Violet
She has never been so sad in her life. She was almost as sad when her husband died, because she did love him, but his death had been predictable. Some illnesses are fatal.
Matthew and Mary left an hour ago, an hour she spent getting dressed in her mourning clothes by her lady's maid. She had known that something terrible must have happened the moment she looked at them. She has never seen Mary looking so pale or Matthew looking so helpless. "The baby is healthy and Sybil is dead", Mary said.
It has just hit her like pang that her youngest grandchild has died before her. She thought she would never have to bury a grandchild. She feared that she might have to bury Robert when he was in South Africa, but even then she had been quite certain that that wouldn't happen.
When she comes into the sitting room and sees the empty faces of her son and his wife, her heart breaks for both of them. She is sure that this is the worst she has ever felt for anyone. She does what she can, she quietly offers her son to take care of the funeral arrangements, she is sure that Matthew will help her. She offers her daughter-in-law sympathy but Cora is beyond tears and doesn't want her help anyway. "You don't know what I feel. No child of yours is dead." She knows that Cora is right and she has never been so thankful for her children being alive, all three of them, because although she would never openly admit to it, she counts Cora among them.
Six weeks later she knows she can feel even worse than that for someone else. Her son, her dear boy, is in her sitting room this time and he looks so lost and defeated when he tells her that his wife doesn't talk to him. He says that his wife is grieving her daughter and her marriage, but she knows he is grieving just as much, especially his marriage. In a paradoxical twist, she wishes she was more like her daughter-in-law who she knows would hug her child in a situation like that, but she can't do it because she doesn't know how to. She calls him "my dear boy" and tries to make him understand how sorry she feels for him, but she isn't sure she is successful.
After he leaves she hopes that he doesn't tell Cora that she should go away. It was stupid of her to suggest that Cora go to America, but she is just as helpless as her son.
She goes to the Abbey for dinner. She is early as usual and she hopes to be able to talk to either Cora or Robert or maybe even both of them, but she is greeted by Mary and Matthew who seem to have taken over all duties that usually lie with the Earl and Countess of Grantham. Dinner is uncomfortable at best. Robert hardly says anything, Cora only says things to hurt Robert, Edith and Tom say nothing at all and Mary and Matthew try to make conversation but fail. Cora excuses herself right after dinner and leaves and she can see the looks of exasperation on Mary's and Matthew's faces. Apparently this is a daily routine now. She corners Robert a little while later and asks him if things have gotten any better and he tells her that they have gotten worse. She can see the tears he is trying to hide and she wishes to God she could help. She briefly considers going after Cora, considers asking her to make things better between her and Robert, but she knows that Cora will take this as criticism and so she leaves her be.
She hopes that Dr. Clarkson will do what she asked him to do. It is her last hope. It physically hurts her to see her son and his wife so unhappy. She writes them a note and asks them to come to her house and she knows that Cora will feel summoned and be obstinate, but there is nothing she can do about it.
When she tells Cora that what Dr. Clarkson has to say might change her view of things and she answers back like and insolent child, she wants to take her and shake her, and tell her that she has to get out of her misery, has to find a way to forgive Robert.
She listens to Dr. Clarkson and watches both Robert and Cora and she can see in their faces that they want him to say that Sybil would have died anyway because that would save their marriage. When he finally does say it, she turns away to give her son and daughter-in-law some space and when she hears their muffled sobs she knows that they cry both out of grief and relief.
She watches them from a window after they have said their goodbyes. She can see Cora turning to Robert and him nodding. He walks over to the driver and the car leaves without them. They walk back to the house, her sons arm around his wife's shoulder and her arm around his waist. They are guiding each other home.