The Youngest Crawley (Peter Parker)

Chapter 9 - Telling

A couple of weeks had passed since both Charlotte and Peter's engagement, and Edith's 'wedding'. Both Peter and Charlotte had agreed that tonight they here going to tell the entire family about the engagement.

"Why don't you have breakfast in bed?" Matthew asked, startling Charlotte out of her daze.

"Because I'm not married, besides I prefer to be up and about." Edith said, as Charlotte smiled and took a bite of her toast. She still felt guilty, she was going to be having breakfast in bed soon enough.

"Tennessee is going to ratify the nineteenth amendment. Meaning all American women will have the right to vote." Robert said, as Peter walked into the dinning room.

"What are you doing here?" Charlotte asked, standing up and running over to greet her fiance, she wanted to kiss him, restrained herself due to her father and sister.

"I wanted to spend the day over here, if that's alright of course?" Peter asked, Robert as her nodded. "Do you mind if I have breakfast as well? I forgot to grab something on my way out."

"Please take a seat." Charlotte said sending him a smile as he nodded and took a seat next to her and across from Robert. They shared a plate of crepes and fruit whilst talking about the news. After a while Charlotte and Peter finished breakfast and excused them selves to go to the art room where Charlotte had a few paintings stored, no one really went in there but her, so she knew they'd get privacy.

"I know I was supposed to come over for dinner, but I was so bored just sitting at home,  I had to come and see you." Peter proclaimed, as Charlotte chuckled.

"It's okay, I'm glad you came," she said, "can I paint you?"

"What?" Peter questioned, looking up from one of her painting's of her sisters.

"Can I paint you? I paint a picture of everyone in the family, and since you're marrying into my family, I only thought it was fitting that I paint a picture of you." She offered, as Peter pondered the idea for a few minutes before nodding.

Charlotte squealed and dragged him to a chair in the corner, and plopping him down.

"Okay, make a handsome pose." She said, getting her painting supplies ready. before looking up to see Peter with one leg crossed as he sat slumped on the chair.

"How's this?" He asked, as she rolled her eyes, but sneered at the pose. "What?"

"No, it's fine." She said, before starting to sketch his figure out. "This is going to take a while, are you okay holding that pose?" She asked, as he nodded and closed his eyes, almost like falling asleep. Two hours later she had Peter's figure painted in and the background mostly painted in, now there's just shading and adding dimension. After putting down her brushes and walking over to him, she bent down and pressed a kiss to his cheek waking him up.

"Oh, sorry. I fell asleep." He confessed.

"I know, it's okay though, you didn't move at all so I got to paint your pose. I'll finish it later, let's go for some fresh air." She said, holding out her hand as Peter nodded and took it standing up out of the chair and cracking his back.

"I'm nervous for tonight." Peter confessed, as they sat down at a bench outside of Downton. "I know you're family and I know they trust me but, what if they're made we didn't tell them right away?" 

"I think they'll understand, in fact I'm sure granny will be glad we waited." Charlotte said, as Peter's eyes widened.

"Oh, I completely forgot about your grandmother," Peter groaned, "she terrifies me." he said, as Charlotte nodded.

"She terrifies everyone." 

"Milady, luncheon is ready." Anna said, running from the house.

"Thank you, we'll be right there." Charlotte said, as Anna curtsied and rush ed back to the house, "well, dinner calls." Charlotte standing up and holding out her hand. Peter smiled and took her hand before standing up and walking back to the house together.

"Do you think they're engaged?" Violet asked, looking out the window to the young couple with Cora.

"Probably, I think that's why Peter came over today, so that they could tell us. I mean it has been two weeks since the wedding." Cora said, as Violet hummed and turned around to greet her granddaughter, who had let go of Peter's hand.

"Hello dear!" She said, giving Charlotte a hug, "Mr. Parker, nice to see you again."

"And you." Peter said, taking her hand before heading to the dinning room with Charlotte. "That was the scariest thing I've ever done." Peter said, putting a hand to his heart.

"She likes you though, that's good." Charlotte said, patting his shoulder. They all made there way to the dinning room and sat down for luncheon. It was awkward to say the least, Charlotte knew that her grandmother knew about her and Peter.

"So Peter, when is you company starting up?" Violet asked, as Peter cleared his throat.

"In about a month, we need to get a few more workers, but all the parts are made about a mile away." Peter said, "I would love to take anyone on a tour of the factory if you'd like?"

"I think we know someone who would like that." Robert said, looking over to Tom, who chuckled and nodded.

"How's Sybil?" Charlotte asked Tom, while the others where talking. They had come over about a week ago, and Robert had insisted they stay at Downton for there safety.

"She's a bit overwhelmed," Tom sighed, "the doctor's coming up in about an hour to check on her."  Charlotte felt horrible, her poor sister was upstairs with swollen ankles and she was downstairs eating salmon puffs. After Luncheon Charlotte pulled Peter to aside.

"I think we need to wait until after Sybil gives birth. To be honest I don't feel comfortable telling everyone when Sybil is upstairs." Charlotte whispers, as Peter sighs.

"I don't want to wait that much longer darling, don't you think it's kinda of cruel?" Peter asked, holding her hand and pressing a kiss to her back of it.

"Yes, but we can tell them as soon as she gives birth, which is looking like tomorrow," Charlotte said, "please?"

"You're taking advantage of my easy going nature." Peter said, flashing her a gummy smile just as violet walked into the room they where in. As soon as she did hey quickly jumped apart from each other and cleared their throats.

"Oh no, don't bother hiding it from me," Violet said as Charlotte smirked, "almost everyone knows dear. We're just waiting for you to announce your engagement."

"Granny!" Charlotte gasped, looking around to make sure non of the servants where around to hear and placed a finger over her mouth.  "Be careful, we don't want the servants hearing anything."