Downton Abbey: The Next Generation

Chapter 7: Caroline

"Caroline, where are you racing off to?!" Grace shouted at me as I raced out of the dining room after I finished my breakfast.

"I still have few more things to do for George's birthday," I called back to her, as I raced down the stairs to the kitchen. I found Mrs. Parker sprinting around the room, Ella on her heels.

"Have you started on the chicken for the upstairs luncheon?" She asked.

"Yes Mrs. Parker," Ella said, placing something in the oven.

"Have you put the sesame bread in the oven as well?"

"Yes, Mrs. Parker," Ella called again. 

"Excuse me, Mrs. Parker," I said, coming into the kitchen. Mrs. Parker turned and wiped her hands on her apron. Ella nearly snapped to attention and wiped her hands on her apron as well. 

"What do you need Miss Caroline?" Mrs. Parker asked me.

"I was wondering if you could make strawberry fruits fool for dessert tonight. It's George's favorite dessert and he would be so happy," I explained hurriedly.

"Of course," she said. "We actually just had a fresh order of strawberries come in today." I smiled and nodded.

"I was also wondering if you could tell me where Johnny is?" I asked.

"I think he's in the boot room, ma'am," Ella said.

"Oh thank you, Ella," I told her and ran down the hallway to the boot room. I found Johnny in there, polishing a pair of George's shoes

"Caroline!?" He said, surprised. "What are you doing here?" I sat down across from him and started playing with the hem of my dress.

"I was coming down to ask Mrs. Parker something and then I remembered to show you something I saw in Grandpa Robert's newspaper this morning."

"Well, what is it?" Johnny asked me. I pulled out the newspaper I had tucked into my jacket I had been wearing all morning. I opened to the page with an article about the Polish invasion.

"It is pretty much confirmed that we will be fighting in a war with the Germans. And from what I've read, it's the same people who killed Marigold's father," I explained.

"Why did you want to show me this?" He asked. I took a deep breath. I had thought about my plan all night and all morning.

"I'm going to fight," I told him. Johnny put down the shoes he was polishing and looked at me confused.

"But how?" He asked. "I'm not saying you're not strong and all, but I don't think war offices would let you enlist."

"The only way anyone is getting to enlist is as a boy," I said. "So that's how I'm going to do it, Johnny."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to pretend to be a boy."

"You're going to what?!" Johnny asked, surprised and confused.

"Exactly that," I said. "I have to fight and no one is going to stop me just because I'm a girl. Would you help me pretend to be a boy?"

"I would do anything for you," Johnny said shyly. "So of course I'll help you." I clapped my hands together excitedly and kissed his cheek.

"You're an angel," I told him and made him blush. Johnny looked at me and kissed me. Suddenly the door opened and Grace walked in.

"Oh my god!" She said, shocked. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!!"

"Grace," I hissed. "Will you shut up!" I sprang up and slammed the door.

"I just can't believe what I saw," she said. "Are you two sweethearts?" I looked at Johnny and he nodded as I did.

"I guess we are," he said, sheepishly. He whispered to me, "Have you told Grace about your master plan?"

"I'm about to," I told him. I turned to Grace. "First, are you going to give us away?" Grace shook her head quickly.

"Of course not. I couldn't do that to you both," she said. "Long live love!" I rolled my eyes and nudged her with my shoulder.

"Now second," I said. "I need your help with something big." Grace sat down and widened her eyes.

"I'm all ears," she said, making a ridiculous face and propping herself up on her elbows. Johnny laughed quietly at Grace's silly and stupid face.

"Johnny and you are going to help me fight in this coming war," I told her.

"How? You won't be able to fight because you're a..."

"A girl," I finished. "I know, but they will if I'm a boy." Grace looked as confused as Johnny did when I first told him. "I know, I know it sounds crazy, but if I pretended to be a boy they would let me fight."

"That actually makes a lot of sense, but how are we going to do it?" Grace asked.

"Yeah," Johnny said. "How are we going to disguise you as a boy?" I looked around the room and found a pair of scissors.

"Well first," I said. "You and Grace are going to cut my hair."

"What?!?!" Grace and Johnny said in unison.

"You are going to cut my hair right now," I told them and handed the scissors to Grace. "You are going to cut my hair as short as Johnny's."

"Are you sure?" Grace asked me. I nodded.

"This is what I want to do," I told them. "I have a duty to fight for my country and for Marigold's father." Grace came over reluctantly with the scissors. She opened the scissors and brought them to my hair. I felt as my hair fell down onto the floor. Johnny helped her make my hair short and look as his.

"I'm finished," Grace said after nearly an hour or two sitting there. "I think it looks alright."

"I think it looks gorgeous," Johnny said. I smiled and blushed.

"Can I see it?" I asked. Grace grabbed a mirror and handed it to Johnny, who passed it to me. I brought it up and saw my new haircut. "It looks amazing!"

"It certainly is different," Grace said. 

"It is perfect and it will shock the family," I told them. "I'm so happy about it! Thank you both!" I said, kissing both of them on the cheek and racing upstairs with Grace on my heels. 

"Here," she said and handed me a hat. "You can show them at luncheon today if you want, But if not, just keep the hat on."

"Thank you dearly, Gracie," I said and raced past her. I sprinted to my room, where I would stay for the remainder of the day. On my way up the stairs, I suddenly collided with somebody and my hat went flying off.

"Caroline, is that you?" Marigold asked, picking herself off the ground. 

"No," I said in a deeper voice, in hopes of concealing myself. I ran past her and raced to my room, happy with the choices I made.

Hi! Hope you enjoy the story so far. Just in case you didn't catch it, Mrs.Parker is...

 Duh duh duh da, Daisy! She married Andy and lives happily with him while he works on Yew Tree Farm. 

Hope you enjoy,

Miss Maggie_Crawley1897