janeyweir·:
It had been a long time since Janey had been in company other than that of her sisters and her brother, or perhaps her late husband’s family, and she wished rather strongly that she had waited until past ten to come down for breakfast - at least then there would be some chance of seeing Thomas up and about, to shield her from all the strangers. She had thought that visiting Lord and Lady Grantham would help her - Thomas had assured her it would - but instead she found herself even more out of sorts than usual, which was saying something. In the empty drawing room she picked up a piece of dry toast from the rack, then put it down again, appetite gone.
Downton was no more grand than Matlock, which had been the seat of the Earls of March for over a century now; indeed, Matlock was larger, but that did not mean it was preferable, and Janey had loved Downton when she had visited it before - before she had been widowed. The aspect was stunning, and the Yorkshire downs made for excellent riding, just like that of her childhood, a few miles away at the Bedford estate. Yet, she could not rouse any excitement at the thought of heading out, even in such brilliant weather. She frustrated even herself with her dim mood - she could only imagine what a moping shadow of a thing she appeared to others. Pausing by an ornate baroque mirror, she fiddled irritably with her earring, trying to convince the woman in the mirror to find some of her old, bubbly self and bring her back to the surface.
Kitty was being punished by God,she was sure of it. Somehow her mother had found out about her late-night adventure into town without her beloved husband and appeared at an ungodly hour for a visit. Somehow she was invited (ordered) to accompany her irritating mama to Downton to invite Lady Grantham to tea,a task Kitty was far too hung over to acomplish so while they talked, Kitty made her escape to wander aound the grounds,scouting for anything fun to do or someone to spy on. She had nearly given up when she spotted Lady Weir.
"Finally, someone to talk to!" Kitty exclaimed cheekily with a smile. "It's good to see you out and about. How are you?" Kitty asked genuinely.












