✔️ shadows of desire | downton abbey

chapter 31

NO ONES POV

The dining room at Downton Abbey was filled with the soft clink of silver against porcelain, the rich aroma of fresh tea wafting through the air. The Crawley family sat around the long oak table, sunlight filtering through the tall windows, casting a warm glow over the morning meal.

Lord Grantham cleared his throat, setting his teacup down with a gentle clatter. "So, what are your plans for the day?" he asked, glancing between his two eldest daughters, Lady Mary and Lady Edith.

Lady Edith, sitting to his right, dabbed her mouth with a napkin before responding. "I was thinking of going into the village," she said, her voice soft but determined.

Lady Mary's brow arched, a note of disdain creeping into her expression. "Why? Isn't it enough that darling Sybil has already run off to Ireland?" She spoke in a casual, cutting tone, as if Edith's plans were inconsequential, just another topic for her to pick apart.

Edith's lips thinned, her hand gripping her spoon a little tighter. "What's it to you?" she shot back. "At least I have plans. Better than sitting around waiting for a gentleman to come calling."

The tension in the room rose a degree, the air thickening with the weight of their rivalry. Lady Mary, never one to back down from a verbal sparring match, placed her teacup down with deliberate care, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm meeting Mr. Talbot today, if you must know. He's planning to take me on a walk."

Edith seized her moment. "Like a dog?" she quipped, her words cutting through the room like a blade, the faintest smirk curling her lips.

Mary's eyes flicked toward her sister, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, with a venomous sweetness, she replied, "Funny, I was just about to say that about your hair. But it looks like you beat me to it."

Edith's smirk faltered, and her cheeks flushed with irritation. Before the exchange could escalate, Lady Grantham entered the room, the soft rustle of her dress and the gentle scent of lavender filling the air as she moved gracefully toward the table.

"Girls, please," she said, her voice cool but firm, the unspoken command hanging between her daughters like a ceasefire.

Lord Grantham, seizing the opportunity to shift the conversation, turned his attention to his wife. "Why aren't you resting, Cora? I thought you weren't feeling well."

Lady Grantham gave a light sigh as she took her seat. "Isobel has invited herself for tea this morning. I expect she'll want to discuss the future of Downton, now that the war is over," she said, a hint of irritation seeping into her usually calm tone. "I'd rather face her directly than have her talking behind my back."

A soft murmur of agreement spread through the room as the tension between Mary and Edith dissipated, at least for now. The clinking of silver resumed, the gentle hum of conversation drifting through the dining room once more. The warmth of the morning sun did little to ease the underlying tension, but for a moment, the family found a semblance of peace, however fleeting.

The crisp morning air swept through the grand entrance of Downton Abbey as the sound of wheels crunching on the gravel driveway announced the arrival of Isobel Crawley and her son, Matthew. Inside, the soft murmur of conversation filled the dining room, but it was quickly interrupted by the telltale echo of Carson's footsteps as he moved toward the front door to greet the guests.

"Mrs. Crawley and Mr. Matthew Crawley have arrived," Carson's deep voice intoned as he stepped into the room, his impeccable posture and calm demeanor as ever a pillar of Downton's formality.

Lord Grantham rose first, smoothing his jacket before turning to the rest of his family. "Well, it seems we're to have company."

Lady Grantham, sitting with an air of quiet dignity at the head of the table, took a small breath and glanced at her daughters before standing. "Let us greet them properly," she said, her voice a mixture of politeness and reluctance. Her eyes held a certain unease, knowing that the conversation ahead with Isobel might not be as comfortable as their usual family pleasantries.