Mary frowned as she checked her hair one more time. "That will do, Baxter, thank you." She turned to her lady's maid and smiled. "You have your bag packed?"
"Small that it is, my lady," Baxter said with the slight smile she tended to always wear. "It is only for one night, after all. Not much I need to bring… I will spend more time packing and unpacking than I will be there, I think."
"Yes but it should be a relaxing night for you. I'll be able to change into my sleeping gown easily enough so you'll only need to come in the morning to help me dress." She saw the way Baxter looked at her and Mary rolled her eyes. "And I promise to call for you when it is time for me to dress." Under her breath she muttered, "I will not get another shoe stuck in my…"
"Of course, my lady," Baxter said with a slight dip of her head. "I will go ensure that all your bags are packed for the day." With that she hurried off but Mary was only alone for a moment before the door opened again and Edith and Sybil stepped inside.
"You know," Edith stated, "I hope the fashion choices of our first lives arrive sooner. I rather liked those dresses and garments."
Sybil scoffed. "I'd prefer a nurse's uniform. It might not have been the most attractive clothing but it was far more practical." She tugged at her dress. "I could actually breathe in that!"
"From the way Tom looks at you when you wear it I'd say he disagrees when it comes to attracton," Edith teased, causing Sybil to actually blush. Mary smirked at that; it was so very odd for them to talk openly about Tom and Sybil being together. So odd… yet also so right. She remembered how good of a friend he had become in her first life and it made her so very happy that the dark cloud that had covered him after Sybil's death was gone. "And with how Mary is with Matthew I am surprised she hasn't tried to steal a uniform for herself!"
"Matthew and I are able to find plenty of… enjoyment… on our own without the aid of such things," Mary informed her sister with just a touch of smugness. "If you and Michael can't…"
"Well, I don't know," Edith said with an innocent smile as she sat down on Mary's bed, careful not to wrinkle her dress. "We have only shared tender kisses and those have been most chaste."
"Oh you liar," Sybil declared with a laugh.
"I do not lie."
"Marigold," Mary pointed out; her sister had told her the story of her daughter and while she had first been shocked by the existence of the girl she had been horrified that Edith had been frightened to tell her about the child during her first life. She understood… the Mary she had been during her first existence would have used that as a weapon against her sister. But The Mary she was now? Those memories were fresher and far more powerful. She and Edith had even discussed their fears that their old rivalry would return with their memories of the life that was now gone only to realize that the friendship they had developed while in exile was so much stronger than the slights of a life that no longer existed. And thus Mary had felt her heart break for her sister that she had carried that burden alone.
As if sensing her thoughts Edith retorted, "First life, it doesn't count."
Mary scoffed. "Oh yes, and I'm sure the fact that you gave up your flat a year and a half ago and didn't tell anyone is purely innocent. You are merely sleeping on the couches of friends."
"Yes, sleeping," Sybil replied.
"You are one to talk!" Edith exclaimed. "You and Tom-"
"Engage in passionate lovemaking?" Sybil asked. "Yes I don't deny it. We were married, till death do us part."
"And you were parted," Mary pointed out.
"If you had awoken before Matthew would you not have still seen him as your husband?"
Mary pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.
"The promise of the Lord is that when we die we are reunited with those we love in Heaven." Sybil held out her hands. "A chance to make up for past mistakes with my husband? To have the life that was taken from me? Heaven."
"How did we move to this debate when we were discussing you and Tom-"
The door opened once more and Mary turned to see Baxter return… with a clearly flustered Anna.
"I think she's about to have a panic attack, my lady. I was hoping-"
"We'll take it from here," Mary assured her, standing up and walking over to Anna. That was something she was thankful for when it came to both her lives: that her and Anna had remained close. This second life was far better, as even before she had regained her memories she had been working to move Anna's status up in the world and bring her closer to Mary's own position so they might comfortably stand shoulder to shoulder together. Of course… just because MARY longed for something…
"Anna, take a breath," Sybil said, joining Mary in guiding the former maid to the bed.
"I… I can't…" Anna whispered as she looked at the bed as if it would attack her.
"You are no longer a servant; you are a friend of the family so you will sit and calm yourself," Mary said firmly, using the same commanding tones of her youth when she had ordered servants about without thought of their feelings. She didn't like doing it but it helped snap Anna a bit out of her death spiral and she sat on the bed. "I told you that dress would look lovely on you."
Anna looked down at the deep blue dress she was wearing and shook her head. "I shouldn't have accepted this. It's far too much…"
"It is a gift and it's rude to refuse a gift," Mary told her, sitting next to her.
"Is everything all right?" Lavinia said, entering the room and quickly shutting the door. "I saw Ms Baxter bringing Anna in here-"
"Just some jitters," Mary assured her dear friend. Another change… another one that she heartily approved of. While it was… odd… to know that Lavinia in her first life had been with Matthew and now that was not the case it wasn't like they had been rivals. Everyone had TRIED to make them enemies but Mary had honestly like Lavinia in that life and in this one she truly was her closest friend.
"This is not jitters!" Anna exclaimed before her eyes went wide and she pressed her hands to her mouth. "I'm terribly sorry-"
"Anna, it is fine," Edith assured her. "We are friends. We are friends who are all preparing for a dinner party."
"Take slow steady breaths," Sybil said.
Anna did so but the panic was still there. "This isn't normal though… this isn't a dinner at a restaurant. This is a formal dinner at the home of Lord Merton…"
"Who is not some stuffy lord who demands everyone eat in unison," Mary assured Anna. "You've met him plenty of times… you know he isn't like that."
"But… it doesn't change the fact that I'm-"
Lavinia though was the one that spoke up. "Anna… until my father revealed certain… truths to me-" Mary could hear her friend's annoyance at her father never revealing to her that he was so rich he could have bought Downton and still had money to purchase Cavenham Park, "-I believed I was merely the child of an upper middle class man. Mary has lived the life of the middle class and Matthew was raised in it. Tom was a servant, same as you. The same as Thomas! What makes you lesser than any of them?"
"…I'm just Anna," she whispered.
Mary wrapped an arm around her friend. "And that is why I want you there," she said. "This party is to celebrate Matthew and my marriage and I want you to be there to celebrate." Anna nodded at that though Mary could tell she wasn't entirely convinced she could handle being there. "Simply lean on me, all right? And if I'm not available find any of the rest of us. Worst case find the General… believe me he will be the one who least wants to be there."
Anna managed a smile at that. "I very much doubt that my lady but… thank you."
~MC~MC~MC~
"Why do I have to go to this?" Allen complained as the car drove along the Yorkshire road. He reached up and tugged at his collar.
"Oh hush," Catherine said as she lightly smacked his hand, sharing a look with Isobel; with just how many people were driving over from Downton already it had been decided to divide some of them up amongst the other houses. Isobel had come down from London with Thomas and stayed at the recently renamed Deep Grove (The General having become determined to rename his family's manor to remove more of the disgrace his cousins had brought to it… and the dirty yet also catchy limerick that was still being sung). Thomas was riding with Allen's sons while Isobel rode with him, Catherine, and his daughter Jennifer and her fiancée Marcus (a good chap who had patrolled the channel during the war). All were dressed in their finest, so that their servants wouldn't need to help them change when they got to Richard's home.
"I don't understand why I have to be here," Allen grumped. "I was at the wedding. The London House served as their honeymoon retreat… this is all a waste, if you ask me. And if others want to celebrate Matthew and Mary they are welcome to but I'd rather avoid all this drivel."
"You can't hide away at Deep Grove working," Catherine told him firmly.
"I wouldn't work," Allen said, knowing he was coming off as petulant. "I would read, maybe fish-"
"In the middle of the night?"
"Lords are supposed to create new pastimes for the masses. Moon fishing I will call it."
Jenny smiled and leaned against Marcus. It was unbefitting of a lady to cuddle up to her fiancée like that but honestly Allen didn't care so long as his daughter was happy. Let the upper class clutch at their pearls and jostle their tea all they wished. Jenny had been left adrift for too long thanks to the war and the end of her last relationship… Marcus was a good fit for her. He came from money but was down to earth about it and he didn't have any of the titles that Allen loathed. He would make something of himself, good and proper. "Papa isn't one for large parties."
"I handle large parties just fine," he retorted. "I just don't like formal events."
"It will make Mary and Matthew very happy that you are there," Isobel stated.
"…that was a low blow," Allen told his friend before staring out the window. Richard had decided that he wanted to do something special for Mary, seeing as she was his godchild, and decided to throw a lavish dinner for her and Matthew to celebrate their marriage. The actual anniversary was in two weeks but Mary had been quite firm that she and Matthew wanted to have a more… private… celebration on the day and thus this day had been chosen for the festivities. Cavenham Park would play host, naturally, and all manner of friends and family would be attending to give toasts, eat rich (and in his opinion overpriced) food, and then make idle small talk. There was to be some dancing and Richard would also open up a few rooms for the men to play billiards after dinner.
He was dreading every damn minute of it.
"And you aren't allowed to sneak off and play with the children," Catherine warned him.
"But someone really should make sure Lillian and Noah are doing okay," Allen protested. "And our grandchildren will be there too, I'll remind you… it will be a strange new place for them and they might get scared-"
"And that will be the nanny and their parents, not you," Catherine said with a smile, patting his arm. "And the children just saw you an hour ago. You played with them so much I was afraid you'd never get dressed."
"I think that was his plan," Marcus teased.
Allen sighed as he settled against his seat. "Fine… I will engage in the same pointless conversation and mingle about with people who look down their nose at me and my family and laugh at their bland jokes."
"That's all we ask," Catherine said.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Right through here, Mr. Carson," Oswald, the butler of Cavenham Park, said as he motioned for Downton's butler to follow him into the servant's hall. Behind him came Miss Baxter, who would be seeing over not just Mary but Anna and Lady Edith, Ms. O'Brien, Jane Moorsum, and Mr. Molesley. He saw other lady's maids and valets mingling about, looking at the servants hall and clearly judging it against what they were used to. Some, like Lord Oakheart's man Wilkins, clearly knew the place and led a group of people away, while Carson and the Downton set remained behind to listen to Oswald. "Welcome to Cavenham Park. Now, I am to understand that your employers have already dressed for the evening and thus you will be seeing to their rooms and settling in yourselves. We have prepared a meal for you which will be served in an hour and then you are welcome to stay down here with the rest of us or, if you have grown tired, retreat to your rooms."
"Thank you, Mr. Oswald," Carson said with a slight smile. He turned to the others. "I believe you all know what to do so I won't insult you by giving you directions…" With that the staff began to hurry about their tasks, though Carson noticed that Ms. Baxter go over to Jane and talk with her quietly; Lady Sybil had kept her assistant on after the war and Jane had surprised Lady Sybil by suggesting she serve as her Lady's Maid. She had the experience and didn't mind the work at all but events like this were a bit of new territory for her so it was good that Ms. Baxter was taking her under her wing.
"Mr. Carson, I was informed that you are also the butler at Downton," Oswald said.
"Indeed. We have had a bit of trouble during the War getting a new valet for his Lordship so I have filled in. Some of the other footmen have also assisted but with an event such as this I decided it was better to have an old hand."
"Of course, of course. Everyone is suffering from hiring. No just empty positions but the quality of those that we do eventually hire."
"Oh yes, that I can agree upon," Carson said. "A decade ago many of the people that are in my employ would have been tossed away before they even finished the interview… now I honestly have to look at them and determine if there is a reason they shouldn't get a promotion."
Oswald shook his head. "The same here. We have a few servants who are more on the shifty side… gaps in their employment history, that sort of thing. I don't like it at all but it must be done."
Carson smiled slightly at that. "Then I suppose when the party is in full swing you and I might retire to your office to commiserate on the sorry state of affairs?"
"I would like that."
A boom of thunder rattled the house.
"That is going to be a terrible storm," Oswald said. "I hope the guests all arrive before the downpour."
"I think they will," Carson said. "At at least they are all expected to stay the night… it should clear out by morning.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Now, you will be good for Nanny Cox, understand Noah?"
The toddler smiled. "Yes!"
John smiled and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad to hear. I will check in on you in a few hours." He stood up and looked over at Robert, who was talking to Lillian. The Lord of Granthan gave her a kiss on the cheek before rising, joining John in heading out of the nursery. "It feels like every day he is growing a year. I still remember when I could hold him in my hands." John held up one of his hands, palm up. "And now he is running about and talking."
"Enjoy that… soon they are talking back to you."
"All children or just yours?" he asked as he limped down the hallway.
Robert chuckled at that. "I suppose you have the right of that. All of my girls have found ways to make their opinions known at a young age. Mary… well, Mary as a child is merely Mary as she is now. 'You must eat your vegetables, nanny says you should'. 'No papa, I will not'." Robert smiled as he remembered that fight and how Mary had just blatantly refused to listen to him and Cora. Even mama hadn't been able to get her to see reason and in the end she'd gone two years without eating her vegetables… until Mrs. Patmore had made carrot cake for a dessert. "With Edith it was always focused on others. She wanted to do this thing or that because everyone else was able to do it."
"I can imagine Lady Sybil was a bundle of questions."
"She was," Robert said, shaking his head. "And what was terrifying was many times I found myself agreeing with her questions. Why DID we have to wear our socks on a warm day if the floor was cool?"
"And Lillian?"
"Mary's bluntness with Sybil's determination, a sprinkle of Edith's stubbornness and her own… Lillian charm."
"Well, hopefully Noah avoids taking my pigheadedness and Anna's unflappability in the face of crisis. Otherwise we are all quite doomed."
"Yes… with those traits I could see him usurping me and becoming Lord Grantham."
"You think too small."
The two shared at laugh at that.
~MC~MC~MC~
"So you are going to remain with the War Office?" Matthew asked.
Thomas took a sip of his drink. He was still startled that he was standing there. Only a few years ago he had been a footman, serving drinks to the lords and ladies, dressed in his black and white uniform and carefully listening to the polite chatter the noble class engaged in hopes of picking up some bits of gossip. He had hated so much of it yet also taken an odd bit of pride in his place in it all… the grand dichotomy of so many servants. Ms. O'Brien loathed so much about service but was always the first to defend it and the same was true with Thomas back then. He wanted so much more but he also hadn't be able to see a better life than that in the service of others.
Now?
Now he found himself standing with Lord Grantham's heir, wearing brand new evening wear, sipping a pre-dinner drink another footman had brought him and engaging in chitchat with the very people he'd once served. Soon he would head to dinner and have a delightful meal AT the table. Not serving… being served. He was treated as an equal to these people, allowed to sit at Baron Merton's table.
It left his reeling.
"Thomas?"
He blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts. "I'm sorry… my mind was elsewhere."
Matthew smiled at that. "I merely wanted to know if you planned to remain at the War Office. Allen said you were considering it…"
"I think I will be," Thomas stated. "Things might have calmed down with the War ending there are still soldiers all over the globe that need food and supplies brought to them. They might not be fighting in the trenches but they need to be aided all the same."
"Preparing for the next war, I suppose," Matthew said with a bit of sadness and Thomas understood why; already there were some whispering that the punishments England and America had heaped onto the Germans were far too much and would bring about only more suffering. The Germans were a proud people and the loss of the war had been a bitter blow. The payments they had to make to the victors was simply too large of a blow and one that Thomas himself felt would only lead to trouble down the line. The powerful tended to forget that when you beat down on someone who had little left they tended to lash out just as much as they tended to shatter and break.
"Still," Matthew said, "it will be a good position for you."
"Thank you," Thomas said. "I think so as well. It provides me with security and a chance for advancement."
"Will we be soon calling you General Barrow?"
Thomas shook his head at that. "No, I don't believe so," he said with good humor. "I think I'll achieve a few more ranks but I am quite happy where I am at."
Matthew nodded before glancing over at Bertie, who was currently chatting with Edith and Michael. "Do you know if Bertie will stay on?"
"Most likely no," Thomas admitted. "He's been kind to remain as long as he has but he is needed by his cousin. He is the estate agent, after all, and he very much loves that home."
Matthew nodded at that. "A pity. He was a good worker from what I hear."
"Very much so but I think I'll be able to find others to replacement him. Now that I will not be forced to take whoever was drafted and can select those that wish to serve things will be better in the office."
What went unmentioned was the fact that his position would allow him to remain close to Jonsey. The two of them had just moved in together, as 'committed bachelor roommates' if anyone asked too many questions, and Jonsey's work within the Intelligence Division ensured that he would be staying in London for a while, sorting through all manner of communications. It offered Thomas stability he'd never thought he would have and he had to admit there were times he thought he must be dreaming.
"Well, I am happy for you, Thomas," Matthew said, raising his glass.
'I'm happy for me too,' Thomas thought.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Hello Tim," Jonsey said with a smirk as he walked up to the other man. "It's been… a while."
"Far too soon."
"Isn't it 'far too long'?"
"Not in this case, Fredrick."
Jonsey's smile fell… just a touch, before he quickly recovered. "I go by Jonsey now but you probably didn't know that. Off fighting the good fight. Though… if I remember correctly you were on a boat for much of the war. Far away from the action."
"Some of us aren't comfortable with staying in London as you were, Fredrick."
"Ah, but I did my part all the same. I actually worked. I envy you when it comes to that."
"You envy me for many things, I think," Tim Gray said.
The middle child of Allen and Catherine Lothrop merely sipped on his drink. "Oh, have we reached the part of the evening where you mock me for my 'lowly' birth. I assumed you'd wait for dinner so you'd have more of an audience but that's fine, if you wish to do it now I won't stop you. Would you like me to bemoan the pain of something I have no control of now or wait for you to get a few quips in?"
Tim merely glowered at Jonsey's comments, the other man still just sipping his drink. Tim and him had never been friends, despite their fathers being so close. Tim and Larry had seen Jonsey , Franklin, and Jenny as being little more than guttersnips like they were characters in a Dickens novel. They had mocked their small home and their father's career and flaunted their wealth. Jonsey knew that at one point Lady Merton had laughed off the suggestion from one of her peers that Jenny be placed with either Larry or Tim and in turn Jonsey's mother had flat out said that her children weren't cattle to be sold off and they would marry for love; the comment 'Unlike Lady Merton I do not need to promise favors to find my sons brides'. After that there had been little need for any of them to hide their disgust for the others.
"No matter how much you try and make jests the world knows who the better person is."
"… really?" Jonsey said with a scoff. "If we ignore the fact that I am now the son of a Lord… a Baron, same as your own father, the fact that-" He stopped, shaking his head. "No… no I won't stoop that low. It belittles the deaths of innocent young men."
Though he didn't say the words he knew Tim understood JUST what he was getting at: for all that could be said of the Lothrop family, due to their lower birth and the actions of Jonsey's cousins… they were still held in far higher regard than the Gray family. The House of Merton had suffered thanks to Larry's actions and that stain would remain for decades to come.
"You think you are so noble, don't you?" Tim snapped.
"Think? Noooo."
And with that Jonsey walked away.
~MC~MC~MC~
"You are handling this better than I ever expected," Sybil said as she walked over to Tom, who had been chatting away with Mary.
Tom opened his mouth to speak but Mary began before he could. "And why shouldn't he? People are foolish if they believe that he can't mingle with those of our station."
"Peace, Mary, peace," Tom said, placing a hand on her arm. "You must remember that for everyone this is the first true dinner party I've attended. Even the meals I've had with your parents don't really count."
"Yes, I suppose so," Mary muttered. "I'm sorry Sybil… it is so easy to forgot."
"Of anyone I understand that best of all," Sybil assured her.
"You must see that I am… protective of Tom." She looked back at the man that had been in brother-in-law in her first life and, hopefully sooner rather than later, would be once again. "It boils my blood now to think about how poorly we treated him after you passed."
"You didn't treat me poorly in the slightest," Tom said. "All of you were there for me when I needed you the most. You provided me the support I needed when I found myself with a newborn while exiled from my home."
"We should have done more," Mary said. "Making you the agent-"
"Was the perfect thing to do," Tom assured her. "I wouldn't have accepted charity. You let me come by my money fairly and honestly. I would have scorned you if you had tried to just give me the money to get by. And… you gave me an excuse to remain at Downton."
"Perhaps," Mary said, not sounding convinced, "but there were other things we failed to do. Not allowing you to come to Duneagle-"
Sybil raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh really?"
Tom held out a hand. "I suggested it. I knew it would raise a fuss."
"And I should have told you told you that it was foolishness," Mary said firmly. "You are… were… are family. You go where we go." She paused. "Well, this time will be different, Tom. You will be coming with us."
"Hear hear," Sybil said with a smile. "Though I do wonder if I should worry about you taking him away from me, Mary."
"Much as you have taken Matthew so many times?" Mary teased. "You must accept darling that we have gained in each other's husbands a brother."
Sybil nodded in that. It was very much true. "I suppose there are worst things in the world."
"Very much so, which is why I must borrow Tom now so we can discuss improving Downton."
"Wait a moment-" Sybil exclaimed as Mary began to drag Tom off.
"Now I believe our idea with the pigs was a strong one and we should begin to look into that again. Are there any other farm animals we should look into…"
"Is everything okay?" Matthew asked as he walked up to her.
Sybil pressed her lips together. "Everything is fine. Now come along."
"Uh… where?"
"We are going to plot the ruin of our enemies."
"Why?"
"Because our spouses are being rude!" Sybil declared and Matthew, after a moment, shrugged and followed after her.
~MC~MC~MC~
Isobel frowned as she made her way through the halls of Cavenham. She had needed to go powder her nose before dinner but had quickly become lost within the manor. Every door seemed to lead to a guest room… and to make matters worse the departed Lady Merton had decided to have every room look the same!
"They don't look all the same," Violet said after Isobel opened a door to find YET another bedroom. "There are subtle differences… I'm surprised, quite honestly, that you don't see them. I thought you were far more observant than that."
Isobel shot her friend a look. "The slight shifting of one coaster doesn't count as a difference."
"Oh, it is far more than that!" Violet said with a smug little smile as they moved down the hall.
"Then where is the powder room? If you know…"
"Oh, but I do," Violet assured her.
"…and?"
"Why that would rob you of the achievement of finding it. The satisfaction as well. Terribly rude of me."
Isobel didn't even bother calling Violet out on her lies. At this point they both knew that Isobel had caught her out so it would be a waste of time and energy to do so. Honestly it was more interesting to watch Violet twist herself into more and more knots trying to justify-
"I don't see why this had to happen tonight."
Violet and Isobel shared a looked before quietly moving towards a half opened door. Both knew they shouldn't listen in but they couldn't help it, not when the voice belonged to Larry Gray, the madman and traitor. The fool who had gotten so many young men killed, including poor William Mason, in his deluded attempts to claim glory for himself.
'No one has seen him in nearly 6 months,' Isobel thought to herself. 'It has been whispered about all throughout the country.' While not as connected as Violet Isobel did have friends in high places that liked to share gossip and Larry Gray's name often came up. With the war over heroes and villains were being found all over. Those that had served bravely and aided the cause… and those that had taken advantage of the chaos and were now being exposed. Everyone was struggling to find their place in the world and piece together just what role every lad had played.
Isobel herself had gotten many questions about Matthew from people who wished to know just WHAT the Heir of Downton had done during the Great War. The rumors of his cowardice which had been fueled by Robert's bluster… as well as the claims from the General and those within the military itself that he was a hero who had overseen so much of the war effort and helped bring support to many young men. She'd met more than one parent that shook her hand and begged her to pass along their thanks to Matthew for they knew that without all his hard work their sons would have died cold and defenseless in the muck that filled the Somme.
Larry Gray was a topic of discussion as well. Honestly the tales about him were growing more outlandish. People claiming he had personally killed his entire squad. That he was a secret German who couldn't accept the war was over. That the soldiers had never actually existed and it was all a grand conspiracy to allow Larry to disappear and become a spy. Rubbish, all of it, and she felt terrible for Dickie that he had to suffer from all of that.
"We've discussed this Larry," Dickie said with a light growl, something Isobel had never heard in his voice before. "I wish to celebrate Lady Mary's marriage to Matthew but they asked it not be done on their anniversary."
"And of course you care more about them than you do me."
"…is there anything in this life that you can't turn back upon yourself?" Dickie asked in annoyance. Isobel and Violet shared a look and crept closer to the door, peeking inside to find the two men at the far end of the room. Dickie was dressed in his evening wear, looking rather… well, Isobel had to admit she hadn't seen someone look so handsome since her Reginald. Though that was odd because they looked nothing alike. Her husband had been tall, yes, but also muscular owing to his youth in helping load crates for the shopkeeps in order to earn extra money during the summer months. Dickie was far leaner, sharper… in fact she idly had thought he resembled Matthew far more than Reginald had, other than coloring which is where Matthew and Reginald had shown they were father and son.
Isobel frowned, shaking herself from those thoughts and instead focusing on Dickie and his son.
"You have lived a charmed life, Larry. A vast majority of people throughout the world would give anything to have had what you have been given. Yet you have never shown an ounce of gratitude for that. Instead you seem to… seek out slights against you like a child looking for shiny stones along a riverbed!"
"Charmed life?" Larry fired back. He was dressed in a bathrobe and pajamas, seated in his wheelchair, face worn with heavy bags under his eyes. Even being as far away as she was she could smell the drink on him. "Charmed life? I am to be cast out of England. These will be the last few nights I spend in my home. And you have invited the architects of my fall to wine and dine with you!" He shook his head. "Tell me, father, are they laughing at me right now? Or are they plotting to destroy me more?"
"They have not even mentioned you Larry," Dickie said in disgust.
"Oh, too good to even think of the good man they have destroyed?"
"Again you make it all about you! Do you believe that everyone from the beggars in London to the King himself sit and think about you every moment of the day?"
"No… just as you never spare a thought on your son."
"I have thought long and hard about you," Dickie said coldly.
"You have never cared. It's those people that you care about."
"Those people could have been your champions if only you had shown a bit of kindness in your life. A touch of focus on anything other than yourself. Franklin and Jonsey and Jenny… they wanted to be your friends. But you and Tim scorned them for not have titles."
"They are wild heathens, raised by a man that gained his standing through scandal and butchery-"
"Allen Lothrop is a better man than you'll ever be," Dickie snapped. He shook his head. "I wanted to name you after him. Did you know that? Allen Grey… I thought it would be a wonderful honor. Your mother said no though, that it wasn't proper."
"It wasn't," Larry said in disgust.
"I'm glad she talked me out of it. Now he is not shamed by his namesake and his actions." Dickie paced the room. "You could have been husband to one of the Crawley girls. Edith fancied you; we all saw it. But you had your sights of Sybil, thought she was the perfect prize. Except she remembered your cruel games and petty pranks and decided early on to never entertain the fact."
"And we've seen how her tastes go. She's to marry a chauffer."
"She'll marry a reporter. A man with who cares for more than himself."
"If you care for him so much, father, make him your heir. Oh wait… you can't. I am still your heir." Larry wheeled himself forward. "Your heir… that you send into exile."
"You have done that yourself, Larry." When his son didn't say a word Dickie turned towards the door and Isobel and Violet quickly moved away. "You will stay in your room tonight. I will not have you ruin things with your drunkenness. You already showed the Crawleys you couldn't handle your liquor once I won't have them see you do it again."
"As you wish, father," Larry said bitterly, though Isobel could hear the yawn in his words, the wine he'd drunk making him clearly sleepy.
Isobel did all she could to appear as if she weren't eavesdropping when Dickie finally emerged from the room; she had thought about darting away but knew it was too late. Besides… she thought that he might need a friend in that moment.
"Oh… Isobel, Lady Grantham," Dickie said with a strained smiled as he saw them. "Whatever are you doing here?"
"Well originally it was to find the powder room but we ended up listening to you have such a terrible fight with your son," Violet said, clearly having decided that there was no need to have any tact. Isobel shot her friend a dark look before glancing towards Dickie, an apology on the tip of her tongue.
"Honestly I'm surprised no one else heard us. Usually Larry is far… louder."
"Has it been that bad?" Isobel asked.
Dickie nodded, motioning for the two of them to follow him. "When he first arrived back home he was sure that I had some scheme or plot to allow him to avoid punishment. He said that it was a conspiracy against him and that I had to make it right. I honestly believe in his mind he thought I was willing to overthrow the king and take the throne for myself just to him freed."
"Oh, I don't believe that," Violet said. "Give the throne to him perhaps…"
"Yes, that does sound like Larry," Dickie muttered. "When I made clear to him that wasn't the case he grew rather wroth. I wasn't helping him, wasn't being a proper father. It didn't matter that the courts proved his guilt and that the punishment he is receiving is light considering he could have faced the hangman… to him he is above such punishments." He shook his head. "He has made life difficult on all of us."
"I'm sorry," Isobel told him.
"Not your fault. No one's fault other than his own." Dickie smiled at her. "It does make me long for the days before his trial when I was in London. You were so very kind to keep me company as you did."
"It was no trouble at all, I assure you," Isobel told him as they finally came to a stop.
"Here," he said, gesturing towards the bathroom.
"I'll go first," Violet said, nearly shoving Isobel out of the way. "Lord Merton, why don't you keep Mrs. Crawley company… I might be a bit and no woman should be forced to stand by herself with no company." With that she gave a nod and entered, not even waiting to see if Dickie would agree.
"She is a… force of nature," Dickie finally said.
Isobel laughed. "Yes, I do believe that is the proper term for it." They lapsed into a quiet silence, looking about the hall. "It is a lovely home," Isobel said.
"Lovely, yes. Lively… only tonight. After tomorrow it will feel like a tomb again." He shook his head. "And I honestly can't say if it is a home full of love. Cavenham… I look at it now and see so little of myself in it. When I became its master and caretaker I was determined to make it remain as it always had. And I have successes… only to find that I can't see an ounce of my own efforts in it. I could die tomorrow and it would look exactly the same."
"Such is the way with large estates," Isobel said softly. "Cousin Robert has said much about Downton."
"But he has still made changes. Even before the hospital." Dickie shook his head. "Allen has the right of it. He is changing everything… even the name. He is making his mark on his family history rather than merely being a custodian of it." He looked up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I think we look too often back at where we were rather than forward to where we should be going. This War… it was caused by those dreams of lost eras rather than hopes for brighter tomorrows."
"There is still time," Isobel said. "You can change things here."
"For who?" Dickie asked. "Larry will never step foot in Cavenham again and any children he has… well, I don't know if he'll allow them to see it until I am long gone."
"Tim?" Isobel asked.
"No… he won't stay. This is his brother's inheritance, not his. He will get another place, I am looking into that. Not as large or as grand as this place but a chance to make his own way in the world. His own mark on history."
"Then do it for yourself," Isobel said. "Or… no, I'm sorry, never mind."
"No, please," Dickie said, turning fully towards her. "I would have you feel comfortable speaking your mind in front of me."
"Its just… if this place haunts you don't become another ghost within it."
"…move out?" Dickie asked.
"You said you preferred your time in London. It isn't unheard of for lords to close up estates and relocate. Cover the furniture, lock the doors, and go to London. Remake your townhouse."
"I… I don't know…"
"I am thinking of staying in London myself," Isobel said suddenly.
"You are?" he asked, surprised.
"I am."
"I assumed you would return to Downton-"
"Oh… oh no," Isobel said with a chuckle. "Crawley House was good enough when it was Matthew and me but he is married now. And I don't even know if he will stay at Downton proper." She lowered her voice. "Please don't say a word but he and Robert have discussed it and they are thinking of having Matthew and Mary move into one of the smaller estates, so that they might have a home that is their own. A place to raise a family without feeling as if they are intruding on Robert and Cora. Especially with them raising Lillian."
"Hmmm… that might be for the best though I admit I didn't expect it. But you will be staying in London?"
"I am. The General suggested I might take over his townhouse but I am not for sure-"
"Stay with me."
Isobel blinked in surprise at the sudden declaration. Dickie seemed just as startled.
But then he slowly smiled. "Yes… yes, I think that might be the best for both of us. It would be nice to have someone there with me, to help me put my mark on my London home. Some might see it as improper but we are close… there is nothing wrong with you staying with me."
"If… if you wouldn't mind…" Isobel stammered.
"You would be honoring me." The door opened and Violet stepped out. "Well… I should return to the party. Ladies."
Violet nodded, waiting until he was out of earshot before stating, "You are accepting his invitation."
"You heard?"
"I didn't actually need to use the wash room," she told her. "But I could tell you two needed some time." She smirked. "You should marry that man."
"Oh, you-"
"Its clear you care for him. To hell with worrying about others. At our age we must seek out happiness."
Isobel looked at Violet for a long moment before moving towards the door, stepping inside before spinning on her heels. "Then perhaps you should take your own advice and admit to Robert that you've grown to love Mr. Mason."
She was treated to the absolutely stunned features of the Dowager Countess just before she shut the door.
~MC~MC~MC~
"So he finally made it official?" Mary asked as she stood with Edith, looking at her dear friend Lavinia who seemed to be glowing.
"He did," she admitted, ducking her head in her bashful, embarrassed way, even as a giddy little smile played on her lips. "We are going to wait until after your anniversary, to not steal your thunder-"
"No, that simply won't do!" Mary declared before clearing her throat. Not everyone was in the room… in fact they had all spread out as they waited for dinner to be announced, looking about different rooms in Cavenham, getting a chance to truly explore the place. It reminded her a bit of the disastrous dinner she'd thrown her first lifetime to try and convince her grandmother to help save Downton.
Mary internally smiled, wondering if she could set up something similar this time around. That had been jolly good fun now that she was able to look back at it without pounds in her eyes.
"Everyone?" she called out, getting those who were still in the drawing rooms attention. "I have wonderful news. Tonight we celebrate Matthew and my marriage… something that has brought me great joy. I wish everyone to find the love and companionship I have found." Matthew smiled at that. "And it seems my wish has already been answered. I am happy to share with you all that my dear friend Lavinia Swire has agreed to marry Mr. Henry Talbot!"
There was a moment of silence before people began to clap, Lavinia blushing and Matthew walking over to shake hands with Henry who looked as if he couldn't decide if he should be as proud as a peacock or red faced with embarrassment.
"Dear Lavinia… I hope that in a few years time you will allow me to honor you as Lord Merton honors me tonight." She raised her glass. "To the happy-"
A scream pierced the air.
Mary nearly dropped her glass and everyone else jumped at the sound. They looked about wildly, only for the cry to come again, this time though not wordless.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"
"Cora," Robert whispered before rushing out of the room, nearly steamrolling over Franklin Lothrop as he hurried by. Everyone else followed him, thundering down the hall towards the entryway of Cavenham where they found Cora…
…kneeling over the crumpled form of Allen Lothrop who lay in a puddle of blood.
Mary felt suddenly weak and it was only Matthew grabbing her that kept her upright. Others weren't so lucky; Lavinia fainted straight away, Tom moving to try and catch her before transferring her to Henry. Franklin rushed to his father's side, kneeling down next to his father's body while Robert grabbed Mary's mother and held her tight.
"Let me through," Isobel said, Lord Merton joining her while Dr. Clarkson came from another hall. "Let us see."
"Allen!" Catherine cried out, Thomas moving to stop her only for the woman to brush him off as she joined Franklin next to the General.
"He's alive," Dr. Clarkson said after a moment, pressing his fingers against the man's throat. "His heartbeat is weak but its steady." He looked over Allen's body before slowly, carefully, pulling up his pant let to reveal the horrid sight of white bone jutting out of his flesh. "A bad break. I'll have to set it. I need to look him over…" He lightly touched Allen's chest and shook his head. "Ribs are broken."
"How did this happen?" Lord Merton asked as he stared at the form of his oldest friend.
"He fell," Isobel said, looking up to the second story balcony. "Had to have been from there. Any higher would have killed him. There though… he will need medical attention."
Dr. Clarkson nodded, rolling up his sleeves after tossing his jacket to another guest. "I need linens. And hot water. Any sharp knives."
"We can make a stretcher," Sybil said. "We need two long poles and some fabric."
"I'll find a servant to bring what you need," Anna said as she joined the crowd.
"Dr. Clarkson," Jonsey said. He had been circling his father's body, an odd look on his face. "What is in his hand."
"Pardon?" Dr. Clarkson said before looking down to see that clutched in Allen's hand was a small revolver. It was a tiny thing, easily concealed in his palm, but it was there.
"May I?" Jonsey asked. Dr. Clarkson nodded and Jonsey carefully opened his father's hand and lifted the gun up, covering it with a handkerchief. "This gun as been fired," he said, sniffing at the barrel. "And not by my father. There are no powder burns on him."
"How… how recently?" Matthew asked.
"Within the last few minutes." Jonsey suddenly looked up. "I think… we might need to do a headcount."
