Another Crawley: A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Chapter One

*Alice's POV*

I walked up to the large house nervous of what they will say at my arrival. I don't even exist in their world. Lets hope they believe me and the letter my mother left.

I walked up to the large house and rang the doorbell. I waited a moment or two before the door opened. A tall older man, dressed like a butler opened the door. "How may I help you?" The man asked.

"I need to see his lordship. It's rather urgent." I said meekly not wanting any confrontation with this larger man.

"Who are you?" The man asked. He seemed to be getting more and more frustrated.

"I rather not say until his lordship is present." I held out a letter. "I need to give him this. It's a matter of my personal safety that I see him right away!" I look around hoping the horrible man of my past hasn't found me yet.

"Fine. Come in and I will try to fetch his lordship." The man seemed to have softened after noticing how terrified I was. I followed him inside and into a library larger than the first floor of my old home. "Wait here while I fetch his lordship." The man left me alone in the large room.

I looked around while I waited. There were so many books, just the sight of them made me wish I knew how to read. Soon my thoughts were interrupted by a man coming into the room.

"Who are you?" The man asked, obviously mad was interrupted doing whatever he was doing last.

All the courage I previously had flew away. "M-My name is Al-Alice and I am your d-daughter." He looked flabbergasted at my statement. I gave him the letter as quickly as I could. "My m-mum wr-wrote you a n-note in-incase I had to f-find y-you." He grabbed the letter out of my hand quickly.

As he was reading, a woman who I presumed was his wife entered the room. "Robert who is this?" She laid a hand on his shoulder.

"This is impossible," Lord Grantham muttered to himself. Completely ignoring his wife's presence he continued talking to me. "Why did she never say she was pregnant?"

"Robert what is going on?" Lady Grantham asked looking at her husband concerned.

"I'm sorry Lord Grantham I can't tell you why since I'm not my mother. I do have a theory that she was scared you would react negatively." I started taking a step back scared that he would explode.

"Why should I believe this letter dating sixteen years ago!" Lord Grantham yelled making me jump in fright.

"Robert calm down. You're scaring the poor girl." Lady Grantham soothed while grabbing his hand. "Please tell me calmly who this girl is and why she is here?"

Lord Grantham took a deep breath before speaking. "This is Alice, daughter of Emily Clarke. She is here looking her father." Lord Grantham ran a hand through his hair as he walked over to a window. He looked out at the front lawn possibly hoping it would give him the answers to his troubles.

"Well who is her father dear?" Lady Grantham asked so innocently, unknowing of how her husband's answer would change their lives.

"Me."