith together, inspired by Matthew's favorite book, the Count of Monte Cristo. They faked Mary's death while Matthew also got in contact with some of the less savory elements of the London criminal scene, arranging for Anna to be freed from jail, her own death faked with the aid of a military man turned thief who agreed to help smuggle Anna out: John Bates, who in this reality never got the chance to come to Downton and thus allowed his darker instincts to lead him to become a bit of a small-time crime boss. Anna came to America and quickly agreed to the plan and Bates was brought onto the team as well, as he saw this as a way to make some good money and have some fun… plus he is rather interested in Miss Smith.
Martha used her own fortune to invest in some oil lines and with Matthew and Mary's cunning and a bit of luck the investment hit BIG, with Matthew and Mary gaining enough money to rival Downton's fortunes in a few years. The war further helped things, with Matthew using it to increase his fortune while also quietly gathering a group of men and women that could assist him and Mary in getting revenge.
Finally, when the time was right Mary and Matthew returned to England, creating with their wealth fake European titles and buying Haxby Place with Anna as head housekeeper and Bates as their butler. Anna and Bates, having both been in prison, now both have connections to the criminal underworld and are able to assist Mary and Matthew better in their plan. Anna, in fact, is so jaded by the betrayal, her feeling that no one stood up for her other than Mary and Matthew, and her harsh time in prison… that she basically becomes a happy little cut throat. She is still Anna… it's just as Mary removes her jewelry and discusses her day Anna polishes knives and thinks about all the people she wants to stab them with. Basically, imagine Anna if she was a sociopath. Luckily Bates, having never decided to get into service and battle his own demons, is about as broken as Anna and the two make quite the twisted little pair (I imagine in one scene Bates sat by and watched Anna happily take her rage issues out on Vera before remembering that Mary had asked for some silk from London and they really should be going and "Anna, don't step in the blood, you'll ruin your shoes"). As I said, Bates would have become a criminal and while able to serve Matthew as a butler he also serves as his connection to thieves, murderers, and other sinister men and women who Matthew will happily use in his plot.
What would follow would be one of my favorite types of stores: good people doing terrible, evil, sinful things to people who utterly deserve it. It would be a revenge story, with Mary and Matthew being delightfully wicked (I have an image in my head of Matthew, after a plan succeeds, sitting at an empty dining table, Mary coming in and sitting on his lap, stabbing a cherry with a sharp nail and asking him if he is enjoying himself before nibbling on the fruit. Basically, make Matthew and Mary into Lucifer and his Demon Queen, ruling over a house of thieves, criminals, and other dark characters who are all loyal to them and their cause for getting revenge on Patrick and Edith).
There are a few final points that I would like to see, if someone picked this up. First, that Robert begins to get his spark back when Mary sends him a secret note promising to return him to power (as she knows he had no choice and Patrick and James forced him to exile her… it would have to be clear in the writing that Robert was basically blackmailed into this and while Mary is angry with him that it happened he won't be a focus of her revenge). Two, I would love it if Sybil, while at the convent, met a certain Irish radical and ran off and is now in Ireland acting as the head of an Irish Liberation group, going by some fun alias like Queen Mab with Tom as her loyal second (think Amy in Rory in the altered timeline in 'The Wedding of River Song'). Sybil, just like Matthew, Mary, Bates, and Anna, is now fully on the Dark Side and seeks to destroy the English aristocracy, seeing it as the reason she lost her sister. And how better to do that then BLOW THINGS UP! Double points if Matthew and Mary go to recruit Queen Mab to assist them (as you know what would really screw with Patrick? A few firebombings of his property like Downton Place) and at first the sisters don't recognize each other but then one of them lets slip who they are and there is a joyous tearful reunion… before they go about getting blood fun revenge.
And finally, if you didn't figure out it out from Anna being a helpful Lady's maid who also didn't blink at stabbing people and Matthew lounging about like Lucifer on his throne, this would be a story where one could take the characters, twist them about, but they are still basically the same people. Just… a bit more deranged. Mary is still Mary… she just is looking forward to ruining Edith and Patrick's lives. Matthew is still Matthew but he's gotten a taste for the darkness and he likes it. Anna is still Anna… smiles and 'yes my lady' but she's doing it as she is beating up the guy that tried to rob her and then steals his wallet. Just a chance to take the characters and have them do delightfully evil things.
