TWO updates; I'm going to try and do multiple chapter updates with this story. Whatever comes to me I'll post basically :oP THANKS TO ALL THE FEEDBACK! Hope you continue to enjoy this trippy trip into Larry's psyche...but for those of you who are feeling conflicted cause you don't want to like him, don't worry ;o) he'll give you plenty of reasons not to.
Disappointment
July, 1897
He thought she was simply getting fat. But then he finds out, sometime in the spring, that his mother is "expecting".
He doesn't understand, and his father turns red in the face, before muttering something to his mother about explaining what it all means. His mother doesn't explain, but leaves his governess to do it.
He's disgusted at the thought.
A baby? A baby inside his mother's stomach?
How did this happen? He notices his governess turn red at the question, and instead gives him a book that explains it all. After just two pages, Larry is disgusted. He throws the book aside and spends the rest of week sulking at the prospect of having a baby in the house. A screaming baby, who will smell and eat his toys...
A baby like her.
They're in London when the time comes for the baby to be born. He hides in his room, not wanting to come out. He hides and he listens as he hears the sounds of doctors and nurses and servants, rushing back and forth across the carpeted corridor. Sometime in the middle of the night, he awakes to the sound of screaming.
A baby screaming.
Memories of when she screamed fill his mind. Memories of her scrunching her little pink face and fat tears dripping down her plump cheeks, resurface again.
He wonders if this baby will have blue eyes like hers.
A few hours later, a maid comes into his room, telling him to come and meet his new sister.
SISTER!
It would be a girl, wouldn't it? He's cursed with a sister, JUST LIKE HER. A sister of his own, who will scream and wail in the middle of the night, who will cry and smell and who will eventually eat his toys. And even though it will be her fault, he'll get all the blame, just like last time.
It's not fair. None of it is.
He does go and see his sister though, when his father demands that he make an appearance. Two maids, followed by his governess, bring him to the room. His mother is beaming and holding the baby, telling him to kiss his little sister. He would rather swallow his own toy soldiers.
What's worse is that now he's being told to act polite, as visitors begin calling on the house to offer their congratulations. Act polite and pretend that he's a proud big brother, when in truth, he feels the opposite.
Lord and Lady Grantham visit, along with Patrick and Mary. Edith is too young for London and remains at Downton. The same is true for Sybil.
Larry will never admit it, but he finds himself feeling disappointed at this revelation. Just as Mary had done with Sybil, he takes both her and Patrick to see his sister, while their families have tea.
"Sybil is prettier," he overhears Mary whisper to Patrick.
Larry will never admit it...but he agrees.