Author's Note: I'm so so sorry about the delay on this chapter, but I've been positively drowning in History and French. I was planning on updating last Tuesday, but then my part for the show I'm currently in was switched and I had to learn all of the new lines! So, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I promise to really try to update every Sunday. Thanks! -D

2. In The Dark

At 5 o'clock, Isobella could stand it no longer. She had to know what happened last night after she was sent to bed. Like I'm Coraline's age. She knew the servants wouldn't be up for at least another hour, and Mary not for several hours after that. Well, on a normal day, but now, Isobella was outside her parents bedroom door and was positive that Mary wouldn't be able to go back to sleep after Isobella reminded her of the event looming over their heads. Mama always feels things so dreadfully.

Isobella slipped inside the room and crossed to the bed. For a second she thought she was in the wrong room, for neither Mary nor Matthew were there. But no, the bed's unmade, Isobella thought, noticing the light coming from under the bathroom door. Behind the door, she heard her father's deep cough, but knew he was alone.

Unwilling to look too hard for her mother, Isobella traipsed down the hall towards Abigail's room. Upon reaching her sister's door, she gave a soft knock and pushed in.
"Izzie!" Abigail exclaimed with a start.
"A knock doesn't do much," Mary was perched on the edge of Abi's bed, "if you push in anyway."

"It takes meaning away from the word privacy," Abi scolded.

"I wouldn't take it too seriously, darling. Your Aunt Sybil had the same habit, and Izzie is

a little too much like her for me to be comfortable with."

Isobella smiled at being compared to her favorite aunt as she climbed onto the bed to sit between Abi and Mary. She noted that both their eyes were red and puffy, and Mary looked as though she hadn't slept a wink.

"Can you tell me now?" Izzie asked.

"I suppose it is first thing," Mary smiled weakly, "Well, you know that people die in war-"

"But Reggie and Robbie won't die, they're sons of the Earl of Grantham! That'll protect

them," Izzie interrupted, "They won't be in too much danger."

"I wish things worked like that, but they don't" Abi hugged her younger sister.

"So what if they die?"

"That's what we talked about, well we mostly talked about what would happen to

Downton if..."

"Because girls still can't inherit," Mary's voice held a slight note of resentment, "Your

cousin Johnny would get Downton, but Johnny will be off fighting for Ireland. So in the rare

case that all three of them die, Downton will go to some unknown! Not that that's such a

bad thing."

"But we don't need to worry about all of that now," Abi chimed in, "We agreed to take our

fences one at a time."

At that moment there was a knock at the door, followed by a maid entering.

"Hello Emma," Abi said, "Is it seven already?"

"Yes milady, I'm afraid it is," the small mousy maid said, crossing to open the curtains.

"I suppose I'll go back to my room and ring for Thomson." Mary stood, "Izzie darling why

don't you head back to your room and wait for Emma there?"

"See you at breakfast," Abi said, climbing out of bed.

"Letter for you milady," Brennings, the butler said, handing Mary a letter and opener.
"Thank you, Brennings"
"Who's that from?" Matthew asked, taking a seat next to Mary.
"Sybil,"
"Oh, and what does she have to say?"
"She says that Johnny enlisted, and he's off to training next Friday!"
"But the war started not even a week ago!"
"Yes, but she says he feels he needs to do a duty to his country. Tom is furious of
course, but apparently Johnny won't take no for an answer."
"You must invite them here, it will be good for Sybil to be with her family."
"Aunt Sybil's coming?" Coraline asked, entering the dining room.
"She might be," Abi said, setting her teacup in the saucer, "Johnny's enlisted."
"What's that mean?"
"Cora, do you really not know?" Izzie huffed, "He's going to war."
"Like Robbie and Reggie?"
"Yes, like Robbie and Reggie,"
"Oh," Cora sat next to her.

She's so innocent. If she was old enough to not be kept in the dark about all of this, I wouldn't have to be either. No one tells me anything. Izzie sighed, and strode out of the room.