September 1912

He glanced around the new sitting room and sighed. It was nicer than the house in Manchester, he had to admit, but it didn't feel like home. It just felt cold and unwelcoming, just like the gray Yorkshire sky above.

"This is very nice. Don't you think so, Matthew?"

Matthew forced a quick smile at Molesley, their new butler and valet, who looked rather nervous in the corner, and replied, "It's quite nice," faking a cheer he certainly did not feel.

"Was there any more luggage coming along, sir?" Molesley asked.

"I believe there were a few more trunks," Isobel said. "They're supposed to come tomorrow, as far as I know."

Matthew nodded. "I'll go down to the station tomorrow."

"There's no need, sir, I can do it alone." Molesley insisted. "The men at the station are perfectly happy to help with the heavy lifting."

"I want to go," Matthew protested.

Isobel winked at Molesley. "One of the trunks has his books. He doesn't trust anyone with them, not even me."

"Mother..." Matthew sighed. But he didn't protest.

"However, one trunk did get here today, it's full of kitchen utensils for Mrs. Bird. I'm sure she'd be most grateful if you'd help her unpack," Isobel said. "Thank you Molesley, you're most helpful."

Once Molesley left, Matthew turned to his mother and groaned. "You know Mrs. Bird hates anyone messing with her kitchen."

"Molesley is here for a reason," Isobel said firmly. "You must allow him to do his job, Matthew."

"Even if that job is entirely superfluous? I do not need someone to dress me like a child! That's not the life I want to live. This whole thing is entirely ridiculous. What if I'm a terrible person who they hate? Then will they want me to marry their daughter? Clearly they want to make me into one of them, but they're wrong. And I don't see how anyone could love this lifestyle, it's completely idiotic!"

Footsteps approached, and an announcement came. "Lady Mary Crawley," Molesley said.

Matthew turned around and saw her and his mouth hung open. How stupid he was. How much she must resent him.

"Lady Mary! I believe we've met once," Isobel said, stepping forward. "At your sister's wedding,"

"Of course," Mary said cooly. "I was sent down to greet you, and ask if you'd come up for dinner. Unless you're too tired."

Isobel smiled at her. "Of course we'll come. Won't you stay and have some tea?"

"No, thank you," Mary replied. "I've understood perfectly that such customs are idiotic." She shot a look at Matthew. "Anyway, I've things to see to. I suppose we'll see you at eight."

Matthew sighed and followed her out the door. "Look, I didn't mean you were stupid, not in the slightest," he protested. "I'm sorry."

"Sybil's the one who will be sorry," Mary replied, mounting her horse. "It's all rather idiotic, I'd say. Luckily, it isn't my problem."

Matthew looked at his feet, his cheeks turning red. "Please don't tell Sybil. I wasn't thinking, I..."

"Well, we'll have to see if I like you enough. I'm very protective of her, I won't let her down," Mary replied, kicking the flanks of her horse and setting off.

He stared after her, his mouth wide open.

"Edith and Anthony are coming tonight too," Mary said, fixing her earrings as she glanced in the mirror.

Sybil held her breath as Anna tightened the corset. "Everyone wants to interrogate my fiancé, it seems."

"Well, maybe it won't be so awkward for them. You know, Matthew has a very low view of the aristocracy. He was making his opinion of our class very clear when I walked in to invite them to dinner," Mary commented.

"I don't have a high view of the institution either," Sybil replied cooly.

Mary stood up from the vanity and patted her hair one last time. "Sometimes Sybil, I worry that you're too accepting. Perhaps it's good that you aren't choosing your own husband. Who knows, you'd probably choose a footman or a chauffeur."

"Maybe I would," Sybil replied. "Would that be so awful?"

With a roll of her eyes, Mary patted her hair and said, "Do I really need to explain that to you?"

Sybil didn't answer.

"Anyway, I'm heading down. Are you coming?"

Sybil shook her head. "I'll be down in a minute. I still have a few things I need to do." She tugged on her gloves to make a point. "Go on, I'm fine."

"Of course you are, darling. Good night."

Anna pulled out a hairpiece and settled it in Sybil's hair. "You look lovely, milady. Are you nervous for tonight?"

"I've already met Mr. Crawley, so there's nothing to be nervous about. I'm just... well, resigned. What Mary said, about me marrying a footman, would certainly be true if I loved him enough. And the problem is, I don't want to feel loyalty toward Mr. Crawley when I can't give him love he deserves. I want the love I deserve."

"Love is difficult, milady," Anna said. "Sometimes it's a choice between how much you love your family and how much you love the man you love."

Sybil nodded. " Honestly, I just want to get along. I want to be on friendly terms. Because Mary and Patrick weren't, and Mary was utterly miserable. I can't do that,"

"All you can do is try."

The first time he was in the great hall, it had been so full of people that he hadn't fully realized how large it was. Now he stood in awe, and a chill ran down his spine. This was supposed to be his home. It would be more like living in a museum than living in a house.

And there were servants, rows of them, standing there to great him. The sensation was incredibly odd. He wasn't unfamiliar with servants, they had a cook and a maid, as his mother hated cooking and housework, but nothing else. This was a veritable army of all kinds of servants.

"What a welcoming committee," was the first thing he stupidly said. He could feel the judgmental eyes of the family on him, except for those of Sybil's. She was smiling softly, trying to encourage him. As if she was trying to say that he was doing alright.

He wasn't quite aware of what was happening until dinner began. The food was good, of course, but much richer than he was used to, and after two courses he felt like he could not eat any more. They were all nice enough, and the conversation was nothing but polite superficial questions, about how Manchester was different than Downton and a debate on the benefits of city living, but it was nothing important.

The fish course came around, and Robert's question took Matthew by surprise, although it wasn't entirely unacceptable. "So what are you planning to do around here?"

"Well, I did manage to find a job in Ripon."

There was silence all around the table and Matthew felt all eyes on him. He wanted to shrink under the table.

"A job?"

He nodded hesitantly. "I'm surprised they took me on such short notice..." he began, hoping that was the reason for their surprise. "It's at a firm there, Harvell and Carter. I'm starting tomorrow."

"You know I mean to involve you in the running of the estate..." Robert said.

"Of course," Matthew replied, trying to fake a confidence that he didn't feel. "There's plenty of time for that in the evenings and on the weekends."

The Dowager put a hand up. "What...what is a weekend?"

"Granny, it's simply Saturday and Sunday, the days when most people don't have to work," Sybil explained, shooting Matthew a sympathetic smile. "I think it's good for Matthew to have a job, if he wants to. I'm sure he'll get sick of us if he spends every waking moment here."

Mary took a sip of her wine. "I see, you want to get rid of him."

"No, not at all!"

"I understand what you mean, Sybil," Matthew said. "I'd feel bored, I think, if I didn't have work."

Robert squinted at him "Do you really like it? It seems most people only work because they need to survive."

"I'm very lucky to enjoy my job, although I'm sure it sounds frightfully boring to all of you," Matthew said.

Isobel decided that this was an opportune time to join the conversation. "I actually was wondering what there is around here. Would you happen to have a hospital in the village?"

"Actually, we do," Cora said. "It's just a small cottage hospital, but it's very well equipped. I'd be happy to give you a tour this week, if you'd like."

"That would be wonderful. You know I was a nurse during the war? And my dear husband was a doctor."

Sybil smiled. "I think that's wonderful."

She took a sip of her tea and almost fell into a stupor again. Why Cora had dragged her along to tea was beyond her. Violet and Isobel were arguing, as it seemed they had been doing from the first moment they met, and Cora was trying to mediate, but unsuccessfully.

"What do you say, Sybil?" Violet asked.

Sybil froze, unsure what they were talking about. "I think that my opinion isn't valid on the subject..." she replied hesitantly, hoping they didn't care.

Violet snorted, but it was as ladylike as ever. "It's odd, you always seem to think your opinion is valid."

Sybil sighed and shook her head, hoping for a diversion so that she could get away from this inane conversation.

Thankfully, a diversion did come. It came in the form of a cheerful, "Hello, Mother," from the hallway. Matthew entered the room and upon seeing the company added, "Oh, and Cousin Cora, Cousin Violet, Cousin Sybil. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You're home early," Isobel said.

Matthew nodded. "I finished up at the office early, so I decided to come back here and organize my study. Unless you'd like me to stay and have tea..."

"No, go ahead. I know you need to do it," Isobel said. "Besides, our conversation wouldn't interest you."

"I'm expected to pretend though, aren't I?" he asked with a smirk before leaving.

Sybil sighed and looked after him with a hint of jealousy in her eyes. She looked back to Isobel, who was motioning toward the hallway with an encouraging smile.

"Excuse me," Sybil said quietly, leaving the room, trying to draw as little attention as possible. She did not look back.

She wandered down the hallway, peeking into the few rooms there. At the end of the hall, in the corner, there was a door to a small room. She looked inside and saw Matthew sitting on the floor, with a trunk full of books by his side.

"Hello," she said shyly, standing at the door.

Matthew looked up and smiled. "You managed to get free."

"Sort of," she replied, her cheeks beginning to glow red. "Your mother kind of released me, although Granny is going to be mad at me. But frankly, I couldn't tell you what they talked about. It's terribly dull, I'm afraid."

"What I'm doing isn't terribly interesting either, I'm just sorting through my books, and shelving them," he said, holding up a thick tome. "You're welcome to help though. I'll warn you, my system is somewhat complicated."

Sybil sat on the floor next to him and peered into the trunk. "How did you fit so many books in there? It doesn't look that big."

"I had to get all my books here somehow, didn't I?" He smiled and took out a thinner book. "I'll need a shelf for the Shakespeare, which one do you think? Up high, or lower? I'm keeping the law books in the middle because they're a pain to get from up top."

"You've thought a lot about this," Sybil said, taking out another Shakespeare. "How many of these Shakespeares do you have?"

Matthew ducked his head and took out a few more. "All of them..."

"All of them! I don't think we have half of them in our library!"

"My father gave them to me. Every year, I'd get one for Christmas and one for my birthday, since I was five. They started with the comedies, and they would read them to me until I could read them for myself and understand them. When my father died, my mother gave me the rest of them that I hadn't gotten yet. We read them together and it was hard, but it also helped us heal because we knew he was there with us in spirit."

Sybil smiled. "I think that's wonderful. How about this shelf?" she asked, pointing to one nearer to the upper middle. When Matthew nodded, she picked up Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night and placed them on the shelf. "I had a governess who thought little girls should read nothing but the Bible. I just think she was against girls reading at all, for whatever reason. So Mary and I would sneak down to the library, pick out books, and hide them under our pillows and read them by moonlight in the window. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have been much of a reader."

"I hope she didn't last long," Matthew said, his eyes widening.

"No, but then again, none of our governesses lasted very long," Sybil replied, placing a few more books of the shelf. "They didn't want to deal with all the fighting between Mary and Edith."

Matthew pulled out another law book and stuck in on the middle shelf. "I suppose you were an angel. Besides the book stealing, of course."

"I was rather an angel," Sybil replied proudly. "Of course, that was probably because I could blame everything on Mary and Edith, so naturally I looked like an angel."

"I was an only child, I didn't have anyone to blame things on," Matthew said. He pulled out another book, a dusty green hardcover. Most of Matthew's books were very old, it seemed. "Do you think I should put Virgil with Homer or Ovid?"

"Do you have enough ancient Greek and Roman literature to justify two separate categories?"

Matthew looked at his feet. "Maybe..."

"I didn't realize you loved reading so much," Sybil said, laughing slightly. "But I suppose there isn't much country sport in Manchester."

He shook his head. "Fair enough. I fear the day I'm summoned for a hunt. I'm not sure if I'll be able to stay on the horse."

"There might be one next month..." Sybil muttered, looking up at him and trying to avoid laughing.

"Oh no," he moaned, putting his head in his hands.

Sybil patted his shoulder, trying to suppress a laugh. "Don't worry, I'll get Mary to teach you. She's very good."

"She doesn't seem to like me..."

"Well..." Sybil said, unsure how to respond. "To be fair, you are sort of stealing what she thinks should rightfully be hers. Of course, it isn't your fault, not really, but there you have it. But anyway, I'll get her to do it. Mary will do anything for me."

Matthew laughed and took out another book. "You really are a spoiled youngest child. But I'd be grateful, especially if I'm expected to participate in some sort of hunt and actually know what I'm doing..."

They sat in silence for a while, taking books out of the trunk and placing them on the shelves, until the trunk was empty, the shelves full, and the room felt like home to Matthew. Maybe that's what Crawley House was lacking. It wasn't the house that was the problem, it was the things that made the old house in Manchester so special to him. Like his books.

It didn't seem long before Isobel poked her head into the study. "Matthew, Sybil? Cousin Cora and Cousin Violet are leaving now. Sybil, you should go."

Sybil nodded and stood up, dusting off her skirt. "Goodbye. Thanks for saving me from another hour of dreadful boredom," she said, smiling.

Isobel winked at Sybil. "Of course. I understand, my parents were missionaries. Dreadfully boring conversations were a daily occurrence. I hope you'll come by for tea again, though."

"I think I'll have to, considering your lovely hospitality," Sybil answered. "You're coming for dinner on Saturday, correct?"

"Yes, we'll be there," Isobel said, smiling as Sybil left the room. She turned to Matthew and looked at the shelves. "You've organized quickly."

Matthew closed the trunk and pushed it toward the wall. "I had a helper."

"Do you like her?"

"Please stop prodding me on that," Matthew groaned. "She's sweet, although she is rather young and naive."

Isobel sat in the chair in the study. "She's sixteen, that's the way it might be for a while. But you like her?"

"I wish you'd stop pushing me."

"You've always been the kind of person who wants peace, why are you so against this if it will bring peace between you and the family?"

Matthew opened the door. "I just wish you'd let me live my own life! I'm tired of being a pawn. And I know they might not care how I feel about any of this, but you're my mother. You should.

I'm back! It looks like i'll probably be able to update about every 2 weeks. :) I was competely blown away by the support you guys showed for this story! Thank you all so much, especially those who reviewed! Some of you guys were concerned that Sybil and Matthew were going to end up together, and that Tom wasn't going to show up. While as a writer, I don't wish to spoil anything for you, do keep in mind that I'm a Mary/Matthew and Sybil/Tom shipper, and Tom doesn't show up until the fourth episode in canon. :) I love you all, keep the reviews coming, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!