Hello everyone and welcome to this little story. I'm not entirely sure where this is going, except that it'll be Richobel. I don't usually post stories, as I'm not much of a writer but there are not enough Richobels here so here it is.

Disclaimer: Not my characters, otherwise we wouldn't be in need of this fiction. This would be canon...

The bells started chiming, signaling the end of the wedding inside the church. Married in the eyes of God, never to be unmarried again. 'Till death thee doth part.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, making the whole town glow. Snow covered every surface and the sunshine reflected magnificently. Everything seemed to twinkle.

It was beautiful. And of course it would be for this wedding. Of course it would be…

I was standing outside partially behind a tree so that I could see the church, would be able to catch a glimpse of the couple but they would hopefully not see me. Why should they? They will be smiling at each other lovingly. How I hate myself for hating that thought. I wish I could be happy for them, happy for her…

I had been invited to the wedding. It was a handwritten card. One day, when I came home I had found it slipped under my doorstep. "Please come", she had written on the envelope. I knew right then that I wouldn't. To see her get married to him… To see my whole life fall to pieces.. I couldn't bear the thought. She knew that I would do anything for her but this I couldn't do.

The first guests stepped out of the church, shielding their eyes from the blinding sunlight that greeted them after the long ceremony in the relatively dark building. They looked pretty in their formal dresses and suits. Very classy, very handsome, very much above my class. I wouldn't fit in there. I wouldn't look right. I had a formal suit, of course I did, but I didn't belong there. I told myself, that this was the reason why I had refused to attend the ceremony. Maybe I would believe myself one day. Those people made me feel even more useless then I usually felt. They, often unintentionally, made me aware of the differences in our standings. Even though I was a respected member of the community, I wasn't a Lord or Earl or anything like them. I was a simple doctor. A man with an occupation, a place he went to work at every day. Someone who got paid for helping people. While I usually loved my job, today I hated it. I wasn't like them and they knew it and let it slip every now and again. I couldn't stand it. Not today, not ever.

"You shouldn't have come, old chap." I said aloud to no one but the tree I was hiding behind. Just as I was about to turn away, she stepped out of the church and I was frozen in spot. She looked so… so… angelic. She didn't wear a dress but instead a dark blue skirt and a white blouse. It wasn't anything particularly special, but the sun caught in her brown hair and made it shine in such a way that she seemed to be giving off a light from within. And she probably was, she always was. So beautiful… so out of my reach.

And married to another man. I would have gladly given my life in that moment to be the man next to her. Even if it meant that it would be a short lived happiness, I would have given everything just to hold her this once.

"Come with me." I heard someone say from behind me as they touched my shoulder. It was a soft Scottish accent. Elsie Hughes, no Carson. She was married and happily so. She had gotten her fairytale ending.

"Let's get you home", she said when I didn't move a muscle at her first sentence. Still I couldn't move, couldn't turn my eyes away from her, away from the woman I loved.

"Please, it won't get easier by watching. Come with me. Let's get you home, in front of a fire and a glass of whiskey into your hand. Please." She had grasped my hand now and pulled slightly in order to turn me around. When I finally tore my eyes away from the happy couple and they instead settled on Elsie Carson, I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I- I… I", I stammered before I slumped into her arms that were ready to catch me.

"Sh. You'll be alright. It'll be alright." she soothed. We both knew she was lying. It wouldn't be alright. It would never be alright again.

We slowly started walking away once I had regained some grip on myself. As she said, she took me home, helped me into the worn armchair in front of the fire and pressed a glass of whiskey into my hand. She stayed for an hour before she had to leave.

"Take care of yourself. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow." I only managed a nod. When I heard the door fall shut, I got up and went to get the remaining bottle of Whiskey. The glass remained standing on the side table. I wouldn't be in need of it.

"Congratulations." I said to the empty room before I brought the bottle to my lips.

It was a beautiful day, the day Mrs. Isobel Crawley became Baroness Merton.

Alright, so this is the beginning. Sadly, I haven't seen the finale. But I gathered, that Isobel chose Lord Merton... Working with that I've decided to give this idea a go.

Please review if you can find the time.

And one last thing: If someone's interested in betaing this story, please send me a PM.