1914
A/N: Thank you to NaomiBlue and MelodyofSong526 for reviewing.
The day had come at last, the one that the Crawleys had been preparing for for sixteen years. It was time for young Sybil Crawley to come of age.
Despite the fact that both her elder sisters had been presented to the court in the recent seasons, the young woman did not have a clue as to how the things would proceed, as she had not been in attendance at their presentations, having been ill on both occasions and therefore forced to miss the London season altogether.
That, to some extent, was the reason that all three other women of the household had been lecturing her on etiquette for months on end, and the reason that Sybil was bored out of her skull of it. Tonight was less a presentation for her than a release.
Still, all pretences aside, there were some elements of the celebrations that Sybil was not averse to, such as the beautiful gown her mother had purchased especially for the occasion. At first, the woman had not wished to be made a fuss of, but the moment she had laid eyes on the garment, she had put that thought to the side. For this reason, she may have been considered hypocritical by many, but the majority of them were ignorant as to just how stunning the gown had been.
With close fitting sleeves cutting off at the wrists and a long, flowing skirt, all in a stunning shade of cobalt blue, Sybil had truly never seen a more beautiful dress in all of her life. Accompanied by the orchid flower on the white woven belt and a matching headdress woven into her brunette locks, the young woman truly felt for the first time that she was what she had been all her life, what she had been born to be. A Lady.
"Sybil?" came a soft voice from the doorway. The young girl recognised it instantly, having heard the same one every day of her life.
"Come in, Mama." she responded, beckoning her hand towards the doorway, but not turning, as she was still engrossed in the book she had been reading to pass the time. However, the soft click from across the room told her that her mother had done as she was invited to do.
"Grimm's Fairytales?" the woman questioned, her voice showing obvious surprise as she read aloud the title of Sybil's book. "All those years since I bought that for you, and you are still reading it?"
"I guess that I've become a little nostalgic over the past few days. After all, if I am to become an adult tonight, I should have the right to live as a child for as long as I can do." Sybil responded, her voice reflecting the smile across her face.
"Quite right, my darling." Cora told her daughter, crossing the room and bending down to place a firm kiss on her daughter's forehead, by way of reassurance. Sybil may not have told of her nerves for the night ahead, but the American was her mother, and knew her all three of her daughters by heart. "There's no need to be nervous, Sybil."
"I'm not!" the young woman exclaimed, indignantly turning her head away. Within a moment, she returned her gaze to her mother's, a sheepish smile becoming plain on her face. "Well, perhaps I am, just a little."
"I know you are. I've known you for too long not to. And I also know that you will be panicking inside, and that you will not let anyone see it, but it's alright. Because I am certain that tonight, you will be absolutely stunning, and you will take everyone's breath away." Cora told her daughter, the pride evident in her voice as she spoke to the young woman. "And do you know how I know this, Sybil?"
"No." the brunette replied, shaking her head a little as she waited for her mother to continue.
"I know this, because you are my daughter. You have made me proud every single day since you were born, and so have your sisters. I know that this won't ever change, for any of you. That is how I know you will be ready tonight, and how I know that you'll be a star. Because you always have done."
By the time her mother's speech was completed, tears of happiness were swimming in Sybil's eyes. The elder woman had never confessed her feelings so plainly, at least not in her youngest daughter's presence, and so the young woman was amazed at the amount of emotion she had shown.
"Thank you." Sybil could only manage to summon two words from her throat, as she still remained in the state of shock she had been in previously. She was very glad that her mother had said such things, not in a way that threatened the modesty the brunette had possessed since children, but since she had been so nervous over the past few hours, she had desperately needed the encouragement that her mother had provided her with. "I feel so much better now."
"Good. Because, my darling, you are going to show all of London the sweet, beautiful, caring girl that graces the halls of Downton every day. You are going to show them who you are."
Thirty minutes later, Sybil stood in a small room, in a compact room which stood at the top of a grand staircase. The words of advice her mother had given her were still ringing in her ears, and therefore she felt so much better about what was to come.
With a slight sigh, to quench the small amount of nerves that still remained, Sybil looked down at her dress. Anyone who knew the family would be certain that it had been chosen by Cora, and they would have been utterly correct. With its violet skirt, lace sleeves and amethyst adorned bodice, the dress was utterly stunning, and it gave the perfect impression to the waiting nobility.
Finally, as the doors were opened and her title was proclaimed across the ballroom, Sybil finally began to feel that she had been foolish to be fearful. As she descended the staircase, however, only a single thought remained in her mind, one that was highly encouraging for her.
'Mama was right. I don't have to be a Lady. I just needed to be me.'
A/N: Quite a sweet moment there. There will be one or two more chapters now set in 1914, and then I am moving on from that.