Work Song By Hozier / Mahmoud Darwish

work song by hozier / mahmoud darwish

still iconic of mary to dump a dude after she went on a weekend of sex with him

Downton Abbey Ficlet

Prompt: Edith is convinced that Mary is exaggerating about her marriage (Season 3 AU)

“It really is the most amusing sight, Mama,” Mary was saying to Cora while sitting in the drawing room one afternoon. Mary and Matthew had been married and living in their “cottage” for several months now. Edith half listened. She hated that Mary always felt the need to gloat about her happy marriage. Mary didn’t seem to care at all that Edith might not want to listen to all her stupid stories while she was still hurting from the humiliation of Sir Anthony jilting her at the altar. How could any of Mary’s stories even be true anyway? Surely no one really acted the way Mary described.

“And then, he knocked over the lamp!” Mary exclaimed as Cora began laughing.

“Really, Mary,” Cora said, “What do you tell the servants?”

“Well, I tell Anna everything anyway, so she didn’t even ask when she saw the lamp.” Mary laughed. “And since Matthew doesn’t use a valet, that’s not much of an issue. And the other staff know to keep their distance if we haven’t rung for them. And of course, they’re usually out of the house most of the day on Mondays since we’ve designated it our private day.”

“Doesn’t Matthew have to go to the office?” Edith injected suddenly.

Mary looked around, “Oh, Edith, I forgot you were here, you were sitting so quietly. No, actually, Matthew brings home files on Friday to read through at home on Mondays and then goes back into the office on Tuesday. It was one of the compromises he made when we got married so that we could have more time together since he spends Saturdays with Papa working on the estate and Sundays are taken with church.”

“Well, isn’t that lovely for you.” Edith huffed and left the room. She just couldn’t sit and listen to Mary any longer. As she stomped off up the stairs, she began to think of a plan to prove to everyone that Mary was completely exaggerating about her marriage, and then Edith would be the one laughing.

* * *

The following Monday Edith decided to put her plan into play. After breakfast, she got ready to go out and pay calls.  As she headed down the drive, she turned off toward the village first. She had planned the whole day. Mama had needed some invitations delivered to Isobel, Granny and Mary so she offered to deliver all of them; a perfect cover for her to stop in at Mary’s. She went to Crawley House first and had a lovely visit, Isobel chattering away happily about her newest charity. Next, she went to the Dower House to see Granny, who also seemed to be in high spirits, though she seemed a little surprised when Edith mentioned going round to Mary’s next. “Does Mary know you’re planning to visit?” she asked with raised eyebrows.

“No,” Edith said stubbornly, “I wouldn’t have thought that I need to have an appointment to visit my own sister.”

“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re not received,” Granny said.

Edith picked up her bag and bid her grandmother goodbye, quite confident that even Mary wouldn’t be so rude to refuse her sister entry. She made her way over to Thistledown Cottage, the recently refurbished house on the estate that Matthew and Mary had moved into after their honeymoon.  She had to admit that the house was quite cozy looking, though much smaller than anything she ever would have expected Mary to be comfortable in. Edith had been rather surprised when listening to Mary and Cora’s conversations about Mary’s staffing needs. They had chosen to have a rather small household: Anna as a lady’s maid; Daisy as a cook; a new butler, Molesley having stayed on at Crawley House; and only two maids who lived in the village.

She took a breath as she approached and rang the front doorbell. It was only a moment before Borodin, the butler answered the door.

“I am here to see Lady Mary.” Edith said with a haughty air.

“I am very sorry, milady,” Borodin began, “but Lady Mary and Mr. Crawley are not available at the moment. If you leave your card, I will inform them that you stopped by.”

“I know she’s here,” Edith protested. “She told our mother last night that she would be home all day.”

“Be that as it may, they are indisposed just now and are not receiving visitors.”

“I’ll wait then.” She insisted, raising her chin.

“I cannot permit that milady.” Borodin said. “Mr. Crawley and Lady Mary will not receive any visitors today, but you may visit tomorrow.”  He shut the door without any further fanfare. Edith stood on the doorstep in shock.  She had never been treated this way before. Well, there was more than one way to skin a cat. Afterall, she still needed to deliver the invitation.

She took a minute to regroup and decided to go round to the kitchen. It was undignified of course, but she could always say that she had wanted to give her regards to Anna and Daisy. However, as she approached the kitchen door, she was horrified to hear voices coming out of the open window.

“He shut the door in her face?” Daisy was saying incredulously.

“Yes, that’s what Lizzie was saying,” Anna replied. “She was dusting the hall and heard the whole thing.”

“I thought the whole family knew not to visit on Mondays?” Daisy said.

“Yes, but I don’t think they know the real reason.” Anna answered. “I don’t think Mr. Matthew is out there telling everyone about ‘Naked Mondays.’”

The two women dissolved into laughter as Edith was left to puzzle what “naked Monday” could possibly mean. And how dare they laugh at her. If she had thought she was insulted before, it was nothing to how she felt now. Now she had to find out what Mary was doing.

She left the kitchen yard and looked back at the house. It had quite a pretty garden, and Edith noticed a tree growing close to what she was fairly sure was the drawing room window. It would provide a decent cover if she happened to sneak over and peek into the room. It was getting close to luncheon but knowing Mary she’d probably be sitting in there at this time of day. Edith glanced around and seeing no one else about, decided to take her chance. She crept up close to the tree and leaned around to get a good view into the room. She could see the back of Mary’s head over the back of a sofa with her back to the window. She seemed to be lounging in a rather relaxed position and, if Edith was not mistaken, it looked as if her hair was down. How odd.

Suddenly, she heard a noise and pulled her head back behind the tree. She listened intently as the drawing room door opened and closed. “My darling,” she heard Matthew say. “Have I ever told you how absolutely breath taking you are?”

“Every day,” Mary replied happily. “And I never tire of hearing it. You’re quite breathtaking yourself. But you know how I feel about that dressing gown. I suggest you get rid of it before I get cross.”

Dressing gown? Why would Matthew have a dressing gown in the drawing room? Edith ventured a quick peek around the tree and to her horror saw Matthew stripping off his dressing gown in the middle of the room in broad daylight. If Edith had thought it couldn’t get any worse, she was mistaken as she saw Mary rising, also completely naked and going to meet Matthew. She clapped her hand to her mouth and fled, Matthew and Mary thankfully too distracted by each other to notice her.

* * *

At tea the following afternoon, Edith stared intently into her teacup while the conversation went on around her. Both Matthew and Mary were there and talking with other members of the family. Violet was sitting next to her on the sofa and noticed her strange behavior. “So, how was your visit yesterday? Was it productive?” She asked.

Edith startled. “What? Oh, yes it was fine.” She said blushing.

“Was it?” Violet pushed. “You seem so jumpy. What’s wrong with you today?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me.” She glared in Mary’s direction.

“Edith, what’s new with you?” Edith jumped as Matthew sat down across from her.

“Nothing,” she replied too brightly, blushing again and struggling to find a place to look. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Matthew, not after what she had witnessed the previous day, and she could feel her grandmother’s sharp eyes watching her. “You know, I think I might be getting a cold. I have an awful headache. Maybe I’ll go lay down until dinner.” She got up and rushed from the library.

“Whatever is the matter with Edith?” Matthew asked Violet.

“She probably tired herself out yesterday, running errands for Cora. When she left me, she said she was on her way to Thistledown to see Mary. Did you not see her?”

“No,” Matthew replied, thinking. “I do think Borodin said she stopped by, though.”

* * *

Edith remained jumpy and uncomfortable around Matthew and Mary for the next few weeks. Mary joked that it was an improvement to her normal behavior, but the sudden change bothered Matthew, though he couldn’t quite figure out why. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and resolved to find out what was going on. He cornered her after dinner and asked her point blank.

“Edith, I must know, have I done something to offend you? Why won’t you talk to me anymore?” He began without preamble.

Edith jumped. “Oh, no, you haven’t done anything to me…. No, I can’t talk to you about it, it’s too embarrassing.” She covered her face in her hands and moved off to another part of the room.

“What was all that about?” Mary said, appearing at Matthew’s shoulder.

“I have no idea.” Matthew shrugged. “She says it’s too embarrassing to talk to me about. I have no clue what I could have done to make her so jumpy around me.”

“Hmm,” Mary thought for a moment. “I have an idea. I’ll talk to her.”  She walked over to Edith. “You know, Matthew is very concerned about you.”

“Why would he be?” Edith asked defensively.

“Because you have barely spoken to him in weeks?” Mary shrugged. “I don’t understand why, but he likes you and doesn’t like the thought that he’s offended you somehow.”

“He hasn’t done anything to offend me.” She paused. “I just, I saw a different side of him recently and it was rather shocking, is all.”

“A different side?” Mary asked, then suddenly she understood. “Have you been spying on me again? Haven’t you learned by now that nothing good comes from that?”

“Of course I haven’t!” Edith protested.

“Then what ‘different side’ could you have possibly seen that makes you so uncomfortable?” Mary pressed. “You do know that Borodin told us that you called on us and were very upset that you weren’t admitted. I think you were spied on us and saw more than you wanted to.”

“Well, what were you two thinking being in your drawing room like…like that?” Edith hissed.

“You mean in our own house?” Mary asked. “We can do whatever we want there. It’s one of the main reasons we moved to our own house: so we can do whatever we want without you or anyone else being underfoot.”

“It’s indecent!”

“So what if it is? We’re married and can enjoy each other’s company however we choose.” Mary paused, “perhaps one day you’ll be lucky enough to understand, I hope so anyway. It’s much more fun than being so prudish. If you don’t want to know what we do behind closed doors, don’t peek behind them. Live by the sword and die by the sword, or didn’t you learn that lesson?”

“I…” Edith tried to interject but Mary ignored her and continued.

“Now, please do whatever you have to do to be able to move on. I don’t know what you thought you’d achieve but it has clearly backfired. Now, I don’t care if you’re too embarrassed by your own idiotic fancies to talk to me, but Matthew clearly does. I don’t like him to be unhappy, so figure it out, or perhaps we’ll have to have more private days that I suggest you respect in the future.” With that, she left Edith and went to rejoin the others.

No, for a list of reasons:

If he loved her back, he would have married her. The family just wanted the estate and Cora's fortune to stay with the estate, they wouldn't care which daughter would marry Patrick (and this shows because they don't stop Edith from flirting with Matthew).

Fake Patrick. Fake Patrick used what he knew from OG Patrick to persuade Edith he was her cousin. He used HER love for Patrick, saying "because you were the one who really loved me" but never once he even implied Patrick returned her feelings. Because he knew he didn't, and didn't want to push his luck, not knowing just how much Edith knew about OG Patrick's feelings.

Edith herself said "I didn't know Patrick knew" (that she was into him). Which shows that he didn't pay her even enough attention to notice she was in love with him. According to Fake Patrick he did know (but apparently didn't care enough about it to do anything).

Edith would have treated the situation very differently if her feelings were returned. In season 1 she was sad Patrick died, and she resented Mary for not being as sad (or not expressing her sadness to the level Edith wanted from her) but that was it really. I think she would have been much angrier, and much more vicious from far earlier on if the man she loved, loved her back and still planned on getting engaged to Mary (which would have made no sense anyway, see point 1).

a girl of fear, a woman of anger— look how we've grown

girls contain multitudes, heather o'neill / king, florence + the machine / The Affront (L'affronto), by Antonio Piatti / In the Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado / this pin / cassandra, florence + the machine / What If This Were Enough?: Essays by Heather Havrilesky) / crush, richard siken / the closest thing i could find was this soundcloud link / a womans beauty, susan sontag / a vision of fiammetta, dante gabriel rossetti / stop me, natalia kills / fury, yevgeny yevtushenko

everyone say god bless you to @pe4rl-diver for the sources

• I will not have you without the darkness that hides within you • I will not let you have me without the madness that makes me • If our demons cannot dance, neither can we •

Nikita Gill