A/n: Had some trouble with uploading the last chapter. For some reason, no matter what I did, the mobile version would come out in HTML codes, but it seems to have fixed itself. I had come across a few stories that I am reading that have the same problem when I read on the mobile version.
Also, my day job is picking up as there is only a month before school starts, so lots of campaigns for back-to-school sales are being to pour in so that will keep me busy as well as I'm getting a house built, so I'm splitting my time with packing and move things into storage. My home will be finished sometime in August, so super busy with that while also having to do it slowly because the heat started early, and I have already gotten heat sickness or heat stroke, depending on what you call it where you are. I can't afford to end up in the hospital when there is too much that needs to be done.
There might be going long between chapters up until everything settled and I moved in. Still, I will sit down a write a little every day with also trying to write more on the weekends, so please bear with me on this, and I apologize for any inconvenience this will cause my readers.
I also want to thank my reviews, and as I said, I have written down ideas for this story, but I don't have a plot in mind. I'm just going with the flow and probably will fuck everything up for shits and giggles. I don't even know if I will take this to the very end of Downton Abbey series are or not. It all entirely based on the plot bunnies in my head. Now on with the new chapter.
Chapter 2: Smash the entail?
After the dreadful news, Anna had helped all the girls find mourning outfits and accessories suitable for the girls and made notes of anything that they needed to buy. Lilly and Sybil got a few hand-me-down dresses from Mary and Edith as the items were a little too small for them. It was a slight shock to Lilly as she thought aristocrats didn't do hand-me-downs. She always thought they would only have ever gotten new dresses and things all the time, but no, that was not done at Downton. Only one girl a year got to get new dresses made, and anything she has outgrown would be going down to the younger ones who could fit in it, and once there was no one left to give them down to, they would be put in the donation box for the less fortunate. It was Edith's turn to have new dresses made. She and Sybil will get their turn next year.
By the time everything was sorted out, it was time for the memorial to be held in London and a week later in Yorkshire. There was a large turnout for both. It was nice that everyone came to pay their final respects to James and Patrick. It was very sunny today. It was also sunny in London on the day of the first memorial. To Lilly, it seemed unfair that there should be dark clouds on such a sad occasion to have bright sunshine, maybe a little rain to fit in with the mood. All the black Lilly was wearing made her already fair skin seem almost deathly. She knew that Violet and Cora have started to plot how to smash the entail and make Mary the heiress. Lilly side-eyed her older sister. Mary Crawley was equally as fair as all the other ladies in the family. She was a little on the tall side, with long wavey chestnut hair, coffee eyes, and thin. She had not much in the way of a waist or bust, even with a corset like most of the family, but in those areas, Lilly had been a little more blessed. Cora had often said she got it from her American great grandmother. She was about average in that area in her time, but it seems to be more advanced in this time.
Lilly watched as Mary got annoyed with Edith, who was crying and feeling horrible as she was the one who was infatuated with him and Sybil had her hands on the crook of Edith's arm—giving Edith silence support in her time of grief. Lilly walked in front of the trio closer to Robert and Mr. Murray so she could hear both well enough. Robert and Mr. Murray talked about how many bodies they found after the Titanic sank. The bodies that were found were to be buried at Fairview Lawn Cemetery somewhere in Nova Scotia, the name of the town escapes her just now, and finally, Robert asked the question that had been on his mind since all this terrible mess started. He asked about the new heir and the entail. Poor Matthew, at only twenty-six, all of this will be such a shock to him and Isobel.
"Edith? Do you have to put on such an exhibition?" Mary snorted, almost rolling her eyes at the poor blond.
"She's not." Sybil stepped in to defend Edith.
"I was supposed to be engaged to him for heaven's sake, not you, and I can control myself." Mary scoffed as she looked back to see where she was going with an annoyed look on her face. A glimpse of shock at how Mary could take about Patrick like that flashed across Edith's face and as gone as just as fast as it came. Edith tightens her hold on her handkerchief with both hands before she replied equally in a nasty way.
"Then you should be ashamed." As she, too, looks ahead before dapping her eyes with the ivory cloth.
"Mary, we are all saddened by the loss of family members, and everyone is grieving in their way, and there is nothing wrong with that if it helps them come to terms with the tragedy." Lilly stepped in before another fight broke out between Mary and Edith. Seem that Lilly's job, along with Sybil, was to keep the peace between the two, which was very tiring. This instance made Lilly so happy that she was the only child in her world and only fought with her many cousins. She was more than happy to go off into her room and either play a computer game, video game, read a book, or watch tv when they would come over. Here she couldn't do most of that.
As they walked up to the house, the footmen were all lined up in the front as the large front door opened as Cora stepped out to welcome everyone to Downton for the luncheon. Her black dress sparkled with all the black beaded work along the top half, leaving the skirt plain. Lilly knew that Violet and Cora planned to persuade Mr. Murray to find a way to break the entail. She had to take her hat off to these ladies as no matter how many people said it couldn't be done, they believe they were fighting for a way to make it happen, but in the end, it would never be broken, and Mary would marry Matthew, and that would be the end of that.
"Mr. Murray, how lovely it is to see you. Do come in." Cora said as Mr. Murry topped his top hat in her direction as he took her hand as he turned her down for luncheon, saying he would eat on the train and then asked for the car to be brought forward so he could take his leave after he told her they talked about everything they could. There was nothing left to say in the matter. Well, that bust their little bubble with Murray. After the luncheon and the guest left, everyone in the house was left to their own devices. Lilly went upstairs to her room, took off her shoes, and curled up on a lounge chair by one of the windows with one of her favorite classic books. She planned to read until the dressing gong was rung.
Lilly stood by the door to the drawing-room, listening to Robert and Violet fight about the estate and the money. He had just gone in as she reached the bottom of the stairs. So, she did the only thing she could do, and that was to listen in. Her mocha color hair was pinned back into a simple up-do as her floor-length dress was in all black, along with her gloves and any accessories she had on. She felt that simple was the best.
"You know, m'lady, it's not very ladylike to listen to other private conversions," Thomas spoke softly to Lilly as he walked up beside her. Lilly jumped slightly, startled by the voice that came out of nowhere. She turned to find him closer than he should be to her with a smirk placed on his lips. She let out a small chuckle.
"Thomas, you scared me. I know I shouldn't, but no one will tell us anything that is going on, so I will find it for myself." She told him, mirroring his smirk.
"It's not something that anyone should trouble a lady about. All the stress, worry, and the like are for the men to deal with." He retorted. She smiled sweetly.
"Ture, but I'm not like your average lady now, am I?" she spoke, still smiling with an eyebrow raised in question as he took a step back.
"No, not like any I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." He said softly more to himself than her as the rest of the ladies joined them. It was so soft that Lilly almost couldn't be sure she heard him say anything at all. She didn't have time to think about it as the rest of the ladies joined her, and Thomas opened the door to the drawing-room only to hear harsh voices spoken as the ladies made their way in before Thomas left, closing the door behind himself. Lilly stood by Sybil as everyone talked about the only topic for the past few weeks breaking the entail. Thankfully it didn't last too long as Mr. Carson opened the door and announced that dinner was ready, and everyone made their way out in the direction of the dining room.
The next few days were tranquil only when Cora received a letter from the Duke of Crowborough asking to stay at Downton. She had run off to meet with Violet to talk about it and give him a date after everyone was out of mourning and course talk more about the entail. It didn't seem like much when they talked about the entail in the show, but when you must live it day after day, it was beyond annoying. Lilly remembers when she and a few friends watch the premiere on PBS Masterpiece Theater. Her friends got so mad that only males can inherit even after Lilly had explained that in England, it is done to make sure the estates stayed within the family so as not to play a game of musical estates, so to speak. They still didn't understand, or Lilly believes they didn't want to know because that mess with their feminist mindset turned very toxic in the end and was ultimately the demise of their friendship a few years later.
With the Duke of Crowborough on his way, the only thing to do was wait and see how things would play out. Lilly didn't know how things were before the show, and now that events from the show had started, she began to wonder, with her being here, how much of the storyline would change? She hoped that it wouldn't be much as she is the youngest of the characters. Being very unimportant if she didn't get back to her world, she probably will marry some random so and so gentleman and be the lady of the estate and all that comes with it once she would be presented as a lady of her status would be.
Finally, it was the day the Duke of Crowborough would arrive, and all the sisters were in Mary's room helping her get ready. Lilly and Sybil were making such a fuss over Mary's chocolate hair. While Edith, who was still in black, sat on Mary's bed, messing with the book at the foot of her cream bedding. At least the shirt she had one had light-colored roses on it, so it was some color, at least while her golden hair was up in its usual wavey updo.
"Sybil, this Lily would be perfect contrast in her hair. I got it fresh from my walk in the garden this morning." Lilly said as she held out a freshly picked white Lily. Sybil's smile was a mile wide when she saw it.
"That's perfect. Just the thing to pull everything together," She spoke as she took the Lily from Lilly and placed the flower in Mary's hair. Mary was so happy to be out of mourning. She had on one of her long fitted gray ankle-length skirts with an eggshell-colored blouse and topped off with a thin maroon opened-faced jacket that also doubled as a second shirt, both of which tucked into her skirt. A long strand of pearls knotted at her midsection hung from her neck, completing her outfit, and her hair, as always, was pinned up with a simple up-do, but on her still looked elegant.
Sybil had chosen her favorite violet dress with a white collar and at the end of her elbow-length shelves. Her favorite part was the two front pockets that had mulled wine-colored vine embroidery on each pocket. Her hair pulled back loosely with a ribbon. It was customary to see Sybil or Lilly wearing this hairstyle. She didn't know about Sybil, but it was the closest thing to her usual hairstyle from her world for Lilly. It was easy to do and left most of the hair down. Leaving all your hair down wasn't the style of the day, which to Lilly was unfortunate.
After being in black so long, Lilly had on a silk square neck blouse in alabaster tucked into a full-length skirt of the same color with her shiny black boots. Her hair looked much darker against her fair skin, which looked even paler with the white she was wearing. For once, she had her hair pinned up in a similar style as Mary. Lilly looked over to Edith, who was rolling her copper eyes at Mary.
"Oh, do stop admiring yourself. He's not marrying you for your looks. That's if he wants to marry you at all." She said in a snippy way. Mary was still looking herself over in the mirror, making sure everything was in its proper place.
"He will," Mary stated to the point as if there was no room for any argument in this.
"You look beautiful." Sybil jumped in before anything else could be said between the two fighting sisters.
"Sybil is right; you do look gorgeous, and there is no reason that the Duke won't fall head over heels in love with you and make you his wife at once," Lilly added even though she knew that he wouldn't because he needed an heiress and she thought that he might be gay or at least bi. She didn't know which either way he wouldn't marry Mary.
"Thank you, Lilly and Sybil, darlings," Mary said, smiling at Lilly and Sybil as she looked at them through the mirror. Cora knocked on Mary's door before entering the room.
"We should go down. They'll be back from the station at any moment." She said as she stepped into the room wearing something that Lilly had seen many older women wear. The dress was chatelle in color. Wrist-length sleeves that had the chatelle color stop at the elbow and then continued down the rest of the way with a sheer cream color fabric. A Polonaise style bodice that was more like a coat-type dress worn open over a narrow underskirt. The bodice had a square neckline closed in with the same sheer cream fabric that counited up to complete the popular high collars. Violet would always wear the same thing. Lilly half expected both to turn up with a bustle under their skirts as the was style back in the last Victorian times before they went out of fashion by the early 1890s.
All the girls filed out of Mary's room and headed towards the front entrance to stand in line from oldest to youngest across from the servants as the car pulled up to the front. The duke stepped out and took off his hat as Robert and Cora greeted him. Cora reintroduced the Duke to Mary and Edith and introduced him to Sybil and Lilly before making they started making their way inside as he stated that he had to leave his valet behind and that he would need one while at Downton. Lilly knew Thomas would be chosen because they had been lovers while he was in London. As they started heading back in, Lilly watched as O'Brien kicks Mr. Bates walking cane with her foot causing him to fall in the driveway's gravel. Lilly rushes to help him stand up as Anna does as well before Robert could take two steps.
"Are you alright, Mr. Bates? Can I get you anything?" Lilly asks as she helps him stand while Anna brushes him off.
"No, thank you, my lady. I'm fine." He said, a little embarrassed but trying not to let it faze him as he knew that O'Brien was trying to make him lose his cool.
"Are you sure because I don't mind, really," Lilly asked, making sure as she gave him the once over. She always liked Bates and Bates, and Anna was her favorite couple, so she felt like she had to be overprotective of them. To make sure their story isn't altered in any way.
"I'm sure. Thank you, my lady; you are far too kind." He said, assuring her once again he was okay.
"If you are sure. I will leave you to enjoy the rest of your day Mr. Bates." She said with a smile and turned to walk back into the house with the rest of her family. At the same time, Anna finished dusting him off and started a convention with him as they walked back to the servant's entrance.
Once inside, Sybil and Lilly were left on their own as Mary played the host. They headed up to Sybils room to play a few of their old favorite card games, such as Old Maid and Bread and Honey. The sisters parted ways to get ready for the dreadful dinner where Edith harped on about the duke and Mary being up in the attics before being silenced by Mary as they went through to the drawing-room. In contrast, Robert and the duke stayed behind to conversive.
Lilly sat down on the sofa talking to Violet about the book Violet had recommended to her when she saw Mary walk out of the room, followed by Edith, only to come back in moments later. Mary had a gloomy look on her face during Edit with a smirk on hers as Mary made his excuses to the family as he had gone up to the bed. After everyone left to turn in, Lilly slipped on her dressing gown over her nightdress, made her way over to Mary's room, and knocked on the door. She entered when Mary gave her permission.
Mary was sitting in bed with a book lying on her lap, but Lilly doubted she had even read a single word on any of the pages. She walked over and climbed into the bed, sitting right next to Mary. Swing her long breaded hair over her shoulder to keep it out of the way.
"I'm sorry that it didn't work out with the duke. I know you had been looking forwards to it, but it is his loss, and he knows it. You are FAR too good for him." Lilly said as she leaned her head on Mary's shoulder. Mary leaned her head down on Lilly's. She was silent for a moment.
"That's not true." She sighed as she closed the book in her lap. Lilly snorted.
"Mary, you are kinder than you give yourself credit for. I bet the only reason he came here was he thinks you will inherit Downton and everything that goes with it. If that is, so that makes you far too good for scum like him." Lilly stated as a matter of fact as she turned her sapphire eyes to stare into Mary's bronze ones as she grabbed Mary's hand and gave it a soft squeeze.
"If so, then how did he find out?" Mary questioned. Lilly knew but held her tongue and made up a lie on the spot.
"Maybe Granny mentioned something to Aunt Susan and if she did. Well, you know how that goes." Lilly sighed. One thing she learned being a part of this family was that if you wanted something to be spread quickly, you told Susan McClare, and it would be out in no time, no matter if there was any merit to the rumor or not. Mary rolled her eyes.
"Wouldn't doubt it if that is the case. It doesn't matter how he will be gone in the morning, so there is no point in pouting over it as it will only give Edith more time to gloat, and I think to give her a few minutes tonight was more than enough." She said distastefully at the thought of how smug Edith had been once the duke brushed her off tonight.
"There is a right man for you out there somewhere just waiting to make your acquaintance. He will turn up when you least expect him, and he will sweep you off your feet, and you both will live happily ever after like in the fairy tales that nanny used to tell us as children." Lilly smiled at the thought of Matthew, and her relationship was anything but a fairy tale. It was a very rocky road for years before they finally came together and finally tying the knot.
"You a very darling girl, Lilly. Please don't ever change that. You see the good in everyone even if they don't deserve it." Mary sighed again as she used her thumb to stroke Lilly's thump softly.
"That is because everyone has good in them, and I know for sure you do. I know that I get to see things that no one gets to see because I'm your sister. I know what's in your heart as you know what's in mine," Lilly spoke as she looked Mary in the eyes. It was true while Lilly has been in this world, she had seen a side of Mary that she keeps hidden from everyone else. Lilly pulled her hand back and kissed Mary on her forehead. "I best get back to my bed. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Mary said as she watched Lilly slip from her bed and pad her way across the floor to the door before turning over to turn off her light.
A/n: I didn't think I would write this much for a chapter, but once I started, I couldn't stop until it was finished. It didn't feel like a couple of hours had passed when I looked up from my laptop. I feel happy with what I had written.
