Downton Abbey Imagines and One Shots

Sybil Crawley- Kitchen Love (c)

How you ended up in the kitchen, in tears beginning to not lose your job was beyond you. Actually you knew perfectly well how you ended up there. You worked in the kitchens for Lord and Lady Grantham as a scullery maid, however helped Mrs Patmore with the meals more than you should admit. You didn't do the cooking, that was Mrs Patmore's pride and joy, but you did help prepare and read recipes for her so that she could work at a faster pace. However, you had always cooked for your siblings and father, so were more than capable to be shadowing Mrs Patmore.

Months prior, Lady Sybil came to the kitchen and asked for cooking lessons. Mrs Patmore turned her head from the conversation, not wishing to go behind the masters back with such nonsense but you offered to teach her as even if she was a noble woman, it couldn't harm her to learn to feed herself. For those months you worked to teach her to cook and fend for herself within a kitchen and she did terribly well. You got to know her more than you ever had, she was always Lady Sybil, someone whom you did not converse with unless she decided to, but now she was your friend. She may be from a different world, but you were surprisingly alike.

You had been raised on a farm in Downton, eldest daughter to a farmer. When your mother died, she left your father with the farm and his five children. You had to grow up quickly to be a mother to your brothers and sisters. You were beyond lucky to work for Lord Grantham, being able to send your family money, but leaving your younger sister to care for the youngest three. Your dream had been to move into London and work in a lavish restaurant but working in the kitchens of Downton Abbey was close enough for now. Lady Sybil may have been given everything on a silver platter (literally), but she didn't want to just be a woman of status, to marry for riches and sit there and be complacent. She wanted to fight for the rights of women and the poor, but also help with the war effort as everyone in the country did. She planned to become a nurse, not that her parents were wise of the fact.

The last lesson you had with Lady Sybil seemed the same as any. You had gotten her to make a pie, one you had taught her the week before, but didn't give her any instruction this time. She did amazingly as she did every week, but it was yourself whom stumbled and ruined the fortunate position you had gotten into. Since working in the kitchen, you had been interested in the younger daughter, not that you'd admit that to anyone. It wasn't seemly for a woman to have an interest in another woman. After working with her for so long, it was undeniable that you were head over heels for her.

You had no intentions to tell her, but part of you didn't agree. The three forbidden words had accidentally slipped your lips, and you knew your life was over. Having told a woman of status, whom was the daughter of your employer, that you loved her meant you'd be unlikely able to show your face in England. As soon as you realised what you had said, you began to plea with her to ignore it, and not tell her father.

However, your pleading and begging was futile. It didn't matter but not in the way you'd assumed.

Sybil stopped your tears and desperate pleading with her lips pressing to yours. It caught you off guard leaving you shocked and unsettled with why she would do such a thing. Did she like you in return?

As she pulled away she had a sweet smile on her face.

"Please stop crying," she smiled softly. "I do not mind what you said."

"Pardon ma'am," you whispered, wiping your tears.

She let out a laugh. "It is Sybil, Y/N, not ma'am. And I said I do not mind. Frankly I am rather fond of you myself. Not that at this moment in time I would be willing to tell my father such things. However, I do not wish you to leave your position here. I care for you, in ways I should not."

You cocked an eyebrow at her. She liked you too?

"I'm sorry to say that my course starts in a week, and I will be gone for some time. However I will return to Downton as soon as I can, and then I wish to continue this, if you wished that is."

The smile on your face couldn't be contained.

"Continue this ma'a- I mean Sybil?"

"Yes, this," she smiled, leaning in the kiss you once more. "But please in the meantime, do not tell anyone, I cannot bear to think what papa, would do to you if he knew of my affections. I will tell him, but not until I return, and we see if this does work."

You nodded your head, happier than you had ever been before.

~*~

Written by Charlotte.

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