HERE IT IS! My contribution to STEAMM Day 2014, and the sequel to my STEAMM story from last year (Who Wants to Date a Crawley Sister?) More to come on the actual day itself, but I wanted to post the prologue a bit early (besides, technically it's Sept. 14 already in some parts of the world!)

This story takes place a year after the end of the last one. More will be revealed through flashbacks in the upcoming chapters, but basically, all three Crawley sisters are engaged to the men they met (or reunited with) from their infamous "date night". Now it's the weekend for the actual wedding! But with the media wanting to catch a glimpse of this unique "triple wedding ceremony", not to mention a few other factors from uninvited guests to the invasion of countless relatives and so much more, the question soon becomes...are the grooms mad enough to take on the Crawley sisters?

THANK YOU for all the support with my last STEAMM story! I'm glad so many people enjoyed it, from my fellow S/T shippers, to the E/A and M/M folks, and DA lovers in general. I hope you enjoy this one too, I would love to hear your thoughts! Again, thank you for reading!

Who Wants to Marry a Crawley Sister?
by The Yankee Countess

Proglogue
"The Calm Before the Storm"

WEDDING OF THE CENTURY!

Move over Will & Kate, the Crawley sisters are here to steal your thunder!

Not one, not two, but all three of Lord Grantham's beautiful daughters are getting married in a dazzling, one-of-a-kind TRIPLE WEDDING CERMONY, taking place THIS WEEKEND at the Earl's lavish, famed estate, Downton Abbey in Yorkshire.

You may recall how the previous year, the lovely Ladies Mary, Edith, and Sybil Crawley, put themselves on the auction block, so to speak, for the Grantham Foundation's annual charity auction, where three lucky gentlemen could win the chance of having the pleasure of their company for an evening out on the town. Who knew that something as simple as winning a dinner date would eventually lead to an engagement?

The lucky bachelors are as different as can be!

Mr. Matthew Crawley of Manchester, a lawyer who has recently been named Lady Mary's partner for the Grantham Foundation. (Nepotism perhaps? Or is their similar surname a matter of coincidence?)

Sir Anthony Strallan of Locksley Park in Yorkshire, the Minister of Agriculture (is Lady Edith, soon to be the next Lady Strallan, a trophy wife?)

Mr. Tom Branson of Dublin, a journalist for The Standard (not the sort of newsmagazine a Tory would catch himself reading, let alone agreeing to become part of the family)

Little is known about the upcoming ceremony; invitations have been limited, though that won't stop the mass of royal and aristo enthusiasts from descending on the tiny village of Downton with hopes of catching a glimpse of one of the famous Crawley sisters, if not all three, in their wedding regalia. Rumor has it, however, that at least two of the brides are harkening back to the 1920's in the style choices of their gowns.

Bookie offices from London to Cardiff have reported an increase in bets pertaining specifically to the impending nuptials, ranging from the cynical (how long it will last) to the fashionable (which sister's gown will outshine the others) to the downright bizarre (will some former suitor interrupt the service?)

While sadly, unlike the Royal Wedding, the triple wedding of the Crawley sisters will not be on any screen, though insiders—including our own "moles"—will be present and infiltrating everything, from the ceremony to the reception, tweeting everything live and direct to our website, so be sure to tune in, because you will not want to miss a single moment!

Robert Crawley sighed as he lowered the newspaper. "This is going to be a media circus, isn't it?"

"Well, what did you expect?" his mother remarked from the chair which sat opposite his own. "The second it was announced that it would be a 'triple wedding'…" she clicked her tongue in obvious disapproval. "You really should have allowed me to oversee this whole thing, rather than let Cora run amuck—"

"Mama, please," Robert muttered, before lowering himself back to his chair and rubbing his temples as his headache began to increase.

Violet Crawley pursed her lips, but chose to remain quiet on the subject, at least for the moment. "What time are they all arriving?" she asked, changing the subject slightly.

Robert groaned. "Which ones?" he asked. "The girls and their soon-to-be spouses, or half of the Irish population?"

"How many of his relatives are coming?"

"God knows…at least twenty?" Robert sighed, trying to remember the number of Bransons his daughter told him to expect.

Violet smoothed a wrinkle on her pants suit. "Speaking of which, I think I'm going to invite Lady Margot to come and stay with me at the Dower House."

Robert frowned. "Why? She's Sir Anthony's sister, she has a perfectly good place to stay at Locksley—"

"Yes, but she and I haven't had a chance to properly talk since all this began, and I'd like to know her thoughts—"

"Mama…" there was a slight warning in his tone. "While I understand your…misgivings—"

"The man is a quarter of a century older than her, Robert, not to mention he holds a prominent office in Parliament, which just turns Edith into a cliché—"

"The business is done," Robert interrupted, finality in his tone now. "And…Edith is right; if I'm not going to forbid Sybil from marrying a journalist whose newspaper goes against everything I stand for, well…how can I forbid her from marrying Sir Anthony Strallan?"

Violet cocked an eyebrow at him. "You're too soft, Robert; you get that from your father—"

"Oh please," he fixed her with a look of his own. "Don't think I'm not aware of the 'meddling' you pulled to bring Mary and Matthew back together." His eyes widened then as if realization dawned on him. "Is that what this is about?"

Violet frowned. "What?"

"Are you hoping that Lady Margot will come and be your guest so you don't have to deal with Isobel?"

"Oh don't be ridiculous," Violet muttered, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "Isobel and I get along just fine—"

Robert snorted.

Violet glared at him. "Lord knows I'd much rather spend an entire afternoon and evening in her company than that odious American woman—"

"Cora's mother?" Robert did find himself grimacing slightly at the thought of his mother-in-law. He would never go so far as to call her "odious", or to even think that about her, but she was a bit…much. "Well, just try to get along for the girls' sake this weekend. And besides, she'll be staying here at Downton, so you won't have to worry about crossing paths with her, except at meals and the wedding, of course."

Violet just rolled her eyes.

A knock on the study door drew the attention of both the Earl and Dowager Countess, who were greeted by Downton's butler. "Forgive the interruption, milord, but I just wanted to inform you on behalf of Mrs. Hughes that everything is ready and prepared for when the guests start arriving tomorrow."

"Thank you, Carson," Robert replied, to which the butler gave a polite and obedient bow of the head, before turning and leaving and shutting the door behind him.

Violet turned back to him and looked at her son closely. "Well…? Are you ready?"

Robert sighed, glancing one last time at the tabloid on his desk, before turning back to his mother. "Is any father, on the weekend of his daughter's wedding? And not just one daughter, but all three?"

"I wouldn't know since I'm not a father," Violet simply remarked.

At that, Robert did chuckle. "I think the best people to direct that question to, is the girls; are they ready?"

"Oh they are, I have no doubt," Violet answered, rising to her feet. "It's those grooms I'm concerned about."

Robert frowned. "Do you suspect cold feet?"

Violet was thoughtful for a moment. "Not 'cold', exactly, but anxious? Yes, and how could they not be?" She shared a knowing smile with her son. "After all…they're marrying into this family."

To be continued...