![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Breakfast at Downton
Jul. 9th, 2012 07:41 pm"The color looks very fine on you, m'lady," says Anna as she places the final pin in Lady Mary's hair.
"Right now I think anything would suit me better than that dreadful black." Mary's measured tone hides the fact that she's actually very excited to finally be allowed a colored frock.
"Will that be all, m'lady?"
"Yes, thank you, Anna."
As Anna takes her leave, Mary turns to admire her reflection in the dressing table mirror. Yes, the pale blue really is quite fetching. After all these weeks in mourning, it's also a great relief.
Black was an all too uncomfortable reminder of how she'd failed Patrick. Not by her inability to love him—in more than a sisterly way, at least—but in her inability to mourn him properly. Their engagement had never been anything more than the sensible thing to do, both to ensure her own future and that of the Grantham line. Still, she had many fond childhood memories of Patrick, and he deserved better from her than the relief she still felt at being free from the engagement.
Time, though, to put guilt and regret behind her. Mama had delivered excellent news at luncheon yesterday. The Duke of Crowborough would be coming to stay at Downton in a week's time. Maybe Mary would never be Countess of Grantham, but no one could argue that Duchess of Crowborough was a poor substitute.
In the end, forgetting this nasty business with Patrick was all for the best.
Satisfied with her appearance, and her ability to ensnare a young, handsome Duke, Mary descended the stairs to the dining room to join her sisters for breakfast.
"Good morning, Sybil, darling," she said, heading straight to the sideboard to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Edith, good God! Why on earth are you wearing that gloomy gray? We're out of mourning now, or hadn't you heard?"
"I..." Edith started to respond, but Mary swept on, cutting her off.
"Now, Sybil, what do you say to an afternoon ride?"
"Right now I think anything would suit me better than that dreadful black." Mary's measured tone hides the fact that she's actually very excited to finally be allowed a colored frock.
"Will that be all, m'lady?"
"Yes, thank you, Anna."
As Anna takes her leave, Mary turns to admire her reflection in the dressing table mirror. Yes, the pale blue really is quite fetching. After all these weeks in mourning, it's also a great relief.
Black was an all too uncomfortable reminder of how she'd failed Patrick. Not by her inability to love him—in more than a sisterly way, at least—but in her inability to mourn him properly. Their engagement had never been anything more than the sensible thing to do, both to ensure her own future and that of the Grantham line. Still, she had many fond childhood memories of Patrick, and he deserved better from her than the relief she still felt at being free from the engagement.
Time, though, to put guilt and regret behind her. Mama had delivered excellent news at luncheon yesterday. The Duke of Crowborough would be coming to stay at Downton in a week's time. Maybe Mary would never be Countess of Grantham, but no one could argue that Duchess of Crowborough was a poor substitute.
In the end, forgetting this nasty business with Patrick was all for the best.
Satisfied with her appearance, and her ability to ensnare a young, handsome Duke, Mary descended the stairs to the dining room to join her sisters for breakfast.
"Good morning, Sybil, darling," she said, heading straight to the sideboard to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Edith, good God! Why on earth are you wearing that gloomy gray? We're out of mourning now, or hadn't you heard?"
"I..." Edith started to respond, but Mary swept on, cutting her off.
"Now, Sybil, what do you say to an afternoon ride?"
