Rebellious | Tom Branson [DISCONTINUED]

*EDITED*

Elizabeth stood with her twin in Mary's room, the pair putting on their gloves, the finishing touch on their dinner outfits. Elizabeth glanced in the mirror, giving herself a once over. She looked acceptable. That would keep the rest of her family happy. 

"Why are you so against him?" Sybil questioned in response to Mary's complaints about Matthew.

It seemed them spending time together at dinner had done nothing to quell her hatred towards the man, instead feeding it. She ranted about him on more than one occasion to Elizabeth who was more than happy to listen. She did understand why she hated him, she just wished she would take a second to evaluate the situation and understand his side as well.

"Aside from the fact he's planning to steal our inheritance?" Mary replied from her place by her vanity.

"Your inheritance," Edith voiced. "It makes no difference to Sybil, Elizabeth and me. We won't inherit, whatever happens."

"He isn't one of us."

"Cousin Freddy's studying for the bar and so is Vivian MacDonald," Elizabeth defended, moving to sit in one of Mary's chairs, Sybil close behind her. 

"At Lincoln's Inn. Not sitting at a dirty little desk in Ripon. Besides, his father was a doctor," Mary explained. 

"There's nothing wrong with doctors. We all need doctors," Elizabeth argued, rolling her eyes at her sister.

"We all need crossing sweepers and draymen too, it doesn't mean we have to dine with them," Mary retorted. 

Elizabeth and Sybil shared a look of amusement at their sister's antics. While it was amusing to see her jump through hopes to justify her dislike for the man, they both wished she'd admit that maybe she was judging far too swiftly.

"Whom don't we have to dine with?" Cora questioned upon walking into the room. 

"Mary doesn't care for Cousin Matthew," Edith revealed. 

"Sybil, be a dear and fetch my black evening shawl. O'Brien knows which one. And Edith, can you see that the drawing room's ready?" Cora requested. Both exited. 

"I'll just go with them," Elizabeth muttered, going to leave the room as she realised Cora wanted to talk to Mary alone. Cora mouthed a 'thank you' to her, to which she replied with a nod. 

---

The family each sat around the dining table. Matthew and Isobel had joined them for the evening. Elizabeth was staring at her plate, separating all the different components of her dinner, starting off with her least favourite part, the vegetables.

"Have you been able to explore the village?" Robert asked Isobel. 

"Indeed I have and I thought the hospital a great credit to your father's memory," Isobel complimented. "But I'm afraid the good doctor and I did not see eye to eye."