Thank you so much to everyone for your kind words! Don't worry, I'm not abandoning this – I am currently going through my busiest time of year but will be updating more regularly in a couple of weeks when things die down. This chapter has a lot of background, set-up and dialogue that is important to the rest of the story – I hope it's still entertaining for you!

Cora blew her candles out to a reception of laughter and cheering.

"Happy birthday!"

Robert leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek while everybody else around the table clapped. They were seated in a private room of an upscale restaurant so there was no reason to be quiet.

Mary grabbed her glass of champagne and raised it to clink with her mother's. "Happy birthday, Mama."

"Thank you, darling," Cora said as she tapped her glass against her eldest daughter's.

Robert and Cora lived at Downton and it was a family tradition to celebrate down there. However, this year Cora's birthday fell on the same day as an annual charity lunch she and Robert always attended in London so they had decided to host a dinner afterwards in town.

Sybil was seated down the opposite end of the table to Mary, to the frustration of them both. They hadn't seen each other in a few months between Mary's hectic work schedule and Sybil constantly travelling and being asked to speak at various charitable events. Mary seemed like the kind of older sister that would cast a large shadow, yet Sybil never once tried to follow in her footsteps.

They were going to a play together next week so Mary reconciled that catching up would have to wait until then.

It didn't help that Robert had spent most of the dinner questioning her on her business, checking that she had things under control. She knew he loved her and wanted her to succeed, but when he asked questions with that slightly condescending tone, she felt completely undermined.

Will had been kneading her thing under the table all night, which meant she knew exactly where his mind was headed for later on. She had to stop herself from shuddering. It hadn't been long enough for her yet.

Mary excused herself to use the bathroom, feeling her phone buzz with a text message as she went.

It was Henry.

Coming around tonight?

"Next round is mine, fellas." Matthew said as he rose from the table.

"Good man," Tom said, giving his friend a thumbs up as he headed towards the bar.

A group of Matthew's friends that he'd had since school had gathered at their local jaunt to watch the football. The game had just ended with a one-point victory and, as usual, all hell had broken loose.

The pub wasn't hip with its dark green carpet and dingy pool tables, but it was a local favourite and still attracted a large crowd every weekend. The kind of place you could go in a big city like London and bump into the same people over and over again.

The bartender dropped the round of beers Matthew had ordered in front of him.

"Would you like a hand?" A pretty brunette said from his left.

Tom, Matthew's best friend from childhood, watched the exchange from his seat. The sod wasn't much good at flirting and was in desperate need of some action in his life, despite his protests that he was doing fine in that department.

When Matthew joined the table again, Tom said, "Got a bit of attention up there Matty".

"Ladies just can't resist." Matthew deadpanned, dropping the drinks in front of his respective friends.

Tom prodded whether he got the girl's number or had any plans to go and talk to her again, but Matthew brushed him off. Tonight he just wanted to relax and leave the workweek behind him. He was doing well at his new office but he didn't feel at home there and was unsure if he ever would. Leaving his last firm was a huge decision that shocked everybody in his personal and professional lives. Matthew knew it was the right thing to do despite all the protestations, yet he still desperately wanted to prove to them all that he was doing better than before. He currently didn't have much of a leg to stand on.

"I know you say it's over with Lavinia," Tom went on. "And I'm accepting it! But if it's really true then it's time to get back out there."

"I have been out there." Matthew bit back.

He explained his dalliance with Laura with as few details as he had given Mary. Tom's eyebrows shot to the roof in interest yet quickly returned to their regular position when he realised that what he thought was the introduction to the story was actually the entire tale.

"That's it?" Tom gave him an extremely unsatisfied look.

Matthew wanted off the topic.

Mary sat in the back of a black cab alone on the way back to her apartment. When they were stopped at a red light, she watched from her window as two girls stumbled their way down the street laughing in short skirts that rode up too high on their legs. They looked like they were having a lot of fun.

Mary sighed and checked her watch. It wasn't even midnight yet.

She felt rather pathetic and not at all like being alone despite emphatically telling Will that was what she wanted as she waved him off for yet another night on the town without her. Resting her head against the window, she thought about the way Will always looked at her with those expectant eyes every Saturday and how quickly they went dull when she told him she wasn't coming along.

The River Thames reflected the streetlights in a mesmerising dance on the water's surface. Mary watched it from the car as it took off down the street, unable to escape the coldness that enveloped her whenever she really let herself think about her boyfriend. He was out there now, probably going through the door of some club with a band of stragglers eager for his attention.

She shut her eyes and took a breath. She wondered what Matthew was doing now. It had been over a week since she'd seen him. They had communicated only by email and phone since their last meeting and Mary thought that was probably for the best after the flustered fiasco at her office. She imagined him at home in some little apartment with a wall full of mismatched books and a clean kitchen apart from a few dishes in the sink.

They turned into Shaftesbury Avenue and Mary sat up. The Palace Oak was just around the corner. Matthew had the mysterious room key when they were at the café.

"Excuse me," she said to the driver, "Do you mind dropping me at the Palace Oak instead?"

She knew it was a long shot and that it would be quite embarrassing if he actually turned out to be there. However, she had just the right amount of alcohol flowing through her body from dinner to give her the courage to try anyway.

She got out of the cab and the doorman let her in without a question. Mary couldn't remember if she'd ever stayed here but she knew she'd been inside on a few occasions.

Approaching the front desk, she wasn't quite sure what to say. A place like this was unlikely to be lax on security. A male receptionist lifted his head on hearing her come up and his eyes went wide.

He knew who she was. Mary smiled her most charming smile.

"Hello. I was hoping you could help me," she said, leaning over the counter.

"Of course." He choked out.

"I'm looking for Matthew Crawley's room." Mary watched the young man's reaction to her request carefully. His expression showed neither recognition nor confusion, just surprise.

She felt silly. It had been a couple of weeks since she'd seen that room key fall out of his wallet.

"Sorry," the man said after a pause, "I wasn't aware you knew Mr Crawley. That is – I know who you are and he didn't mention knowing you." He flustered. "Is he expecting you? As I saw him leave earlier this evening and haven't seen him return yet."

He was staying here. Mary was silent for a moment. She hadn't thought of what to do next. She didn't expect him to actually be staying here. But now that she knew that he was, she found herself dying to get upstairs. It would just be any other boring hotel room but she was curious, and all that awaited her at home was an empty apartment.

"He's my cousin," Mary told the receptionist. "Third or fourth cousin. I left my coat here a few days ago and was hoping to get upstairs to retrieve it."

"Oh!" The man's surprise had only increased. Mary could tell he wanted to ask a dozen more questions but, to his professional credit, he restrained himself.

He grabbed a heavy looking set of keys from the hook on the wall behind him. "Follow me, I'll take you up."

Mary couldn't quite believe that was all she needed. She supposed she had done bolder things before, but it didn't feel like it. They stepped into the elevator that had walls made entirely of mirrors, including the ceiling. Mary checked her reflection then watched the man press the button for the sixth floor – one from the top.

The hallway had dark walls and gold lights that ran along it. Mary felt shivers lightly pricking her arms as she walked down. When they got to the last door, the receptionist opened it for her and seemed to be waiting.

"Do you mind if I meet you back downstairs? I might just use the bathroom to freshen up." Her tone was sharp and commanding despite her polite request. She didn't want to give him room to turn her down; a trick she had picked up in her workplace.

He left her to it and she entered.

Matthew rolled out of the cab, slinging his jacket back over his shoulders as he went.

"Call me tomorrow to discuss next weeks shenanigans." Tom barked from the car.

"That's your job," Matthew replied, shutting the cab door and giving the roof two slaps.

He walked into the sleek lobby and raised a hand towards the boys on reception. "Night."

"Mr Crawley," Luke said, rushing over to him from behind the desk.

"It's Matthew, Luke."

The boy looked quite manic, sweat beading from his forehead.

"Matthew," Luke corrected, "Your cousin is upstairs."

Matthew frowned. He hadn't had that much to drink and Luke was a generally reliable sort. "My cousin?"

"I took her up about an hour ago and she said she was coming down but I'm starting to think she may have fallen asleep." Luke rushed out.

"There's someone asleep in my apartment?" Matthew's voice became louder as he spoke and he started to rush towards the lift. "Luke, I don't have a cousin."

Luke followed him, panic in his voice. "She said you were distant cousins. Lady Mary, you know, the one that is always in the papers?"

Matthew stopped short just before the elevator door. "Lady Mary is in my apartment?"

Luke nodded. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. My mistake." Matthew cut him off. "It's been a long day. I was only thinking of first cousins. I know Mary."

"Oh." Luke sighed in relief. "Good!"

Matthew quickly wished him goodnight and prayed for the elevator to reach the sixth floor at lightning speed. She couldn't really be in there, could she? How did she know he lived here?

He had to stop himself from busting open his front door, stopping before and forcing himself to open it in a calm fashion. The light of the city shone through his tall windows and Mary's silhouette stood out against it.

She turned around in a jump.

Mary felt her heart rate increase as she stared at him from the other side of the room. His hand still rested on the doorknob as he stood puzzled by her presence in his flat.

The distant noise of cars beeping was all to be heard.

"You have a beautiful view." Mary eventually said, nerves swelling around her heart.

"Thank you," Matthew said back, taking a few more steps into his apartment. He wanted to say something clever to break the tension of this very odd situation, but the words weren't coming.

"Do you live here?" She asked.

He nodded.

"I didn't know you could live here. I thought it was just hotel rooms."

"Only two rooms have been converted into apartments," Matthew replied as he slowly made his way around a couch. "This is one of them."

It was her turn to nod. Mary turned away from him and put her eyes back on the view. She hadn't known what her plan was when she'd come up but she expected some level of the same banter they'd been having in their last meetings. Some more teasing, and definitely some more flirting. She wanted to shock him and take control but she couldn't get enough of a handle on her nerves to even look at him.

She didn't want to ask how he could afford this place even though she was dying to know. It wasn't anything over the top or flashy like her flat but it was warm, clean and certainly upmarket. He had a couch that she knew was worth thousands because she considered buying the same one for her office. It was next to a wonky, handmade looking shelf that seemed like it had been picked up from someone's front lawn. It was filled with worn out books and had a single picture frame on top.

"I suppose you're wondering how this could be my place," Matthew said, coming to stand beside her.

She felt his shoulder brush against hers and inhaled sharply. She tried to focus on the park that was narrowly spotted in the distance. It only looked like a patch of black at this time of night.

"Well, I wasn't going to bring it up but now that you have," Mary lightly joked.

He gave a little laugh and she felt herself relax a fraction. He explained how his father was a general practitioner and his mother a surgeon, both having made decent salaries. They were quite respected in Manchester, so much so that his mother was eventually offered a job in a London hospital when Matthew was twelve causing them to move down.

"I've never come close to running in your circles but I've never been poor either," He told her with a wry smile. "Though I suppose that might as well be the same thing to you".

She shrugged a shoulder.

"Dad made a few good investments and this was one of his biggest. He was a smart man but he never aspired to great wealth or status. A normal guy, really. If those exist."

"Was?" Mary asked.

Matthew nodded. "Was. He passed away nine years ago."

He watched her beautiful features pull together in anguish and thought she was going to rest a hand on his shoulder. Instead, she kept it by her side and said, "I'm sorry".

"It's not your fault". He smiled. She smiled back.

Matthew didn't want to ask her why she was here and scare her away. Her hair was in a loose ponytail with tendrils framing her perfectly made-up face. This was clearly not her first stop of the night.

"Where have you been?" Matthew asked. "Or did you get all dressed up just for me?"

"You wish," Mary replied and went on to explain about her mother's birthday and how she hadn't wanted to go out, yet hadn't wanted to go home yet either.

He asked about her family and she told him about Downton and her sisters. She had grown up on a country estate with a house in London, always switching between the two. Her sister Edith was now travelling around Europe, taking pictures for a living. Sybil was always in the papers for her charity work, putting everybody else to shame.

"I don't think it's possible for anyone to put you to shame." Matthew cut in. "I have read about Sybil though. She's very impressive".

Mary smiled in satisfaction, proud of her baby sister and happy that he thought her impressive. A lot of her friends said they admired Sybil because they knew it was what you were supposed to say about someone so selfless and non-materialistic, but Mary knew they didn't understand why she would spend her time championing the little guy when she could be sipping champagne by a pool every day.

"Do you have siblings?" Mary asked.

"No. Just me." He answered. "The cat that walks by himself."

She knew he was joking, but she figured it gave her the perfect opportunity to pry a little further. "So, no women on the scene to aid your loneliness?"

The corner of his mouth went up. "Nope."

"Not Laura?"

"I thought we'd been over this."

"Well, you gave me absolutely nothing so we actually never got started." Mary zipped back.

He dipped his head, coming up in a laugh. "No, it's not going anywhere. She is lovely, but I don't think I'm the type of guy to make her happy."

"Why not?"

Matthew shook his head from side to side, wondering if she was ever going to let this go.

"We have a lot in common." He answered.

Mary frowned, waiting for more of an explanation. He said nothing. "Oh, right. Yes, that sounds like a terrible match."

He rolled his eyes. "She's," He paused, "too much like me, I suppose. She needs someone with a stronger personality. So do I, I think".

They went quiet. Mary had so many questions buzzing around her head, trying to figure out which way to play this. But he jumped in before she could decide on what to say next.

"That's how it works best, don't you think? When you are different."

He could see her considering his comment. He wondered if she spent much time thinking about this sort of thing. He certainly did.

"Are you and Will different?"

The buzzing stopped. He'd completely thrown her off with that question. Will hadn't entered her mind since she'd walked in the building.

"No." She answered honestly. "Though it does feel like we are becoming less alike as time goes on. I don't think it's in the way you mean though."

"Oh?" He asked.

"We think the same sort of way and we are from similar families. We have known each other for a long time and have always had shared goals. But we don't really talk too deeply about anything. And he still loves going out every weekend and I've grown out of that," Mary explained. "As old I sound saying it."

Matthew reassured her that it didn't.

Mary contemplated being completely honest. It was the time to say it if ever there was one. Once she did, it could open a floodgate to many more things. Things she wanted.

"He's probably sizing up the girl he's going to take home tonight right now."

The noise of the street faded away and Matthew snapped his head towards her. "Wait, what?"

Mary just gave him a knowing smile before looking back out the window.

"Are you two," He tried to measure his tone as spoke, "in an open relationship?"

Mary laughed out loud then. "No."

His puzzled expression also showed concern, and she couldn't leave him in the lurch much longer.

"He thinks I don't know, but of course I do." She said. Mary went on to tell him about how over a year and a half ago, she realised he was bringing other girls home whenever she didn't end the night with him. It had been a pair of underwear he obviously hadn't known had been left behind under his bed that tipped her off. Suddenly his strange behaviour of the recent month made sense to her, why one day he had been frazzled and ridiculously attentive to her every whim for no apparent reason. How that sort of attitude came and went at odd times, always after a weekend.

"The funny thing is, I know he really does think he loves me. He wants us to get married." She almost rolled her eyes when she said it.

"I don't understand," Matthew said. "Why would you put up with that?"

She was pleased with his implication that she didn't seem like the passive type. Mary told him about their families and how they were so entwined that breaking up would cause a huge rift between them. She told him how Will's father was her biggest investor in Diamond Publishing and how she just couldn't afford to lose that. She found out about the other women right at the time she was about to finally start up and she had worked too hard to let anything affect it.

"I know it's stupid," Mary said. "But I also just didn't want to deal with it all. Being single, having everyone talk. I didn't want to give anyone the satisfaction of gossiping about me. I had too much else to worry about."

Matthew frowned the whole time she was explaining. He understood, he thought, for the most part. It was hard to digest. How could anyone want some random girl when Mary was at home? How up his own ass was this guy not to see that? But one part of the story just didn't resonate with the person he'd carved Mary out to be.

"But," He paused. "How do you bare him? Knowing all that. I just can't imagine you being the sort to take it lying down."

She smiled at him, turning away from the window for the first time to face him properly.

"It was hard at first. Not only to stop myself from screaming at him but to go through the motions of pretending to want to be with him. Kissing him and sleeping in the same bed, it all just felt very wrong." She said. "But it became easier when I realised his feelings for me hadn't changed. He wasn't doing it because he didn't want to be with me anymore or because he no longer found me attractive; he was doing it because he thought he could get away with it. And because I wasn't giving him all the attention he needed, as pathetic as that sounds."

Matthew guffawed, still finding it hard to swallow.

"And I get my own back, in my own way." She added, breaking eye contact with him to take a walk around the room.

"What do you mean? How?"

Mary stopped in front of his bookcase with the photo frame on top, looking at the picture for the first time. It was a much younger looking Matthew, smiling at the camera in genuine happiness. A man and woman she assumed were his parents were either side of him. She couldn't see their faces properly because they were both too busy looking at their son. Mary could tell they were proud. And even though it was just a picture taken years ago, she felt looking at it like Matthew was exactly the sort of man she had been thinking he was. Good and kind. Honourable.

Anxiety pierced her belly. A man like him wouldn't do anything like what she had done. What she was about to tell him.

"Mary?" He prompted, and she realised he had come up behind her.

She turned slowly and looked up at him. "I'm afraid I'm going to shock you."

"I'm a lawyer. I'm sure I've heard worse." He offered.

Mary looked into his blue eyes, realising she couldn't remember anyone's being quite his colour before. She hadn't had a chance to reflect on them since that first night they met. Nothing had really happened between them since then but she felt like so much had changed.

"I've been seeing someone else," She finally said, "since the night I found out."

His eyebrows went up and she could tell he was trying to remain stoic despite his obvious surprise.

"It's been my way of still feeling in control, I suppose," She continued, feeling like she needed to fill the silence, "It's not an excuse. I'm sure you'd never do anything like it".

Matthew's hand came up to lightly rest on her shoulder. "You shouldn't put me on such a pedestal."

She looked at the ground and hoped the darkness of the room would hide the rising colour in her cheeks.

Matthew wanted to pry but he could see how embarrassed she was. It felt odd, seeing her embarrassed. Even though he hadn't known her for long, he could tell it wasn't an emotion she displayed often. He wanted to make her feel better, like she didn't need to worry about what he would think.

"I left my last job because I didn't know how else to break up with my ex-girlfriend." He said.

Mary's eyes shot up. "What?"

Matthew signalled towards the couch, taking her hand and leading her over. As they sat down, he began to tell her about getting lucky leaving college and finding a job as a junior associate at a top firm straight out. Mr Swire, the more senior of the two name partners, took a shine to him quickly. So did his daughter.

Lavinia was still in university when he started working at Swire & Sampson, but she had a part-time job there as a legal clerk while finishing her studies. She was the sweetest girl Matthew had ever met, and pretty to match. She'd always stay much later than she needed to, helping him with the extra work her father had given him. Reggie had helped Matthew's career advance much faster than it would have through all the extra cases he had handed the younger man's way. He was testing Matthew, giving him as much as he could handle to make him learn as fast as possible. It had worked.

Matthew and Lavinia fell into a relationship easily, and after some initial trepidation from Reggie, her father came to love them together.

Lavinia finished her studies and got a job as a paralegal there. She and Matthew then worked together for five more years. After two, they moved into their own flat. By the time the fourth rolled around, it was a given to everybody in the firm – including Reggie - that they would be married sooner or later.

Matthew paused his story to look at Mary, who was completely absorbed.

"So, why aren't you married?" Mary asked, trying to mask her fear. Was this where he told her of his dying love for another woman?

"Because I realised I didn't want to be." He answered, shame in voice.

"You didn't want to be married at all, or just to her?"

Matthew told her how he had always wanted to get married and have a family, and how Lavinia seemed like his perfect girl. Everything had gone exactly to plan after he finished university. He got a great job and excelled in it. He met a wonderful girl with a family who adored him and he adored them back. Financially he was very secure. He had absolutely nothing to complain about. And yet, he found himself bored.

"Bored?" Mary asked in surprise.

"I know how selfish it sounds. The poor little boy who got everything he wanted and then realised it wasn't everything it was cracked up to be," He sighed, "but that's what happened. I loved my job, but I knew exactly what was coming. I loved my girlfriend, but I knew exactly where our lives were going. Life shouldn't be like that."

"There was no excitement," Mary said.

"No." He looked at her and saw understanding. All his friends thought he was mad. So did his mother. Not to even get started on Reggie and Lavinia.

"So what did you do?"

He had told Lavinia he needed a break. It was cruel. After five years, he knew she had been expecting an engagement ring at any moment. Instead, he gave her a spiel about how everything was too perfect and told her he needed to leave their apartment. Reggie was convinced it was a phase and refused to acknowledge Matthew when he tried to speak to his mentor about it.

Seeing Lavinia every day only made it harder to stop from falling back into the easiness of their relationship, and he soon realised his job needed to change as well if he was going to make a real difference in his life.

"So I left." He told Mary. "Took up in dad's investment flat across town in an area I never thought I would live in. Got a job in a much more junior role at a different firm. Completely horrified everyone."

"It's very brave," Mary said, resting her hand on his knee.

"Doesn't feel like it."

"It is," she insisted, trying to prevent her eyes from glassing over, "I wish I could do something like that. Do something that will actually change everything and not just look for the shiny, temporary fixes."

The apartment went silent. Mary was conscious of her hand on his knee but didn't care to move it. They still hadn't turned any lights on.

"There is this guy, named Henry," she began, feeling like it was her turn to explain, "We've moved in the same circles for years now and I've always been very attracted to him and I knew he felt the same about me."

Matthew listened, making sure not to show disappointment at the thought that she could be in love with someone else who wasn't even her boyfriend. She explained how it was always just a harmless flirtation. She knew Henry would never try and pursue her while she had a boyfriend even though she could tell he wanted to. And even though she had always found him wildly gorgeous whenever she was with him, she was never tempted before she found out about what Will had been doing.

Mary had waited outside Will's place in her car for three hours the Saturday night after she found the underwear under her boyfriend's bed. It was the craziest thing she had ever done, but she needed to be sure. Around 3 AM he rolled up to his place in a cab, and there was a girl on his arm. Not just any girl either. Her name was Sarah Woodgate and Mary had known her for years. She was a good, safe choice. Sarah wouldn't dare tell anyone but would have just loved having the attention of Mary Crawley's boyfriend. Mary could easily imagine Sarah telling herself she was the more desirable of the two because of it.

Mary called Henry from the car, asked him for his address and drove straight over. He'd answered the door in concern, not having any idea why she'd randomly decided to come to his door in the middle of the night without any precedent. She hadn't let him ask any questions; she'd just kissed him.

"And that's been my coping mechanism for the past eighteen months." She ended. "Feel free to now banish me from your place in horror."

She couldn't get her tone to match the joke. She looked at the floor, then out the window, then back at the floor again.

Then she felt his hand come up behind her back, resting between her shoulder blades.

His eyes were kind when she looked up.

"I could banish you, I suppose. Not because of any of that, but because you technically broke in."

She laughed, grateful that he seemed quite undeterred by her scandalous story.

"In all seriousness," he said, "you don't need to feel embarrassed with me. I understand."

"Really?"

"Well, I understand your actions. I can't even begin to describe how much I don't understand your pig of a boyfriend."

He'd come off a little harsher than he'd meant to, but he had been keeping his rage under wraps ever since she'd told him about Will.

Mary smiled. "He is a bit of a pig."

Matthew wanted to ask why she didn't make the decision to leave him now. Despite all the reasons to do with her family and work, it had been over a year and a half at this point. Surely she had to be working up to leaving him. But Matthew didn't want to pry, even though he had just shared with her some very personal information.

He was right to do so because Mary didn't want to talk about all this anymore. She'd come over here with some fun in mind. She'd expected banter and received emotional confessions in the moonlight; it was all very dramatic and far too weepy for her usual demeanour.

She spied an invitation on top of his coffee table. The number 30 was printed in white large font offset against a dark green background. A birthday invite. She read down and found herself a perfect conversation topic.

"You're turning thirty?" Mary asked with much more bounce in her voice than before. She picked up the invite, seeing that the date was set for next Saturday night.

"Ah, my secret revealed!" He joked. "I'm getting old."

She gave him a real smile this time, the first one to reach her eyes all night. "Why do you have an invite to your own party?"

"Because my friends organised the whole thing. I didn't want to have one."

"Well, that's no fun. You have to put them on sometimes if you want to get invited to others."

"I don't care that much about going to parties."

"Like I said, no fun." She quipped. "So when is the actual day? Or are you over the hill already?"

Matthew grinned, taking the invite from her. "No, it's luckily really on Saturday."

"Ah, one week before the clock runs out." She teased. "I don't suppose you'd invite me?"

His eyebrows went up. "Is it something you'd really want to go to? It won't be anything like what you're used to. And to be honest, my friends might make far too big a deal out of you being there. I'm talking an embarrassing amount of fawning. Not to mention how much they'll rip into me for not mentioning you."

She laughed at him. "Don't worry, I'm joking. It would be nice to see your world, though making a spectacle of myself hardly sounds like something I need right now."

"Well, maybe we can do something else." He offered bravely.

Mary paused, taken back but intrigued by his suggestion.

"Like what?"

"Like," he began, "I'm going to the premiere of La Rue on Friday night. Any chance you have tickets as well?"

La Rue was a French play that had been raved about in the papers and lauded all over the Internet. When it was announced it was being brought to England, people went mad for it on the presale making the ticket prices skyrocket. In the end, only the rich and famous managed tickets to the first three months of the show.

Mary couldn't understand how Matthew could possibly have tickets for the premiere; she couldn't even get one for herself! She'd had to go through Sybil, who had been invited by one of her charities.

"I do," Mary answered in amazement, "and not to be so rude twice in one night like this, but how do you have tickets?"

"My mother." He said bluntly, though he was pleased with how floored she was. "She is a huge theatre fan, and years ago performed heart surgery on the father of a man who now runs the Lyceum. She asked him for tickets for my birthday, and still had to pay through the nose for them despite the connection, but she got them."

"Well done, mummy," Mary said.

"Well done, indeed." Matthew said, "You should come up and say hi, if you can."

"I'm going with my sister," Mary responded, letting him know Will wouldn't be an issue, "but we'll have to wait and see."

"Oh, only if your majesty's time permits it." He mocked.

They were sitting so close that their thighs were touching all the way up. Mary wanted to lean in and rest her head on his chest. Have him wrap his arms around her. To look up and kiss him.

But after everything they'd talked about tonight, she knew it wouldn't be right. She saw the clock on the other side of the room blinking 3:14 AM.

"Gosh, I've stayed here late," she said, detaching herself from him and the couch, "I'm sorry, you probably wanted to go to bed hours ago."

"I'm fine." He said, hoping she'd stay a little longer. Just to talk a little more, though it was nice having someone to cuddle up to. He'd missed it.

But she was already getting up, so he asked the question he stopped himself from asking before.

"Why did you come here?"

She looked down at his kind, curious eyes. Despite how obvious she was being, coming to his place uninvited in the middle of the night and hiring him unnecessarily, he still looked unsure. Hopeful, but unsure.

"I like talking to you." She answered honestly. "And I suppose I had other ideas. I've lost them now."

He perked up at that, rising from the couch with a playful grin. She had already turned away and started heading towards the door, but she knew what the look on his face would be.

"Other ideas, hey?" Matthew questioned, following her. "Like playing Scrabble?"

"I was thinking more like Twister," she said, stopping at his front door and turning back.

He was right behind her, and they were suddenly closer than they had been all night, face to face.

"Twister sounds good," He whispered.

She raised her eyebrow at him and whispered back, "Does it?"

He could feel her breath on his cheek. He gave a slight nod, too distracted to give a proper response, and leant in.

She let him come all the way to her mouth, and just as his lips touched hers – so lightly she wasn't sure if contact was made at all – she moved away.

"Make sure you find me on Friday," Mary said as she walked towards the elevator in the hall.

He put his head down, letting out the air he had been holding in, almost in a laugh.

"Will another night of talking await me?" He followed her, watching her step into the lift.

"I didn't come here to talk." She said, looking him in the eye as she leant back against the elevator wall.

Gone was the soft Mary now; brazen Mary was back. The one who he had been flirting with since that first night they had met. All confidence and pointed stares.

He stared right back and decided to match her boldness.

"So you came to replace Henry with me?"

Mary's face showed no sign of her surprise, bar the slightest quiver of her lip. Right as the elevator doors started to close, she answered, "Maybe."