Perched on the edge of Mary's bed, Edith silently watched as Anna finished pinning Mary's dark hair into a loose Gibson roll. Although Anna had rolled Edith's hair into the same style, Edith's reddish hair fell in soft waves around her face unlike Mary's which was pulled straight back. Edith noted that Mary had chosen to wear her new dark red dress although she had been quite vocal that dinner with Patrick and his two school chums didn't merit any special dress.

The quietness was broken as the door burst open and Sybil waltzed into the bedroom. She didn't stop moving until she was standing in the middle of the room. Then, having secured the attention of all those present, Sybil proceeded to twirl around, her arms holding out the full skirt of her dress, so that her older sisters and Anna could see what Sybil proudly proclaimed was my best party dress.

Usually the Crawley girls were not allowed to attend dinner in the dining room when there were guests that were not family but since tonight's only guests were Patrick and his school chums, John and Phillip, they were allowed to do so that evening including, much to the surprise of her older sisters, eleven year old Sybil. Why should Sybil have to dine alone in the nursery when it's just Patrick and his school friends Mama had answered when Edith questioned Sybil attending the dinner. Now watching her younger sister twirling and spinning in her dark blue frock with the smocked bodice, Edith thought that Sybil always seemed to get special privileges that neither she nor Mary had gotten when they were her age. Mary, still seated at her vanity table, watched in amusement at Sybil's obvious glee.

Sybil's glee carried over to the dining room where she was definitely the bell of the ball so to speak. It was Sybil with her innate friendliness and curiosity that steered the conversation drawing out Patrick's friends.

When Patrick announced where his friend Phillip had been raised, Sybil clapped her hands exclaiming ""A tea plantation in Ceylon? Oh how exciting that sounds" then proceeded to pepper the boy with questions who practically glowed talking about his life on a tea plantation. Sybil wasn't the only one enthralled with his stories as even Cora and Robert enthusiastically joined in the conversation.

xxxxx

Mary couldn't remember the last time she was so glad to retire to her bedroom. Dressed in her nightgown Mary sat at her vanity table plying the lilac scented lotion over her arms and hands in what had become her nighttime ritual. What a boring evening it had been she thought with that tedious dinner and all that talk of tea was enough to make her think about drinking coffee instead. And then the conversation had drifted to school. Who cares what Patrick and his friends are studying? As if a gentleman needs geometry or chemistry or Latin! She was sure Papa didn't use any of that in running Downton. Although she had found it rather amusing to watch Papa's face when the conversation switched to girls attending school.

The tediousness only grew when the dinner party retired to the library for, Mary rolled her eyes, what else tea. While Sybil cornered Phillip with an atlas, the rest of the group played board games until the boys were lured by Sybil and her atlas. John can you show me where in India …

Mary set her lotion on the vanity table and stared into the mirror for there was something that had been nagging her all evening although she was rather ashamed to admit it. There was been no doubt that her little eleven year old sister had glowed all evening. Mary had never thought of Edith as any threat or competition. Now as she sat staring at her reflection in the vanity mirror, Mary thought it was a good thing that Sybil was so much younger because unlike Edith, Sybil would have been competition.

xxxxx

What a lovely evening it had been Edith thought. It was unusual that Patrick had come for a visit without his father and even more unusual that he had brought two chums from school. His chums John and Phillip were just as nice as Patrick and to Edith's relief neither seemed to take any special interest in Mary which of course to Edith's delight quite annoyed Mary.

Edith gave a slight snicker thinking that actually both boys, especially Phillip, had paid much more attention to Sybil than to Mary. But she had to admit that it was Sybil that had drawn out Phillip and John in conversation that night. While she tried to think of questions to ask them, Sybil, with her natural curiosity, had just plunged in. But Edith had enjoyed listening to the boys stories of life in India and Ceylon and eventually was able to join in the conversation.

xxxxxx

Sybil still lay awake although she had been in bed for more than an hour. It had been the best evening of her life. Patrick's friends were so nice and much more interesting than the usual visitors to Downton although she had to admit she didn't usually get to meet visitors except for possibly a quick introduction or at afternoon tea. Listening to Phillip's tales of growing up in Ceylon and John's tales of life in India where his father was assigned with the foreign service made her realize just how dull her world at Downton was.

And the thought of how Phillip's sisters attended school … his younger sisters in Ceylon and his older sister in Switzerland … oh how envious she was of that.

Mary looked in the mirror to adjust her hat while thinking only a few more hours and Patrick and his friends would finally be gone. Just the thought of those two dullards caused Mary to sigh. It had been a dull time of board games and lawn bowling and talks of tea and school. But why should boring Patrick have exciting friends she thought even if one was the grandson of a Duke.

She had inwardly groaned when the tall one had introduced himself as John Bellworth grandson of the Duke of Berend and had emitted a chuckle when Sybil responded by solemnly introducing herself as Lady Sybil Crawley the youngest daughter of the Earl of Grantham. But as the youngest son of the Duke's third son, John himself would never have a title. Nor did it seem much money as his father was some minor official with the foreign service.

And the other one … his family might have a bit more money … after all they had one son in Harrow and next term a second one there too and a daughter at finishing school in Switzerland and two daughters at boarding school in Ceylon but really … Mary couldn't imagine a life as the wife of a tea planter in some God forsaken outpost. Taking one last look in the mirror, Mary chuckled with the thought that such a thing might be a good choice for Edith.

Cora thought a picnic by the lake seemed like a nice way to end Patrick's and his friends visit to Downton. Luckily the weather seemed to cooperate and the late spring day had dawned bright and sunny. While picnics might evoke the image of blankets spread on the ground, this of course was not what Cora had in mind. A long table covered with a white cloth had been set up by the footmen who hovered around serving food as if the group were dining in the elegant dining room of Downton rather than a wooden table set outdoors close to one of several lakes that dotted the estate grounds.

From her place at the table, Cora smiled as she looked at those sitting around the table. In less than two years, Mary would have her season followed the next year by Edith and Cora thought these couple of days with Patrick and his friends had been good training for the girls. Cora was very pleased with how the visit had progressed so far and with the boys leaving soon after the picnic she thought the visit would end most pleasingly.

xxxxx

Her thin cotton robe pulled tightly across her chest, her freshly shampooed hair still damp, her eyes reddened from all the tears she had shed, Edith sat alone in her bedroom looking as lonely and forlorn as she felt. Up until that moment on the lake it had been a wonderful two days Edith thought. Ever since she could remember she enjoyed whenever Patrick came to visit. Being only a month older than her, she had always thought she and Patrick had a special bond although they had never really spent much time alone.

A picnic by the lake had seemed like a nice way to end the boys' visit to Downton and it had been so pleasant until … Edith brushed a tear from her cheek. Her lovely dress and new hat were ruined. Everyone had laughed at her especially Mary. It was probably Mary that had put those frogs in the rowboat. She could still see Mary laughing at her. As if that humiliation wasn't enough she had had to ride back to the house in the horse cart with the footmen since Papa feared she'd ruin the seat in the motor car with her soaking wet dress.

xxxx

For Mary the past couple of days had been rather trying but then this afternoon … she was still chuckling over that scene at the lake. When she looked down at her arm she didn't see her own milky white arm but Edith's arm smudged with dirt and bits of leaves and twigs clinging to her sleeve.

It was almost too funny for words seeing Edith furiously sweeping her hands across her lap trying to ward off those frogs, then jumping up and struggling to stand in that small rowboat until losing her balance causing her to fall over the side and into the water. She plunged into the lake with such a splash it was a struggle for Patrick to keep the rowboat upright.

Seeing Edith flailing about causing more and more rippling of the water only made Mary laugh more until the ripples endangered her own rowboat with John at the helm of tipping over. It was one of the footmen that finally waded into the water and rescued Edith in water that wasn't even five feet deep. Carrying her to shore where he unceremoniously dumped the hysterical girl, Edith struggled to her feet and stood there soaking wet, having lost her oversized hat in the struggle, her hair plastered with twigs and bits of leaves drooping around her face.

Yes thought Mary that was quite a picture. It was one she was sure Patrick and his friends would remember.

xxxx

It had been the best couple of days thought Sybil, the best time I've had in quite some time. Patrick and his friends had been so much fun. She smiled thinking of the lawn bowling and croquet but the best had definitely been badminton where she and John had been a formidable team and had won every game. She'd certainly miss them when they left after tea for she'd once again be left alone with no one to play games with since Mary only considered riding an appropriate sport and these days Edith's idea of outside activities was walking through the gardens.

Sybil let out a deep sigh at the thought of Edith. It was all her fault of what had happened since she had slipped the frogs into the canoe when no one was looking with the hopes that they'd be enough of a distraction to Patrick and Edith allowing her and Phillip who was much smaller than either Patrick or John to win the rowboat race. She never imagined two little frogs would cause such a panic in Edith. Thinking she should probably apologize to Edith, Sybil hoped to catch Edith in her room before she went downstairs for tea.

"Go away!" was the response to Sybil's knock on Edith's bedroom door.

"Edith it's just me" Sybil called out.

"Go away!"

Undeterred for she had a mission, Sybil opened the bedroom door and was shocked to find a teary Edith dressed in her robe.

"Everyone else has already gone down for tea."

Edith made no movement, gave no indication she had heard her sister.

"Edith you need to finish dressing. Patrick and the boys are leaving soon. Their bags have already been taken down."

With fresh tears running down her cheeks, Edith whimpered "I don't want to see them. They'll probably just make jokes or laugh at me."

"Oh Edith" Sybil jumped onto the bed beside her sister.

She reached over and patted her sister's hand but Edith quickly withdrew her arm and stood up. "I'm … I'm …" Edith's voice quivered "I'm too embarrassed."

Suddenly it was as if Edith had found her voice and her words came out in a torrent. Sybil, her brows creased, nibbled on her lower lip as she listened to her sister. Finally Sybil stood up. "Oh Edith I think you're …" she paused at Edith's withering look. All thoughts of apologizing evaporated.

"It was funny but not because it was you. Really Edith if it had been me or Patrick or one of the boys" Sybil grinned "wouldn't you have laughed?"

"I mean seeing someone floundering like that … their arms waving … and that splash into the water!" Sybil continued as she saw a flicker of understanding in Edith. "You did look pretty funny with those twigs and leaves sticking on you."

Sybil picked up a clean skirt and blouse that had been carefully draped over a chair. "It was nothing to be embarrassed about." Sybil kept silent that she thought it was Edith's behavior afterwards as she started crying and screaming that had been embarrassing.

"You know Phillip and I had taken the lead. I think we were going to win that race." Sybil folded her arms across her chest and glared at Edith. "You didn't have to create all that excitement by falling in the lake just to keep us from winning."

"You think" Edith began to retort but stopped as Sybil began laughing. Edith gave a faint smile.

"And really Edith do you think Mary would actually ever touch a frog?