I thought I'd join the party...

My contribution. Is a rewrite of 'that pig episode', where Matthew was still alive and Charles Blake is a mere extra.

"Not joining us for dinner, Mr Blake?" Matthew asked as he and his wife approached the drawing room.

Charles Blake smiled politely at the pair after thanking Carson for his coat, "unfortunately not, no. I have made other plans."

"And Evelyn?" Mary asked evenly.

"Having dinner with friends of his parents I believe."

Mary nodded before looking up and smiling at her husband, "just us and Mama tonight then."

"I hope Tom doesn't arrive back too late. I was hoping to walk out and see the pigs; they arrived this morning."

"Ah yes, Mr Branson and I were there when they did. I was quite curious." Blake shared while straightening the collar on his coat.

Matthew raised an eyebrow, "you've seen them? What do you think?"

Blake nodded "very good. You seem to have a great pig man and good plans for the future. Downton's future is certainly looking brighter than many other estates."

Matthew nodded slowly. "Right." He wasn't sure if he should be annoyed that this man, as friendly as he was, had been out to see the pigs before him. After all, it was he and Tom who had arranged the whole thing. "Well, if Tom has already been out, I think I'll have to wait until tomorrow."

Mary lightly touched Matthew's elbow with her gloved hand, "I'll walk out with you if you like. I wouldn't mind seeing the pigs myself."

"Are you sure?" Matthew asked his wife. "It's quite a long walk."

Mary shrugged a little, "the weather is pleasant, so I don't see why we shouldn't."

Blake raised both eyebrows "I never would have thought you'd be interested in farming, Lady Mary. "

"And why not?" Her tone was slightly patronising and defensive. Matthew had to glance at the floor to hide his amused smile. "Why shouldn't I be interested, Mr Blake? After all, they're our pigs."

Blake nodded once in apology, "quite right, Lady Mary. Well, I hope you both have a lovely dinner."

Matthew nodded and placed his palm against the small of Mary's back, politely replying with a quick "you too" before gently guiding her through to the drawing room.

"Oh there you are," Cora's soft voice greeted them, "I was beginning to think you'd stood me up too."

Matthew strode to where his mother-in-law was sitting to place a friendly kiss on her cheek. "Never" he assured her before taking a few steps back and sitting beside Mary. "In fact, Mary and I are planning to walk out and see the pigs after dinner, if you care to join us?"

Cora smiled across the room at the young couple. "I think I'll pass. Besides, I'm sure you'd both rather go alone." Cora shared a knowing look with her daughter and Mary smiled. It had only been yesterday that Mary had shared with her mother that she missed spending time alone with Matthew in the day, now that he was so busy with both work and the estate.

"Mama's right. After all, it's been a while since we needed a chaperone to accompany us, Darling."

...-...-...

"This is nice, just the two of us." Matthew shared, as he and Mary slowly strolled away from the house. With only 3 at the table, dinner moved along quicker than usual, allowing them to leave before the sun started to set.

Mary only smiled in reply, allowing Matthew to take her hand as they walked. "I feel like I've barely seen you these last few days... In daylight at least."

Mary tightened her fingers around his, "it's been a busy time. Not to mention odd... With Papa leaving for America and Edith disappearing without a word, not to mention the unwelcome interference by Mr Blake."

"Mary. I wish you would just give him a chance. He's only trying to help."

"You only say that because you didn't grow up here. Every time he talks about the 'types' of families that live on these large estates, it physically makes my blood boil. The way he looks at me and talks to me as if he's better than us."

Matthew laughed, "you don't do yourself any favours, darling."

"I hardly care if he thinks I'm stuck up"

"Or aloof"

Mary stopped walking and in turn, because of their joined hands, so did Matthew. "He called me aloof?"

Matthew chuckled some more. Mary amused him when she was annoyed; he loved her animated expressions. Of course, when she was annoyed at him it wasn't much fun, however.

"What kind of manners must a man have to tell a man that his wife is aloof!?" Matthew continued to laugh lightly, stepping forward to kiss her cheek. "I am not aloof!"

Matthew didn't respond and instead, pulled at her hand so they she would continue walking with him. "Matthew, you don't think me aloof do you?"

He didn't respond right away, but the uncomfortable expression on his face told Mary all she needed to know. She inhaled deeply, "well, I hope you stuck up for me at least."

"Of course."

By the time they'd reached the pigs, Mary was feeling completely content. The walk was just what they needed; they'd managed to talk about their days without others interrupting them and finally she didn't feel as though she missed him.

"I didn't expect there to be so many." She said as they approached.

"It does look like rather a lot doesn't it."

"Are they supposed to smell this bad?"

"Mary," he laughed, "they're pigs."

Mary rolled her eyes. "They've been here less than a day, Matthew. I know they smell. I just assumed they smelt after some time or when they needed cleaning." She felt Matthew's hand release hers and heard him mutter 'oh no', and within seconds he was ahead of her, rushing towards one of the pigs laid by the fence.

Mary rushed behind him, "what's wrong?"

Matthew looked up at her from his position, crouched on the ground, "I don't know. This one looks like it's dying. He's not moving, but looks like he's breathing." Matthew stood and took off his jacket, hooking it over the fence post before crouching back down and reaching through the fence with one hand, towards the pig.

"Matthew!" Mary scolded,"you'll get filthy."

Matthew ignored his wife's protest and stood, his hand now a little muddy. "He definitely seems to be breathing." He looked around at the rest of the pigs and frowned, noticing that many were on the ground unmoving too.

"What's wrong with them?" Mary asked, following his gaze. "They only just arrived. Surely we couldn't have paid for sick pigs!"

It was then that Matthew noticed the empty and tipped over water trough and he sighed dramatically, "they must be dehydrated. Look," he pointed to where he was looking, "they have no water and it's been hot all day."

Mary watched as Matthew looked around at their surroundings and then paced quickly towards the metal buckets. She began to panic. "Shall I go and find the pig man?" She asked quickly, "I can run back to the house and-"

If Matthew hadn't been so worried about the pigs, he might have laughed at Mary's offer to run anywhere. He shook his head, walking past her with a couple of buckets, "there's no time. They need water now."

Mary watched as Matthew raced towards the barn to fill up the buckets. She looked back at the pigs and then down at the last two buckets by the fence. She quickly picked them up and called for Matthew to wait.

...-...-...

Darkness set in quickly without them noticing. They'd filled and carried countless buckets of water to the pigs and even that didn't seem to be enough. At least now they were drinking. Mary had quickly pulled off her gloves, realising it would be easier without them and the rushing back and forth to the barn had loosened her hair. Matthew had pulled off his tie and pushed up his shirt sleeves. Both of them were breathless.

Racing towards the pigs with buckets of water meant many spillages, leaving the mud wet and sticky and almost impossible for Mary to walk (let along run) across in her shoes. Rushing back from the pigs, to the barn, Mary slipped and fell into the cold mud. She shrieked in surprise and Matthew quickly dropped his buckets to help her. He bent down, taking hold of her arm and placing his other hand on her waist, helping her up.

Mary violently blew hair away from her face. "Are you alright?" Matthew asked softly, taking the time to check over his wife; his hand, filthy with mud, reaching out to touch her cheek and then her neck.

"I'm fine" Mary smiled, a little embarrassed by her fall, but more bothered about the delay in getting water to the pigs.

"Why don't you continue to fill the buckets and I'll run them back and forth?"

Mary looked down at her shoes in defeat and then nodded up at her husband. He helped her carry the buckets over to the water pipe and waited while she quickly filled the first two for him to take.

Some time later the pair of them collapsed together on a bench in the barn. Mary couldn't remember a time she'd ever felt so physically exhausted; not after riding, not even during their honeymoon. Matthew's breathing was as heavy and as fast as hers was. "Do you think they'll be alright?" Mary asked him of the pigs.

Matthew shrugged, "I think so. I hope so."

"Me too" she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I think we should wait another hour, check on them and give them a little more water."

Mary nodded silently.

"You can go back to the house if you like. I don't mind doing the rest alone. You helped with the hardest part." He dropped an affectionate kiss into her hair.

"No. It's fine, I'd rather wait with you." She lifted her head from his shoulder, "how do you know so much about pigs all of a sudden, anyway?"

"I've been doing some research. You know me, Mary, I like to know what I'm up against. The books have been quite interesting actually."

"I don't know why I'm surprised after all those books you bought home when we found out I was pregnant with George. You knew more about childbirth than I did!"

Matthew laughed, "I'm still sorry I wasn't there."

Mary shook her head, "you'll be there for the next one."

"The next one?" Matthew raised his eyebrows at her in amusement. "But I thought we'd done our duty?" He repeated her words.

Mary laughed sarcastically. "What type of mother would I be if I didn't want to give him a sibling?"

"A girl"

"Or a boy"

"You would be such a wonderful mother to a girl" Matthew murmured, pulling her towards him.

"Are you saying I'm not a wonderful mother to our son?" She tried to sound offended, but Matthew knew better.

He kissed her forehead, "you know how fantastic you are. His smiles tell you everyday."

Mary sighed "he's such a beautiful baby. And good too."

"Gets something from both of us."

Silence fell upon them briefly until Mary looked down at her clothing and groaned. "What do I look like?" She asked rhetorically.

"Beautiful" Matthew grinned.

"Nobody else would agree with you."

"I've heard of many men fantasising about their wives covered in mud."

Mary laughed "under different circumstances I'm sure."

"Indeed" Matthew reached down with one hand into the wet and sticky mud beneath his feet, grabbing a handful before daring to throw it at her.

Mary gasped in shock, her eyes wide in his direction as she wiped the mud from her face and neck. He waited breathlessly for her reaction, unable to read what she was thinking, until he saw her reach for a handful of mud herself.

She tried to hide her smile, as she reached forward to wipe the mud across his face, but couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from deep within her when he looked back at her with a face covered in mud.

His smile was slow and dangerously sexy. Mary waited anxiously, not knowing what he was going to do next, when seconds later he grasped her waist and pulled her to the ground with him. The puddles of mud splashed when they landed, but Mary had no time to care, for Matthew had captured her lips passionately.

...-...

They crept into the dark house at a time where not even the servants were awake. "They've left the key in the lock." Matthew whispered.

"I find it hard to believe that nobody, including Carson, was worried about us enough to stay up."

Matthew smiled, "I'm not sure what the time is, but I know you'd feel terribly guilty if he had. Besides, they knew we were together and I wouldn't let a thing happen to you."

Mary raised her eyebrows and then looked down at herself, "you rolled me around in cold, sticky mud."

"You enjoyed that as much as I did."

Mary grinned "maybe. Are you hungry?"

"Famished"

"I haven't snuck into the kitchen for food while everyone else slept since I was about 12 years old."

"No time like the present then," Matthew took hold of her hand and the pair of them moved quietly down to the kitchen. Once there, Mary decided that she would make them scrambled eggs- one of the only things she remembered about cooking from her governess. Mary knew she would never need culinary skills and therefore pretended to listen each time the topic was visited, unlike Sybil who loved learning basic skills.

They ate quickly and enjoyed a small glass of red wine each, leaving the kitchen when they were interrupted by one of the kitchen maids. "That'll have them talking for at least a week."

"Or until they have something new to talk about" Matthew agreed as they walked the stairs to their bedroom.

"I wonder what she thought we'd been doing."

"Well she can't have imagined anything worse than the truth."

Mary quickly slapped his arm and then grasped hold of it, stopping them both halfway up the stairs. She looked down and then up the staircase before meeting Matthew's eyes, "do you want to see something really special?" She asked him in a small whisper. "A secret pleasure of mine."

"Of course."

Mary nodded, "we'll have to change out of these filthy clothes first."

Matthew followed her to their bedroom. He had no idea what secret Mary spoke of. In fact the word pleasure had him thinking all sorts of things, but when she selected a nightgown and robe to put on he quickly pointed to his dressing room and followed her instruction to clean up a bit.

Matthew made quick work of wiping the mud from his hands and face before changing into pyjamas, slippers and his dressing gown. When he returned to the bedroom, Mary was running her fingers through her knotted hair. She too, had tied her robe around her waist and wore her slippers. Her face was clean, but when he stepped towards her and moved her hair aside to place a kiss on her neck, he found specks of dried mud.

"I feel filthy."

"I could draw you a bath?"

Mary shook her head. "I think we can both deal with it for a few hours until morning. Besides," she turned to face him, taking his hands between hers, " I have something to show you, remember?"

"Yes. The secret pleasure" he raised his eyebrows suggestively and Mary laughed, pulling him out into the corridor.

It didn't take Matthew long to realise where Mary might have been taking him and when she came to a stop outside the nursery, his suspicions were confirmed. He placed his hands on her waist affectionately while she quietly pushed open the door.

"This is your big secret?" He whispered into her neck from where they stood in the doorway.

Mary took hold of his hand and pulled him inside. They tiptoed over to the cot where George lay sleeping and Mary smiled softly, watching as his mouth and hands twitched a little in his sleep. "I love watching him sleep." She whispered.

Matthew wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I do this too, you know."

"You do?" She asked, yet didn't look up from the sleeping beauty.

She felt him nod. "When you're sleeping and I can't, I sneak in here and just watch him. Sometimes he wakes and I sit with him in the chair and we look at a picture book."

Mary sighed happily. She thought she was the only one who enjoyed secret moments with their son during the night. To know Matthew cherished that as much as she did made her fall impossibly more in love with him.

"What I want to know is, how you manage to sneak in here while I'm sleeping?" Matthew asked. "I sleep so lightly, I always know when you wake."

Mary smiled knowingly, "not after making love."

"Oh really?"

Mary shook her head, "you fall asleep within 10 minutes of finishing, without fail."

Matthew unraveled his arms from around her and stepped back, sliding down against the wall. Mary turned and looked down at him sat on the floor by the cot. He opened his legs and patted the floor between them. Mary's smile was almost shy; they'd shared so much in their marriage so far, but nothing had felt as intimate as this. She slowly lowered herself to the floor, leaning back against his chest. Matthew's arms enveloped her and they returned to watching their son sleep through the bars of his cot.

"When I'm here and he wakes I talk to him about you." Mary shared.

"You do?" Mary nodded. "What do you tell him?"

I tell him how lucky he is to have you. How lucky we both are. How we almost lost you." Her voice caught in her throat and Matthew tightened his arms around her, brushing his lips against her neck. "I tell him about our wedding and how stubborn and stupid we both were when we were young. I tell him that he mustn't ever let stubbornness or pride get in the way of what he wants in life."

"I'm afraid with us two for parents he's not got the best chance with that" Matthew joked.

"I tell him about Sybil" she sighed.

Upon mention of her sister, both Mary and Matthew turn their heads to look inside the second cot in the room. Little Sybil slept soundly, without a care in the world. "Do you tell her too?" Matthew asked softly.

Mary nodded slowly, "as often as I can." She paused, "Sometimes, I try not to. I think that Tom should be the one to tell her things, but then I remember about the times that Sybil used to follow me around the gardens when we were children and the times she used to try and climb on papa's dog because I was allowed to ride a horse and she was too small. I watch Sybbie with Isis sometimes and she reminds me so much of her. I think it's important she knows that."

Matthew dropped a kiss into her hair, "it is very important."

"I'm so grateful that I don't have to tell George what you look like and what a fantastic man you are. I'm so glad that he gets to learn those things himself and that the things I tell him about you are told because I want to and not because I have to."

Matthew swallowed hard. "You talk so much when you're tired" he tried to joke, making light of her small speech.

Mary sighed, resting her head back against his shoulder. "I didn't think I could do this; be a good mother. I didn't think I could love him so much."

"I never had any doubts."

-...-

An hour or so later, as the sun rose and the Nanny entered the nursery to check on the children, she was greeted with a sight she never could have imagined; Lady Mary asleep on the floor of the nursery, resting against her sleeping husband while their son, Master George, sat happily and wide awake, gurgling, smiling and reaching for his sleeping parents.