IT IS VERY strange, to be surrounded by such a casual atmosphere — sitting in a lady’s parlor, enjoying tea and lunch, a l o n e . there’s the key word :: for the past eight months, it seems, tatiana has constantly been alone. her aunts are constantly by her side, of course. they flutter and fuss over her, treating her more like a child than a girl of twenty. the fact is, tatiana nikolaevna has become a commodity. the only child of tsar nicholas not to be arrested ( by a twist of fate, and desperate flight from her country ), taken refuge in the english countryside, the last place the new russian government would expect to find her. she has made a terrible journey, and made it alone… for her sisters, a constant presence by her side for the past two decades, are no longer here.
mrs. crawley is terribly kind — as is everyone at downton abbey — but this does not erase the sense of fish-out-of-water confusion which overwhelms her. a year ago, the presence of a royal princess at downton abbey would have been unimaginable. tatiana never conceived she would be here… but now, now, her life is as matter-of-fact as tea in a parlor.
the only place she truly feels herself is the hospital. there, she can find peace in the sense that she is being useful. helping to win the war, even if her hands now save british rather than russian lives, is exactly what she is meant to do… and it gives her some glimmer of hope that, once the war has ended, so too will the nightmare she has found herself in.
‘ it was very kind of you to invite me, mrs. crawley. your home is lovely. ’ of course, pleasantries come naturally to a well-bred princess ;; but conversation about medicine comes easy as breathing, coaxing a small smile to her lips. ‘ i trained with the red cross, you see — alongside my mother and elder sister. we all served as nurses in the imperial hospital at tsarskoe selo. ’ her teacup clinks against it’s dish. ‘ i find nothing more fulfilling than medicine. it is… the most noble vocation for any man or woman to pursue, aside from the church. ’
Isobel couldn’t help but smile as she listened to the young lady. It was a comfort to see another young person take an interest in medicine. Isobel knew what it was like to gain disapproval with other women for it. She “blamed” being surrounded by doctors her entire life because if it weren’t for her family, she would have carried on a life much like other people she came in contact with. She never longed for a different life. She loved medicine and loved being a nurse, loved serving in the Boer War, of helping her husband with his practice until his passing. It was one thing to be a nurse and yet for Isobel, she would often disagree with other doctors her late husband worked alongside. It was those conversations that gave her a negative impression. She continued to disagree with various methods even from Doctor Clarkson, which only grew such an impression with people she came across after Lord Grantham changed her life with a letter to Matthew. She found it hard to get along with Violet because of it.
Things were going to change because of this war and yet not fast enough, but she was pleased to see that more and more young people were expressing a desire in medicine. “I do apologize if this comes across as anything but kind, but it is refreshing to see a young woman such as yourself pursue something that you have passion for. I know for me growing up with an interest in medicine and what I wanted to pursue was often met with disapproval from men and women alike. However, things are changing and I believe it will only get easier.”
“I quite agree. Aside from the church, like you said, nothing is more fulfilling than medicine. Did you always know working in medicine was something you wanted to do?”
