Formality

***Be forewarned that this contains major spoilers for series 4. If you don't want to find out what happens to certain characters, stop reading here***

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So I know Edith's child hasn't been given a name yet. I wanted to name her after someone she cared about deeply, so it had meaning- and the first thing I came up with was Edith's relationship with her grandmother, the Dowager Countess. Enjoy!

                                                                                                      July, 1938

After half-listening to the adults at his table discuss politics for a while, George suddenly put down his fork at dinner. He knew he should probably care but that was beside the point. He couldn't believe he almost forgot to tell her.

"Mama," he said. She looked at him in interest. He could see his younger cousin grinning at him out of the corner of his eye. Sybbie, to her left, called out in her American accent, "It wasn't that funny." which made Vi laugh out loud and Uncle Tom give her a scolding look. George stuck out his tongue at her playfully and continued.

"The most hilarious thing happened down at the village today. Me and Vi were out walking and-" 

"You and who?" Mary interrupted. George exhaled loudly. "Me and Cousin Violet..."  He saw his mother nod slightly in approval, while Sybbie and Vi snickered quietly from the other end of the table. How he hated rules.

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"Oh, nobody calls me Violet anymore," Vi whined as the three cousins went for a walk outside after dinner. George smiled and looked at the ground. "It's only at Downton that I get called that. Everyone's always so proper." George groaned and threw his head back. "Tell me about it. Imagine living here!" They all laughed.

"They don't call me Sybil," added Sybbie. "That's different," Vi replied. The three of them walked in silence for a while. 

Vi interrupted their thoughts with a chuckle."Although sometimes when she's really cross at me, Mama'll use it. She says VIOLET JEAN GREGSON-" "Shhh!" Sybbie hissed, cutting her off and shoving her shoulder. "You're so loud people at the house can probably here you, even downstairs!" 

George just shook his head while his two female cousins pushed each other and shrieked with laughter. "Oh, rules and propriety. The mark of our parents' generation."