My Darling ❤️

He would do better

August 1914
Matthew adjusted his uniform carefully in the mirror, he was ready. He had signed up straight away, he didn't really know why, it just felt...right.
He knew they would miss him, well maybe not Mary as much, but they would miss him.
He had never told Mary himself, he knew it wasn't noble but he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he had let her find out for herself...

In the library...
"Is anyone going to get up early enough to see Matthew off tomorrow?" Robert asked
Mary's head swam with heavy thoughts.
"I don't know, I wish he wasn't going through.." Her mother replied
Mary couldn't bear to hear his name. It echoed painfully through her head.
It was the dinner the night before that only added to the pain of it....
They had all been sitting in the drawing room after dinner..
"Have you heard that Matthew was signed up?" Her mother had announced
Mary flinched as she heard his name.
"I know, it is rather brave, but Matthew has such good plans for the estate" Robert replied
She flinched again.
"Please excuse me I have a headache.." Mary mumbled as she rushed to the door.
"Are you alright, do you want me to bring you something?" Her mother asked with a concerned look.
"No, I'll be fine if I can just..lie down" she mumbled and escaped up to her room.
Cora watched as her daughter ran up the stairs, along the corridor and into her room. Even if it did no good, she couldn't continue downstairs knowing that her daughter wasn't ok.
She reached the door and knocked hesitantly before nudging the door and slipping inside.
Her precious daughter was sat on the bed, tears streaming down her face and her hand supporting her head.
"My darling girl, what is the matter?" She said softly and tentatively
"You heard him! Matthew this...Matthew that! Matthew..Matthew...Matthew!" She spluttered through sobs before collapsing into her mother's embrace.
"Your father loves you very much, and he just wants what's best for all of us" Cora replied 
"Oh mother don't you see! He has a son now, he wouldn't fight for me because why would he!" She accused
"Matthew is a nice boy, you can't give him less than that"
"You're just the same, you don't want me to inherit because you think he would do better!" She replied
"Goodnight mary" she said calmly, knowing she needed to give her daughter the chance to calm down.
Mary put her hands to her face and just sobbed.