The Journey of Living at Downton

Chapter 15: April 1919

The preparation for Mr Crawley's and Miss Swire's wedding is underway. Everyone is very excited, everyone except Emma and Lady Mary. The latter as the love of her life is marrying someone else and the former is because of the news of the spread of the Spanish flu.

Sybil had not been convinced by her sisters' arguments against marrying Billy, which leads to contentious arguments.

"But why announce it tonight all of a sudden?" Lady Mary asks Sybil, looking at her through the mirror on her vanity, where she sits. Anna is tidying her hair.

"He's got a job at the Shipyard in Southampton. He heard today it's a real chance." Sybil replies from where she stands in the middle of the room. Emma had tidied away and now only stands next to Sybil.

"Let him go to Southampton and then you can use the calm to consider." Lady Mary declares. Sybil scoffs.

"Mary doesn't want you to be trapped before you're completely sure." Lady Edith mediates from a chair in the room.

Sybil is frustrated by her sisters. "But I am sure! How many times do I have to say it? Anna, tell them."

"Lady Mary's right. It's a very big thing to give up your whole world." Anna says, having now finished Lady Mary's hair.

"Thank you. Listen to her if you won't listen to me." Lady Mary mutters as she puts on her gloves.

"Well, what about Emma! She's going to Dublin to marry Branson." Sybil retorts. Emma looks at her with wide eyes before looking at everyone's shocked faces.

"You're what?" Comes from Lady Edith.

"Emma?" Lady Mary asks.

"Um... y-yes that's the plan but not until Sybil is sorted." Is Emma's stumbled reply.

"You're marrying the chauffeur." Lady Edith says, still surprised.

"Actually, he's a journalist now." Emma retorts. Why had she said it like it's something wrong?

"And what will you be doing?" Lady Mary asks. It hurts Emma to hear the doubt and judgment in the woman's voice.

"Nursing."

"Anyway, I'm not giving up my world!" Sybil interrupts, looking at Emma apologetically. "They want to give me up. That's their affair. I'm perfectly happy to carry on being friends with everyone."

"Married to a shipbuilder?" Lady Mary comments.

"Yes. Though technically he's an engineer, which sounds better for Granny." Sybil sits down on the bed, frustrated. "We're going to tell Papa tonight." They all stare at her in shock except Emma who already knows this.

""We"?" Lady Edith echoes. "You mean, you and Mr Prior?"

"He's coming in after dinner."

"But what will Papa do?"

"I imagine he'll call the police." The eldest Crawley daughter remarks.

Sybil sniffs and shakes her head.

——

Emma leaves the room with Anna to go downstairs to prepare to help with dinner.

"You didn't tell me about this!" Anna hisses at Emma.

"Well, I'm telling you now!" Emma replies. She honestly feels bad that she never mentioned any of this to Anna or any of the others downstairs. She should probably get on with that.

"Have you even told Gemma?"

Emma winces. "No, Lady Sybil only knows because she was there when Mr Branson proposed and, well, Lady Mary was an accident."