"How can you be so arrogant and blind?" he yelled at Mary.
She replied in the same volume: "Me and arrogant? Blind? You all are the ones who always know what I want and then have to tell me or just arrange it!" Mary couldn't meet Toms eyes and turned away from him, so that he couldn't see her tears. Tom ran a hand through his hair in frustration. 'How should I explain to her, that since Tony I only want her to be happy? I would finally be free again and could then try my luck and find a woman!', but he didn't say this. Sensing Marys inner turmoil, Tom walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder to calm her a bit. Suddenly his strong Mary leaned into him and in one desperate movement grabbed his hand.
'What's happening here?' Tom asked himself the second Mary hugged him tightly...
Tom sat upright in his bed and first tried to sort his thoughts. ,What was that? His Mary?'. With a shake of his head he got up, washed and dressed. Rarely he had such an irritating dream. 'I have no feelings for Mary. She's Sybill's sister and my sister-in-law. Also, she loves Henry! Glad I wrote Violet, she'll fix things again.' The days until the Countess of Dowager finally arrived in Downton passed slowly and neither Cora, nor Robert, nor the servants, nor Tom and Mary felt really comfortable.
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Violet was waiting for her granddaughter in the entrance hall. At Carsons information, Mary went into the hall and greeted her granny.
"I think it's a bit exaggerated that Tom has to get you for help.", said Mary and gave her grandmother a short kiss of welcome. She smiled at her granddaughter's rebuke. "His letter was very informative and enlightened me." Was all Violet was willing to say at the moment. Her granddaughter had been a headache for her for a number of years.
First it took her forever to even realize that she loved Matthew and then Matthew died much too early in a car accident.
Mary got George and at first didn't want to get involved in a relationship anymore.
'That Gillingham would have been a possibility, but Mary couldn't or didn't want him.', she thought while following Mary into her room.
"Well, Granny, what was it in Toms letter that brought you here and had a private chat with me?" Mary asked, her tone making it clear that she had no desire or interest in further lecturing.
"You. No, more precisely: Henry and you; Edith and you and finally Tom and you. But always YOU!" Violet said simply and plainly.
This simple statement from her granny brought Mary to her limits again.
"Why can't anyone understand that I can't lose another man in a car accident. That after Matthew I can't just marry a man I might not really love AND that I would wish Edith her happiness, but I don't know why I always react the way I do to her! With Edith I say things...".
Breathing heavily, Mary sat down on the edge of her bed. Violet looked at her otherwise composed, almost cold granddaughter more closely and a small smile played on her lips. She got up and walked towards Mary.
"Mary. Mary, maybe I can understand that better than anyone else here. I believe in rules, in tradition and I believe in behaving appropriately. But do you know what else I believe in? I believe in love! I think it's time you start accepting yourself for who you are. You're not cold and snobby my love, you're just better at hiding your feelings than all of us combined. Accept yourself and then you can love a racer too if that's what you want! However, you should talk to your sister first. It's just the two of you and maybe then you'll be able to look yourself in the eyes again."
Violet left Mary's room and made her way home. In the entrance hall she met Tom, who looked at her uncertainly.
"What did Mary say?" he asked her after all.
"She said a lot of things and she wasn't thrilled that you texted me. But it's Mary. She'll sort it out and we'll all see the result.", she replied simply and went outside.
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While Tom was downstairs talking to Violet about talking to Mary, she was upstairs in her bed. She went through various ideas and decided to clear the issue with Edith and Berti first. She quickly went to the village and sent both Berti and her aunt a telegram.
'As I know Rosamund and Edith, it will work out if they eat together.', she thought to herself and go on to fulfill her duties as manager.
A week later she learned from Rosamund that Berti and Edith had eaten together at the Ritz, and when Edith showed up at Downton to announce her re-engagement, Mary was actually happy for her sister.
Well, the wedding on 12/31. was planned and Mary now had to deal with her thoughts about Henry.
YOU ARE READING
Downton Abbey (English)
FanfictionThe story happens after the series end and was written before one of the movies was done. Since I didnt/dont like Henry, I wrote another end of the series, that fits better in my personal opinion. Mary needs to learn to accept herself as she is. Lis...
