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Yorkshire, England. Lord Grantham had married Cora Levinson, an American socialite with a fortune so big it saved Downton. Shortly after they married, they welcomed their first child, or children, into the world.
Lady Mary and Lady Margaret Crawley. Twins, both with dark brown hair and brown eyes. But that was as far as their similarities went.
As the twins grew up, they were joined by two more sisters, Edith and Sybil. As time went on, their differences continued to shine. Where Mary was sometimes snobbish and rude, Margaret was kind and sweet. Where Mary looked down on some people, Margaret welcomed all with open arms.
The biggest difference, however, was the way the two were treated. As the eldest of the two, Mary was expected to marry Robert's heir, keeping Downton Abbey in the Crawley family. With that though, came responsibility and status. Her three younger sisters knew of the order. They knew one day Mary would marry the heir and have the wealth secured. They accepted that fact. But it didn't make it any easier.
———
April 1912.
Margaret awoke before she normally would, an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She found a stray newspaper outside of her door and nearly dropped it in shock from the headline: Titanic Sinks. The ship that was thought to be unsinkable had in fact sunk.
She sat at the foot of her bed, continuing to stare at the newspaper in shock when Anna, her maid, came in. "Good morning, m'lady."
"Anna, is it true?" Margaret asked, holding up the newspaper. "Did it really sink?"
"I'm afraid so."
She sighed. "How horrible. They will have managed to save people, though, right?"
"I certainly hope so, m'lady."
Margaret frowned. "Anna, I've told you. Enough with the m'lady. It annoys me."
"My apologies."
"It's Margaret or Maggie," she added.
Anna nodded. "It feels wrong. You are technically my employer."
Margaret waved it off. "Nonsense. You're my friend. Possibly my best, and I won't have my best friend continue to call me m'lady."
"Certainly, Margaret."
She smiled and made her way to her vanity. "Do something simple please." She stared at her reflection with her long brown hair falling down her back. "Perhaps a simple low bun."
"Certainly." Anna took strands of her hair and pulled them out of her face. When she finished, Anna made her way to the closet. "Any particular one?"
She shook her head. "I trust you. Though, nothing too bright. It feels wrong at a time like this."
Anna came back with a blue dress with white lace around the top. Margaret nodded in approval before Anna helped her into the dress. "Anything else, Margaret?"
