"Mama?"

Cora squinted at the silhouette of the small girl peering cautiously into the darkness from the door.

"Sybil? Why aren't you in bed?" The girls had long been put to bed. Cora herself had been in bed a good hour already but had yet to fall to sleep, her mind whirling. Sybil lingered by the door nervously pulling at her night gown. Three whispered words explained exactly why she was still awake.

"I miss Papa."

Cora sighed knowing how Sybil was feeling. Lifting the corner on the duvet she beckoned her over.

"Come here." Wasting no time the little girl padded bare foot across the room and jumped into bed next to her mother. Enveloped in her mother's embrace Sybil started to cry.

"Oh Sweetheart." Cora tried her best to soothe her daughter, stroking her hair like she used to when she was a baby. "How about in the morning we write him a letter hmm?" Sybil seemed to settle a little. "You can fill him in everything that's been going on here. I'm sure he's missing you just as much. Does that sound like a good idea?" Sybil sniffed and nodded as Cora wiped at her tears. "He'll come back as soon as he can darling. In the meantime we just have to brave." No longer blinded by tears and with her eyes accustomed to the dark, Sybil noticed she wasn't the only one in the bed with a puffy, tearstained face. She frowned.

"Mama have you been crying too?" Cora had hoped she wouldn't notice but Sybil had always been the most caring and observant of others feelings out of her three daughters. She gave her a wobbly smile in reply.

"We all miss him." Sybil curled up closer to her mother giving her a tighter squeeze. The two lay in silence as Cora started to drift off to sleep assuming Sybil was too. Something else, however, played on the youngest Crawley's mind. Its whispered admittance woke Cora once more.

"Mary says he's going to die."

"When did she say this? Mary is intolerable. Pay no attention to her." Cora made a mental note to have some choice words with Mary in morning.

"This morning." It explained why Sybil had looked so glum all day.

"Don't listen to her. Mary's full of nonsense." Cora stroked her hair again. The poor girl had obviously spent the whole day worrying. "Just try and get some sleep and you'll feel better in the morning." It didn't placate her though. Sybil found herself unable to switch off and the tears began to leak once more.

"But what if he does?"

Cora leant back slightly so she was able to look her daughter in the eye.

"Sybil, before your papa left I made him promise me he'd be careful and that he'd come back. Now that's not a promise anyone can make, but he told me he would do his best and come back to us as soon as he could. He is going to come back, I'm sure of it." Sybil sniffled. "Besides he has to come back so I can tell him off for what his dog has done to my hat!" Sybil giggled at the memory from the week before. Carson and Cora chasing after Hathor, who had grabbed Cora's hat, she'd left beside her on the settee as she read in the Library and bounded off across the lawns with it. "Try not to worry, darling. It won't help anything. I promise it will all feel better in the morning." Sybil huffed knowing her mother would be right but it didn't help how she felt right at that moment.

"But I can't sleep."

Much to Sybil's confusion Cora climbed out of bed and went next door into Robert's dressing room. Fumbling back though the dark Sybil noticed she had something in her hand, a bottle of cologne. Climbing back on to the bed Cora dabbed some on Sybil's pillow, placed the bottle on the bedside table and shuffled down back under the covers. The two took in a deep breath.

"Smells like Papa," Sybil sighed contented.

"It helps me sleep. Goodnight sweetheart." She kissed her daughter on the forehead and they both fell into peaceful slumbers.

...

The next morning Cora was awoken by the light streaming in through the curtains the maid was opening.

"Lady Sybil! There you are. Nanny has been looking everywhere for you!"

The little girl looked over at her mother. She seemed much happier than the little ball of worry that had climbed into bed the previous night.

"Go on, go and tell her where you are and once everyone's dressed I'll help you write Papa a letter."

Sybil grinned and bounded out of bed off towards the nursery.

"Oh and Sybil," Cora called after her.

"Yes Mama?"

"Tell Mary to come and find me. I want a word with her." She smiled and raced off once more.