Downton Abbey Fanfiction

¤Fifteen¤

One week before Charlie and Elsie's wedding
Downton Abbey

Tom had returned. Mary was overjoyed, she finally had someone besides Edith. Despite now knowing some of Edith's issues- namely what Mary had come to call 'the Marigold Saga'-, Mary still fancied herself worse off than her sister. She had lost the love of her life, the father of her son. She refused to believe that Edith was suffering in the same way, with the death of Michael.

Cora and Robert weren't seeing eye to eye lately . Mary didn't worry too much though, no one did. Everyone was caught up in their own problems. Edith had invited David to the house for Carson and Mrs Hughes's wedding, which had become more of an upstairs event than a downstairs one. Even Martha Levinson had invited herself. Cora wasn't very happy about that, especially since her mother would realise that she was pregnant the moment she saw her, information that had yet to be announced.

Due to everyone's own problems, not even Edith was observant enough to see the small bump that Cora struggled to conseal with the folds of her dress. Miss O'Brien had resumed her place as Cora's lady's maid. Baxter was given a trial as a nanny, due to the experience she had with her last mistress's children and her many younger siblings . Mr Goswami took the place of Tom's valet. Tom neither needed or wanted a valet but he wasn't given the luxury of choice.

Robert was on the hunt for a new dog. Mrs Levinson's visit didn't overjoy him either, and he had plans to spend most of it training the (so far imaginary) new dog. Martha was sure to notice the rift in their marriage, Violet noticed it too, and when Martha did there would be no escaping a lecture - if not a marriage counceller. Violet had already almost given him a clip on the ear for 'starving the poor woman of attention' and said that he needed to 'think about the family'. The Dowager also didn't fail to remind her son that 'I knew an American would be trouble'.

Mary was lonely. Her long line of adoring suitors was shortening and she was getting older. She didn't want to grow old alone like she was sure Edith would. She wanted to remarry, preferably to the next best thing to Matthew. In the meantime, she didn't even have anyone to mess about with.

Edith was getting closer to David everyday. Now they even went as far to call each other when Edith was in Downton, feigning that it was work for the newspaper. In fact they rarely mentioned the newspaper, simply flirted through the telephone and chatted about the next film they were going to see. David said that she reminded him of Blanche Sweet. He was so lovely like that. No one else had ever compared her to a film star. She couldn't wait to introduce him to Mary and see her shocked reaction.

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Downstairs, Downton Abbey

"Mrs Charles Carson. Mrs Elsie Carson, Mrs Carson." Elsie let the words roll from her tongue, enjoying the fact that in less than one week she would be called these things. She was to finally marry the man she loved, and these last days had suddenly made it seem a lot more real. They were honoured (well Charlie was), that the family were not only attending the wedding, but had allowed them to hold the reception above stairs as though it was an upstairs event.

One thing that Elsie was a bit apprehensive about was the attendance if her sister, Becky. Becky wasn't like other people, she needed to be treated in a special way. Her physical age had nothing to do with her mental maturity, something that some people found difficult to come to terms with. Elsie was also worried, as this would be Charlie's first time meeting Becky. She didn't know how he would react.

Meanwhile, Mr Moseley was spending more and more time with his fiance. They hadn't told anyone, deciding to wait until after Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes's wedding to break the news. Phyllis felt as though she was walking on air. Joseph loved her enough to marry her. Her job at Downton no longer mattered as much, (although her nanny job was going quite well), all that mattered was that she and Joseph were together.