Elizabeth - September 1912

We are all officially out of mourning. The black was starting to get to my head.

Sybil, Edith, and I are all in Mary's bedroom, helping her get dressed and ready for the Duke of Crowborough. He hopefully is going to propose to Mary. I think he should. Mary would be a wonderful wife. An man would be lucky to have her.

Mary and I stand in front of the mirror. Mary smiles as I put a white flower into her hair. Edith looks quite annoyed. "Oh, do stop admiring yourself. He's not marrying you for your looks. That's if he wants to marry you at all."

Mary continue to smile. "He will."

"You look beautiful." I compliment my cousin.

"Thank you, Elizabeth, darling." Mary places a hand on my arm.

The door opens, and Cora's head pops in. "We should go down. They'll be back from the station at any moment."

We all start to file out. I hear Cora's voice behind me. "Let's not gild the lily, dear." I turn, to see her take the flower out and throw it onto the chair. "And Mary, try to look surprised."

We head down the stairs, one by one, and just exit the house when the car is pulling up. William, the second footman, goes over and opens the door for the Duke and Robert.

"Welcome to Downton." Robert says to the Duke. The Duke looks up at the house as Mrs. Hughes and the housemaids curtsy, and the men bow their heads.

"Lady Grantham, this is so kind of you." The Duke holds out a hand to shake with Cora.

"Not at all, Duke. I'm delighted you could spare the time. You know my daughter, Mary, of course." Cora presents her daughter.

"Of course, Lady Mary." They shake hands.

"And Edith, but I don't believe you've met my youngest, Sybil, or his Lordship's cousin, Miss Elizabeth."

"Ah, Lady Sybil." They shake hands as well. The Duke turns to me. "Miss Elizabeth? Why not 'Lady'?

I shake his hand gingerly and give a small curtsy. "My mother married an American named Evans, Your Grace. They died shortly after I was born, and I was raised here by Lord and Lady Grantham."

Robert places his hand on my back. "My cousin would be very proud that her daughter has grown up a lady."

Cora steps forward. "Come on in, you must be worn out." We start to head in, but the Duke stops us.

"Oh, Lady Grantham, I have a confession to make, which I hope won't cause too much bother. My man was taken ill just as I was leaving, so..." The Duke trails off, hinting that a footman will need to help him.

"Oh, well, that won't be a problem, will it Carson?" Robert asks.

"Certainly not. I shall look after His Grace myself." Carson nods.

The Duke answers quite quickly. "Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of being such a nuisance, surely a footman..." He looks to Thomas. "I remember this man. Didn't you serve me when I dined with Lady Grantham in London?"

Thomas nods. "I did, Your Grace."

"Ah, there we are. We shall do very well together, won't we...?" The Duke trails off, not knowing Thomas's name.

"Thomas, Your Grace."

"...Thomas."

Cora gives an awkward smile. "Good." We start to head inside. "I hope you had a pleasant journey." I'm the last one to enter, since I'm not of high rank, and that causes me to see Miss O'Brien kick Bate's cane out from under him, and he falls. The others turn around to see him on the ground.

"Bates, are you all right?" Robert asks his valet.

"Perfectly, my lord. I apologize."

We continue inside, and the door closes.


After luncheon, Cora and I sit in the drawing room. I'm reading again, and Cora is embroidering a quilt, or a cloth of some sort. My trousseau is already sewn and packed. Mary is finished also, and Edith almost done. Sybil is about halfway finished.

Robert enters the room through the double doors.

"Mary's settling him in." Cora says, not looking up from her work.

"Cora, don't let Mary make a fool of herself. Elizabeth, you watch her too. By the way, I'll be going up to London next week." Robert says, and I nod.

"Do you want to open the house?" Cora asks.

"No, no, I'll just take Bates and stay at a club. I won't be more than a day or two."

Cora is silent. "I see. Are things...progressing?"

"What 'things'?"

"Oomph." Cora grunts.

"It's just a regimental dinner."

Cora changes the subject. "It's a pity Bates spoiled the arrival this afternoon."

I think about putting my opinion in. "He didn't spoil anything. He fell over." Robert says, sitting down.

"So undignified. Carson hates that kind of thing."

"I don't care what Carson thinks." Robert says just as Carson walks in.

Carson clears his throat. "A message from the Dowager Countess, milady. She says she won't come to tea, but she'll join you for dinner."

Cora gives Robert a slightly exasperated look.

Robert speaks. "Oh, Carson, I hope you weren't embarrassed this afternoon. I can assure you the Duke very much appreciated his welcome."

"I'm glad."

"Is Bates all right?" I ask.

"I think so, miss."

Cora looks up. "Must be so difficult for you all the same."

Carson looks at the floor and raises his eyebrows before leaving without a word.

Robert looks to Cora, who stares at him. "Don't stare."


At dinner, I sit next to the Duke and Robert. Mary sits on the Duke's other side. As we eat, we chat a little, until everyone joins into one giant group conversation.

"I'm afraid we're rather a female party tonight, Duke, but you know what it's like trying to balance numbers in the country. A single man outranks the Holy Grail." Cora says, making conversation.

"No, I'm ter-" The Duke places his napkin to his mouth. "-I'm terrible flattered to be dining en famille."

Edith speaks up. "What were you and Mary doing in the attics this afternoon?" Being nosy, as usual, Edith is.

"I expect Mary was just showing the duke the house, weren't you?" I stand up for Mary.

"Are you a student of architechture?" Violet asks the Duke.

"Mm, absolutely."

"Then I do hope you'll come and inspect my little cottage. It was designed by Rein..." Violet trails off.

"Ah."

"...for the first earl's sister."

Robert finally has caught up with the conversation. "The attics?"

"Yes. Mary took the duke up to the attics." Edith confirms.

"Whatever for?" Robert asks.

Cora asks a question as well. "Why was this, dear?"

"We were just looking around." Mary says.

"Looking around? What is there to look at but the servants' rooms? What was the real reason?" I do wish Edith would stop being nosy. I look around and notice that Thomas has been interested by the conversation.

"Don't be such a chatterbox, Edith." I say, trying to hush her in a polite tone.

Cora sighs. "I think we'll go though." She politely stopped all talk.

Edith still tries to continue. "I still don't understand-

Mary cuts off her sister. "Will you hold your tongue?"

I stand, the chair being pulled away from me by William. The men rise as the women exit in order of age. Violet, Cora, Mary, me, Edith, and Sybil is the way it's done.


After chatting in the drawing room drinking wine for a while, Mary and I stand behind a column, waiting for the Duke, so Mary can speak to him about marriage, if it comes to that. I believe she's falling in love with him.

The duke walks out of the dining room, and lights a candle by the stairs. Mary takes a step forward. "Well, aren't you coming into the drawing room?"

"I'm-I'm tired. I-I think I'll just slip away. Please make my excuses." The duke says to her.

"I'm afraid I've worn you out. Tomorrow we can just-" Mary is cut off.

"I'm leaving in the morning. Goodnight." The duke turns around. Mary seems disappointed, but then the duke turns back around. "You might tell that footman..." He keeps forgetting his name.

"Thomas."

The duke nods. "Thomas. You might tell him I've gone up." The duke ascends the stairs and Mary processes her disappointment, trying not to cry. I place my hands on Mary's shoulders, comforting her.

A voice speaks from behind us. "So he slipped the hook." It's Edith. She's probably trying to gloat.

"At least I'm not fishing with no bait." Mary snaps at her, and she leaves, with Edith equally upset as her.

I give Edith a sympathetic smile. "She didn't mean it, not really."

Edith shakes her head. "She always means it, even if she's not trying to."

I point to where Mary ran to. "I'd better..."

Edith nods.

I run off to Mary, who sits in the sitting room half in tears. "Mary, darling, are you alright?" I sit next to her.

Mary shakes her head. "I honestly thought that he would have loved me too." She laughs. "I am such a fool!"

"No, you're not. How about I go get Anna to bring you some tea, and you go straight to bed. Things will look better in the morning." I place my arms around her in a hug.

Mary smiles at me. "You are so good to me. I'm glad you're my cousin and my friend. You're like a sister."

"I appreciate that. And we are sisters, no matter who our parents are." I kiss Mary's cheek and head down stairs to find Anna.

When I walk into the Servants' Hall, there are a few people sitting down drinking tea. Anna is one of them.

Everyone stands when I begin to speak. "Anna, do you think you could take some tea up to Lady Mary's room? She's feeling upset, and I thought it might cheer her up to give her some tea and biscuits or something."

"Very well, miss." Anna leaves the room and heads into the kitchen.

Gwen looks at me. "Are you ready for bed, Miss Elizabeth?"

I nod. "Yes, Gwen. You can come."

I head back up the stairs and notice that Mary has gone to her room.

In my room, Gwen helps me undress and get into my nightgown. In bed, with the fire burning brightly, and my book out, I begin to think of the new heir again, and what he might be like.


The next morning, Gwen wakes me up early so that I may say my farewells to the duke for myself and for Mary. I dress in something pretty and fine; a pretty pink frock that no longer fits Mary, since I am a bit smaller than her. Edith gets all of my dresses that are too small, and Sybil gets hers. Every month, we take turns on who gets a new frock. My turn is next month. It's Mary's month this time.

I walk down the stairs to the Great Hall, where Robert and Carson are talking.

"My lord, would it be acceptable for Bates to ride in front with Taylor? Otherwise it means getting the other car out. He and His Grace are catching the same train." Carson asks Robert.

"Perfectly acceptable. And if His Grace doesn't, he can lump it." Robert insults the duke.

Carson seems pleased by Robert's response. I take Robert's arm in mine. "I didn't know that Bates was leaving."

"Yes, I let him go right before dinner. I didn't want to mention it with the duke around." Robert scowls.

I smile. "I take it that you're not too fond of the duke?" We begin to walk out of the Great Hall.

"No, I am not. He didn't want to wed Mary."

I hurry out to say farewell to the duke. I catch him speaking to Cora. "You've been so kind, Lady Grantham, thank you."

"Goodbye, Duke."

"You will make my farewells to your delightful daughters?" The duke asks.

"They'd have been down if they'd known you were leaving so soon." Cora says.

The duke stutters. "Alas, s-something's come up which has taken me quite by surprise."

Cora smiles. "Obviously."

Robert exits the house. The duke offers his hand out. "Well, Grantham, this has been a highly enjoyable interlude."

"Has it? And I feared it had proved a disappointment." They shake hands.

"Not at all. Not at all, a short stay in your lovely house has driven away my cares." I can't help but notice that Thomas is glaring at the duke. What happened?

The chauffeur turns around in his seat in the car. "We ought to go, my lord, if His Grace is to catch the train."

The duke turns to me. "Mary sent me last night to say farewell. And I come as well." I say.

The duke takes my hand and kisses it. "It was an honor to meet you, Miss Elizabeth."

I smile and the duke gets in the car. I face Robert, as he says his goodbyes to Bates. Mr. Bates was kind to me while he was here, although there weren't many instances where we met.

"Goodbye, Bates. And good luck." Robert says as they shake hands.

"Good luck to you, my lord." Bates gets into the motorcar. Robert looks discomfited.

I begin to turn back to the house, but I stop when Robert's voice startles me.

"Wait!"

I turn to see Robert running after the moving car. Carson walks briskly towards the car as Robert opens the door and takes Bates's travel bag. "Get out, Bates."

"I really mustn't be late." The duke says.

Robert ignores him. "Get back inside, and we'll say no more about it."

Bates takes his bag from Robert and heads inside. Robert closes the car door and watches Bates walk back to the house. "It wasn't right, Carson. I just didn't think it was right."

I smile proudly at my cousin. I didn't think it was right for Bates to leave either, no matter the reason.