Just lovely, and so well ended. Fits beautifully within canon, and feels like them. :)

Such a lovely ending. I hope Mary can also continue to help Matthew with his ghosts and demons as well (yes, Lavinia, but the war too).

I have been selfish by gobbling up your stories these last few days, but not leaving a review. It is usually 3 a.m. when I've finished with a fic and I am tired and have smiled and cried, and the little comments I should have made at the end of each chapter I didn't bc I was too eager to keep reading... and you know.

So. Please know I love your stories and I hope you keep writing them.

I love it!

You are one of my favourite writers. Your story are so well thought out, humourous, well paced and romantic.

Your Matthew and Mary are so in character no matter what story you spinned for them.

Please write more.

Wonderful story! I read your other Hunting Ghosts story first and then went to look for this one. Enjoyed them both very much. Accurate characterizations and believable scenario. Well done!

Aaawww... very sweet. And yes, very reminiscent of War Horse. But it's a good parallel to draw on. I love the fact that Mary's a rider - it makes her so much more human and understandable somehow. And Diamond, of course, is simply gorgeous!

A very sweet little fic. Thanks for posting. :-)

I absolutely love this fic. I love how you write sad!Matthew, and how Mary isn't willing to put up with his self-flagellation anymore. It's a great concept of how they might have started warming their frosty relationship prior to the Christmas Special!

First Downton Abbey fanfiction that I really truly liked! It was so beautiful and has the right amount of sweetness. And it gives me hope that our ship will sail for good one of these days (crossing my fingers that IT will happen this Christmas Special). :)

Love it! :)

I really enjoyed this! I love Mary calling him an unfeeling, self-righteous bastard. I love Matthew apologizing. I love her bringing the spark back into his life, without even meaning to, she does that for him. And I love the growing honesty here, and how you end with the sentiment that is going to lead so wonderfully into canon it seems. "You must not marry him!" ah, so excited!

Really well done. A creative, original idea with bringing Diamond into play.

Thank you for this lovely story. The dialog was so in keeping with the characters in DA that I could hear the actors voicing it.

oh, it's so lovely, and it seemed perfect for there to be only a kiss on the cheek.

I love it. please write more like these.

x kissthespider26

one more chapter? Please! xx

I love this story. A lot. I love Diamond and the care Mary shows him. It just makes me think she'll be that great of a mother as well. Firm, loving, caring. The entire scene between Mary and Matthew outside the church was so packed with meaning a paper could be written about it. And the stable. Goodness. I've always thought that Mary looked absolutely lovely the day she went on the hunt with Napier and Pamuk, and to have it resurrected here is just as wonderful. I like the Matthew is still bitter and angry but slowly on the mend, which is where he should be, thankfully.

My main question/concern is... will there be a sequel? Ending it there was rather painful and so full of promise. Also, can Diamond be in the sequel if so? If they aren't going to meet at their tree then the stable should be their place. Alrighty, please create something to continue it, because it was grand. Thanks!

I have no words! I just can't tell you how much I love this story. It's beyond brilliant! So very, very touching. And we all know Matthew will eventually have to have that talk with Mary! I just loved your portrayal of the characters and Diamond - your Mary and Matthew characterizations are amazing. Just keep writing please!

Awww, I LOVED this! I love them being just so... straightforward. They've reached that point, and... Ahhhhh. Just wonderful. Thank you for writing it!

That was a perfect ending. The conversation between Mary and Matthew in the stable progressed so naturally and was so in character: complete with hints of sparring, caring, and humor. And the injection of Carson's love and care was a very nice touch (I loved the Carson/Mary relationship). One of my favorite parts was when the thunder rumbled and both Matthew and the horse reacted.

I recently saw a preview for a Steven Spielberg movie called Warhorse that's coming out at Christmastime (all about a horse in WWI), and I immediately thought of this fic. Clearly I spend way too much time in this fictional universe when all things start pointing to Downton :)