𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐲- 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐲

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏- 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏

I woke up this morning feeling tired and hungry, just like always though. I then rang for Anna and she came up just about a minute later to get me dressed.
"Good morning M'lady." Anna said politely.
"Good morning Anna." She then hands me the paper.

I look down at it shocked at what the contents inside of it contain. The Titanic has sunk. I was stunned. The unsinkable ship has sunk. I didn't say anything. Anna then proceeded to help me get dressed. I wore a simple morning dress and then went downstairs for breakfast, as I always do. I was walking down the stairs and saw Sybil so I quickly sped over to her and smiled. She smiled back and went into the breakfast room. Thomas then hands me a tray with the post and I take the letter before I enter after her.
"Good morning, Papa." I say.
"Morning. What's that?" Papa asks me.
"Just arrived. Telegram." I told him. Papa then opens the telegram while he continues to read the paper. He looks quite scared and even stunned by the telegram's contents. Mary, Sybil, Edith, and I all stare at him waiting. He gets up from the table without a word. We all then looked at each other confused at what just happened with Papa, all of us proceeded to continue eating. Once I was finished eating I then decided to go down to the servants hall like I always do in the mornings.

I got down there and all of them were sitting around the table talking. Well, almost everyone, I saw O'brian, Gwen, Mr. Carson, and a few other new servants I didn't know. I entered their dining room and Mr. Carson immediately stood up. Over the years ever since I was little, I always told them not to stand or disrupt whatever they were doing once I was there. I may be a Lady but I'm just like everyone else and so are they. We are all people. No matter how many times I've said any of this, Mr. Carson will always do it no matter what. I guess it's just a habit for him but I don't mind. Everyone does call me Liz/Lizzie or Elizabeth just as I asked them too. I'm not into the formal "m'lady" or "Lady Elizabeth" ; it's all too classy for me.
"Good morning Elizabeth, I suppose you heard about the titanic?" Carson asked me.
"Yes Carson I did, thank you for asking. I do, though, feel horrible for all those who lost someone with that tragic accident." I said with a frown.
"As do I m'lady." He nods and then walks off to perform other duties. I then tell everyone a good morning and they say it back. After that I then go into the kitchen to greet Mrs. Patmore and Daisy.
"Good morning Mrs. Patmore," I say with a smile as I see her cooking her wonderful delicious food. "Do you need any help with anything?" I then ask.
"Oh good morning m'lady but that's alright Daisy can manage," she then looked at Daisy running around the kitchen "right Daisy!"
"Oh um yes Mrs. Patmore, yes Mrs. Patmore!" Daisy said frantically.

I then took that as my cue to leave and get ready for the day. I then went upstairs and rang Anna to get ready once again. Once I was done getting dressed in my mourning outfit I went to Mary's room to talk about Patrick Mary's (now dead) fiance.
I've been in Mary's room talking with my sisters. Mary was putting on her earrings while Sybil and I were sitting on Mary's bed with Edith on the other side of us. Mary then says to Edith,
"Really, Edith, do you have to put on such an exhibition?
"She's not." Sybil argues back.
"I was supposed to be engaged to him, for heaven's sake, not you, and I can control myself." Mary tells her.

"Then you should be ashamed." Edith crys.
Soon enough it was time for the evening and I was with Sybil in Mary's bedroom along with Anna.
"Perhaps she's misunderstood." Anna states.
"No, it was quite plain. O'Brien told her Bates can't do the job properly. Why was he taken on?" Mary responds.
"Oh, he was Lord Grantham's Batman when he was fighting the Boers."
"I know that, but even so."
"Well, I think it's romantic." I then say.
"I don't. How can a valet do his work if he's lame?" Mary states back.
"He's not very lame." Anna tells Mary as Anna finishes her hair. Anna then asks Mary,
"There. Anything else before I go down?"
"No, that's it. Thank you." Mary then looks at herself in the mirror as Anna exits her room.
"Oh I hate black." Mary moans with a sigh.
"It's not for long. Mama says we can go into half-mourning next month and back to colours by September." Sybil tell's her.
"It still seems like a lot for a cousin." Mary says.
"But not a fiance." I say.
"He wasn't really a fiancé." Mary then tells me.
"No? I thought that was what you call a man you're going to marry." I say questionable.
"I was only going to marry him if nothing better turned up."
"Mary, what a horrid thing to say." Sybil buds in.
"Don't worry, Edith would've taken him, wouldn't she?" Mary asks us both.

"Yes, I suppose she would have taken him. If you had given her the chance, she'd have taken him like a shot." I tell Mary. Sybil and I then leave Mary to go and prepare ourselves for dinner.
Before I head down stairs I pop my head into Mary's bedroom and ask her,
"I'm going down. Coming?"
"In a moment. You go." Mary tells me. I then fully go into her room and shut the door.
"I know you're sad about Patrick. Whatever you say, I know it." I told her.
"You're a darling. But you see, I'm not as sad as I should be. And that's what makes me sad." Mary then looks at me through the mirror and I proceed to go over to her and give her a quick hug before leaving. She thanked me and I leave her room and shut the door to go downstairs.

It was now the late evening and I proceeded to follow Sybil, Edith, Mary, and Mama into the drawing room. As we enter I hear Papa bickering with Granny. They both stop as Mama walks in and she says,
"I hope I don't hear sounds of a disagreement."
"What? Is that what they call discussion in New York?" Granny asks.
"Well, I'm glad you're fighting. I'm glad somebody's putting up a fight." Mary pipes in.
"You're not really fighting Granny, are you, Papa?" I ask him.
"Your grandmother merely wishes to do the right thing. And so do I." Papa responds. Carson then enters the drawing room and tells Mama,
"Dinner is served, M'lady."

~The Next Day~
Sybil, Edith, Mary, and I are all in Mary's bedroom that morning. I proceed to put a flower in Mary's hair in front of the mirror.
"Oh, do stop admiring yourself. He's not marrying you for your looks. That's if he wants to marry you at all." Edith tells Mary.
"He will." Mary states.
"You look beautiful." I tell Mary with a lipped smile.
"Thank you Lizzie, darling." Mary smiles at me. We all then look at the door as we hear someone come into the room. It was Mama. She told us all to go downstairs because the Duke will be at the house from the station soon. We all go down to the front to greet him.
"Welcome to Downton." Papa tell's the Duke.
"Lady Grantham, this is so kind of you." Duke says.
"Not at all, Duke. I'm delighted you could spare the time. You know my daughter, Mary, of course." Mama tells him.
"Of course, Lady Mary." He says.
"And Edith, but I don't believe you've met my youngest daughters, Sybil and Elizabeth." She then looks over to me and Sybil.
"Ah, Lady Sybil," He takes her hand, then mine. "Lady Elizabeth," I nod back to him.
"Come on in, you must be worn out." Mama then lets him follow him inside.
"Oh, Lady Grantham, I have a confession to make, which I hope won't cause too much bother. My man was taken ill just as I was leaving, so..." Duke tells Mama.
"Oh, well, that won't be a problem, will it Carson?" Papa asks Carson.
"Certainly not. I shall look after His Grace myself." Carson tells him proudly.
"Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of being such a nuisance, surely a footman..." He says looking straight at Thomas.
"I remember this man. Didn't you serve me when I dined with Lady Grantham in London?"
"I did, Your Grace." Thomas tells him.
"Ah, there we are. We shall do very well together, won't we...?"
"Er, Thomas, Your Grace."
"...Thomas."
"Good." Mama states. We all then start to head inside the house and suddenly Mr. Bates falls. My eyes widen and I immediately want to go and help him. Sybil holds me back and continues trying to push me inside as I look back at Mr. Bates. Anna then looks at me and gives me a nod telling me he's ok so I can go inside.

~Later~
It was now dinner time and everyone was sitting at the dining table and having a conversation.
I'm afraid we're rather a female party tonight, Duke, but you know what it's like trying to balance numbers in the country. A single man outranks the Holy Grail." Mama says.
"No, I'm ter-- I'm terribly flattered to be dining en famille." Duke tells her. I rolled my eyes slightly, luckily nobody noticed. Well... Sybil did. She quietly laughed and so did I.
"What were you and Mary doing in the attics this afternoon?" Edith then asked him.
"I expect Mary was just showing the duke the house, weren't you?" Sybil asks yet another question.
"Are you a student of architecture?" asks Granny.
"Mm, absolutely." Duke responds.
"Then I do hope you'll come and inspect my little cottage. It was designed by Rein..." Granny states questionably.
"Ah."
"...for the first earl's sister."
"The attics?" Papa asks.
"Yes. Mary took the duke up to the attics." Edith states.
"Whatever for?" Papa asks again. I stopped listening after that. I felt rather bored and tired. I never really feel needed in dinner conversations. I never really talk that much anyways.
We all then went to the drawing room to talk and chat. I left for bed a few minutes later not really feeling like talking to anyone. Now I just have to wait for morning to arrive and see what life has in store for me next.