Thanks again for the reviews! Who knew that people would find Larry an interesting character to read about? :oP This chapter is a little more Sybil, and foreshadowing what she is to become ;o) for any girls who love sports, I'm sure you've all encountered someone like Larry in your life-this is for YOU!
A Decent Hit
August 1905
As much as he enjoys riding and playing polo, Larry's discovered that cricket is his best game.
Every summer Downton has an annual cricket match between the House and the Village. Lord Grantham has heard how accomplished Larry has become (at least his father will sing praises about his accomplishments in athletics), and has invited him to come and play for the House team.
No other boy has ever been invited to play for the House team before; not even Patrick! He can't help but feel proud for this accomplishment. He can't help but feel that finally, he's being treated as a man.
Mary sits between her mother and grandmother, daintily sipping her tea while the men warm up on the pitch.
Patrick will also be playing for the first time, but judging from the way he swings his bat, Larry can tell he's not very good.
He can't deny it; this does make him happy.
Edith has gotten away from her sister and mother; she's sitting on the grass, looking adoringly up at Patrick, clapping enthusiastically when he swings his bat, even if he doesn't hit anything. Larry rolls his eyes.
But it's Sybil who catches his attention.
She's only nine, but she's grown quite a bit since he last saw her.
Unlike her sisters, she's a bit tanner, and her legs and arms seem a bit longer, certainly not as "dainty" as Mary or Edith. He watches from a distance as she runs around a patch of grass, chasing a puppy called Pharaoh.
"Patrick!" she cries at one point, her face bright and her smile wide. Larry watches as she rushes forward to claim the bat her cousin is holding. "Bowl to me?"
"Sybil, don't be rude and interrupt Patrick's practicing!" Edith snaps.
"It's alright," Patrick reassures. He takes the ball Sybil was using to play with the puppy, and Larry watches as Patrick bowls it to the nine-year-old.
There's nothing "dainty" or "gentle" about the throw.
Nor is there anything dainty or gentle about her hit.
A gasp escapes his throat as he stares, stunned, at the distance the ball soars. An elated squeal erupts from Sybil's lungs, and she rushes towards her cousin, triumph and jubilation on her face.
Patrick grins and pats Sybil on the shoulder. Edith pouts.
"Maybe you should take my spot?" he suggests. Patrick then turns to Larry and grins. "What do you think, Grey?"
Larry can't get over how well Sybil hit that ball. In fact, if truth be told…her hit was better than anything he's ever done!
"It was decent," he says, before adding, "for a girl."
He's trying to hide his embarrassment. He hopes his father didn't see; that's the last thing he needs—being compared to a girl. And not just any girl, but a CHILD!
Sybil's proud smile disappears.
"That was a decent hit for ANYONE—boy or girl!" she angrily proclaims.
She stomps away, fuming.
During the game, whenever he's at bat, he hears her cheering for the Village.
Also, because there are questions about the ages of the characters as the chapters progress, here are the birth years:
Patrick-November 1889 (15 in this chapter)
Larry-February 1890 (15 in 1905)...same age as Tom (his birthday is in May)
Mary-1892 (13 in 1905)
Edith-1894 (11 in 1905)
Sybil-June 1896 (9 in 1905)
All these ages are *my* headcanon, although we roughly know the birth years of Tom and the sisters (although Fellowes doesn't seem to be able to make up his mind when Sybil was born); I say 1896 simply because her debut season was in 1914, when she would have been 18.