A/N: Thank you for all the reviews of the last chapter, I hope this one can garner as many as that one but it's mostly of a more serious nature. I will admit there is a tiny bit in one of these vignettes that I stole from Downton Remember but I thought it fit in so well in this chapter (actually I would have liked to have incorporated that entire scene from Downton Remembered since I think it's better but that would have been cheating.) This chapter also contains a character that I've seldom written about.

Banished to her bedroom for the rest of the afternoon, Mary's anger was visible by the way she stomped around the room while balling and unballing her hands into fists as she muttered incoherently. Really, she thought, the nanny always takes Edith's side. Sure she had gently tapped Edith's shoulder with her fist but that was only because Edith had pulled her hair which of course the nanny didn't see and seriously Edith had no right to do that since she hadn't purposely tripped Edith. Well, maybe she did but Edith deserved it for what she had said.

After stomping around for several minutes, Mary finally calmed down enough to plop onto her bed, her eyes wandering around the room while she wondered what she was going to do for the rest of the afternoon. Suddenly she became aware of the sounds of crying drifting through the partially open doorway that separated her and Edith's sleeping room from the room where her infant sister slept. She creased her brows in puzzlement at the sound of the infant's cries for her nanny was usually so hasty to quiet her. And that was another thing, she quickly thought, why does Sybil have her own nanny and Edith and I have to share one?

Afraid she had awoken her sister, Mary tiptoed to the partially opened doorway and peered into her sister's room where she spied four month old Sybil laying in her crib with her arms and legs flailing in the air but there was no sight of Nanny Walker. Quickly striding across the room to stand beside Sybil's crib, she reached through the crib's railings and began gently stroking the top of her sister's head. At the touch of Mary's hand, the infant turned her head towards Mary showing her those big blue eyes so unlike her own dark eyes and momentarily stopped crying.

"What's the matter little one?" Mary softly murmured as she continued caressing the top of her sister's head as Sybil began crying again but a bit softer than before. "Why are you here all alone?"

Although Mary's question had been directed to no one since Sybil was certainly incapable of answering, she was startled when the nanny, who was just returning to the room, answered. "I just went to get her bottle. I thought I'd get back before she woke up."

Nanny Walker brushed past Mary to set the bottle she was holding on a stand next to the crib. Then as she gently lifted the infant out of her crib, cooed "You awoke a bit early didn't you love."

"You shouldn't leave her alone" Mary accusingly stated to the nanny.

In the four months Nanny Walker had been employed at Downton she rarely had any interaction with Lady Mary since her sole charge was the newborn Lady Sybil. However, through gossip and occasionally hearing Lady Mary interacting with her nanny or her sister Lady Edith, Mildred Walker was well aware of the child's regal and often haughty manner. The girl now standing erectly beside the crib with her hands on her hips and her coal black eyes peering disdainfully at Mildred Walker did nothing to dispel that image. But Mildred would also have to admit that as she had entered the room she had seen a much softer side to the little girl for there was no denying the child had been lovingly caressing her little sister.

After changing the infant's wet nappy, under the watchful eye of Lady Mary Mildred noted, Mildred turned to the little girl. "Would you like to feed her?"

Mary enthusiastically nodded her head yes.

"Well then sit in that lounge chair" Mildred directed Mary to the overstuffed floral print chair positioned in the corner next to the crib.

Once Mary was comfortably seated in the chair, Mildred lowered Sybil into Mary's lap while directing her how to properly hold both the baby and her bottle as she hungrily drank.

Looking down at her little sister's face, Mary couldn't help but smile and when the infant wrapped her tiny fingers around one of Mary's, she had a rare feeling of contentment. "I'll always look out for you little one" Mary whispered as she kissed Sybil's forehead.

xxxx

"Sybil dear can't we play something else?"

It seemed to Mary that the thrill of playing peek-a-boo around one of the arches formed by the giant yew bush in the Monks Garden should have worn off by now. Yet in reply to Mary's question, her toddler sister only darted out of sight before reappearing at the other end of the arch and giggling.

Hoping to finally end this game, Mary ran through the arch and quickly scooped up Sybil and carried her over to the blanket she had earlier spread on the lush lawn of the garden. But Mary had no sooner put Sybil back on the ground when the toddler laughed and ran off towards the arch.

Instead of following her sister, Mary sat down on the blanket hoping Sybil would soon get tired. She wasn't sure if her mind just wondered off or if she dozed off, but a loud shriek caused her to jerk her head. Looking up Mary saw Sybil running towards her holding out her hand.

Mary stood up and quickly covered the ground between her and Sybil. With panic in her voice Mary cried out "Whatever is the matter?"

Holding out her hand towards Mary, Sybil mumbled between sobs "my … my …"

Kneeling down, Mary reached for Sybil's hand. "Here let me see."

Sybil nodded her head. "It hurts Mary" and she began crying uncontrollably.

Mary's first inclination was to carry Sybil to the cottage hospital but Sybil was a bit big for the seven year to carry her all that way. Mary's indecision was solved when one of the gardeners, having heard Sybil's shrieks, came running over.

"What's wrong miss?" the gardener asked.

"It's my sister … something's bit her."

"Ah let me see" he replied as he reached for Sybil's hand.

"Do you think it was a snake?" Mary asked. "Or a …" she wasn't sure what wild creatures roamed the garden but shuddered at such thoughts.

Chuckling he replied "It's just a bee sting miss." But Mary didn't see the humor in it regardless of what it was, it was obvious her little sister was hurt.

"There that's better" he said as he showed the stinger he had gently pulled from Sybil's hand. "Now we need to get you some ice or a bit of honey to put on it and maybe" he smiled at Sybil "some ice cream or pudding to make you feel better."

Through her tears, Sybil smiled at him. "Ice cream."

xxxx

Sybil thought the nursery had become quieter and lonelier when Mary moved out into her own bedroom. She missed Mary reading to her, she missed Mary telling her stories, she missed Mary. Edith would read to her but she'd read what she wanted not what Sybil wanted and unlike Mary's stories, the ones Edith made up always seemed to involve a young maiden and a handsome prince.

Mary didn't miss sleeping in the nursery at all. Well maybe she did miss those nights when she and her sisters would giggle and talk about silly stuff or when Sybil had a nightmare and would find comfort snuggling next to Mary. But, those fun nights had become less and less often as she grew older Mary thought as she reached for her book sitting on the night stand beside her bed.

"Mary" came the soft voice of her little sister who was standing in the open doorway with one hand on the doorknob and holding her white fluffy stuffed rabbit in the other hand. Mary thought her sister looked so angelic standing there dressed in a loose blue cotton nightdress that reached the floor and her dark hair hanging loosely down her back.

"I thought you might be lonely tonight" Sybil simply stated as she walked towards the bed. "Maybe you'd like to read to me." It was said more as a hopeful statement than a question.

Smiling that deep smile that she rarely showed to anyone other than Sybil, Mary pulled back the covers as an invitation for her little sister which Sybil happily responded to by jumping onto the bed.

xxxx

"Go away Mary!" Sybil shouted as she lay on her bed still dressed in what she called her pirate outfit. It had been fifteen maybe twenty minutes since she had run out of the library but her anger hadn't lessened.

"Sybil-" Mary started as Sybil rolled over so she was facing away from her.

"Sybil" Mary began again as she gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Reaching out to pat her sister's arm, Mary continued "I didn't know Papa had forbid you to-"

But Sybil pulled away from Mary's touch and then suddenly jumped off the bed so that she was standing on the opposite side of it from Mary. "Why is it that everything I think is fun is forbidden around here?"

"Papa's just afraid you'll hurt yourself."

Sybil took a deep breath as she shook her head. "I'd rather hurt myself doing something fun like climbing trees or jumping on stones across a creek than" she paused as she took a deep breath "than sitting around here practicing curtseying or doing needlepoint or-"

She walked over to the window and spent a minute or two staring outside. It was that all too rare hot summer day in Yorkshire but what Sybil thought might be like most days in the Caribbean or the South Pacific. "It's not just Papa" she finally spoke again only this time much softer. "It's also Miss Holte."

"Miss Holte?" Mary was rather perplexed as to what the governess had to do with this.

Sybil turned to face her sister. "Miss Holte says I can't read my stories. She says they're not app … app …" Sybil scrunched her face trying to remember that exact word the governess had used but failing to do "that little girls shouldn't read them."

"Are we talking about Treasure Island?"

Sybil nodded her head vigorously. "And Kidnapped and Tom Sawyer and … any of the fun books that Grandmama sends me from America."

"She says I get bad ideas from those books and that I'm a Lady and I should act like one and not some" Sybil crinkled her nose in distaste "wastrel." Sybil wasn't sure what a wastrel was but Miss Holte had said the word with such disapproval.

"Oh Mary if only papa would let me go to a real school." Sybil sat down on the bed next to Mary. Taking hold of Mary's hands, she continued. "I'd have other kids to play with, I wouldn't have to pretend … I …" Sybil could no longer hold back the tears.

Mary quickly hugged her little sister and continued to hold her as she cried, her own heart breaking at seeing Sybil so unhappy. She knew papa would never agree to Sybil attending a school but he could replace the governess.

xxxx

Mary slowly descended the stairs into the servants area. There had been a time when this area had been so familiar to her but those days when she had down come here for treats from the cook had been a long time ago and even the chats with Carson in his office had become rare.

But it was the big butler that Mary now sought out. She hadn't given a thought as to whether or not he'd be in his office or if he had some work to do elsewhere so she was momentarily at a loss when she found his office empty. Standing in the office doorway she couldn't decide whether she should take a seat and wait for him or try to find him later.

As she pondered what to do, Mary heard the butler's booming voice behind her. "Lady Mary?"

Turning to face him, she couldn't help but start crying.

At the sight of her tears, the butler immediately gathered her in his arms for once not thinking of propriety but rather the need to comfort her. It had once been a familiar thing for the butler to hug her, but Lady Mary, even in his thoughts she was always Lady Mary, was no longer that little girl.

"There … there" he said "certainly it can't be that bad."

"But it is Carson. It's so bad" she sniffled.

He couldn't imagine what she had done that was so bad for since she had been born he had been charmed by her and to him she could do no wrong.

"Maybe we should sit down and then you could tell be all about it." Carson motioned to the two chairs placed in front of his desk. "Should I get some tea?"

As Mary sat down she shook her head no.

Carson took the other seat and turned it so he was facing her. "Now tell me what it is that's bothering you."

"It's Sybil." Ah! thought the butler, he should have known it would be about the child who was now seriously ill. He chided himself for not realizing earlier how Lady Mary would also be suffering for there was no denying the closeness between the two sisters.

"She's so sick but" Mary began sniffling again "I was told I couldn't see her but I just had too so I waited till mama left and when the nurse took a break I just snuck into her room."

Mary looked directly into Carson's eyes, she managed to mumble "It's just not right Carson … she's only ten years old but she's laying there looking so sick and her hand and face were so warm to the touch." The anguish Mary was feeling was so evident in her voice.

"Oh Carson I'm so afraid she's dying." Mary burst into tears.

Lady Mary was too big to sit in his lap as she had done when she was younger and had sought comfort from him. Instead he reached out and took both of her hands in his.

"The doctor and nurses are taking good care of her milady." He had to tread carefully because although he thought the child was now passed the danger point he didn't want to give Lady Mary false hope.

"No one wants you or Lady Edith to catch what she has-"

"But I had to see her … to talk to her … to let her know how much I love her." Mary surprised herself with how frank she was being. It had always been drilled into her that a Lady didn't openly discuss her feelings or show her emotions but this situation was so different from anything she had ever encountered before.

Carson smiled as one of his big fingers wiped away the tears from Mary's cheeks. "I think that's something that Lady Sybil knows so well. Since she was born you've always showed that softer side, the one you hide so well from most everyone else, to her."

At Carson's words, Mary managed a faint smile. "Only you and her think so well of me Carson."

It broke Carson's heart to hear his beloved Lady Mary express such a sentiment.

"I'm sure when she's on the mend, you'll sit by her bedside reading to her." Mary nodded her head to this as Carson tried to get Lady Mary to think of something positive.

"Will it be one of those adventure stories Lady Sybil's so fond of or something funny?"

"I think something funny" Mary quickly replied. "One of those adventure stories might just remind her that she can't do much yet."

"See you're already thinking of what's best for her" Carson stated.

Mary smiled. "Yes I think that's it. Something funny. She still laughs at that one about those children who are granted wishes even though she knows the book by heart."

Mary creased in brows in concentration as she tried to recall the name of the book. Five Children and It she finally remembered.

Mary suddenly stood up. "I need to go find that book."

She paused in the doorway, turned back to face the butler and then smiled. "I knew you'd make me feel better."