Emma Crawley (Downton Abbey Season 1)

Episode 1- Dilemma

The matriarch of the Family was her grandmother, Violet Crawley. Violet was the traditional female counterpart of her father. Violet was one Emma never wanted to mess around with. She was very fond of Violet and vice versa. Emma liked her wit and sense of humor and wisdom.

The door opened and her maid, Jane, came in, carrying a tea-tray with a decorated tea pot that was steaming, a teacup and spoon. Emma loved waking up and drinking a cup of green tea and reading The Sketch.

'Good morning, Jane, how are you this morning?' Emma said, looking away from the photograph, and towards her loyal maid. Jane had dark hair and eyes and pale skin and full lips, as well she was around thirty years old, she was tall and slim. Jane was married to a head chef and had a son, Anthony, who was ten years old, and attending boarding school. Jane had been attending to Emma since she was eleven years old.

'I am well, my lady,' she said.

Emma sat down at her makeup table and Jane set the tray on the free space of the table and Emma helped herself to tea whilst Jane started to comb Emma's wavy hair and pulled the newspaper and saw the headline, Emma nearly spat out her tea.

DISASTER TO TITANIC ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE

'What! This can't be!' Emma exclaimed, looking sternly at the page.

'I'm afraid so, my lady,' Jane said, 'how would you like your hair today?'

Emma didn't even ponder about her hair, only the headline started to whirl around in her mind.

'Oh, just in a simple bun, thank you, and a light green dress.'

'Very well, my lady,'

Emma read the article and her mind was blank with shock. She knew some people who were on board, she remembered meeting JJ Astor months ago and his new wife.

Emma got dressed quickly and she thanked Jane before heading downstairs to the Breakfast room. She hoped her father was down there already.

She met Mary and Edith down the stairs and caught up with them.

'Did you hear?' Edith said to her, glancing at her younger sister.

'I did, I hope it's not as devastating as it sounds on the newspaper,' Emma said sadly.

'It's in black and white, Emma, regardless. Many people died overnight,' Mary said sharply.

Emma didn't say anything more as they made it to the Breakfast room and she saw her father, already sat down for breakfast and had his favourite paper, THE TIMES, in his hands. No doubt reading about the Titanic.

Mary, Edith and Emma looked over his shoulder and saw the large photograph of the RMS Titanic on the right side of the paper.

'When Anna told me, I thought she must've dreamt it,' Edith said sullenly, staring at the paper.

'Do we know anyone on board?' Mary asked.

'Your mother knows the Astors, at least, she knows him,' Robert said. 'We dined with Lady Rothes last month, there are bound to be others.'

Emma couldn't look at the paper anymore, so she went over to the self help table and helped herself to some toast and fresh yoghurt.

'I thought it was supposed to be unsinkable.'

'Every mountain is unclimbable until someone climbs it, so every ship is unsinkable until it sinks,' Robert said wisely.

'Hear, hear,' Emma said, she nodded at her younger sister, Sybil, who just entered the room with a letter in her hands.