I would like to dedicate this story to all of my crazy Downtonians on tumblr who have kept me sane these past few months. Most importantly, I would like to dedicate this to Sophia as she will get the background of this story.
April 14th, 1912
It was a typical, ordinary spring day in the Yorkshire country side. The sun hid bind a dense patch of fluffy, gray clouds, intensifying the colors of the grounds of Downton Abbey and giving everything a rich and saturated feeling. A light rain fell from the sky, tapping on the window so lightly it seemed to keep the entire house in a calm, sleepy state. This was the setting that Lucy Imogen Crawley woke up to from a long and restful slumber. She blinked a few time, allowing her bright blue eyes to adjust to the little bit of light the filled the room. She could hear a fire crackling in the background, the shadow of the flames dancing on the ivory and gold walls. As each part of her body began to wake up, she turned on her side to face the other bed in the room, that of her fraternal twin sister, Charlotte Rose, Lottie as the entire family so lovingly called her. They were the youngest of the Crawley daughters and, according to their father, their birth had to have started a record for having 5 children and not one a male, an heir to the estate.
According to just about everyone, their father had been so excited to find out their mother was once again pregnant, after 7 years of no signs of another child. Robert dotted on his wife and their mother, Cora, the entire time and on the night of their birth, was expecting nothing less than the heir he so desperately wanted and needed. At the announcement of the birth of a girl, the Earl signed a little and stated "Well there is always next year," while pouring himself a glass of brandy and chugging it down in an instant while his three other daughters, Mary, Edith, and Sybil, sat tensely on the large library couch, not sure how to react. Never did he expect that no more than 5 minutes later that his wife's new ladies maid, Sarah O'Brien, would rush into the library to announce there was another baby. At this news Robert rejoiced. Finally the boy he had hoped for, a protector for the little sister that was now being cleaned and swaddled. He couldn't be more wrong. Twenty minutes later, Dr. Clarkson walked in the room and with one look, Robert knew he would not get the heir he was hoping for any time soon.
Robert was reluctant at first to go see his two newborn daughters, but after another two glasses of brandy, and much convincing and scolding by his mother, the Dowager Countess, he ascending the stairs to the master bedroom where the new members of the family waited, knowing that if he didn't he would not only be mad at himself, but never hear the end of it from his mother. He took a deep breath though before knock on the door, waiting for his wife's permission to enter and doing just so. His eyes went straight to his beautiful wife, her hair disheveled and drenched at the hairline, her eyes filled with fatigue from the labor two births, but a smile that radiated throughout the room was what made him approach closer. Two tiny bundles laid lovingly in her arms. Robert gazed at them as they slept, both newborns cooing and stirring in their slumber every so often. They were so different despite them being minutes apart. Although the same size, one was black of hair just like his wife and after a slight open of the eye, he could see she had the eyes of her sisters, Mary and Edith. The others' hair was the color of his mother, his sister, and his middle daughter, bright, fiery and shining like gold, and according to his wife, she had their eyes, the perfect shade of bright piercing blue. After seeing them for just a moment, he could care less about what gender they were.
Lucy thought about this all for some reason in the moments after she woke up, waiting for her sister to stir in her sleep so she could chat with her without feeling bad about disturbing her. She wasn't sure why these thoughts popped up, but it probably had to do with the constant though of her sister Mary's upcoming engagement to the heir, their cousin Patrick. That's all anyone seemed to talk about now a days to the point where it made the two girls want to just hide out of sight to avoid hearing about dresses, and flowers, and dinner menus. The two had always been partners in crimes, thick as thieves, always no more than a step behind each other. It was not surprise that only being awake for a minute that she saw her sisters begin to stir in bed and her eyes blinking open. Lucy stared into her sisters chocolate brown eyes, her hand propped up on her head, awkwardly placed due to multitude of tied spits of cloth in her red hair, all in the name of curling her hair, well keep it's natural curl at least. Her sister did the exact same thing, placing her hand the exact fashion in her own mess of brown rag curls and mirroring her smile perfectly. If it wasn't for their complete different colorings they truly would have been identical, with the same face, same nose, same brows and of course, the same mischievous smile.
"Morning," They both said to each other in unison, laughing after the fact. Their minds always seemed to be synced and it was a frequent thing to hear them saying the exact thing at the exact time, even sentences. It drove their sister's mad most of the time, but that to them is what made it so enjoyable.
"Have a good night sleep?" Lucy asked, knowing that her response would be either good or very good as Charlotte didn't wake her once during the night due to a bout of insomnia or to sneak out of the room to go a get a snack in the kitchen
"Very well sister dearest. Do you want me to ring the bell? I'm already starving and I haven't even been up for 5 minutes."
"As am I. Besides I want to have as much fun as possible before our lesson with Fraulein this afternoon." She said, before yelling random phrases in a harsh German accent which caused Lottie to go into a fit of giggles. As her sister began to go on about curtsying, Lottie pulled the rope that connected to their bell downstairs, signaling the exact women they were mocking to come and get them ready for the day.
The staff of Downton was beginning to gather in their dining room, getting the much needed meal to help them get through there morning work. Sarah O'Brien was the first to sit down at the worn, wooden table, her eyes filled with anger and her face blank and emotionless. She thought this would be an easy day, but of course with her luck it wouldn't be. Mrs. Hughes had come to her as soon as she came down to the kitchen to tell her that Fraulein Gertrude had taken ill and would not be able to work today and that she would need to get the twins dressed. Why her she wondered and not one of the newer maids? She was paid to serve her Ladyship and no one else, and now they expected her to take care of those rambunctious twin girls as well? She would not only need a little luck, she would need a miracle to get through the day. As soon as breakfast was set on the table and the rest of the housemaids, footmen, and various servants took their place, she bent her head and prayed not only for the food on her plate, but the strength to even make it through the day. She was able to get half a bowl of porridge and a few sips of strong, black tea down before the bells began to ring. Looking up she saw that it was the bell to the nursery ringing, the twins room. Bracing herself, O'Brien placed down her cup of tea and began to make the long trek upstairs, tea tray in hand and a prayer in her head. As soon as she reached the room, which seemed to be reached sooner than she liked, she put the tray down on the rich oak table outside the door and knocked twice. She was not expecting the unison choir of "Come in" from two young voices on the other side. She wondered if they always talked like that by accident or just to act cute. Grabbing the tray, and saying one last prayer she walked in
In the time that Lottie had rung the bell for their morning tea and to get dress, the two girl had already had a small pillow fight, and were now in Lucy's bed laughing and giggling at all there little inside jokes, especially the ones about their Governess and their older sisters. Just as they always did, as soon as they heard the knock on the door, they said come in at the same time, however instead of the plump, cheerful German women that, despite their jokes and hate of her lessons, they liked her only a little less than their own mother, their mother's cold and impersonal ladies maid appeared. For once the pair did not have a word to say and after an awkward moment of silence, except for the characteristic sound of their tea tray being set down, the women spoke.
"You Governess has taken ill so I will be getting you dressed this morning. You lessons have been cancelled for the day and you will spend the morning with your mother after breakfast to supplement your actual lessons." The two just nodded, getting out of bed, jumping slightly as their feet touched the cold wooden floor. The Ladies maid went straight to their wardrobe, and pulled out 6 dresses for them to choose from and laying them on their respective beds. Lucy looked at Charlotte as the women picked out their clothes, and it didn't take a single move of the mouth for the girl to understand each other "What does she think we are 4 and too little to pick out our clothing?" Charlotte though with a single look and she knew her sister was probably thinking the same thing. The two took generous sips of tea as the Ladies maid began to pull all the necessities they would need. Lottie and Lucy just watch as if it were an expedition, mesmerized at the women's process. Before they had knew it though, the girl had been stripped from their night gowns and each put in their undergarments, a pair of overdraws, a chemise, and a train corset, as well as a pair of black tights. They were then shoved into similar, simple long sleeved, knee length dresses with white lace accenting the collar and sleeves, Lucy's in mint and Charlotte in pink. Just as quickly as they were dress, their hair was taken out the long strips of cloth, leaving thick, loose, well defined curls dangling around their face. They kept the deep right parts they had the night before when setting their hair and pulled it to the side with a large bow to match their dresses. And when the last button on their shoe was done, O'Brien finally spoke again.
"Is there anything else I can do for you Ladies?" She asked, standing up and placing the booking hook back in the drawer of their vanity table with little emotion and a clear want to leave the room. The two looked at each other and with a nod of agreement, Charlotte stepped forward and said.
"Can we see mother before breakfast," She asked with a tilt of the head and a smile that would be hard to resist in her father's eyes but O'Brien was a different story. Even the two of them doing it, as no doubt Lucy did the same, couldn't break this woman.
"I don't think her Ladyship would like to be bothered so early in the morning." O'Brien said matter of factly, as if the two girls were strangers and not the women the wanted to see's flesh and blood.
"Please, Please Please," The two said again in unison, knowing that the women probably would just give in just to stop them from not only getting her in trouble for not obeying orders, but also to stop them from pleading and speaking together. Without a word the women opened the door for them, and pointed down to the hallway of the master bedroom. With a little smile, the two girls looked at each other with a little smile of accomplishment, grabbed each others hand and skipped down the hallway with glee, celebrating their accomplishment for having O'Brien, stone cold O'Brien, give in to their wish with only a small protest. Lucy reached the door a step first and with a flick of the wrist knocked on the door three times.
"Who is it." Their mother asked in her signature American accent
"Three guesses who," they both said and after a few second their mother repeated back.
"Come in my little pixies." Every since they could remember, mama had called them that as they were not only the smallest of the Crawley's but the most mischievous, just like the mythical woodland creatures themselves. Opening the door, they saw the joyous smile on their mother's face. She was still in bed, having probably woken up only a few minutes ago. Her hand reached out from under the rich, silking sheets of her bed, and patted to each side. The twins went to each side, jumping on the bed to their respective spots with a little thump. Their mother gave each of them a good morning kiss on the forehead and a look into their eyes before saying
"Did O'Brien take care of you alright this morning? Gazing across at each other first, Lucy was the first to speak. "Well she isn't Fraulein, but."
"We do look quite good If I do say so myself." Lottie said, continuing her sister's sentence. The really couldn't think about anything to complain about and it wasn't worth mentioning not being able to pick what they wore. They technically never got a choice. If it was up to them, the twins would rather wear clothes they could roll down hills in, ride horse in every day and even jump in the lake in, but they were forced to bare the life of being dressed up like China Dolls and they would never be able to change the fact.
"I don't think you could ever look bad my darlings. Did O'Brien tell you would spend the morning with me instead of your normal lessons."
"Yes." They both said sourly. The two would rather have a day where they could do whatever their hearts desired, nothing planned an everything impromptu and spending the morning embroidering handkerchiefs and painting china was the last thing they wanted to do. But Granny would probably have a field day if she found out that their granddaughters were climbing tree, riding horses like men, and playing cricket instead of doing what well brought up Ladies did which stay was inside and learn to be proper wife. She could just hear her saying that they weren't Native American girls from their mother's country and she didn't want them to start acting like that.
"I promise you that you can have the time after lunch until tea time all to yourself if you behave." She said, hoping that this would motivate her free spirited girls to settle down for the morning. And by the excited look on their faces, she could tell that they might just do that
What she didn't know was that the two clever girls were already interpreting her words for their own pleasure. When they heard time all to themselves, they heard it as a time to do whatever they wanted and being stuck in the nursery, reading and playing with there dolls. After all, she didn't give them options on what to do with that time. Without a word out loud, and their plans already being formulated, Lucy and Lottie nodded yes in agreement. Their mother smiled and with a knock on the door, they knew there little alone time with their mother was over. Cora signaled for O'Brien to come in, and as their mother was set up for her usual breakfast in bed, the twins walked towards the stairs to go down for the own meal. Once out of ear sight, they began to speak again.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lottie asked as she began to walk down the grand staircase, her sister not more than a step behind, her. As soon as Lucy caught up she responded
"Sneaking out side to run and roll in the fields and maybe take a quick dip in the lake?"
They both nodded in agreement, stepping down the stairs, full of smiles and a plan to make their day quite fun.