Fanfic / The Heiress

The Heiress is a Downton Abbey fanfic where Robert Crawley dies suddenly during the events of Series 2, leaving Matthew to take up the role as Earl.

Can also be read here.

Tropes that appear in this fanfic:

• Abled in the Adaptation: Matthew gets Thomas as the middleman when Downton becomes a convalescent home, meaning Thomas doesn't have to get his hand shot up to go home.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: The author indicates that the story will expound on Matthew's status as a Shell-Shocked Veteran in later chapters as well as his Survivor's Guilt.
• Adaptational Context Change: Since Mr. Lang is Adapted Out, Carson's collapse is triggered after he gets carried away with a pleasant memory of Mary and spills wine by accident.
• Adaptational Early Appearance: Dr. Ryder appears a few years earlier than in canon due to Mary visiting him about her possible fertility issues.
• Adaptational Explanation:
  • Sir Anthony Strallan describes how he suffered his arm injury: he was touring the trenches with the Diplomatic Corps when he was blindsided by a German sniper.
  • The Duke of Crowborough's hunt for an heiress (why he courted Mary in the pilot episode) is revealed to hide a gambling addiction.
  • Mary's fertility problems appear to have been the result of an infection brought on by Kemal Pamuk.
• Adapted Out:
  • Mr. Lang, Robert's valet in the first half of Series 2 who suffers from PTSD, doesn't appear since Bates isn't forced to leave Downton.
  • Tom Branson likely won't become the land agent since Jarvis leaves much earlier.
• Angst? What Angst?: In-universe. Cora chastises Violet for not being more worried about Rosamund's wounds from the bombing attacks but Violet counters that she saw no reason to worry since Rosamund wasn't in mortal danger.
• An Arm and a Leg: Narrowly averted with Lady Rosamund when Mary is able to find a surgeon who managed to save her hand.
• Artifact Title: In-universe; despite marrying Matthew and becoming Countess of Grantham, Mary is still called "Lady Mary" as if she were unmarried to differentiate her from Cora and Violet, both of whom are Dowager Countess.
• Awful Wedded Life: Implied with the Duke of Crowborough and his wife Agnes, who Sir Richard notes will be pleased to see him gone for a couple years.
• Bad Liar: Tom Branson. His attempt to pass off Anna as Ethel fails miserably, forcing him to chase down the thug who attacks Anna.
• Be Careful What You Wish For:
  • Mary has wanted to inherit Downton, but Matthew declaring her his heir wasn't what she had in mind because that means he's dead, which she definitely doesn't want.
  • Cora has been pushing Mary to consider other men throughout the story. When she finally gets cold feet on the eve of her wedding to Matthew because he means to return to the front, Cora isn't happy about it.
  Violet: Well, wasn't that what you wanted? Mary changing her mind?
  Cora: Not on the eve of the wedding! Not when we have two hundred guests coming tomorrow, not to mention the press!
• Better as Friends: Mary notes she actually likes Sir Richard's company now that she isn't forced to interact with him.
• Big Bad: Vera Bates is slated to take the lead as main villain for the events around Downton as her attempts to blackmail Mary and force Bates to come back escalate throughout the story.
• Big Damn Heroes: Tom and Davis stop the thug who attacked Anna.
• Blood from the Mouth:
  • The premise is that Robert vomited up blood as in Series 6, only this time it proves fatal.
  • Davis starts coughing up blood as his pneumonia worsens.
• Career-Ending Injury: Jack Weatherby suffered severe lung injuries from a gas attack that forced him to leave the front. Similarly, Davis' pneumonia gets so bad he has to leave.
• Christmas Episode: Chapter 9 focuses on the Crawley family trying to celebrate Christmas while Matthew's at war.
• Combat Medic: Matthew mentions that his father served in the Boer Wars as a medic.
• Composite Character: Since Robert dies during Series 2, some of his actions there are taken by other characters.
  • Mary calls out the White Feather girls who humiliate William at the concert.
  • Matthew has to tell Mrs. Patmore that her nephew was executed for cowardice.
• Conflicting Loyalty: Thomas is apparently hit with this. On the one hand he wants to do right by Matthew since he's the reason why he got to go home, so he wants to help him out by looking after those at Downton. On the other hand he doesn't want to rat out O'Brien, his Only Friend in the house. He settles for disrupting Carson's efforts to investigate the postman so O'Brien won't be incriminated in Vera's schemes.
• Death by Adaptation: Like in Series 6, Robert suffers a burst ulcer. Unlike Series 6 where prompt medical attention saves him, Robert instead bleeds out.
• Disposable Pilot: Lady Rosamund's chauffeur White is one of the casualties in the Liverpool Street station bombing run.
• Dramatic Irony: Mary notes that Sybil is probably seeing someone who is clearly unsuitable and hopes that he isn't married. Well for Tom, one out of two isn't bad.
• Dropped a Bridge on Him: Most of Matthew's old unit is killed at the Battle of Passchendaele offscreen.
• Due to the Dead: Matthew and Davis dig a grave for their comrade Bobby Pearce when the artillery fire dies down, marking it with his rifle and helmet. Unfortunately, the next shelling destroys the grave, leaving Matthew at a loss at what he'll write to Pearce's mother.
• Easter Episode: Chapter 14 centers around Easter festivities, including Matthew's commendation ceremony.
• Even Evil Has Standards: O'Brien is shocked that Vera would send a thug to disfigure Anna.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Kemal Pamuk. Despite being dead for a number of years, he is personally responsible for two of the main conflicts, being Vera's attempts to blackmail Mary and also for Mary's fertility issues.
• Green Around the Gills: William turns a shade of green when he sees the trenches for the first time.
• Heir Club for Men: Defied, as Matthew wills that Mary will be his heir should anything happen to him while he's at the front.
• Impoverished Patrician: Sir Richard mentions that the fortunes of many aristocratic families are going down due to inability to adapt to changing times, and that's without the ludicrous spending habits like the Duke of Crowborough's gambling.
• Internal Reveal:
  • Mary admits to Sir Anthony Strallan that she sabotaged his courting of Edith.
  • Mary tells Matthew about Kemal Pamuk in Chapter 12 when he returns to Downton.
• In Spite of a Nail: Sybil becomes a nurse as in canon. Similarly, she and Branson are presumably conducting their romance while trying to keep it secret, though both Mary and Edith seem to suspect that Sybil is seeing someone neither would find suitable.
• Killed Offscreen: Implied with Mary's horse Diamond who was sent to the army and never came back.
• King Incognito: Matthew doesn't introduce himself as the Earl of Grantham when speaking with Edward Courtenay, mostly because he still isn't used to being master of the place himself.
• Last of His Kind: Shortly after Matthew joined the army, Murray did extensive research on the Crawleys and found that Matthew is truly the last male Crawley.
• The Matchmaker: Cora tries setting Mary up with Richard Carlisle as she's afraid Mary will give her heart to Matthew.
• The Mentor: Sir Anthony does his utmost to bring Mary and Matthew up to speed with the modern farming techniques.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After Mary learns from the doctor about the venereal infection she contracted, she is wracked with guilt after her miscarriage, thinking it is her fault.
• Never Learned to Read: Bobby Pearce; Matthew has to write for him.
• "Not So Different" Remark: When Mary talks to Granny about Matthew's insistence on returning to the front after their wedding, Granny points out that Robert himself, who prized Downton as his third parent and fourth child, went to the Boer Wars out of duty to his country just like Matthew even though he put its future at risk.
• Oh, Crap!: Mary when she looks up at the skies and realizes that she isn't seeing British aircraft but German.
  "Aunt Rosamund, I'm not sure if those are the British planes..."
• Original Character: Major Jack Weatherby, an old friend of Matthew's days as a lawyer who's now part of General Strutt's staff.
• Outliving One's Offspring: Violet outlives Robert here due to his burst ulcer.
• Phony Veteran: Bobby Pearce felt this way about his involvement in the Boer Wars since he was on a ship to fight there when it ended, meaning he never actually fought in it.
• Put on a Bus: Bates leaves Downton after Vera's man attacks Anna. Sir Richard manages to locate him but it's unclear whether or not he'll return while Vera is still on the loose.
• Real Award, Fictional Character: Matthew receives a Military Cross for his courage during the Battle of the Somme.
• Right Behind Me: In Chapter 10, Mary and Violet are discussing Edith's attempts to win Sir Anthony... when Edith is standing right behind the door and confronts them.
• Romantic Runner-Up: Sir Richard Carlisle for Mary. On some level he actually knows he's a Hopeless Suitor and simply endeavors to help Mary when he can, as shown when Matthew enlists his aid in finding Mary after the June 13 bombing attack.
• Shot in the Ass: This happened to Murphy, one of the soldiers in Matthew's company.
• Spared by the Adaptation:
  • Lt. Edward Courtenay, the blinded officer who later killed himself, lives to see Downton's time as a convalescent home.
  • Davis, Matthew's batman who died from pneumonia and was replaced by William, is removed from the front and retires to a cottage near Downton.
  • Similarly, William has a higher chance of surviving because he is transferred along with Matthew out of danger.
• Spotting the Thread: When Bates and Anna read Vera's note threatening the latter, she mentions that Matthew and Mary were at a seaside cottage for their honeymoon. The only people who knew that Matthew and Mary were headed to the seaside were them, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Branson, and O'Brien.
• Stiff Upper Lip: Mary and Violet. For Mary, she had a reputation for it as early as eight years old, which she explains by trying not to have Edith and Sybil worry.
• Trading Bars for Stripes: In Chapter 23, Sir Richard mentions that the Duke of Crowborough volunteered for the navy to avoid charges after being caught at a male brothel.
• Tragic Stillbirth: Mary suffers a miscarriage in Chapter 25. It gets worse when she visits Dr. Ryder and part of the issue seems to stem from her encounter with Kemal Pamuk.
• Wham Episode:
  • Chapter 18: Mary and Aunt Rosamund are caught in the June 13 zeppelin raid; Mary is unhurt but Aunt Rosamund is wounded.
  • Chapter 23: It's revealed that O'Brien has been keeping tabs on Downton for Vera Bates, who sends a thug to attack Anna.