Author's Note:

This is a one-shot in the Live In My Memory AU and follows immediately after Unless You're Sure. It's Mary and Matthew's wedding day, a day that neither of them thought would ever come when they were separated over ten years ago following Mary's amnesia. Becoming husband and wife marks the end of the long journey back to each other, and the beginning of their new life together. The lavish hotel ballroom is decorated, the flowers are gorgeous, the wedding feast is ready to be served and the champagne is ready to be poured. All that's left is for the happy couple to arrive. So, why is Matthew nervous?

This is dedicated to the lovely lilyrowan1, who has waited patiently for me to provide her with a story that I have owed her for months. Thank you so much for your support and kind words. I am looking forward to getting caught up on The Centre of My Heart soon!

As always, many thanks to my dear lala-kate for giving me the original prompt years ago that led to this series. Best wishes to all of my readers for hanging in there with me for all this time. You all are wonderful and do wonders for my motivation.

The Right Word

Lancaster Ballroom, The Savoy Hotel, Covent Garden, London, England, June 2016

"What a lovely ceremony, but then you wouldn't expect anything less, would you?"

"No, not at all. She was gorgeous, as always, and so elegant."

"Did you see she was wearing that lovely tiara? That was Cora's, you know?"

"And her mother before her, so very classy and fitting, I thought."

"Fitting, indeed. An appropriate tribute."

"It's still so very sad that she wasn't here to be with Mary on such a special day."

"Mmm, and Edith and Sybil would have been the bridesmaids. The three of them would have looked beautiful together. Three sisters standing together, supporting each other. Oh, it's such a shame, really."

"Yes, yes, quite a shame."

The line shuffled along at a brisk pace, the guests checking in, receiving small name cards with their table assignments and moving on to drop off presents and sign the guest register with warm words for the happy couple. A large photo of Mary and Matthew was mounted behind the reception desk, a gorgeous shot taken from their engagement photo session. They were standing on top of a building with London Bridge and the Thames in the background. The wind was quite strong, sweeping Mary's long brown hair about her face. She was laughing, her eyes bright and playful, her mouth open and amused. Matthew was holding her from behind, his arms wrapped across her waist. His blue eyes were trained on her, his head tilted just slightly in her direction, a pleasant grin on his face. Neither of them was looking at the camera, but they seemed so full of joy and love and overwhelming happiness. The sight of them so at ease and in tune with each other brought a smile to the guests as they came through.

The crowd was ushered over to the reception area outside the glass French doors of the ballroom. They could spy all the dining tables with their gorgeous floral arrangements and fine china place settings, as well as the drapes and accents done in light blues and violets, the colours chosen by Mary for the wedding.

In one corner, a string quartet played classical music to accompany the din of laughter and conversation. A legion of servers circulated around with silver trays laden with champagne flutes and hors-d'oeuvres, while the bar was giving out Mary and Matthew's special themed cocktail – a strawberry and lemon Martini.

"Henry, Henry," the woman called, frowning as the tall man with short dark brown hair, green eyes and a hawkish nose finally turned to look at her. "They won't be here so soon, you know. The couple tends to wait for all of the guests to be seated before they make their grand entrance."

Henry Talbot shrugged his shoulders. "I'm well aware. I was just seeing who else was here, is all."

"Mmm hmm," the woman shook her head sceptically. "Go and get us some drinks, why don't you?"

He sighed and nodded, giving her cheek a token kiss before he headed off.

The Strand, City of Westminster, London, England, June 2016

"Once more around, Bryan, please. We…erm…need a moment."

"Yes, Mr. Crawley," the driver replied, smirking as he turned the long Maybach limousine away from the hotel and headed back down the busy street. The partition behind him ensured he had no view of what his passengers were up to, but this was hardly the first newlywed couple he had chauffeured on their wedding day.

"Mmm, Mary," Matthew Crawley mumbled, his hands running up and down the delicate silk of her dress. His fingers lingered when he found the bare skin of her back and shoulders, pulling her tighter to him.

"Yes, husband?" Lady Mary Crawley teased, licking his bottom lip playfully before resuming their kiss.

"We…mmm," he struggled, sliding his tongue against hers. "We really…mmm…"

"My, it seems the famous author is at a loss for words," she joked, releasing his mouth and kissing her way across his jaw and down to his neck just above the collar of his tuxedo. "Are you tongue-tied, darling?"

"Something like that," he murmured, settling back against the leather chair as his new wife slipped her hands past his jacket and down his front.

"And here I thought that I inspired you," she sighed with mock exasperation. "Oh, Matthew, how could you be so disappointing?"

"Mary!" he cried as her small gloved hand reached below and groped him through his trousers. "Uhh…we can't!"

"We can't what?" she asked innocently, kissing his lips lightly as her fingers continued to stroke him. "It's our wedding night, darling. Don't you want me to do my wifely duties to you?"

"Of course, yes," he grunted, struggling to catch his breath. "However, we have guests and…"

"And they can wait," she interrupted him, her hand deftly undoing the belt of his trousers and delving inside. "They can wait as long as we want them to, my darling."

"Yes, but we really must…argh!" he groaned as he felt her bare hand on his length, his arousal jumping at her touch.

"Mmm, you seem to be enjoying my attentions, Matthew," she smirked, licking his lips mischievously. "Tell me, wouldn't you love to see me on my knees, wearing my wedding dress, going down on you right here in the back of this car?"

"Yes, I would, obviously!" he nearly shouted, his hips already moving in response to her hand. "But your…your make-up…"

"Was always going to be touched up when we got to the hotel," she assured him.

"Yes, but your hair…" he hissed, moaning now as she freed him from his pants, stroking him more intently now.

"The stylist was always going to change it for the reception," she noted. "You can make your new wife as untidy as you like."

"God, Mary, I want to, desperately, but please just wait a while and you'll have me all to yourself, I promise," he babbled.

"Mmm, all right, perhaps taking you in my mouth is a bit impractical," she conceded, slowing her hand and kissing him again.

"Given the time, yes, we…" he began, forcing his eyes open again to look at her smiling face.

"It would be much more efficient if you just fucked me, instead," she smirked, arching her eyebrow before she kissed him hard.

"Mary!" he mumbled against her mouth.

"I could ride you," she drawled, caressing his face lovingly. "And since we're all alone here, I'll scream for you just the way you love, darling. I'll be so loud for you."

He protested when his head fell back and banged against the headrest. "Mary, stop!"

"Very well," she sighed and stilled her hand.

As he breathed raggedly, she tucked him back in and did his trousers back up. Shifting back over to her seat, she resumed her usual elegant posture, glancing out the window to get her bearings.

"Ah, I can see the hotel there," she noted, smiling at him knowingly.

"You are merciless," he croaked, shaking his head and sitting back up straight.

"Mmm, you have a bit of lipstick on your neck, still," she grinned, reaching over and swiping at his skin.

"Leave it," he shot back, quirking his eyebrows at her.

She frowned with mock indignation. "And just what do you want our guests to think of us, Matthew?"

"That we are hopelessly in love and could not wait to get our hands on each other," he replied, leaning over and kissing her again.

"Mmm, well I suppose that's all right," she laughed. "We are married, after all."

"Yes, we are," he chuckled, his forehead touching hers. "Are you happy?"

She kissed him and patted his cheek. "More than I've ever been in my entire life. What about you?"

"Well, Mrs. Crawley," he said, his blue eyes locked on hers. "I'm so happy, so very happy I feel my chest will explode."

She grinned at his answer. "Well, Mr. Crawley," she replied. "Do hang in there. You'll need all of your strength later tonight, I assure you."

He laughed and clasped her hand, the two of them relaxing as the limo brought them to their reception.

The Savoy Hotel, Covent Garden, London, England, June 2016

The entire day had been carried out with military precision to this point, so Matthew was hardly surprised when he and Mary were ushered into the hotel quickly and directed to their rooms without any guests being the wiser to their presence. In addition to having the extravagant and exclusive Royal Suite, which spanned the entire fifth floor of the hotel, for their accommodations, two smaller rooms were set aside for them to use during the reception. Mary disappeared to hers with her best friend and maid-of-honour, Anna Smith, while Matthew and his best man, Alex Lewis, went to his.

"I was thinking that you would leave it up for your entrance," Anna advised as they came into the room where Mary's hair stylist and make-up artist were already set up and waiting. "We can then bring it down for later on when you do your toasts and cut the cake."

"That's fine," Mary nodded, going over to the face the full-length mirror set up in the corner. Her team attended to her, checking over her dress before they fiddled with her hair and touched up her make-up.

"Did you want any of the hors-d'oeuvres?" Anna asked. "I had John set aside a plate for you."

"You're a darling. I'm famished," Mary smiled.

"He'll be right up," Anna nodded, taking out her phone and texting her boyfriend.

"Stop pacing," Alex frowned, shaking his head as Matthew walked back and forth across the carpet. He was carrying a tablet computer and muttering to himself, a scowl twisting his usual serene face.

"This is rubbish," Matthew groaned, setting the tablet down disdainfully on the coffee table before slumping into the sofa.

"I'm sure it's fine," Alex shrugged. "Wedding speeches are all the same, anyway. It's not that important."

"Thanks," Matthew said wryly. "And you're wrong. This speech is a big deal, rather."

Alex huffed. Mary and Matthew were married at St. Martin-in-the-Fields and their ceremony was as rigidly traditional as one might expect from the wedding of the daughter of the Earl of Grantham. Though Matthew had recited the same wedding vows as millions of men had done before him, it still held special significance since with those words, he finally made Mary his wife.

Now, however, he found himself in an entirely ironic conundrum.

"You do understand how ridiculous it is that a best-selling, award-winning author cannot come up with a decent page of prose?" Alex smirked.

"Ha ha. Not helping," Matthew said pointedly.

"Aren't wedding speeches just a glorified thank-you list, anyway?" Alex asked, still amused at his best friend's ire.

"Yes, to a degree, but I have far more to say than thanks," Matthew replied.

He leaned forward and picked up the tablet once again.

"I hope Mary isn't struggling with her speech as much as you are," Alex sighed. "Otherwise we're going to be sitting around for hours."

"She's not saying anything," Matthew muttered, scrolling across the screen. "She's leaving it to me to speak for the both of us."

"Damn, that means we really are fucked," Alex huffed.

Matthew ignored him and began making corrections.

"Woo!"

Anna and Mary both grimaced as they downed their shots of sherry. Elisabeth, one of Mary's bridesmaids and a friend of hers and Matthew's, cheered and took their empty glasses and set them aside.

"There," Elisabeth applauded. "Just a little something to take the edge off and get you ready for the next round."

"Hopefully the next round won't be until after dinner," Mary said, arching her eyebrow at Anna.

"Just wine during the meal, promise," Anna replied.

"So, how does it feel to be Mrs. Matthew Crawley?" Elisabeth asked, smoothing out her dress as she sat down on the nearby chair.

"Strange, actually," Mary laughed, still standing as the hair stylist resumed her work. "It's wonderful, but I almost feel as if none of this is real, as if I'm going to wake up at any moment with weeks to go before the wedding."

"Then you'll get to relive it all over again," Anna noted.

They all laughed.

"This is no dream," Elisabeth assured her. "For one, I'm not naked, so it has to be real. Although, in fairness, the night is still young."

Mary rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Can I see?" Elisabeth asked, leaning forward and taking Mary's left hand.

Mary laughed and allowed her to gawp at her rings. The large diamond on her engagement ring fit perfectly against her white gold wedding band. There were diamonds set into the ring, five in total spaced out evenly all around.

"It's so unique," Elisabeth noted, finally releasing her hand.

"It's one diamond for every member of my family – Mama and Papa, Sybil, Edith and Granny," Mary said softly.

Anna nodded solemnly.

Mary flicked her fingers, still not entirely used to the additional weight of wearing her rings. She lowered her eyes, her mind wandering back to leaving the church and coming out to blue skies and brilliant sunshine, her hand tucked into the crook of Matthew's arm. She did miss her family so desperately today, every moment tinged with a slight regret, wondering how different things would have been had she not lost her parents and sisters so long ago. She could imagine even now, sequestered here in her waiting room, having drinks and laughing with her Mama, Edith and Sybil. All of them would wish her well before they went down to the reception and she would make some joke about them being too sentimental to hide her own tears from falling. Even the idea of not having Papa to walk her down the aisle today made her chest tighten and her eyes prickle.

"Matthew thought of that?" Elisabeth asked.

"He did," Mary confirmed, smiling bravely and focusing on what she did have in her life. "Both of the rings he chose for me, they're just perfect."

"That man," Elisabeth shook her head, settling back in her chair. "He's such a sap, though."

The women laughed again.

Mary looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. She kept having this beaming grin whenever she thought of her new husband today and she couldn't be bothered to care how silly she looked. From the moment she woke up before dawn this morning to get ready and all through the drive to the church, the ceremony, the photos taken all around Westminster, and now, here they were moments away from the reception, she marvelled at the twists and turns that life presented.

She and Matthew first met during school. He was a teaching assistant in her first-year English literature class. To say they didn't get along from the off would be putting it mildly. Over time, however, they began to learn and understand each other, saw that their constant arguments held no actual malice and that they had far more in common than they first expected.

Those years where they dated and fell in love were lost to her now, erased from her memory by that horrible accident in New York over a decade ago. She could have so very easily gone about her life without ever having seen him again, married a completely different man today and gone on to a completely different future.

But Matthew wouldn't allow it.

The tall stranger with blond hair and striking blue eyes that showed up unexpectedly at her Aunt Rosamund's funeral was so much more than a handsome face, she now knew well. They became close all over again, established a new connection that shocked and thrilled her. When she discovered that they had known each other before and that he hadn't pursued her for over ten years, she was furious with him, incensed that he had abandoned her for so long and was more than ready to forget him all over again, even told him so in a shouting match that ought to have been the final chapter in their sad story.

But still, he persevered.

He showed her, with his words, with his actions, that he loved her – loved the woman he knew before who was never to return – and the woman she had become without him. She thought he was reliving the past, trying to change her into someone else, that he was yet another in a long line of men who sought to rule her, keep her as some pretty trophy.

It was laughable how wrong she was, looking back now, and how unbelievable life could be. She would never get her memories back, but to her amazement, she had recovered something far more valuable.

"He may be a sap in some ways, I suppose," Mary allowed. "And he's all mine."

Lancaster Ballroom, The Savoy Hotel, Covent Garden, London, England, June 2016

The key to surviving one's own wedding was to eat quickly.

Matthew devoured the Beluga caviar, practically inhaled the roasted corn chowder and made short work of the Burrata and tomato. Alex watched on in amusement, while Mary was less than enthused, but she rarely had a chance to scold him for it because every few seconds there seemed to be someone else who wanted her attention. The wedding planner needed to confirm something. A friend of her parents wanted to take a photo. One of her friends came by with a tearful hug and gushing raves over her dress and jewellery. All in all, she was only able to eat half of each plate, if that.

"No devices at the table," Alex smirked, elbowing Matthew in the side.

"Shut up," Matthew retorted, shaking his head before putting his phone away. "I still hate it."

"A bit late for that now," Alex shrugged. "Whatever you've got now is your speech."

"It'll be at least another hour before dinner is finished. We've still got the mains and dessert, to say nothing for drinks and the intermezzo," Matthew replied. "After that is the table visits and the bouquet toss before we even make it to the speech. I've got time."

"Why don't you ask Mary for some help with your last-minute editing?" Alex suggested. "Words are supposed to come easily to you, yeah, but there's no shame in getting some help."

Matthew scoffed and looked out across the ballroom. Mary was over at one of the far tables with her work friends from Tate Modern, laughing and gabbing away. He smile at how her posture was more relaxed now, how her smile went all the way up to her eyes and how she laughed fully and heartily.

"This is her day," Matthew said, not taking his eyes away from his new wife. "Let her enjoy it."

"Yaaaassss!"

The women laughed heartily as the photographer took their photo. Each of them had swept their dresses aside so they could show some leg and give a fun pose. When the photographer nodded that she had the shot, they all gathered around Mary and had another round of champagne.

"This entire night has been absolutely magical!" Gwen exclaimed, clinking glasses with the others. "Mary, you are so gorgeous."

"Thank you," Mary beamed, smiling at her circle of friends. "Has everyone enjoyed the food?"

"William's been nipping as many portions as he can," Daisy grumbled. "He begged the waitress for another one of them mozzarella salads."

Mary laughed knowingly. Along with Anna, Gwen and Daisy were her closest friends. They had met after Mary's return from New York and recovery from amnesia. Unlike her Society acquaintances, these girls were far more genuine and warm. They had shared spin classes, yoga classes, pub nights and hours of conversation, the difference in their backgrounds and upbringing not at all a problem, but rather, a wonderful benefit. They gave Mary perspective and balance, letting her open up in ways that the judgemental snobs that she used to hang around never would allow.

"Save some room, though," Anna warned. "There's still the mains and plenty more."

"As long as there's more wine," Gwen answered.

"There are cases of it, don't worry," Mary nodded. "Thank you so much, all of you. I'm so happy you could all be here with me. It really means so much…"

"Don't start," Gwen sniffled. "I already cried through most of the ceremony this morning."

Mary grinned and nodded.

"Where's the honeymoon?" Daisy asked, trying to change the subject before they all burst into tears.

"We're going to Canada, actually," Mary replied. "Three days in Montreal, four in Toronto, then we head west for a week at a cabin in Banff near the mountains."

"That sounds amazing," Gwen commented. "I was expecting you would go to France or something."

"That was my idea, at first," Mary admitted. "But Matthew showed me some photos and videos online and convinced me. Montreal is very European, Toronto is quite large and cosmopolitan, and Banff is just gorgeous. I'm quite looking forward to it, actually."

"I'll bet," Daisy grinned.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Behave yourselves, now."

"Too late for that," Anna laughed. "Come on, let's get back to the head table. We'll see this lot during the toasts."

The close friends hugged once more before Mary and Anna slipped away and Gwen and Daisy returned to their boyfriends.

"As we end one part of our lives, we begin another…finish one phase and commence a new one…take a different path than the one we were on before…"

"Geez, you're right. It's getting worse," Alex groaned.

"I could always ask William or John to swap with you, yeah?" Matthew threatened, still focused on his tablet. "You're all wearing suits, so it wouldn't be difficult."

"Fine by me, my work is done for the most part," Alex said casually. "And there are a few women that I would not mind talking to without you pulling me away every two seconds to listen to yet another line that you don't like."

"Most of the women here our age are taken," Matthew mumbled. "And they aren't as impressed by Americans, just so you know."

"I'm not American, I'm English, though," Alex objected.

"No, you've been over there too long, I'm afraid," Matthew shook his head. "You're a Yank to them."

"That's all right. I like a bit of a challenge," Alex smiled.

"Right," Matthew huffed, swiping his fingers over the screen.

"You know what your problem is?" Alex asked.

"Complete lack of support from my best man?" Matthew shot back.

"Besides that," Alex nodded. "You're thinking too much about writing something that your audience will enjoy."

"Well, of course, I am," Matthew frowned, looking over at him. "We're thanking everyone who's here and showing them our appreciation."

Alex laughed. "I think the fact that you've spent tens of thousands of dollars on the party makes it pretty clear that you appreciate your guests."

Matthew grunted in annoyance.

"What you need to do is focus on what you're feeling and express that," Alex continued. "Don't think of it as speaking to a room full of 300 people or whatever. Just talk to Mary."

"What I have to say to Mary is being saved for later," Matthew stated.

"And that's gross," Alex said drily. "No, what I mean is you're all over the place because you're trying to make this speech personal to every guest here. That will never work. You don't even know half these people."

"That does make some sense," Matthew nodded.

"Of course, I said it," Alex scoffed.

"That's why it only makes some sense, and not complete sense," Matthew said.

"And if you had any common sense, we wouldn't be suffering through this," Alex shot back easily.

Matthew rolled his eyes.

"Just put yourself back in New York," Alex advised. "All those nights that we went out and had drinks and enjoyed ourselves. All those women who came by that you had no interest in, all those dates that Elisabeth sent you on that you didn't want. If Mary had appeared back then, you would not have struggled at all for something to say, right?"

Matthew frowned and looked away in thought. "No, no I wouldn't have hesitated at all."

"There you go," Alex declared, reaching for his wine smugly.

Matthew stared down at his tablet and shook his head as he erased another paragraph.

"Ooohhhhhh! Aaah!"

The guests stomped their hands on the table quickly, building up a rhythm before they cheered loudly. Mary and Matthew stood by and smiled, raising their champagne flutes to the everyone at the table.

"Thank you for coming, all of you," Mary smiled.

"Who are these people, now?" Alex asked, leaning over and whispering to Anna while Mary and Matthew exchanged pleasantries with yet another table of guests.

Anna finished her sip and chuckled quietly. "They're from Harper Collins, Matthew's publisher."

"Ah, right," he nodded. "That's the building next to our hotel. They have really nice washrooms in there."

She scoffed and shook her head.

"You probably think that's quite rude and American of me, don't you?" he questioned.

She turned and smiled at him. "Aren't you from Manchester, originally?"

He smiled in surprise. "Yeah, I am."

"Then that would make you a rude Manc, wouldn't it?" she teased.

"I suppose it would, yeah," he chuckled. "I'm not, though…rude, that is."

"I'll reserve my judgment for now," she joked.

"Good," he nodded. They shuffled along to the next table, watching as Mary and Matthew, hand-in-hand, said a few kind words to this next set of guests before they all raised their glasses again in toast. This time, Matthew did the talking.

"They're good together, aren't they?" he noted.

She nodded. "They are. They're one of the happiest couples that I know."

"Makes me almost want to believe that there is such a thing as romance left in the world," he said.

"You sound cynical," she stated. "Perhaps you'll find someone tonight. Weddings are a great place to meet up, they say."

"I doubt it," he sighed, looking at her knowingly. "I've been told that any woman worth going after tonight is already taken."

She smiled. "That's probably right. Well, I hope you don't give up on romance entirely."

He nodded to her. "No, I think I'm still holding out a little bit of hope."

"Is that the last of them?" Matthew asked, returning his empty champagne flute to the server standing by.

"We are done all of the tables, yes," Mary nodded. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No, not at all," he smiled. "It could have been had I actually drank all of that champagne, but all in all, it was fine."

She laughed and took his arm as they made their way back to the head table.

"Well, we have a bit of a break before the dance. Are you looking forward to it?" she asked.

He smiled at her. "Very much. Mother has been practising for weeks."

She arched her eyebrow at him. "Mmm hmm, keep joking like that and you'll be spending the night in her room, rather than mine."

He laughed and squeezed her hand. "Darling, I have been dreaming of this moment for well on 12 years. Believe me, I am more than ready."

She grinned. "Good. Then we'll cut the cake and you can dazzle everyone with your speech afterwards."

"Right," he smiled bravely. "Sounds perfect."

"Mary."

"Henry," Mary said politely. "Hello."

"Hello," he smiled, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "You look absolutely fabulous."

"Thank you," she nodded, attempting to get past him.

"Will you save me a dance later?" he asked.

Her eyes narrowed. "Won't your date expect all of your attention?"

"She'll understand," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "We were almost engaged once, you and I. It's understandable that we would dance on such a special day."

"I'm not so sure, actually," she replied. "Today is all about moving forward to something bigger and better, not staying stuck in the past."

His lips pursed into a thin line at her barb.

"It was a lovely ceremony," he nodded. "I can't help but wonder what your parents would have thought. Certainly, Aunt Rosamund approved of me. I can't say the same for Matthew, I'm afraid."

She gritted her teeth behind her closed lips.

He leaned in to whisper into her ear.

"It's not over, Mary. Soon you'll find out what a horrible mistake you've made. When that happens, give me a call. I might be able to help you," he sneered.

She swallowed tightly as he kissed her cheek.

"Have a lovely evening," he concluded, smirking before he turned to go. "I'll find you later for that dance."

"Henry," she called.

He turned around, the same confident smirk on his face. "Yes?"

She walked up to him and smoothed her hand over the lapel of his suit jacket. When she looked up at him, her eyes were so cold and menacing that he blinked in surprise.

"It's over," she snapped. "It was over between us before I rejected your proposal. I thought we could remain friends out of respect for the long association of our families, but I see now that was a mistake on my part. For you to even try and insinuate that I would ever, ever leave Matthew for you is beyond abhorrent. I would have remained single for the rest of my days before I ever married you, whether Matthew came back into my life or not. Do not try and ask me for a dance later or I will have you removed and not care a damn what anyone says. Do not try and speak to me ever again. Do not contact me. Do not send me flowers on my birthday. I want nothing to do with you and your arrogant, chauvinistic, ridiculous ways ever again, do you understand?"

His eyes widened in shock.

She smiled and patted his shoulder, inclining her head slightly before she gave him her parting words.

"As for your petty jealousy towards Matthew, understand this," she ordered, leaning in closer.

He stared at her in a mix of shock and fear.

"He fucks me better than you ever did," she said coldly before she brushed past him and walked away. He stared blankly after her, too overwhelmed to see her wipe her eyes desperately.

The wedding cake was a tiered cinnamon vanilla with strawberry icing and flowers placed on each layer. Mary laughed as she held the knife steady and Matthew held on to her hand. They cut a piece off the bottom slab, and promptly fed it to each other to the cheers of all gathered around to watch. The cake was then whisked aside to remain on display while the servings for the guests were brought out from the kitchen. While the cake was served, Mary continued her visits, a small group gathering around her near the edge of the dance floor. Matthew retreated to the head table.

"Please tell me that you're ready," Alex said quietly, leaning over so that Anna and the others wouldn't overhear.

"Almost," Matthew mumbled, taking out his tablet and reading over his speech yet again.

"Well, you've got until everyone is done scarfing down the wedding cake," Alex warned.

"I know, I know," Matthew nodded.

They were introduced to raucous applause, the guests well-fed and still drinking such that the mood in the ballroom was merry and fun. Coming up to the dais, they paused for a moment for the cheers to die down. Mary smiled at Matthew and nodded.

"The floor is yours, Master Wordsmith," she joked.

He gave her a pained smile before clearing his throat and turning to the microphone.

"Good evening, everyone," he began. "We hope that you're all enjoying yourselves and thank you all of you for being here with us. It's been an incredible day for Mary and me, and to celebrate it with those we care about makes it all the more special. Thank you."

The crowd applauded as he swallowed before continuing.

"We'll be speaking to each of you over the rest of the evening to let you know just how much we appreciate all of you being here. To everyone who helped us today, thank you. There's a tremendous amount of work involved to make this all run smoothly, and we are grateful to all of you for your time and effort."

As the crowd applauded again, Alex noticed that Matthew's tablet was sitting on his chair.

Matthew glanced at Mary and smiled.

"Everyone here knows our story," he stated, causing her to smile. "It's truly an unique and wonderful story. We have a long version of it and a shorter version that we tell depending on time constraints. We're both very lucky and very happy that our story has brought us to this day, which is the happiest day of my life."

Gwen began crying.

"I've never been one to believe in fate or destiny. My father was quite fond of the quote that was misattributed to Abraham Lincoln, which said 'Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle'. He lived by that motto and was always telling me to quit dreaming and get to work."

Matthew's mother, Isobel, grinned from her seat and nodded knowingly.

"I will admit, however, that when it comes to Mary, there is an element of fate that I believe brought us together in the first place and brought us back to each other more recently. There are so many random moments, so many 'what ifs' that had they gone another way, we wouldn't be here today. It's quite mind-boggling, really. I've been a writer since I was a child, and I don't think that even I could imagine a story like ours. It's too good to be true, is the thing."

Collective oohs and aahs came up from the crowd.

Mary looked down and smiled demurely.

"So, as we stand here before our friends and family, our loved ones who have seen us grow into who we are today, whether we have known you for a year or for our entire lives, all of you help contribute to the happiness that we share together now, and we hope we give that back to all of you in some way. There are sadly so many reasons in life to be unhappy, so many things that are taken away from us far too soon that can make us feel defeated," he said, his voice growing softer.

Mary swallowed and nodded, knowing he was referring to her lost family.

"It, therefore, is up to each of us to find that happiness, the reason why we endure, why we hustle, as my father once said. It's taken over a decade, but I've finally found mine, again," he smiled confidently, turning to Mary and holding her gaze as he went on.

"To my brilliant wife, Mary, my darling, you've made me the happiest man in the world, and I look forward to showing you just how much, each and every day, for the rest of our lives. Most importantly, though, you've shown me why one should never stop chasing that happiness, because whether it takes ten minutes, or ten years, it can truly be just a moment away."

The crowd applauded heartily as Matthew kissed Mary sweetly. She reached up and caressed his face, holding him close as she swiped her tongue across his lips playfully.

"Have a wonderful evening, everyone," Matthew announced, smiling and turning for their seats.

The DJ began playing a lively song but soon faded it back down. Before Matthew could pull Mary away from the dais, she tugged on his hand, making him turn and look at her curiously.

All eyes followed her as she smiled at him and stepped forward to the microphone.

"Everyone knows how talented my husband is with his words," she began, smiling at Matthew before looking back to the crowd. "Everyone also knows how much I enjoy getting the last word, so before we move on with the evening, there are a few things I would like to say."

The guests laughed knowingly, and Matthew shook his head in amusement. He massaged her back, trying to calm her as she addressed everyone.

"Matthew is far more expressive than I am. I'm sure that everyone has seen his interviews where he has waxed poetically about me. Of course, it is immensely flattering when the man that you love is so quick to sing your praises to a worldwide audience," she nodded.

Matthew smiled, his cheeks colouring slightly.

"I'm not nearly as eloquent as he is, particularly when discussing this sort of thing, but today, on my wedding day, it's certainly appropriate for me to talk about him for once," Mary stated, smiling nervously as she spoke. "As Matthew said, everyone here knows our story. I have a hard time believing it as well, and I've lived it. I suppose the reason that our story seems so surreal is because the odds of our finding each other again under the circumstances were so very slim."

The guests all nodded in understanding as Mary paused and swallowed. Anna surreptitiously ducked in behind them and passed her a glass of water, which she sipped from gratefully before passing it back.

"As everyone knows, there was a part of my life that I forgot, memories that have been lost to me, including my years with Matthew," Mary said, her voice shaking slightly. "I had no reason to know that he was out there because I didn't know him at all."

Matthew took a breath, his hand still warm and comforting on her back.

"But he knew," she said quietly. "He knew all along that I was here, that I was still here. It took him quite a long while to find me again, but he did. He did all of that without knowing whether I would even remember him, without any assurance that we would even have a chance at all. Faced with this, many people, I dare say most people, would give up, would not even bother with the attempt," she struggled, her voice choking slightly.

She turned away and sniffled for a moment. The audience remained silent. When she resumed, she smiled brightly.

"But he did, and here we are. It hasn't been easy and I do not believe that we are necessarily a product of destiny. Rather, we're here because of persistence and perseverance, and belief, a belief that there is a life for us together that is worth every effort," she nodded.

When she turned to Matthew, he was fighting to contain his own emotions.

"My darling," she smiled. "I love you more than anything else in the entire world. You say that I make you happy, and I am so very glad for that. You, though, have shown me a life that I never knew was possible, one that I never knew that I was missing, and one that I never knew how much I needed. Thank you for never giving up on me."

The crowd applauded warmly. Matthew took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly, holding her close for a moment before finally escorting her back to their seats.

"That was lovely," he noted, sitting down and putting his arm across the back of her chair.

"Well, don't get used to it," she teased, dabbing at her eyes with a cloth. "I should hate to be sentimental."

"No, of course not," he laughed.

"So," she managed when she got her emotions reined in. "Has today been everything you imagined it would be for all of those years we were apart?"

He leaned towards her and grinned. "Not at all, actually."

She frowned in confusion. "How so?"

"Well," he nodded. "It's just that it's nothing like the way I pictured it. It's far more real, far better. I certainly prefer it to everything that I imagined."

She smiled. "Do you?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "When I dreamed of our wedding, I would always wake up eventually and find myself alone. This doesn't feel like that. I'm quite sure that I'm awake now and you're still here."

She kissed him lightly. "I am, darling. You'll never be alone. We're bound to each other now."

"Sounds perfect," he replied.

Royal Suite, 5th Floor, The Savoy Hotel, Covent Garden, London, England, June 2016

"Mmm, that's the spot right there," Mary sighed, her eyes closing as she felt Matthew's fingers slide over her body. "That feels so good."

He smiled, working over a particularly tight bundle of muscle in her lower back. When he felt it finally give way, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her alabaster skin, chuckling when she squirmed under his touch.

"Better?" he asked.

"Very much so, yes," she purred, looking over at him as he stretched out beside her on the immense king-size bed.

"Good," he nodded. "I do want my new wife to be satisfied."

"I'm hardly satisfied yet," she laughed. "However, you are off to a very good start."

When the last guest had left, they bade their wedding party good night and went up to their suite. The short trip to the fifth floor was enough for both of them to sigh in exhaustion as the fatigue of the day finally caught up to them. He still mustered more than enough strength to sweep her off her feet and carry her over the threshold and into their lavish hotel room, which was larger than many homes. Leaning against each other, they kicked off their shoes and made their way to the master bedroom, both of them swaying as they went.

Undressing was a leisurely exercise, and more a relief than a passionate bit of foreplay. Though they had only become reacquainted with each other for a little over a year now, they know each other's bodies so well and having lived together for months already, they aren't at all hesitant together.

"What was your favourite part of the evening?" Mary asked, holding her hair to the side as Matthew undid the small buttons along the back of her dress.

"It was easily when my wife raved about me to all of the guests," he smiled, parting the delicate fabric finally so she could shimmy it off.

"Were you surprised?" she teased, carefully picking the dress up off the floor and going to hang it in her walk-in closet.

"I was a bit surprised that you were willing to speak to everyone," he nodded, undoing the cuffs of his shirt sleeves and moving to the hidden buttons down his front. "I thought we decided I was giving the speech."

"You did give the speech and it was brilliant," she smiled, coming over and slapping his hands way so she could take over. "I didn't want you to have all the glory."

"No, clearly not," he smiled.

She arched her eyebrow at him before removing his shirt. With a playful smirk she kissed his chest, her dark eyes looking up at him as she moved down to his stomach.

"What about you?" he asked. "What was your favourite part of today?"

She straightened back up and kissed him lightly, her fingers trailing down to his belt.

He remained still, taking in her lacy bra and thong, as well as the sheer white stockings that rose to just above her mid-thigh.

"I thought the photo session was wonderful," she answered, kissing his shoulder. "I can't wait to see the finished shots."

"You just want to see the shot of me almost falling in the fountain," he complained.

"Yes, well it was quite funny," she smirked.

"Hilarious, yes," he rolled his eyes.

"No whinging on our wedding night, Matthew," she warned, slipping his belt open and unzipping his trousers.

"No whinging," he repeated, swallowing as her hand reached in to grasp him.

"Now I have been waiting all day and night for this," she drawled, kissing him again.

"Waiting, you say?" he repeated, sighing as his trousers fell to the floor and his boxer briefs soon followed.

"For ages," she nodded, smiling as she stroked his bare length and felt him respond immediately. "I'm finally going to have my first proper fuck as a married woman."

He laughed and nodded. "Such language, milady. Married women ought not be vulgar."

"It was that last round of shots we did at the end of the night," she shrugged, not stilling her hand on him. "Besides, you want me to be vulgar, don't you?"

He grunted when he kissed his naked chest again.

"We can save love-making for another time. Tonight, you want to fuck me, don't you, darling?" she said, arching her eyebrow in challenge. "You want to make me scream as you claim me officially, take me again and again so I know who I belong to now and forever."

"Fuck," he groaned.

"Well, go on, then," she drawled. "Have your way with me, Mr. Crawley."

She laughed freely as he picked her up again, almost stumbling over his trousers on the way to the bed. Her bra and thong were soon torn away, only her stockings remaining on as she straddled him and felt his arousal against her thigh.

"Matthew," she whispered, losing herself in his blue eyes and his strong grip on her hips.

"Mary," he nodded, staring up at her reverently. No matter how much they enjoyed teasing and taunting each other with dirty talk, or how enticing it was to test their boundaries as to what she would allow him to do to her, and he would commit, there was tenderness in his eyes. They had been through so much and now here they were – husband and wife.

"How do you want me?" she said thickly, swivelling her hips and drawing a groan from him.

"How ever you like, darling," he managed. "This is your night."

"Our night," she corrected him. "I have many ideas."

"We have all the time in the world to try them out," he smiled. "How about a massage first?"

She grinned and turned over on to her front. "A brilliant idea."

fin