The lady and the lawyer. {ON HOLD}

1,2,3,4 all the men march off to war

"It's papa!" Little George jumped from foot to foot excitedly as he stood near the nanny in the splendid line of the Downton staff. He watched all the smart men salut his clever daddy and shout strange orders as the field green car drove up the drive. There were three other smart men sitting next to daddy in the car and they all had special shiny medals. George wanted a super shiny medal too, he wanted to be a hero like daddy. Mummy said that maybe one day he would be and then she burst into tears. She kept doing that and it upset George; every time they talked about daddy, granny would have to take over the conversation because mummy would run off crying. But anyway now looking at her from afar, across the gravel, George could see that his mummy was smiling more than ever. He didn't understand why his daddy kept going on holidays with his friends in smart uniforms, mummy never got to go away and that seemed to upset her.. Or maybe it was because papa was away? Nevertheless he was here now and all three of them were together and happy. And smiley. And George liked that very much. The dark green car pulled up outside the grand doors of the abbey and out strolled George's smart papa. George, being little and uncontrollable, madly flung himself into his papa's arms and giggled hysterically when his papa spun him around and around.
"It's you papa!" George squealed contentedly as he wrapped his arms tightly around his neck.
Mary watched her husband and little boy with tears in her eyes, she'd been worried sick ever since Matthew had left to go off to this stupid war and hadn't been eating properly. Matthew would never talk about the war with her, and he would always be more concerned for Mary being upset, than he was for himself being flung about with rats and lice in the trenches. Now Matthew looked over at his beautiful wife also with tears in his eyes.
George looked at his parents. They were crying again!
"Don't cry papa." George pleaded and then wiped a tear that rolled down papa's cheek. Matthew smiled at his son who was still in his arms.
"My dearest little chap do you know how much I love you? How much you mean to me?" He asked with a little laugh,Matthew ruffled George's hair and then Cora came over to offer to hold him so Matthew could go over to see mary. It was obvious he was desperate to. George snuggled into cora's neck happily and watched his parents being reunited.
Everyone was watching them be reunited but to Matthew and Mary it seemed as though it was just them; alone on the gravel on a summers day. Isobel watched her son and daughter in law. It was a perfect love indeed. This reminded her of the days of Reginald; they were in a perfect love. But it seems perfect love never lasts. Robert walked over to Cora as the servants chatted excitedly while they piled back into the house. William was back! Daisy of course was most content, but at the same time socially awkward.
Matthew and Mary stared at each other for some time, letting tears slowly drop to the ground below. Then Matthew enveloped Mary in a big hug, she snuggled into his neck crying. They were both completely relieved that both of them were safe, but they knew that Matthew would still have to go back. Mary dwelled on this thought day and night, only the previous day she had dropped her tea cup from a sudden feeling for Matthew. Matthew was the same, though he didn't have to worry about Mary being shot in the trenches, he didn't want to leave her at Downton worrying for him. This resulted in him being quite clumsy during patrols and in the trenches. Since his mind was forever filled with his love for Mary, and concern, he didn't really think about what he was doing.
Cora and Robert took George into the abbey, seeing that Matthew and Mary will want some time alone. Edith and Sybil followed in rather disappointed that cousin Matthew hadn't come to say hello. Mary wasn't the only one who was always worried about him!
"What about mama and papa?" George asked curiously as he toddled After granny and grandpa.
"Why don't they come inside?"
Cora smiled down at him and then simply answered:-
"They will come inside."
"After they've finished hugging?"
"Yes.."
"And kissing?"
"George!"
"Why do you have to leave? Why does everything have to be so complicated?!" Mary asked in despair, as soon as she had got Matthew back she felt more determined not to let him go. She was now crying hysterically as Matthew tried to comfort her.
"I don't want to leave. I never want to leave. But war means sacrifices!" He replied stroking her cheek and wiping her relentless tears.
"But I don't want to sacrifice my husband! I don't want to be widowed and I want George to have a father!" Mary cried, for the first time mentioning death.
"Neither do all of the other wives who have had to separate from their husbands Mary. It's not just us in this bloody war. It's the whole of Britain. I am sacrificing my life for king and country, you must sacrifice your husband." He sounded a lot more angry than comforting in this short speech.
"Your life IS my life. Don't you see? If you died.. If you.. Died.. I would.." Mary seemed breathless all of a sudden.
"Mary? What is it darling?" Matthew Asked concerned, listening to his wife's irregular breathing. Suddenly panic rose inside him and he realised that Mary was not well.
Mary felt dizzy and she watched the world spin around. Thoughts whirled in circles within her head and strange music was filling the atmosphere with couples who appeared out of no where. Was she hallucinating? She fell into his arms unconscious.
"Mary! Mary darling please tell me what's wrong." Matthew cried out holding the pale figure in his arms who didn't reply.
"Mary! Help! Somebody help!"
Sybil was walking past the front doors of the abbey holding clean white linen sheets as she heard a man cry out from outside. Oh gosh one of the convalescents hadn't escaped and fell on the gravel had they?
"Isobel!" She shouted, expecting they would have to take this silly man back to hospital.
Isobel was in the main hall helping serve food to the officers who were well enough to sit at a table. As soon as nurse crawley shouted she immediately abandoned her duties and set off to find her.
"Isobel there you are. Someone is calling for help from outside." Sybil said as Isobel came into view, weaving through the beds of constables and officers. Without another word, they walked through the open doors and out into the world around Downton. There they saw something that they hadn't expected.
"Matthew?" They saw him sitting on the gravel cradling his wife who was apparently unconscious.
Isobel nodded knowingly.
"We can sort this Matthew."
Mary had a record of fainting since the war had started. It seemed she fainted from sheer panic and these sudden events would occur whenever someone mentioned death. Mary was never usually a sentimental person, and she wasn't until George and Matthew came along. But now sentimentality seemed to be doing her more harm than good since every time she thought of Matthew dying she fainted. Nurse Crawley came over to the couple on the floor and checked Mary's pulse. It was still going thank goodness.
As Sybil went through various procedures, checking Mary thoroughly over with Isobel Matthew noticed how mature Sybil could be, and how grown up she seemed now. Of course this observation vanished as soon as his concerns for Mary returned.
"Matthew you mustn't worry." Sybil said with pauses as she tried to lift Mary with Isobel. Matthew quickly adapted to the situation and lifted her up himself.
"My wife is unconscious of course I worry." He replied clearly unaware that this was nearly a daily occurrence.
"She hasn't told you then?" Isobel asked as they hurried back into the abbey to find a sofa to lay Mary on until she came around.
"Sybil get some smelling salts and some paraffinalia please."
Sybil made a right turn for the first aid cupboard and scurried off.
"Told me what?" Matthew asked anxiously as he struggled to keep up with his practical mama. He looked down at Mary hoping she was ok.
They walked past many men in uniforms and danced through the obstacles of tables and chairs. Even wheelchairs! Downton was definitely different.
"This is almost a daily occurrence for Mary, Matthew, she is literally worried sick for you."
"DAILY?" Matthew almost dropped Mary at the word. He knew she was far too concerned for him; but he hadn't known it was this serious.
"Oh yes. She drops things, stares into space, faints! It's as if she is in mourning every time you set foot out of downton."
"I never knew it was this bad." Matthew said feebly, at a loss for words.
"Love is a dangerous thing!" Isobel muttered as they finally got through the maze, which was downton, and arrived in a quiet room with a small sofa near the fireplace. The room was painted duck egg blue and had somewhat a calming feel to it. Matthew lay Mary down on the sofa, stroking her hair from her pale face.
"Could you leave me for a moment? Please?" Matthew asked, not diverting his gaze from Mary as he did so.
"Of course. Sybil will be up with paraffinalia and smelling salts later." Isobel said and then after looking at Matthew for a while longer, she shut the door quietly.
"I never knew it was this bad." He said completely distraught as he held Mary's hand.
"I never knew." And with that he burst into tears and put his head in his hands, Wondering when the love of his life would return.
Bang. Another man falls to the ground and becomes merely another part of the background on no mans land. Mary walks along the rows of the dead searching for someone. Everything is hazy and foggy. Blood fills the air, it's so plentiful one could make a river from it around here. Bang. The man beside her falls to his knees, surrendering to the Germans as he releases his last breath into the grey mist surrounding him. A golden cat suddenly emerges from the trenches and the muddy ground becomes marble. The guns become delicacies upon grand tables and the dead bodies become tall pillars. Blood turns into wine and is poured into glasses. Mary spins around in this vast ballroom when suddenly Matthew appears in his murky green uniform. He bows and asks her to Dance. Mary gracefully accepts and is swept off her feet as they whirl around. But the guns did not seem content with staying as delicacies and all too soon midnight struck. Everything was back to the familiar nightmare and Matthew suddenly looked distant in Mary's arms. His eyes were bloodshot. His head bloodied. He fell to Mary's feet, uttering in his last breath
"I love you."
He's gone.
Matthew looked up and saw Mary wildly turning her head from side to side. Her unconsciousness must be wearing off! Matthew immediately grabbed her hand soothingly and tried to comfort her.
"It's ok. It's ok darling I'm here. It's Matthew." He said whilst repeatedly kissing her hand in between his words.
Suddenly a dead body reached out from the ground and grabbed Mary's hand. His blood stained her white dress and his eyes were mad holes of darkness. She recognised him. It. Was. The. Chauffeur.
Unexpectedly, Mary started screaming as her eyes were closed. Matthew immediately started panicking and tried to wake Mary up by shaking her.
"It's a bad dream mary! Wake up! Please god, wake up!"
The floor was shaking and everything was crumbling at her feet. The ground fell apart and Mary was whirled into darkness, watching the guns and dead men fall down around her into a seemingly pitiless hole. She spun around and around in this fantasy until finally she broke into the surface of reality and opened her eyes.
Isobel was running up the stairs with Sybil and had been since she had heard screaming.
"Good god what is he doing to her?" She asked Sybil rhetorically as they followed the steps up to the duck egg blue room. Just then the screaming stopped..
Sybil looked at Isobel questioningly and they paused on the staircase listening out for any other sounds. When the atmosphere remained silent, they returned to plan A and resumed to climbing the stairs again to see for themselves.
Mary looked around her anxiously, horrified by the images her mind had portrayed before her during her vivid dream. The first thing she saw was a blurry image of Matthew. He was crying and he looked scared.
"Mary are you ok my darling? You.. You were screaming and.. And.." Matthew stuttered as he sniffed and wiped his tears.
Mary was extremely confused. She couldn't really remember why she was lying here or why it felt like a hammer was inside her head. Or why she had just been in the trenches and Matthew had died yet here he was crying asking if she was ok. Slowly she sat up, rubbing her forehead, and creasing her eyebrows into a slight frown.
"Mary?" Matthew asked again hoping she hadn't got concussion or anything. Isobel and Sybil came in just then and were delighted to see that Mary was awake.
"Ahh Mary your with us again!" Sybil said delightedly as she got a wet flannel and patted Mary's Forehead with it.
"Are you ok?" She asked while Matthew told Isobel about Mary screaming and squirming.
"I'm a bit confused actually.. Where am I? Why am I asleep and is Matthew alive or dead?" Sybil was taken aback and it appeared that the rest of the ensemble were too. Matthew stopped his conversation with his mama and knelt closer to mary. Mary moved away slightly incase he was a ghost.
"I am alive darling. I'm here." Matthew looked questioningly and worriedly at Isobel and then at Sybil.
"But.. But you died.. We were dancing and you died!" Mary started to hyperventilate and panic. Matthew immediately grasped for her hand thinking she was going to faint again. Mary sprung up from the sofa she sat on unsure of Matthew and ran out of the room crying, calling for her mama.
Matthew sank further on his knees and rested his head on the sofa.
"I don't understand." He said trying not to cry in front of two conscious ladies.
"It's ok Matthew. She will just be a bit confused; it will wear off!" Sybil reassured him patting his shoulder. Matthew became angry. None of this should have happened; Mary, George, himself they didn't deserve this. He clenched his fists so he didn't unleash his anger on anyone.
"Leave me."
"Pardon?"
"Leave me." He repeated slightly louder. Isobel and Sybil looked to eachother and agreed telepathically to leave. Matthew was bound to be angry after all. They gathered the medicines they had brought for Mary and hastily left as Matthew began to pace the room.
"Suppose it's more than after effects? She hasn't done this before.." Sybil asked uncertainly as they scurried down the stairs.
"Fainting can't make you loose your memory Sybil, it's absurd!"
"But perhaps she has just been made confused, not lost her memory?"
"What illness, pray, makes you confused?"
"Well I'm sure there's many." This conversation carried on for the next few hours whilst isobel and Sybil worked together to help the wounded officers recover.
"Mama." Mary came in to the library, or what was left of the library since it had been taken over by convalescents, sounding rather formal.
"Yes, what is it mary?" Cora asked, she didn't even look up from the papers she was studying as she said this.
"Can you promise me that Matthew is alive and did not die during the war?"
"Why what a strange question! Of course he's alive he was.. Greeting you at the door only a few hours ago." Cora said turning around and holding the back of the chair with one hand.
"Oh darling have you fainted again?" Cora asked with a slight moan in her voice. "We'd all hoped Matthew coming home would stop this fainting epidemic but it seems not." Cora sighed, got up and kissed Mary on the cheek.
"Your memory will return, Matthew is alive, now I must get going I have a mountain to get through." Cora declared and strolled through the door Mary had just come through.