The Dowager Countess of Grantham, one Violet Crawley, did not like to be kept waiting. People waited for her, not the other way around. Whenever anything happened to upset what she considered to be the natural order of things, she found herself and her limited patience boiling over with resentment. Of course, she didn't want to be perceived as such and so she helped it in, as practiced as any lady of her station, and instead permitted it to erupt in only passing, passive sentiments of ill-content.

She sipped her tea and eyed Carson, who was fidgeting with the tea cart. She may not ever have admitted it, but she did like Carson. She respected his competence and professional demeanor.

"Mr. Carson, would you be so kind as to remind Robert of our social responsibilities today? I admit I am a little offput by his truancy."

Carson nodded, "My apologies, m'lady. He is with her ladyship, upstairs, tending to a rather urgent matter with Lady Sybil. But, at your request, I will go see how it is progressing." He made to exit but Violet stopped him.

"A pressing matter? With Sybil? She's a child, Mr. Carson, I can't imagine that she would have any pressing business that her father could possibly think to trouble himself with."

Carson smirked a bit. "If you'll pardon me, the nature of things is. . .delicate, and I do not think it is within my rank to divulge such personal matters on behalf of his lordship."

Violet then found herself smirking - oh, how this butler taunted her so! She dismissed him, knowing he was far too devoted to Robert to give her any more, though she did find that her resentment had now been replaced with a pleasant sense of curiosity.

Carson headed upstairs to the nursery, where he knew his Lordship and her Ladyship were currently tending to Lady Sybil, who had worked herself up into a frenzy of tears over the condition of Lady Mary. Carson had always had an affection for the eldest Crawley girl. She was the first child with whom he really interacted, and though he had never considered himself much of a fatherly figure, he did find that even as a child Mary gravitated toward him and often sought him out when she was feeling neglected by her parents- who, over the years, became occasionally more preoccupied with her younger sisters. He also knew that, as all young ladies do at one time or another, Mary was at the age when she would go from girl to lady, and though he would never think of giving any indication of his awareness of it, he knew that soon enough he would walk into the breakfast room and find not children, but young ladies, surrounding the table. It made him a bit sad, of course, but it was a nostalgic sadness. He was getting older too.

He rapped quietly on the door to the nursery, and within a few moments Cora appeared in the doorway.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, m'lady, but the Dowager Countess is downstairs in the library waiting for his Lordship. I believe she said something about a social engagement today. She is, as you may imagine, anxious for him to make an appearance."

Cora sighed and opened the door wider so that Carson could see in to the room. Sybil, a heap of shaking, sniffling girl, was curled up in her father's lap and he was reading to her - his voice low and calming. Cora, not wanting to interrupt them, stepped out into the hall way and brought Carson with her, her hand light on his forearm.

"Carson, I'm afraid whatever social engagement it is, it will have to wait. We've only just calmed Sybil down."

Carson nodded but Cora knew he doubted this would be enough to satisfy Violet. Before he could turn on his heels and head back downstairs, Cora continued, "I suppose that I will have to join the Dowager Countess for the time being." she said, rather resolved to the prospect, "She's in the library, you said?"

Mary thrashed about in her bed. How dreadful it all was to be in such a state! She was also, in addition to being in pain and feeling generally ill, becoming frightfully bored. She had finished the book she'd been reading and wanted desperately to start another, but that of course would involve walking downstairs to the library. She had considered even asking Edith to bring school work to her, but she quickly thought better of it - she certainly didn't want facts and figures to dizzy her head further, though a story to take her mind off things would have been welcomed. She pulled herself up in bed and a slight headrush made her second guess the concept of going downstairs but as soon as she steadied she was reminded of her boredom. She slid out of bed and reached for her dressing gown. Though she knew it would be far more respectable for her to get dressed, she was only going downstairs long enough to grab a book - most likely no one would ever notice! Forgoing the task of changing and fixing her hair, she headed downstairs.

"Hello, Mama." Cora said, entering the library. "I'm afraid you'll have to make do with me today. Robert is otherwise engaged."

Violet eyed Cora, "What could possibly be higher on his list of worldly responsibilities than his mother?"

Accepting a cup of tea from Carson, Cora felt a small smile creep across her lips,

"His daughters."

Stifled, Violet sipped her tea. Cora had gotten her there, for sure.

"You'll have to remind me what you and Robert were to discuss today." Cora said, crossing her feet at the ankles, "I have been rather distracted this morning."

"Well, don't let me keep you from more pressing matters." Violet said, bitter around the edges of her words, "Or at the very least you could enlighten me to what, precisely, is competing with me for your attentions."

Cora sighed, sipping her tea. She could admit, to herself anyway, that she did sort of enjoy tantalizing Violet - but that joy was short-lived: no sooner than she had brought the tea cup to her lips did Mary appear in the doorway- nightgown and all.

"Mary, what are you doing out of bed?" Cora said, setting her teacup down. Mary, looking caught, looked back and forth between Cora and Violet- hoping she had not walked in to a room full of reprimand.

"I need another book to read, Mama. I have finished the one I had and I am terribly bored."

"Mary, why aren't you in your lessons, are you ill?" she looked at Cora disapprovingly, "If the child is ill Cora certainly someone could have taken a book to her if she wanted to read - there's no need for her to run about the house like Typhoid Mary."

Cora laughed, "Mama, Mary isn't ill in that way."

Mary threw her Mama a look and her cheeks pinked up. She certainly didn't want the whole world to know about her monthlies! There was something of an awkward moment where no one moved - not even to sip their tea - before Violet, seemingly having realized what everyone was on about, broke the silence with a knowing chuckle.
"Oh, I see." she said, "But Cora, why on earth is Robert preoccupied? I hardly think it appropriate to involve him in the intimate details of his young daughter's impending womanhood."

"Oh, granny, please!" Mary wailed, "I don't want to discuss it!"

Violet laughed, "Mary, dear, come here. Come sit next to your grandmama."

Mary slunk over and sat down next to Violet, who embraced her warmly. "You'll find now that it's a rather dreadful business, and certainly not something you ever discuss outside of your bedchambers with your mama, and later your lady's maid, but my dear it is a rite of passage that all women must forge through, and you may now consider yourself truly a lady. You know that now you may, of course, have more privileges. Such as joining us for brunch and tea, instead of being in the nursery with your sisters."

Mary perked up, turning to Cora, "Am I really freed from the nursery now?"

Cora nodded, "And you'll be able to appear, for a short time at first, at the parties your Papa and I throw. Though I'm sure you'll find them terribly boring."

"Mary, you must take care to keep yourself in good health. Which starts with not catching cold - which is most dangerous during this sensitive time. Now, fetch a book and then quickly, back upstairs with you and tuck into bed. You are improperly dressed not only for eyes, but for warmth." She gave Mary a peck on the cheek and shooed her off. A moment later, after she'd left, Violet turned back to Cora, "Pray tell, what is keeping Robert, if not Mary?"

"It's Sybil-" Cora began, "She somehow got it into her head that Mary is dying and she's been inconsolable all morning."

Violet guffawed, a sound that startled Cora so that she rattled her tea cup, the contents of which splashed out onto her dress.

"That poor child!" Violet cawed, "And I suppose Edith, too, is rather beside herself. How the sisters compete!"

Trying to blot the tea out of her dress, Cora sighed, "No one ever tells you about raising daughters."

Violet sipped her tea, "Cora, what were you expecting?" she laughed, "Little Women?"

A/N: Thank you all for your lovely comments on this story! I wasn't sure how long it would be or where it would go but I knew it wasn't going to be terribly long- just a little sweet, I hope! I have another one, also set in this time-frame, on the horizon, so if you were enjoying my headcanon for the girls on Tumblr, fear not! They will return. . .