Chapter 3:

Robert was waiting at the morning table for his daughters to join him. He had started with the newspaper when Carson and Mrs. Hughes hurried in.

„I am sorry to bother you but I am afraid Anna did not show up for work today. She is not in her room either…"

„Well did she say something about visiting Mr. Bates… maybe she took an early train for some reason. Indeed it is not like Anna to leave her workplace unexcused but I am sure there is a simple explanation. Mrs Hughes will you tell Mrs Hughes would you wake the youn ladies then? I am sure Miss O'brien is busy with my wife already. She said something about doing an early call at Mrs. Crawly, yesterday."

„Sure Milord I will wake them right away."

„Thank you, Carson, Mrs. Hughes…"

„Yes Milord", Carson and Mrs. Hughes lef the room right as Cora entered it from the other side.

„Good Morning darling", she said, briefly kissing his cheek.

„Good morning my dear. Do recall Anna mentioning something of Bates lately?", Robert asked not looking up from his paper.

„No, why?", Cora asked taking a sip off her tea.

„Because it seems he had left Downton in a rush not mentioning to anybody where she was going… missing unexcused.", Robert answered.

Cora was just about to say something, when Mrs. Hughes and Carson reentered pale like the dead.

„What's the matter?", both Robert and Cora had stood up from their chairs.

„I tried to wake the girls as I was told….but…", Mrs. Hughes began sobbing.

„What… what is it?", Cora was now really concerned.

„But Mary was not in her room, in fact the bed was all made….so I thought maybe she was at Lady Sybill's room but her bed was untouched too…", Mrs. Hughes sobbed.

„Well Anna told me that the girls still sometimes fall asleep while chatting in one of their sister's rooms. So the probably are all snuggled against each other in Edith's bed.", Cora had calmed down again. In fact she was quite happy that the three sisters still had something to chat and laugh about.

„Well that's what I've thougt too… so I knocked at Lady Edith's door. When no response came I opened it and the room was empty….."

„That cannot be, all three girls vanished? It is simply not possible", Robert tried to stay calm and reasonable while Cora ran out of the room and up the stairs taking two stairs at once. He went after her…in fact he had never seen her running like this. When he ran up he heard doors open and slam again. Obviously Cora could not believe what she had just heard.

When he finally reached Edith's room his wife was sitting on her daughter's bed not particulary looking at anything. In her right hand was a letter.

Robert took it from her an read it. He got pale and looked at Cora then again at the piece of paper in his hands. He sat beside her.

Neither of them said nothing for a while. He heard footsteps at the door and assumed Carson and Mrs. Hughes were waiting int he hallway.

„Sybill…Edith…Mary, where could they be?", Cora whispered. Robert took her hand and suddenly knew what happened.

„Cora, Sybill ran away with Branson. Mary and Edith must have found the letter before us and went to look for their sister…. Probably Anna went with them.", Robert stood up and yelled: „Carson phone the train station immediatly and ask if one or all of our daughters took a train. And Carson don't forget to ask where they headed to."

He heard sobs behind his back and shut the door. Cora was now lying on Edith's bed sobbing hard.

„It is your fault… our fault… we should have noticed. I should… I am her mother."

Robert stepped tot he bed and sat down on the edge, pulling her up and holding her: „Shhh darling it is nobody's fault. We both know our daughters can be stuborn and determined when they want something. I am sure they are allright all three of them. As a matter of fact they can manage most stiuations on their own; i think. That might be their American part", At his last words cora looked up and smiled .

„But what can we do?"

„At the moment we cannot do anything except for waiting for Carson making the phonecall and hoping somebedy realized them. You know Anyway they are in a lot of trouble when they return! Believe me.", he kissed her on her cheek and led her out of the room, down to the breakfast. However neither oft hem was very hungry without knowing where their three runaways were.

After some minutes Carson came in explaining : „the conductor said last a young pair boarded the last train to London yesterday. He thought he recognized Branson but he did not see the woman's face…"

„That must have been Sybill", Cora said and tried to sound not too concerned, even if Robert thought she looked older right now than when she came down for breakfast. „What about Mary and Edith?", robert asked.

„Well the conductor told me about three to say it in his words lovely young ladies boarded the first train in the morning also for London. He said somehting about one of them, a blond girl looking worried and the other two were discussing how to punish not to say kill another woman called Sybill. He mentioned two abanoned cars standing at the station without a chauffeur near oft hem. Sir to be honest this man was quite concerned about the killing and asked me wether he should talk to the police about their plans. I told him that the women would probably not hold on to their plan if they met this Sybill." Carson finished smiling a bit and left the room.

Hearing the last part of Carson's story made Cora smiled. She could imagine Mary and Edith being really angry and discussing those things without bothering who heard their plans.

„Ok so Anna went with them. At least they can rely on one person knowing something about life out of Downton Abbey. I will take the nex train to London. Thanks to our lovely daughter and this chauffeur guy we have to use the carriage to get to the sation. Would you like to joint me?" Robert said.

„And then what? What should we do when we are in London? Robert… neither Sybill nore our other two offsprings want to be found. So the only thing we could do is going around with a picture of them asking around. I don't think this makes much sense.", Cora hated to say this but she knew her daughters.

„So what is your suggestion if I may ask?", Robert was growing impatient. He knew his wife was right. The only other thing was to involve the police but gossip would lead to the newspapers and and the result would be a major scandal, a bigger one than the one his older daughters and his housemaid were trying to prevent right now.

„I hate to say this but maybe we should leave them alone. I think Mary and Edith can handle the situation with Anna's help . They are the only persons in the world who can bring our youngest home and believe me Sybill will be in trouble when they find her. Till then I think she is safe off with Branson.", Cora epxlained, even i f it was difficult for her not to do anything except for waiting till her daughters came home again.

„How can you be so sure they will find Sybill", Robert said, concern written to his face.

„Mary and Edith and of course Anna are not the kind of women that do something without having a plan. So they at least know where to look for Sybill. An advantage if you're searching for one",Cora said and then moved over and took her husband's head into her hands and pulled it against her chest, kissing his hair. She really hoped she was right!