The lovelies (Mary & Evelyn) #1 : It's lovely to see you so lovely
 

TFTNT! Is there actually a Mary/Gillingham thread? :flowers:

Your welcome :D

I didn't see any and I'm not a fan of the pairing. He was very pushy and Mary had to say no more than once for him to accept her answer. His "Matthew's dead and Im alive" proposal was not romantic and a bit insensitive.

Oh, please add me to the list :flowers:

Evelyn's actually my 'last hope' the dreaded Mary/Gillingham pairing won't happen :look:

Yay another fan :back_hug: I was starting to think Im the only one here

Honestly Evelyn is the most honest and genuine guy out of the three and our Mary deserves the best.

Thanks for starting this thread! :flowers:

No, you're certainly not :hug:

Although I'm not a passionate shipper, I think he's definitely the best match for Mary out of these three.

I'm surprised though that obviously people don't like the pairing that much. Wonder why that is? :look:

Yay! Team Marylyn all the way!

I think M & E have the potential to be endgame. First, he's obviously been pining for her for a long while. And she was thrilled to see him again. But most of all, *why* even bring him back if nothing will happen between them? Just to show the audience his broken heart? Not even JF is that cruel. I hope.

And yet...

But seriously, I agree. If Eveylyn isn't even going to be considered by Mary, they could've at least mentioned that he's happily married. That's all he ever wanted. Why make him forever alone?

Thanks for the fic recommendation ;)

You can sign me up!

I think he's endgame. Why wait till Matthew died to bring him back?

Even if they don't end up together, I love the idea of them working out after he held a torch for her for so long. It's just so classically romantic.

Plus I'm a huge Anne of Green Gables fan and the concept reminds me of Anne/Gilbert.

So true!

fifty springs You're welcome :D

quaist, I think the reason is that we did not get much interaction since 4.06. We only got a few glances and Mary only talking to him once about Blake. I'm sure if we got more moments, they'll garner more reaction.

Humdinger, god that will be sad! I want him to get his happily ever after with Mary.

lassothemoon, :back_hug: I love love love your fanfics! I read 'Not a Vain Man' in one shot.

Gah! Has anyone else seen episode 7? I'm not sure if the ship got stronger or started a crash course for an iceberg. If it sinks completely I think I might actually cry.

I think it is stronger. Note that he was hesitant to even say anything, which is unlike the other two who are going to make her make a choice. Evelyn's waited, and will wait, because he realizes she's not ready .

The "competition" comment was nerves, I think. Did you catch the fidgety thing he does with his hands? He was distraught.

Me too Im going to get crushed if it sunk.

The episode was more like one step forward, then face plant.

Mary was happy to hear him say he's blinded by love when it comes to her. She did not stop him or rejected him by saying she's not ready.

In the end of the episode, he felt that he has a Pamuk situation with Blake. His nerves got the best of him and told her that “it greatly increases the competition" in desperate move to show her that he will pursue her. Mary's reaction was a bit "aint nobody got time for that" since she has Gillingham and his raper valet coming back to Downton.

I admit I was disappointed at her reaction, because Napier was so endearing in that scene.

I'm frustrated that two episodes it was all "How lovely!" when she sees him for the first time in years, and now that he makes the slightest indication that he's interested and and it's all "le sigh."

And I agree--one step forward, then face plant.

Even though I didn't want to, I could see points for the Edith/Evelyn shippers. But, seriously, no matter how desperate you may be to find a husband before you start showing, who wants to be married to a man who's obviously still in love with your sister and has been for a decade?

Poor Edith. I want her to have a happily ever after with someone who picked her first, wasnt swoon over after seeing Mary and loves.

I dont see Evelyn/Edith happening. I was worried when Rosamund got involved, but it looks like they will cover it up instead of bagging a husband.

Please add me! :flowers:

When Evelyn came back, I was TOO happy (like Mary). But when he brought Blake along, I thought "uh-oh, recycled plot from S1 with Pamuk" so I knew that they weren't going to end up together so I've been squeeing about them on the UC thread instead. It would've been very different if he didn't Blake along, I think.

I really hope he's not on the show again just to introduce Blake. Not only is that completely unnecessary, it's already been done on the show.

I do hope that Gillingham and Blake push themselves out and Evelyn's patience wins out in the end.

Maybe I should ship Evelyn and Cora. Every time he comes to dinner she makes sure she's sitting next to him. If she really wanted to set him up with Mary, shouldn't she have put him next to her daughter instead?

That's actually what I'm convinced is going to happen--that the other two are going to fall out and he's going to be the last one standing. And why? Because he's been waiting this long already.

In any event, I'm not jumping ship.

I first interpreted Mary's sigh after the "competition" remark to mean that she was annoyed and uninterested with Evelyn, now I'm thinking (hoping?) it may have more to do with her still not being over Matthew and all these guys just throwing themselves at her feet. Plus, it's not like she never rolled her eyes at Matthew.

ETA: I've gotten *really* obsessed with this ship, even for me, and in going through a lot of Downton articles for series 4, Evelyn is barely mentioned, aside from being the guy who introduces her to Blake. I take this to either be a really good sign or a really bad sign.

Exactly.

That's a good sign because they waited so long to announce he was coming back. There was a video preview around the first week Downton was back but ITV took it down from their Facebook page. It took forever for us to even get any pictures of Evelyn.

I think it's because it's him.

Focus on the other two and then throw a curveball.

Why?

Because even Blake seems rushed. I mean he's been here how long and now he thinks she's fantastic? I understand a begrudging respect, but Fellowes writes his romances slowly. Perhaps it's slower than Gillingham but it's not slow enough, and too predictable.

Think on this too--S1 Mary had Evelyn, Matthew, and Pamuk. Evelyn was the old friend that was crazy about her, Matthew was in love with her but she thought him dull as bricks, and Pamuk she was absolutely fascinated by.

S4: We have Gillingham, Evelyn, and Blake. Gillingham's an old friend that's in love with her, Evelyn's in love with her but she thinks he's as dull as bricks, and Blake--see the pattern?

Woah! I feel like I should have noticed that pattern before but I didn't. And certainly it doesn't hurt that Evelyn has managed to outlive all the other suitors from S1.

Also, lassothemoon, I love your stories. I usually find fan fic hard to read but yours is excellent.

Thanks! Here's hoping S4 gives me more to write.