Yes, I know, it's been ages since I last posted a chapter. Now, here's an update! Hope everyone will (still read) and enjoy this fic!


Two Weeks Later

Daisy went to the shed to get her bicycle. As Downton Comprehensive was near La Vache Mauve, Aunt Beryl's café-and-tea room, she saw no need to wait for the bus to pass by the usual route. Summer was nearing its end, and the air began to feel less brassy—and become mellower. Aunt Elsie called this morning, to tell Daisy that her school records came through the mail and her reports were glowing.

"And Daisy, don't forget the orientation this afternoon, but please come a little earlier. We need to spend time together before the madness starts. See you later!"

So, after helping out Aunt Beryl in serving customers (something she always did whenever she stayed with her godmother during holidays, except Christmas, of course), which was as usual, in abundance—Daisy started to get ready for her bicycle ride to school. She saw them as she went out through the front door (ironically the easiest passage to the shed). Ladies who meet at the cafe for lunch, or mums who decide to treat their little ones before they lost them to playschool and primary school—and schoolwork.

Finally, she was on her bike, and cycled herself to school. Some of the trees began to show gradually yellowing leaves; flowers beginning to wilt. By the time she reached Bakewell's General Store, she sensed that she wasn't alone. She glanced to her side and found a red-haired girl on her bicycle. The girl grinned. "Hello, you must be Daisy Robinson." Daisy nodded, and cycled on. So did the red-haired girl. "I think I've seen you around whenever you're on hols. I'm sorry about your family, by the way."

"Thank you—oh—I don't think I've asked for your name," Daisy said. The redhead grinned. "Sorry. I'm Gwen. Dawson. Technically, it's Gwendolyn Anne, but people call me Gwen, whether or not they're friends."

Daisy smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Gwen. What year are you in?" she asked Gwen. "Ten," Gwen replied. "How about you, Daisy?"

"Me too." Gwen grinned again. "Great. There's many of us this year. Have you thought about where you're going to uni?"

"I've got a couple in mind. You?"

"So far, it's Newcastle and Manchester. It might change. Miss B won't be so delighted if she could hear me talk right now."

"Who's Miss B?" Daisy asked, intrigued. Gwen grinned again, sheepishly this time. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's Miss Baxter. Lovely person, I must say. Much better than that hag Miss O' Brien, who teaches English Literature—come, we're almost here."

"Here" was a large school compound. The sign above the gate read, "Downton Comprehensive," and at the left was the school logo, which, according to Gwen, was half of Lord of Grantham's coat of arms. "Oh, and his youngest, the Lady Sybil Crawley, goes to school here. She's going to sixth form, if I remember correctly. We do have sixth form here in Downton Comprehensive."

"Oh, that sounds nice," Daisy mused, as she and Gwen parked their bicycles in the school's designated Bicycle Stop. At that time, their attention was caught when a station wagon stopped at the school gates, and a tall, fair-haired boy ran towards them. "Heigh-ho, Gwen. Am I late?" the boy asked Gwen. Gwen shook her head, no. "I think we're early, Willy. Oh, and Willy, this is Daisy Robinson. She's living with Miss Patmore."

The blonde boy groaned at the nickname Willy. "It's William, actually. William Mason. Only Gwen here has the audacity to call me Willy." Gwen laughed. William went on. "Miss Patmore told my parents about you. I'm sorry about what happened to your family."

"Oh…ummm yeah. It's hard getting used to it," mumbled Daisy.

Gwen and William looked at each other, and their new friend. "Well, we understand." Daisy smiled at her two new friends.

"Come on," said Gwen, "We best get in early so we'll get good seats."

"So you've made friends with Gwen Dawson and William Mason. You've couldn't have made a better choice," Elsie Carson mused after she sipped hot cocoa. "They're very nice young people—not that the other students here at the Comprehensive aren't, but you can count on these two to make anyone feel welcome. My niece Ivy studies here too—she's made her own group of friends…she's actually quite set in her ways."

Daisy blinked, as she drank her cocoa. Elsie shook her head. "Oh, I'm sorry. Ivy is my cousin's daughter. She may not take on kindly to new people, I must say, but I'm sure she'll thaw out. How are you adjusting to Downton life, Daisy?" Elsie asked.

"I like it here," Daisy said shyly. "I always have, whenever I have holidays here with Aunt Beryl. I…I can't believe I'm here. For good. This is more home to me than the house at Ripon ever was."

"I'm glad you'll be happy here, Daisy. I'm sure Miss Baxter has properly oriented you on what to expect in two weeks at Downton Comprehensive. I can't believe my good fortune when I hired her. She's a gem. Miss Baxter teaches Psychology in the sixth form, so you'll see her teach when the time comes. Have you any idea what you will be studying in uni in a few years' time?" Elsie asked her goddaughter. She was really fond of this young girl, perhaps even more than her niece Ivy. Guiltily, Elsie thought it was because despite what she has been through, the girl has remained sweet. Sometimes, Elsie wondered why Ivy can't be more like Daisy — something that she never dared say aloud.

Daisy nodded enthusiastically. "I…I have a plan." She poured more cocoa into her mug. "Aunt Beryl has taught me more about cooking and the way a food business is being run than any school could teach me. I…I plan to study Accounting. Help her with the accounts so she doesn't need to hire anyone else. And when I get part of my inheritance when I turn twenty-one, I want to help her expand her tea shop."

No one was more floored than Elsie Carson to hear a young girl of fourteen talk like a twenty-year old. Daisy was her father's daughter all right. She and Beryl always thought that Ted Robinson was too good for Marian Langley who was only after the main chance. Thankfully, Daisy hadn't inherited anything from her mother except her sheer determination to succeed at whatever she was doing. And her looks, of course. Daisy was pretty, there was no denying that. What was better was that she wasn't too aware of it. Unlike… Elsie sighed and pushed that thought away.

Daisy was her mother's carbon copy, Elsie thought. Dark-brown hair, glowing, rosy white skin. Eyes like dark blue pansies. That small, straight nose and her rosebud mouth. And Elsie, being the very observant godmother, noticed that her goddaughter caught the eye of many a lad in the school. She had noticed that at the orientation, William Mason kept on looking at Daisy more than once while she wasn't looking. And so did Andrew Parker. Daisy, however, was intent on the program, only turning towards Gwen whenever the other girl said something rather amusing, and Daisy was laughing at Gwen's dry remarks.

My, my. That girl is sure to cause havoc. And she doesn't know it.