1913 • Tom Branson •

ii

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Of course when Saturday came around Madeline found herself sitting next to Matthew Crawley, and under half the tables watchful eyes. Her grandmother and Matthew were discussing Gwen's possible departure from their household, allowing Madeline a gap in the conversation to fiddle with the ends of her black gloves.

Still, even between rebutes and scoffs, Violet didn't fail to glance over at her second youngest granddaughter disapprovingly. Even her father, who was right across from her, was watching as if waiting for something magical to happen, and her mother could only smile suggestively so many times.

"Why are we talking about this? Does it really matter?" Mary spoke for the first time that night, and Madeline shifted her gaze from her swathed hands to her older sister. Her older sister who was radiant, and nothing but glimmering smiles and polite conversation. All directed towards the wrong man, and Madeline had to take a steady, shaking breath. Of course, no one dared bat an eye at Mary's indecency.

Cora lightly scolded her eldest, while brushing Maddie's shoulder. A silent command to sit up.

From there the conversation was carried by Sybil, and usually Maddie could smile and encourage her littlest sister, but tonight her stare was still pushing through Mary, envious of the freedom everyone allowed her to have for the time being. Tonight her sights were supposed to be set on impressing the Honorable Evelyn Napier, eldest son of Baron Branksome, but the message must've got lost in translation for Mary had been crooning over his partner instead. The undeniably handsome Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk.

As Madeline got lost in the multiple people at the table, a converation now being carried by both Sybil and Isabel. Sweeping in to counter each argument granny put up.

"Are you alright?"

Madeline jumped, sharply turning to face Matthew who was leaning close to her. Heat was now turning a typical dinner chaste into an argument, no one sparring them a glance as he whispered to her.

She steeled her features, under the curious intensity of his blue eyes. "Quite, what makes you think I am not?"

He hesitated, favoring his lower lip, eyes turning up as if he were thinking very carefully over his words. It was clear he didn't want to be there, next to her, more precisely. In Matthew's eyes she was still a child, eighteen to his twenty-eight, and he didn't know how to go about the situation.

"I'm assuming I was not your chosen dinner partner for the evening. That you were wrangled into it." His eyes glinted, like those of a teasing older brother, and she wanted to groan while sighing in relief all at the same time.

Madeline laughed, dry and unenthusiastic, but her eyes shined back with that same glint he gave her. "Can I assume the same of you?"

The teasing fell to his lips, lighting up in his charming smile that had all the women in Downton swooning. "I will neither agree or disagree." His eyes swept the table and hers followed. Gut twisting when her father grinned approvingly, wincing internally as Edith scorned her, but turning to Matthew again when he froze on Mary and Mr. Pamuk.