She dragged her toe across the floor slowly, absentmindedly making shapes and pictures as she waited to be noticed. It did not take long. It never had.

"Why Miss Sybbie. How lovely you look in your pretty dress!"

Sybbie shyly looked up through her bowed lashes, giving her sorely missed confidant a smile. She was so happy to be back with her, with them all, again but found herself overwhelmed in the moment. Such happiness all around yet her tummy suddenly felt full of the flutterbys she used to chase through the gardens, shouting through giggles for George to keep up.

"I… I…"

Elsie could see the child struggling and reached out to take her hand.

"It's quite alright, love. I look different to even myself today! It must be awfully confusing."

Sybbie grasped Elsie hand tighter, moving closer to her side.

"You look very pretty Mrs... Mrs…" Sybbie took a frustrated breath. "I just don't know what to call you anymore," she whispered, her voice cracking the tiniest bit.

Elsie gingerly lifted the child to sit upon her lap. It was not proper, that much was for certain, but the joyousness of the occasion seemed to erase propriety. The Crawleys would forgive an indulgence; she didn't mind answering Charles's accusations of sentimentality, though she greatly doubted they would even come. Not on a day like today.

"I may look different, but I am still the same person, I can assure you," Elsie reassured the girl with a cuddle. "Well then," she continued, "we can hardly have two Donks at the big house, I suppose," she said with mock seriousness, smoothing a strand of hair from the round, rosy, and now giggling, little face. "I wouldn't dare be cross if you forget and call me Mrs. Hughes, but today I am Mrs. Carson," she proudly declared. She could hardly believe her own words. "Mr. Carson and I were married in the church today, and that's why we are having this party."

Sybbie contemplated Elsie's words, her brows furrowing for the briefest of moments before her eyes opened wide. She looked over at her beloved Carson, who was trying valiantly not to expose his own eavesdropping, and then back to Elsie before breaking into a fresh fit of giggles.

"And what, pray tell, is so funny, little bunny," Elsie asked with a smile, using the special name Sybbie had gone long lonely months without hearing, as she tapped the lass on the tip of her nose.

"If you are MARRIED, then that means you have to -"

"AHEM," Charles coughed loudly, looking disapprovingly at Sybbie before quickly surveying the room and immediately shooting her a funny face to both soothe and distract her.

Sybbie frantically nestled into Elsie, bringing her mouth and a little hand right up under the brim of the bride's hat and up to her ear.

"KISS! You and Carson KISS now?!"

Unfortunately, in her excitement, the whispering part of her whisper was forgotten causing many amused faces to turn in the trio's direction.

Tom looked to Mary and Edith with the biggest grin plastered on his face.

"You know who would have loved this."

"Sybil," the girls replied in unison, smiles of reminiscence echoing his own.

Edith swirled the remaining wine in her glass adding, "She's looking down right now with the most satisfied smile knowing that when I join her, she'll get all my biscuits for a month."

Mary laughed. "It was my paint set."

Tom shook his head. "I'll be on dish duty for eternity."