Princess Darrel Crawley | A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty-Five | Stand by Her

      The next morning, Robert returned from taking Tiaa on a walk, to find Thomas standing in the entrance.
"What is it Barrow?" Robert asked.
      "Lady Rosamund Painswick is waiting for you in the library m'lord," Thomas informed.
     "How long has she been waiting for?"
      "About an hour m'lord."
     "And you didn't think to send someone to find me?"
     "She said it wasn't an emergency m'lord."
      Robert let out a heavy sigh, "Thank you Barrow."
     "M'lord."
Thomas bowed and walked away, as Robert entered the library to find Rosamund sitting by the fire.

      "What are you doing here?" Robert inquired.
     "Hello Robert, it's nice to see you as well," Rosamund replied with heavy sarcasm.
     "What are you doing here?"
     "I need to talk to you."
     Robert sat down across from his sister, with an annoyed look on his face.
     "What is all this about?" Robert demanded.
     "Darrel," Rosamund replied.
      "What about her?"
      "I'm worried about her. She's upset, and she needs you."
      "I have nothing to say to her."
     "You're her father!" Rosamund exclaimed.
     "Not anymore," Robert snapped, "I am trying to protect her, and she refuses to listen to anything I have to say. Everything I do is in her best interest, and it always ends in a fight."
     "Darrel will soon be fifteen, and she's a smart girl. She knows what she's doing with her life."
     "It goes without saying that she does not! She wants to marry the Prince of Spain."
     "Sebastian loves Darrel. He cares about her with every fibre of his body."
      Robert scoffed.
      "He's playing with her emotions," Robert accused.
      "No, he's not," Rosamund assured, "I've seen them together, and they are in love."
     "It's all an act."
     "Do you want to know how I know that Darrel's upset?"
     "No, although I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway," Robert said bitterly.
     "Your daughter showed up at my house in tears yesterday. She says everything in her life is falling apart, and she needs you," Rosamund replied.
Robert got up and went to pour himself a drink.
      "I have nothing to say to her until she cancels her engagement," Robert announced.
     "Are you seriously going to turn your back on your daughter?" Rosamund cried out in shock.
     "She doesn't want to listen to me, so I see no point in speaking to her."
     "This is ridiculous Robert! She doesn't need your advice, she needs your support!"
     "And I told her, and now I'll tell you, that I cannot support this marriage. Darrel needs a kind, loyal man by her side."
     "Sebastian is kind and loyal."
     "Don't be stupid."
     Rosamund shot him an icy glare as Robert took a large sip from his drink.
     "Darrel's not going to change her mind about Sebastian," Rosamund said calmly. "So all you're doing is pushing her farther away. If you don't make things right with her, she'll never come back to Downton, she'll never come back to you."
     "She'll come around," Robert assured, "she's a sensible girl."
     "You're going to lose her," Rosamund repeated, "she doesn't need to come back here. She has a new life, and their majesties support her engagement with Sebastian. The longer you fight this situation, the more she'll turn to rely on the people in her new life that don't."
     Robert looked down at his feet, not knowing what to say.
     "I know you care about Darrel," Rosamund said softly, "and that you want what is best for her. But if you hope to be in her life in the future, you need to patch things up with her now. Once she calms down, and she realizes that you are not willing to stand by her, she will not come back here ever again."
     "This isn't right," Robert declared.
     "Well then," Rosamund shrugged, standing up, "you better make it right. Her ball is on Saturday, and it would be in your best interest to attend."
     Rosamund nodded and left the room. Robert scowled as he finished his drink.
     Soon, the door reopened and Cora walked in.
     "I heard that Rosamund was here," Cora said, surprised, "what did she want?"
     "To convince me to go to Darrel's ball and support her marriage," Robert replied.
     "Are you actually considering not going to your own daughter's ball? Robert, you must be crazy!"
"If she's not willing to listen to her father, then I see no reason to acknowledge her as my daughter."
"You're being childish Robert! She will always be our daughter, and whether we support her choices or not, we have to stand by her!"
     "I don't have to do anything anymore...she has her new parents."
     Cora rolled her eyes then shot her husband an angry glare.
     "Well, I'm going with the others," Cora informed, "because it's the right thing to do."
     "You can't be serious!" Robert exclaimed.
     "If you don't go to the ball, I guarantee you that you will regret missing it one day. But by then, it will be too late to be a part of Darrel's life. Fix this before you lose her forever."
     Cora turned around and walked out of the room. Robert walked over to the fireplace to look at a framed photo of him and Darrel from when she was an infant. He grabbed the picture and sat down, as a tear rolled down his cheek.

     Later that day, Sebastian had been pacing for almost thirty minutes outside a house. Despite the guards telling him that it would cause too many stares and gossip.
     "Why don't you wait in the car your highness?" One of the guards suggested after ten minutes.
     Sebastian gave the guard one of the world's harshest glares, that they left him alone after that.
     Finally, Sebastian climbed the steps and rang the doorbell. The door opened and a butler appeared.
     "Good afternoon," Sebastian greeted, "is Master Paul in?"
     "He is your highness," the butler bowed.
    "Can I speak with him?"
     "Yes, your highness."

    Sebastian followed the butler to the formal sitting room, where Paul was pouting on the sofa.
     "His Royal Highness, the Prince of Spain, sir," the butler announced, then left.
     "What the devil are you doing here?" Paul demanded, jumping up, "Get out of my house!"
     "Paul, please," Sebastian replied, raising his hands in defeat, "I didn't come here for a fight. I want to talk to you in a civil manner."
     "The chances of us saying anything civil to each other ended when you pushed me against the wall."
     "It's about Darrel...and despite everything, I know you still care about her. Please, listen to me?"
     Paul let out an exasperated sigh, "You have five minutes."
     Sebastian went to sit down, but Paul blocked his path.
     "Don't sit," Paul ordered, "speak."
     Sebastian rolled his eyes, but backed away, and nodded.
     "After we left yesterday, Darrel had a break down. So, I ended up taking her to Lady Rosamund's to give her some space," Sebastian informed. "She's upset because you hate her."
     Paul bit his lip but didn't reply.
     "Now, I know that you're unhappy about the fact that Darrel and I are engaged. But right now, she's going through a hard time, and she needs her best friend," Sebastian explained. "She didn't mean to lead you on, and I don't believe she did."
     "Possibly not," Paul said stiffly after a moment of silence.
     "Please, for her sake, at least be nicer to her. If you can't be friends with her anymore, can you at least part on a better note? She has enough on her mind without being on the outs with her best friend since childhood."
     "I would think you'd want me out of your lives."
     "I hate you Paul, and I don't think I'll ever stop hating you. But, I love Darrel, and she will always care about you. So for my fiancée's sake, I am willing to call a truce, if you are."
     Paul did not reply and instead looked down at the floor.
     "That's all I came to say," Sebastian announced, "have a good rest of your day Master Paul."
     Sebastian took a deep breath and sunk into a bow then left the room. Paul sat down and buried his head in his hands.