The Second Crawley Bride

Arrival of the Crawleys

Author's Note: I am currently in the rewriting process of all my stories. The updates may be sporadic, but I am back to writing stories! I apologize for the really late update(s) and rewrite(s). 

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In a first-class car of a train to England, a wedded couple of one Joseon woman and one English man were preparing themselves to start over. The husband held onto his wife's hand tightly, while the wife watched the passing scenery with fascination. As the woman's handmaid was preparing for the rest of the day, the couple quietly held onto each other, hoping that their life would take a turn for the better. But the young woman also felt a sadness dig deeper into her as she left behind her homeland, everything, and everyone that she still held dear to her heart and soul.

~~ ..... ~~

Meanwhile in Manchester, a mother and son were in the middle of eating their breakfast, the gentle sunlight brightening up the room with a gentle glow. It was then when a housemaid entered the dining room, notifying them that their letters arrived by politely stating,

"First post, ma'am."

The elderly woman in a dark blue dress accepted her letter, thanking her maid, and handed her son his letter. While he was reading his own letter, his mother had already finished reading hers. Upon reading it, she gasped loudly in shock. But quickly, a pleasant smile spread through her features, causing her son to ask her out of curiosity,

"Mother? What is it?"

The man with blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes wondered what could have caused such a joyous surprise to his mother. After a short moment of silence, she said,

"Oh Matthew, your brother George is returning to England with his wife!"

Matthew froze at the news. Yes, he had received a letter about his brother having fallen in love with a noblewoman from a country called Joseon. The country he had been previously stationed at as part of the English delegation. But he hadn't expected them to really marry that soon, nor for his return to England.

"Wife?", he asked in surprise. His mother nodded, not really minding a wife from a different country (after all, she strongly believed that the world had to move forward and be less prejudiced). She also had known much about her daughter-in-law from George's frequent letters to her.

"Yes! They are both on their way to Manchester!"

Matthew could see the gleam in his mother's eyes, full of joy at the return of her youngest son. While his mother was re-reading the letter with excitement, he finished his own letter. The contents of which, shocked him more so than his brother's marriage.

He sighed, feeling a sense of impending doom, causing her to look up from the letter with a curious glance, and he merely said,

"Well, mother, we might have to send a telegram to him soon."

Clearly not satisfied with the vague explanation, she asked,

"Really? What is it?"

Matthew sighed as he said, "It's from Lord Grantham."

His mother's curious look shifted into confusion. They rarely talked with Lord Grantham, even if her children are related to that family. Not really understanding why that would cause them to reach out to George with a telegram, she again asked,

"What on earth does he want?"

Matthew paused before looking up at her, and saying, "He wants to change our lives."

Not satisfied with that answer either, she finally took the letter from Matthew to read it herself, before gasping, not expecting either of the content of the two letters to reach her that day.