The last two chapters saw Mrs Hughes becoming more emotional than we are used to, I had my own doubts writing it. But at the end I concluded that once in a while she too can get emotional, especially since those buried emotions have been invoked with her time with Lady Sybil.

Chapter 9

Cora sat at her mirror trying tuck away some strands of hair that had come loose from her hairstyle after her quick walk in the gardens. She could have asked O'Brien but she felt that it wasn't that difficult and that she could manage it. It wasn't long before she was proved wrong for the intricate hairstyle with its slightly ruffled appearance (thanks to the strong Northern winds) was now quite a terrible mess. Cora tuned her head to both sides and patted the intricate twists and turns which were O'Brien's handiwork that was now looking like a failed attempt of a farm girl to imitate a stately lady. She let out a frustrated sigh and stared at her face in the mirror with an empty feeling, without thinking.

The loud noise of the door opening behind her and the door knob knocking on the wall with a loud crash woke her from her reverie with a start and she turned around to see Sybil standing in her door way with an apologetic smile with a hint of mischief adorning her lips and a sparkle in her eyes.

Cora let out a tender smile, the emotions from earlier in the morning still raw in her heart. For a fraction of a second she wondered how she should begin to talk to her own daughter but she strongly pushed those fears to the side of her mind and stretched out her arms. Sybil half ran and half skipped into Cora's arms and as Cora wrapped her arms around the pretty, sweet girl, Sybil let out a contented sigh. It had been quite some time since she was wrapped up in her mother's arms like this. A minute or two and Sybil wriggled out of Cora's arms in excitement, eager to tell her what she had been up to earlier in the morning.

"Mama," she began in her adorable voice that could melt the hearts of anyone from the Countess to the Housekeeper or the Earl to the housemaids, "do you know that I did something very exciting today?" she asked trying hard not to fidget in excitement remembering her regal grandmother's advice. (No young Lady wriggles and fidgets on the spot with no composure or patience. That is very, very low class, she had said with a disapproving tut)

"Why don't we snuggle up in bed and you tell me all about it darling," Cora stood up from her seat at the mirror and led Sybil towards the bed, at which the young girl jumped up on to the bed excitedly and made herself comfortable, wiggling her back among the pillows till she felt completely comfortable. This made Cora smile, thinking how different Sybil was from her other daughters. So wild. So free. Much like the little girl she was back in her days in New York. The free spirited American girl who became a solemn lipped, English Countess. She followed Sybil and settled down, and the little girl scooted close to Cora till her head was laying against Cora's shoulder.

"I became a housemaid today," Sybil stated excitedly, taking matters so serious as if she was really offered the appointment.

"Oh did you now?" Cora asked raising an eyebrow, highly amused.

"Yes, I asked Mrs Hughes, she thought for a while and gave me the post. I thought she wouldn't say yes. That I wasn't good enough to be one," Sybil replied without the slightest idea about the little stunt the clever Housekeeper pulled to keep the young girl occupied and away from her fears and worries.

"So what did you do on your first day at work?" Cora asked, realising how alive and energetic the young girl was. She wanted to savour this moment with her daughter telling her all about her day, like an ordinary mother and daughter. Not a Countess and a young Lady. (Certainly not what the Dowager Countess would approve).

"Well," Sybil began, took a moment to recall and started again," I did sums and helped Mrs Hughes out with the ledger."

"That is so great my darling. You are so clever!"

Sybil grinned like a Cheshire cat at the complement, "Mrs Hughes did say that I've got a good head for numbers."

"What else did you do?" Cora asked, pretending not to know about the story telling and of course the very emotional conversation that struck deep into the roots of her soul.

"Well she did tell me some stories. There was one about a Scottish princess who climbed trees and ran in fields and did so many exciting things. And I think I might like to grow up like her too. It seems so fun to run about. But not when Granny is around," Sybil ended her excited flood of details on a solemn note at the mention of the Dowager Countess and Cora couldn't help but laugh.

"Mrs Hughes had climbed trees too Mama. Did you know that she grew up on a farm?" Sybil asked and waited not wanting to continue till she's had her mother's answer.

"Well, I suppose I didn't," Cora replied not for first time thinking how little they knew about those who worked for them and of course knew everything about them. But unlike Sybil, Cora could imagine Mrs Hughes as a carefree and cheeky farm girl, for she had several times overheard Mrs Hughes attacking Carson in their arguments with a mischievous note about her voice.

"Mama, did you climb trees?" Sybil asked curiously not entirely imagining her prim and proper mother in her elegant clothes would have ever even tried to climb a tree.

"I didn't climb trees but I did run on fields and every once in a while swim in the river behind our country house secretly with my brother," Cora replied with chuckling and making Sybil's eyes open wide in disbelief. Her mother swimming in the river! Sybil couldn't believe her ears.

"And I'm the one who can't walk beyond the bench under the oak tree without Nanny," Sybil pouted.

"Oh darling you'll be able to, when you grow a bit older. I promise," Cora reassured and Sybil eased the childish frown across her forehead.

"And Mama…" Sybil began but paused not knowing how to continue.

"Yes, darling," Cora coaxed Sybil to continue by taking her little fingers in her own hand.

Sybil gulped in fear. Mrs Hughes' words played across her mind. But she had to know for herself from her mother. Taking a determined breath she began again.

"Mama… do you love me?" she asked in a feeble voice and Cora's heart melted again.

"Oh my darling girl," she said and wrapped Sybil up into a tight hug. "I love you more than words can ever say."

"Not only Edith and Mary? Me too?" Sybil asked into her mother's chest.

"Of course my dear. I love you so, so much. I have loved you since the day you were born and I still love you very, very much," Cora reassured and didn't try to stop the streams of tears that began in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks.

Sybil snuggled even more impossibly closer to Cora. It was true. Her mother loved her very, very much. She had been wrong and Mrs Hughes had been right.

To be continued…

Thank you everyone again for all your kind reviews! They are all the encouragement I need to keep this story going. And I am really loving this whole experience of writing this story. And sorry for taking so long to update. University work got a bit ahead of me. But I'll try to update as soon as possible (within a week at the maximum). Thank you again for the reviews and don't hesitate to write what you think about this story in your reviews.