Chapter 4

Author Note: Julian Fellowes' brainchild, not mine - I wish!

The mid-July sun was warming Fenwick Cottage nicely and those inside were in a merry mood. Walter was pouring out aperitifs for his guests.

"So when do we get to meet the famous Lady Sybil Crawley?" a woman with dirty-blonde hair asked her host as he handed her a drink.

"Beatrice Taylor, if you start being a nosey parker, you'll no longer be welcome here." Walter teased. Beatrice laughed, knowing that was a very empty threat.

"You can't blame us, Walter. You've built her up quite a bit in your letters." a curly-haired man said, fighting a smirk.

"What is this, an interrogation? Honestly Anthony you do have a vivid imagination." Walter retorted, raising his eyebrow at the other man.

"Well Anthony, something you don't know is that apparently Lady Sybil's opinion on the cottage is to be much valued." Beatrice tittered slyly. "I thought I was Walter's guide to giving this place a nice décor. It is seems she is my replacement."

"How did you figure out I ask for Sybil's advice?" Walter pondered. Beatrice smirked.

"Female intuition." she replied. "Should I be fretful for my 'best friend' privileges?"

"Of course not Bea." Walter replied. Beatrice and Anthony looked at each other.

"A-ha." Anthony grinned smugly. "A pretty toff has turned your head, then. I thought as much, and your silence tells us the truth." he chuckled.

"This martini is going over your head if you don't stop." Walter huffed with no malice.

"Oh Walter, you wouldn't do that." Beatrice said. "Seriously though, it seems you're quite taken with her. So when do we get to meet this lovely lady?" she questioned. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Walter answered it, seeing it was the post. Smiling upon opening the letter, he walked back into the dining room.

"Ask and your question shall be answered, Bea. Sybil's stopping by Saturday. I have to drive to Downton to fetch her. Lord Grantham's orders, apparently."

"Oooooh." Beatrice and Anthony chorused. "Shall we wear hats?"

"Such nonsense!" Walter snorted. "It just seems that apparently, Lord Grantham is a tougher nut to crack than his wife." he explained. Beatrice was fighting back giggles.

"So you've already met Lady Grantham?" Anthony questioned.

"You're starting to sound like Billy Russell, you know that? But yes, I have."

"We're just looking out for you, Walter. Having known you for eight years, we know what you're like when you get attached to someone." Beatrice said gently.

"Plus you may need back-up for when all those servants are outside to greet you."

"Thank you Anthony, dear friend. Much appreciated." Walter responded in a dry tone. Saturday dawned bright, and Downton was busy with activity as per usual.

"You're lucky you have a half-day, William." Thomas Barrow sniped.

"And why is that, Thomas?" William Mason asked the senior footman.

"The reason is that us poor beggars who have to work this afternoon must receive this Mr. Nobody from nowhere. Lady Sybil's common beau." O'Brien said snootily.

"You said that about Mr. Crawley once." Anna pointed out. O'Brien had a retort on her lips, but the bell for the Queen Caroline room sounded, shutting the ladies' maid up.

"And they're off." Thomas grunted. Carson stood, the other staff following him.

"No rest for the wicked." Mrs. Hughes said. "And you should learn to be more fair in your presumptions, Miss O'Brien." she sighed as she passed the uppity maid. Upstairs Robert and Cora were talking in their bedroom.

"I haven't actually talked to the chap, of course." Robert said slightly brusquely.

"But I have." Cora replied gently. "And maybe it's the American in me, but I liked his respectfully laid-back manner. It seemed like a reasonable, positive attitude."

"I never said that Sybil couldn't visit him. Just that I should meet him face-to-face."

"And that's all I ask. A fair compromise." the countess said. "Speaking of fair compromises, your mother has requested a visit."

"Just stay on her good side and you should be fine." Robert stated.

"Nearly twenty-five years later and your advice is steadfast as ever." Cora laughed. By mid-morning, Cora was knocking outside the Dower House.

"Good morning, milady." Spratt welcomed. Cora removed her hat.

"Morning, Spratt." she said, a neutral expression on her face. She never knew what to make of Violet's butler, but didn't waste thought as she headed for the parlour.

"Hello Cora." Violet said in her crisp tone, getting up to greet her visitor.

"Hello Mama." Cora smiled faintly, kissing the older woman on the cheek.

"I must say, I was quite perplexed at this scheme of Sybil's." Violet stated, getting straight to the point. Cora sighed. There was only so much amusement she could get out of her mother-in-law's reluctance to come to terms with the modern world.

"I never believed that her suitor was second-in-line to a baronetcy. He is nowhere to be found in Burke's." Violet huffed. Cora fought hard not to roll her eyes.

"I know, I had a conversation with him." the younger woman said. Violet was startled.

"Well… I must say I didn't expect that. Marmaduke was a rough diamond, but-"

"It might be a distant prospect, but Mr. Metcalfe told me he is in line to a family estate. And he's not Sybil's suitor. He's her friend." Cora announced.

"Be that as it may, he may be most unsuitable. And which estate?" Violet said.

"He didn't tell me. Anyway if we talk estates we'll come round to the subject of Matthew, and well… let's say Matthew may not be the heir anymore." Cora smiled, glancing down at her stomach. Violet followed Cora's eyeline and also smiled.

"Does Mary know?" Violet asked. Cora shook her head.

"And she's not been in touch with Cousin Matthew?"

"Not that I've heard." Cora responded.

"Wonderful news, of course. You must look after yourself." Violet said.

"Don't worry, O'Brien has me wrapped in silk and feathers." Cora promised.

"You're lucky. I have a horrible feeling Simmons is about to hand in her notice. She's looking very fidgety lately, and I saw her hurrying to meet the postman."

"Oh, you poor thing. Is there anything worse than losing one's maid?" Cora said with a dose of sarcasm, her American background colouring her thoughts.

"I mean, why would she want to leave me? I've been as gentle as a lamb... most of the time." Violet finished with a sigh, as Cora had given Violet a dubious look as a servant brought them tea. Cora returned to the Abbey at around midday.

"Ready for Sybil to fly the nest?" Robert asked his wife in the entrance hall, who was so vividly reminded of her conversation with Walter that she nearly chuckled. Cora smiled in response, and they waited for Sybil. Outside, tempers were on edge.

"Reckon I could I fake a cold and it would be plausible?" Thomas Barrow pondered.

"Of course not you nitwit. We're all out here in the blazing sun." O'Brien muttered.

"We are here to do something that falls within our job description, Miss O'Brien." Mrs. Hughes responded waspishly. Robert, Cora, Edith and Sybil walked out to the front, the latter in a red summer dress. After a couple of minutes, a car pulled up.

"Much obliged." Walter's voice sounded as Thomas opened his car door, grumbling.

"Mr. Metcalfe, it's nice to see you." Cora smiled. Walter grinned back.

"The pleasure's all mine Lady Grantham. Lord Grantham." he said, facing Robert.

"Greetings. Like you said, the pleasure's yours." Robert said tersely, shaking Walter's hand in the same manner. The musician saw that the earl was truly a tough nut.

"Oh Papa." Sybil sighed. Walter smiled warmly at Sybil and then turned to Edith.

"Lady Edith, I fear you and I may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Can we try to be courteous, for Lady Sybil's sake?" he asked. In the background, Sybil beamed.

"Hmm… I suppose we can try." Edith responded after a loaded pause.

"Fabulous." Walter smiled, lightly clapping his hands together.

"Would you care for a bite to eat?" Robert asked after a look from Cora.

"That's very kind of you, Lord Grantham, but if I know my cook, she has a late luncheon waiting for us at Fenwick." Walter replied, opening a car door for Sybil. "Don't worry, I'll have her back safe and sound."

"I'll hold you to that, Metcalfe." Robert responded. Cora rolled her eyes.

"I know Lady Sybil told you about the garden party we're hosting in a couple of weeks." the countess said. "If you're free, you're welcome to come."

"Thank you, Lady Grantham." Walter grinned. With the sputter of an engine, the car started the journey away from Downton. Sybil smiled at her friend.

"So what has your cook prepared for us?" she asked. Walter tittered a nervous laugh.

"That was a teensy fib - I don't have one. My good friend Beatrice Taylor is cooking. Whether her food's a patch on your Mrs. Patmore, I don't know, but you'll like Bea."

A little over an hour later, Walter pulled up to Fenwick Cottage. Sybil smiled.

"It looks wonderful!" she praised. Within a few moments of them getting out of the car, Beatrice opened the front door and greeted them with a welcoming smile.

"Good to see you return in one piece, Walter." she teased. "And you must be the brilliant Lady Sybil Crawley." she beamed. "His letters do not do you justice!"

"Beatrice Taylor, I presume?" Sybil questioned with a smile. Beatrice nodded. "Charmed. And I don't really care for the title. Just Sybil is fine with me."

"Pretty and down-to-earth? Where did you find her, Walter?" Beatrice chuckled. "Come in you two, I've got a nice toad-in-the-hole cooling down."

"Oh that's set my mouth watering." Walter sighed. Sybil walked in, loving the simplicity of the cottage. As the three made it into the dining room, Sybil spoke.

"So Beatrice, how did you meet Walter?" she asked.

"At the local museum, way back. We bumped into each other at an exhibit, this one made a joke about Napoleon going hungry, and then we got to talking. We've been inseparable ever since." Beatrice explained, elbowing Walter as she said 'this one'.

"You forgot one part of the story, Bea." Anthony walked in. "Me having to find Walter after he'd wandered off." the other male laughed. Walter scoffed at this apparent lie.

"You wandered off. I had to convince Beatrice to help me find you. Sybil, let me present Anthony Proby. Resident troublemaker. Even if he pretends otherwise."

"Some might say the same about me." Sybil laughed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Anthony." she continued, shaking Anthony's hand. The latter shot Walter a sly look.

"You, a troublemaker? Hmm. Walter's letters make you sound like the perf-"

"Shall we eat?" Walter pondered, cutting his friend off rather unsubtly. Beatrice dished up the toad-in-the-hole and the quartet sat down for about ten quiet minutes.

"You know Sybil, it sounds like between us we can spruce up this cottage quite nicely." Beatrice smiled after a mouthful of sausage. Sybil looked around the room.

"I may have an idea or two." the brunette said. "Blue, white and warm black might make for a good colour scheme in here. Could give things a gentle but magnetic air."

"What, like the air of the cottage's owner?" Beatrice teased, smirking at Walter.

"Is there any thought for either of us to be Capability Brown?" Anthony questioned. Sybil laughed gently. That night at Downton, the brunette reflected that she could see herself dining at Fenwick quite often in the future. She smiled as she dozed off.