When they first meet, he is enamored by her but she mocks him and instantly dislikes him. While she ridiculed him whenever possible, he appears quite smitten with her, despite her often harsh words. As time passed, the more time they spent together the fonder she grew of him. Mary, despite originally intending to hate him for 'usurping' her inheritance, was soon drawn to his mild manners and sharp
wit. Mary’s jealously is stirred when Lady Sybil shows signs of a crush towards Matthew and that evening Mary warns him and they end up kissing. Mary admits that she loved Matthew for longer than she knew and plans on accepting his marriage proposal, until she learns of her mother’s pregnancy and Lady Rosamund convinces her not to give an answer until the baby is born in case it is a boy and Matthew is no longer the heir. She also feels guilty about the Pamuk affair, and that she needs to tell Matthew about this before accepting him. This hesitation leads to Matthew withdrawing his proposal, leaving Mary devastated and they barely speak for two years. Season 2: When they meet in 1916 she learns of his recent engagement to Lavinia Swire. Heartbroken, she cries and is comforted by Anna showing that she is still in love with Matthew despite pretending to have moved on in front of everyone else. This unrequited love continues throughout the series until Episode 2.08 when it is revealed that Matthew still has feelings for her, but is bound by duty to Lavinia, who is sick with Spanish flu. She sees them kissing but tells Matthew that he should be with Mary, not her. When she dies, Matthew believes she died of a broken heart and that he and Mary are to blame. During the Christmas and New Year celebrations, Mary and Matthew become closer, but Mary's fiance Sir Richard Carlisle, looms as a threat. Mary is very unhappy with Sir Richard and grows to dislike him. Matthew presses her for an explanation for her continued engagement in light of this distaste. When she breaks off the engagement with the permission and support of her father Lord Grantham, she decides to weather the storm of scandal caused by her one-night stand with Mr Kemal Pamuk and go to America to wait it out. Although Matthew was shocked and stunned, he still loves her and he told Mary that he never would and never could despise her, and her history with Mr Kemal Pamuk will never come between them in their present and future life together. Matthew proposes to her and she happily accepts.
