Une Nouvelle Ère [Book 2]

IX

The morning after, Alex was out and ready for his morning bike ride, when he saw his eldest coming out of her room as well.

"Morning." he greeted happily, and starling her a little.

"Oh...it's you." Mary replied, and slowly smiles "Good morning, Little Prince."

He then walks up to her and gives her a hug, to which she was confused at first...before returning the gesture.

"What is this...?" she asks him.

"Nothing. I just want to hug my sister and make sure she's alright." Alex replied.

"Oh..." Mary slowly smiles, and held him closer "Thank you, Alex. And yes, I am alright."

Alex then smiles at her "Good! Because I don't want to go on a bike ride with any of my sisters being sad back here at home."

Mary chuckles, and cups his smiling face with her hands "Oh my darling brother, what will we all do without you?"

"Be sadder, I suppose." he quipped, making her laugh softly.

"Oh, do go on now." she then said to him and kisses his cheek "Just be back in time before breakfast."

"I will!"

***

"Ah, Alex! There you are. We thought you'd miss breakfast today."

Violet Crawley then said as her grandson entered the dining hall. The rest of the family are there, with the exemption of the children, of course.

Alex chuckles softly, and kisses her cheek "Sorry Granny, I was helping downstairs and also played with Johnny for a bit."

"And we thought you ate breakfast with the Lewises." Edith teased.

"Oh, yes. And then the next thing we know, you're going to move in there." Mary added.

"I will never move out of Downton, just so you all know." Alex countered "What is the use of being the Earl of Grantham if you don't live in the seat of your county?"

"Hear, hear." Robert smiles at his son before reading the day's news.

"By the way, Richie called today" Cora then said to Alex, "He was asking me if they can come here tomorrow."

"Really?" Alex said, a bit surprised "And did you say 'yes'?"

"Why, of course I did! You can introduce them to Miss Smith as well, if you like."

"I suppose I could, yes." Alex then turned to his grandmother "Surely you don't mind more chaos in this House, Granny? Since you'll be staying here for a few more days."

"Well, I have handled your father and aunt's chaos for many years," Violet said, making her son look up from the newspaper, confused "Surely I can handle all of you...however many are you."

"Rosamund was more chaotic than me, Mama." Robert said.

"At least she didn't kiss all the boys at Eton as much as you did." Violet countered, making everyone in the table surprised and the siblings laugh.

"Care to explain that, Papa?" Alex then said, trying to catch his breath after laughing

Robert flicks the newspaper and buried his face to it, hiding his embarrassed face "I'd rather not talk about it."

***

Hours before tea time and the arrival of The Fellowship, Alex was walking around the grounds with Cleo, when he two female figures up on the tree by the greenhouse. He rushes to them, seeing Jo and Diana laughing happily up above.