Christmas 1899
Christmas day, like so much of life at Downton, was steeped in tradition. The Lord of the Manor would have his breakfast in the dining room along with any children twelve or older, the Lady would as usual dine in her bedroom, while any children younger than twelve ate in the nursery. After breakfast all, except very young children of course, would attend the local church service. It was only then, after returning from church, that the family would retire to the library and celebrate Christmas with the opening of their gifts.
Robert and Cora Crawley adhered to this tradition with only one slight modification: Cora would eat breakfast in the dining room with her husband. Sitting in the large room with just her husband, Cora decided that next year all three of the Crawley girls would join them for breakfast even though none of them would be twelve and Sybil, at just four next year, would be considered too young to ever grace the dining room with her presence. After all, she thought, Christmas was a time for families and she wanted to begin the celebration at breakfast.
Even the opening of presents followed a set pattern. Each family member would take turns opening a present, first those gifts from each other and then, starting with the youngest child, the children would take turns opening their presents from Father Christmas. While Mary and Edith, displaying the manners and behaviours expected as Ladies, adhered to this tradition, young Lady Sybil could barely contain her excitement. Standing by whoever was unwrapping a gift Sybil hopped up and down waiting for the gift to be revealed and clapping with delight at whatever was revealed.
But soon she tired of this, finding it much too slow when there were so many presents to unwrap. Much to Cora's dismay, Sybil wanted to open all her presents at once but Cora held firm on the taking of turns opening presents. Then, much to the consternation of her sisters, Sybil tried to open their presents when she thought they were being too slow in unwrapping.
Another Crawley tradition was the gift of a life-like porcelain doll for the daughters of the house. Beginning at age three, Father Christmas would leave one each Christmas until the child had three dolls. Cora had been delighted to find this particular doll with bright blue eyes and dark hair so much like Sybil's and thought it a perfect one to begin the tradition with Sybil. However, Sybil's enthusiasm waned when opening her biggest box revealed the life-like porcelain doll. Much to Cora's disappointment, Sybil took an instant dislike to the doll which was as tall as her and refused to even touch it.
A Fall Day 1900
Edith sat alone in the Crawley girls' playroom. It was odd being the only one here but she was glad to be alone because the quietness allowed her to think and she clearly had something to think about. She wanted to play a prank on Sybil. Her little sister seemed to excel at playing pranks like just last week when Sybil came into the nursery carrying a tin box.
"I caught a snake Edith" Sybil stated as if this was a great accomplishment.
"Why ever did you do that?" Edith asked.
Sybil rolled her eyes as if to say what a stupid question. "So I could show it to you."
"Don't you know that some snakes are dangerous?"
Sybil looked down at the tin in her hands and creased her burrows as if in deep concentration over Edith's remark. Finally she looked up at Edith. "I think this one is a nice one. It didn't bite me or anything when I picked it up."
Sybil held out the tin to Edith. "Take a peek at it."
Edith shook her head. "Really Sybil you shouldn't touch such things."
"Have you ever seen a snake up close Edith?"
Edith shook her head in reply.
"So here's your chance Edith." Sybil held out the tin box to her sister.
Edith again shook her head.
"Oh come on Edith. Just lift the lid a little bit … just so you can take a peak. He's probably asleep anyway."
Seeing Edith was eyeing the tin box, Sybil just knew Edith wanted to open it but was a bit afraid to do so. "I'll hold the tin and you just open the lid" she said hoping this would finally win Edith over.
Edith smiled gamely at Sybil as her hand reached for the lid. She turned the lid and slowly began to lift it.
"Just a bit more Edith if you want to see him."
Edith, her eyes glued on the lid, finally lifted the lid. As she did so something yellow popped out startling her so much she shrieked as she jumped back.
"It's out … it's out" Edith cried as she jumped back, her hands swatting her skirt as if to keep the snake away from her.
It took her a minute or two to realize Sybil was standing there, still holding the tin box, laughing.
Edith looked down at the floor and saw a long roll of yellow paper.
Even now Edith wasn't sure how Sybil had done it. Certainly someone had helped her, probably one of the servants, for Edith thought this wasn't the sort of thing Mary would do. Besides if Mary had helped Sybil, Mary would have wanted to see Edith pull off the lid and Mary hadn't been in the room.
Looking around the room, Edith finally had an idea. Unlike Sybil, Edith loved her collection of porcelain dolls which she proudly displayed on a shelf in the nursery. When she was alone in the nursery Edith could play for hours with those dolls. Edith didn't understand why Sybil, who always seemed so fearless, much more so than her or even Mary, was scared of the beautiful doll but Edith had happily added it to her own collection. Looking at the doll that Sybil had rejected on Christmas, Edith suddenly thought of a trick to play on Sybil.
Unlike Mary and Edith, Sybil still took a short nap after lunch. Edith waited until she was sure Sybil was asleep. She then set the doll beside Sybil's bed but the face wasn't quite up high enough so Edith found a footstool to set the doll on. When Sybil woke from her nap the first thing she'd see was the doll standing beside her bed staring at her.
Whatever Edith thought might be Sybil's reaction, she wasn't prepared for what actually happened. Sybil woke up, took one look at the doll and let out a scream that brought the nannies, Mary and Edith's governess, as well as two housemaids who just happened to be working near the nursery running into the room thinking something dire had happened.
They found Sybil standing on her bed, the covers pulled up tight around her chin, screaming with tears running down her face. Their first reaction being that Sybil must have had a nightmare, the women that had rushed into the room tried to comfort the child by talking gently to her.
Sybil finally stopped her screaming. She edged towards the bottom of her bed, away from the doll, and then jumped off and darted out of the room with one of the blankets still wrapped around her. She didn't stop running until she reached her mother's sitting room. Like a balloon suddenly popping, she burst the quietness of the room as she ran to her mother and jumped into her lap.
Christmas Eve 1900
"Mama could you write a letter for me?"
Cora lifted an eyebrow in puzzlement as she looked at her youngest daughter wondering who in the world the child wanted to write to.
"I need to leave Father Christmas a letter."
Cora smiled patiently. "Dear you already wrote him remember. We mailed it weeks ago. He's already on his way so I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to get you something else."
Sybil nodded her head. "I don't want to ask for anything else. I just want to remind him not to leave me one of those dolls."
Although Sybil was quite serious, Cora bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"He might forget Mama." Sybil looked pleadingly at her mother.
Then, her face brightened. "Or he might think I've been a very good girl this year and I should get something more and all he has is a doll."
Now Cora couldn't help but chuckle. "You've been so good Father Christmas will leave you something extra?"
"Well …" the four year old shrugged her shoulders. "He might think so."
Sybil looked around the library trying to determine the best place to leave her letter. Spotting the tray with biscuits and a small glass of whiskey that was to fortify Father Christmas for continuing his journey, she smiled. Surely he'd notice her letter if she left it on that tray.
Christmas Morning 1900
It was still dark when Sybil woke up. She laid there for a few minutes before she realized what day it was. Father Christmas!
Jumping out of bed she called out to her sisters "it's Christmas … it's Christmas" before hurrying out of the room.
Down the stairs she flew, across the dimly lit grand hall she ran to the library. She stopped only as she opened the library's door since the room was bathed in darkness.
Didn't they leave the lights on for Father Christmas she thought. I hope he didn't stumble and fall and hurt himself.
She inched her way to the light switch. She watched in amazement as once again the room became bathed in an array of colors from the lights on the tree. Maybe we should leave the tree up it's so pretty.
She was so focused on the beautiful tree and lights that it took her a moment or two to realize there were now an array of wrapped gifts scattered under the tree.
"Sybil" a sleepy voice called out startling her. Father Christmas was still here!
"Sybil we don't come in here till after church." She sighed in disappointment realizing it was her Papa and not Father Christmas.
"But Papa it's Christmas morning. Father Christmas has-"
"I know it's Christmas Sybil. But we-"
"Oh look at all the presents!" Edith squealed with delight as she ran into the library.
"I hope I got-" Mary, who had quickly followed her sister, looked around the room trying to spy … there it was … "My saddle … I got my saddle!"
"Girls!" Robert called out to deaf ears.
"Girls!" he tried once again before he felt an arm wrap around his waist.
"Darling, I think the girls have other ideas this year" Cora whispered in his ear.
"But … but it's not how we …"
"Maybe it's time for new traditions dear" Cora softly laughed.
A/N: I wrote and rewrote this chapter so many times. I was trying to do something to the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas but I just couldn't get something I liked so I changed to this. Hope you like it. And, as always, thanks for the reviews.