Chapter 16
Author Note: Julian Fellowes' brainchild, not mine - I wish!
Time passed in the neighbourhood and below on Earth. Beatrice Taylor withdrew socially, taking up a new hobby of writing, but sent Christmas cards to Downton. Sometimes she would head slightly north from Fenwick to dine with Crawleys at the festive time of the year. Lavinia was guardian angel to Matthew after his accident. In April 1922, Sybil was relaxing in her and Walter's shared flat, lying against him on the sofa, when she seemed to stiffen. He immediately noticed and glanced at her.
"Sybil, my sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asked. It wasn't often departed souls went pale, but right now, Sybil was. "A hunch about something? To do with Downton?"
"Y-yes. But we'll need to get closer." the brunette replied. The duo materialised to the abbey, gliding through the walls. The now invisible souls wandered the corridors. They saw Anna with someone unfamiliar, but by the look of his livery, he was a valet. Sybil floated above the ladies' maid, getting the shivers from the valet.
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and Jill a dull girl." the unfamiliar man said to Anna. Walter and Sybil were tense as he opened the door for the blonde.
"Perhaps I should organise some games." he continued. Walter narrowed his eyes.
"I'll organise you, if you don't watch out." Anna replied with a shrewd smile.
"Good girl, Anna." Walter smiled. "Do you trust him?" he asked his partner.
"No, I do not. I have quite a bad feeling. But he's not the only one." Sybil replied.
The departed souls floated around and saw Tom talking to a redheaded maid.
"I was wondering why we've never spoken since I came back. I hope we can still be friends?" she asked. Sybil paused. She wasn't jealous, but she was suspicious.
"Of course. Of course we can." the Irishman said. Walter raised his eyebrows.
"But we can't have lunch again at the pub in the village." the redhead replied.
"Reckon she's up to something?" Sybil asked Walter. Walter slowly nodded.
"Tom may be a grey area for me, but for your sake, I don't want him to get hurt. And she looks like the sneaky type." he responded. Sybil kissed her fellow spirit.
"Walter, that's so good of you." she smiled, thinking in silence for a few moments. "Of course I've learned that some things are just headed in a certain direction - take Matthew's accident." she continued sadly. "But can we interfere, so the redhead's and the valet's schemes come to nothing?" she asked. Walter paused, thinking.
"Sadly, I suspect Anna and Tom's fates are, like you said, headed in a certain direction towards some truly terrible things. I don't think we have any leeway."
"Truly terrible?" Sybil asked fearfully, connecting the dots. "Oh, those odious monsters. Poor Tom, and poor Anna!" she cried, shedding a couple of tears.
"I wish we could interfere." Walter agreed, hugging Sybil and kissing her head. The next night, they both stiffened momentarily, knowing what was happening or nearly about to happen at Downton, but all they could do was dull the regret with alcohol. However it wasn't all doom and gloom as the departed souls were seemingly forbidden to intervene. Sybil, Walter, Anthony, Lavinia and Matthew made quite the high-spirited gang in their heavenly neighbourhood. In the following autumn of 1923, familiar faces ascended - Walter's aunt Agnes, and someone that no-one expected.
"I've got some news." Matthew said one day, as the group sat around a bakery table.
"What's that, Matthew?" Lavinia asked softly, gently nibbling on a quickbread muffin.
"I'm being signed on to be a guardian angel." he replied, to looks of surprise.
"Anyone we know?" Sybil asked, with a poignant expression - even after three years, she found it gloomy when people ascended, parting from their loved ones.
"That's the odd thing, we only met once, so I'm surprised I was chosen as his guide."
"Don't leave us in suspense, Crawley. Just tell us." Anthony huffed sarcastically.
"It's Michael Gregson." Matthew said. Sybil's ears pricked up, knowing the name.
"Edith's beau? That's sad. I glanced at her and him over the nearly two years they were together and she was so happy." the brunette spoke. "And he and I have something in common." she whispered. Walter hugged Sybil, drawing her body into his. "Did he know Edith was pregnant?" she breathed so only Walter could hear her.
"We'll have to ask him that once he's adjusted to the neighbourhood, my dearest." he replied lowly. Matthew stood up and walked away, having finished his baked good.
"It's an odd experience, heading to the initial passing room to get all decked out in white." Lavinia said. Walter nodded, and Agnes, who had been quiet, looked curious.
"Have you been a guardian angel, Lavinia?" the middle-aged brunette asked.
"Yes. I was Matthew's. We... have a history." the strawberry-blonde replied. "And my father's." she continued. A silence fell over the table - the celestial neighbourhoods helped departed souls make peace with some things, but they never forgot those things. Snow started to fall on Earth, and soon it was Christmastime in Yorkshire. Downton was decked out in festive decorations, and Edith was at the telephone, muttering and trying to get through to Fenwick Cottage. Eventually, she did so.
"Bea? Hello? It's Edith Crawley." she said. There was some indistinct noise.
"Edith, hello!" Beatrice Taylor replied. "Sorry I haven't really been in touch. It's-"
"You said in your letter. I'm sorry about Agnes. How's the writing going?"
"Thank you. And it's going good. I could ask the same, Miss 'Runs the Sketch'." Beatrice teased. Edith laughed for the first time in what seemed like months.
"Things have changed a bit, but yes, you could say I run it while Michael's away."
"I hope they find him, Edith. Truly." Beatrice sympathised. "Is this a social call?"
"Sort of. With Christmas coming up, I was wondering if you were popping by here along with your card. Mama says you didn't last year." Edith replied.
"I was in both London and Cambridgeshire for most of December last year. Keeping Walter's parents and Agnes company." the dirty-blonde explained.
"That's fair. But we do have some lovely gifts waiting." Edith grinned.
"Fine, I might as well come, as I have something to bring too."
"Great. I'll tell Mama and Papa. Christmas Eve?" the Crawley daughter asked.
"I can't spend the night, but Christmas Eve is fine." Beatrice smiled. Edith bid her friend goodbye, hung up, and went to tell Cora and Robert the good news.
Christmas Eve was bright and frosty, with snow threatening to fall. With it being the day it was, Sybbie and George were brought down in the early afternoon. Tom and Mary were gladly playing with them, and Edith was trying her hardest to stay merry while constantly missing Marigold. Carson walked into the small library.
"Miss Taylor." he announced. Beatrice was all smiles as she walked in with a bag.
"Goodness, we haven't seen you in some time, Beatrice!" Cora smiled.
"Edith said I was welcome." Beatrice said, somewhat nervously, worried her absence from the abbey had put her in Cora's bad books. The countess nodded.
"And you are, dear. The more the merrier at Christmas." the older brunette grinned.
"I brought presents." Beatrice beamed. Her last word got the childrens' attention, although they were cautious of the newcomer. Tom looked at the dirty-blonde.
"You'll find Downton slightly changed from the last time you were here, Beatrice."
"That much is clear, Tom. Goodness, a lot changes in two years." she replied, smiling gently at George, who squirmed on Mary's lap, still wary of the new arrival.
"Daddy? Who's this?" Sybbie's voice whispered. Beatrice turned towards the girl.
"Hello Sybbie. My, how you've grown!" she grinned. "Remember me?" she asked.
Sybbie shook her head, and Tom shot Beatrice an apologetic smile.
"Ah, I haven't visited in a while. Did your daddy tell you about me, your Auntie Bea?" the dirty-blonde asked fondly. A few seconds passed, and Sybbie turned thoughtful.
"This is Auntie Beatwice?" she asked. Beatrice's face lit up with joy.
"That's me, darling. I've been here before, and I was good friends with your mama." she explained, her eyes misty. The mention of her mother had Sybbie smiling.
"You knew Mama before she went to heaven?" the child asked. A multitude of emotions passed through the dirty-blonde's face before she gave her answer.
"I did, sweetie. I remember the first time I met her. Another friend brought her around my house, and she was just so kind and beautiful. And she gave me decorating tips." she sighed wistfully. Sybbie smiled at the anecdote. And then Beatrice saw what the child had in her hand - something quite familiar.
"She's always kept the teddy-bear close, Beatrice." Tom explained.
"You got me this, Auntie Beatwice?" Sybbie asked, holding up her beige teddy-bear.
"It was your christening gift from me, darling." Beatrice smiled.
"Thank you. Thank you for Wallie." the three-year-old responded. Beatrice paused.
"She randomly named him that one day, and it's stuck." Tom explained.
"I… no problem, Sybbie. Now here's your first present." the dirty-blonde said emotionally. She reached into her bag and retrieved a photograph. Tom saw a familiar picture, and Sybbie fidgeted in anticipation. Beatrice chuckled quietly.
"I wasn't sure if you still had it Tom, so I made another copy. Look Sybbie, who do you see in this photograph?" she asked. The Branson child's eyes lit up.
"Daddy and Mama!" she exclaimed. "And you, Auntie Bea. But who's next to you, and in the little picture?" she asked, pointing to the smaller picture within. Beatrice's sigh was bittersweet, but she smiled as she explained.
"Next to me is my friend Anthony. The world's biggest joker." she half-laughed. "And in the little frame is your mama's best friend in the world Walter. Walter was my best friend too, that's how I met her. They're… both in heaven now with your mama."
"Walter like Wallie?" Sybbie asked, holding her teddy tighter. Beatrice nodded.
"It's the same name darling, yes. He'd like that. Now, who's ready for more presents?" she asked, putting pep into her voice. Sybbie cheered and George did too, Tom and Mary laughing in response to the kids' reactions.
What none of those in the small library knew, was that three invisible souls were floating above them all, looking at the lively scene with smiles.
"Bea's right, of course. It means a lot to me that Sybbie's teddy has that name." Walter said. "And her assessment of Anthony is spot on." he teased. Anthony, who was floating next to his friend, stuck his tongue out. Sybil snuggled closer to Walter.
"'So kind and beautiful'. High praise indeed." she smiled. Walter kissed her.
"That's because you are, my darling." he beamed. Another soul materialised.
"Hello everyone." a russet-haired man said, a loose smile on his face.
"Michael! Happy Christmas." Sybil grinned. "What brings you here?"
"I wanted to see how Edith was doing." the newcomer replied, his eyes on the strawberry-blonde. She was chatting away to Beatrice, looking somewhat happy.
"Mostly missing little Marigold, I think." Walter supplied. Michael nodded.
"I do check on her at Yew Tree Farm often. Part of me wishes I'd delayed my going to Germany, so Edith could have told me I was to be a father. But…" he trailed off.
"You wanted to set the wheels in motion to marry her as quickly as you could." Sybil said in understanding. Back at Downton, after handing out presents, Beatrice was telling Sybbie stories of Fenwick Cottage, Sybil and Walter. The resulting happiness proved infectious.