A/N: It's another RichardxIsobel Christmas story...and yes, CharlesxElsie feature in it too. How could I leave them out? This story is inspired by a movie (12 Dates of Christmas) just like The Spirit of Christmas was, but I've changed things up (even more than I did in that story) from the movie...even changed the name. No ghosts or witches in this Christmas tale, but I hope you enjoy it. I'm going to try and post every day to Christmas, but seeing as I'm already behind...well...we'll see. Anyway...here's the first Christmas Eve.


December 24th – day one

Isobel stretched as she pushed back from her desk. She'd been sitting and catching up on all of her paperwork, or data entry as Elsie liked to call it since the system had gone completely digital a few years back. Everything was digital today, even the music she listened to no longer came from a record or a cd.

Hearing her mobile, she sighed when she looked at the display and saw the name. Dickie Grey. She was going to murder Violet for giving the man her number and setting them up on a blind date for this evening.

Christmas Eve!

Of all the nights for a blind date!

"Insufferable woman!"

"Well hello to you, too." Elsie said as she walked into the office, an eyebrow arched.

"Oh hush."

Elsie shrugged as she sat down in a chair across from Isobel's desk. "So what has the old bat done now?"

Isobel couldn't help but chuckle at the nickname. She remembered the first time she'd heard Elsie use it. "At least I don't nearly choke to death on my tea when you call her that now."

Elsie laughed, eyes twinkling with mischief. "So, what did she do?"

"She's set me up on a blind date."

"Oh? With who? Or did she not tell you?"

"She told me."

"Well then who?" Elsie huffed.

"Dickie Grey."

"Baron Merton? Whatever in the world was she thinking?"

Isobel shrugged. "That he's lonely and so am I."

"But to subject you to…" Elsie shook her head. "So are you going to go?"

"What else have I to do? Matthew is off with Mary somewhere. You and Charles are going to the party at his parents'."

"You're not going to the Crawley's Christmas Eve Ball?"

"I hadn't planned on it, but I'm sure that's where Dickie will take me. He never misses it."

Elsie nodded. "I'm surprised Lady Mary is missing it."

"You know that she does as she pleases. Matthew actually enjoys the ball and wanted to go, but Mary has no intentions of being anywhere near Edith. She's still angry over Edith's marriage putting her a higher title than Mary has."

"Uppity minx."

Isobel laughed and shook her head. "You and your nicknames."

"You like my nicknames, Izzie, and you know it."

Isobel smiled and nodded. "I especially like that one. It brings back wonderful memories."

Elsie's eyes twinkled with the memory. "Me rescuing you and having no clue that I'd just rescued the wife of the heir to the Grantham title."

"Reggie." Isobel sighed, lost in memory. "He couldn't believe I'd been ice skating and fallen in. He scolded me for weeks over that, but I didn't mind. I'd met a new friend that called me Izzie."

"What did he think when you told him about me?"

"He was happy that I'd found a real friend. I didn't have any at that point. All the women I was around were vapid and vain. They only pretended to like me because they all knew Reggie was the heir to the Grantham title. Most of them disapproved of my working, especially as a nurse. The family always pretended because they had to like us. They hated the fact that a upper middle class doctor was the heir."

"I remember the fuss they made when Matthew became the heir. But they've changed their tunes."

"Well, most of them. I still have problems with Cora, but you know that."

"Yes, I do. Her problem is that she's an American that turned herself into English aristocracy. It's gone to her head. Everyone always says that Lady Mary is like her father. I say she's like her mother."

"Oh, don't let her hear you say that." Isobel laughed. "She would hate it. She never acknowledges that she has American relations." Isobel shrugged and rolled her eyes. "I've never understood the family."

"I will say that you and the old bat get along much better than you did once upon a time."

"My saving her life when she had pneumonia changed her attitude toward me."

"And what about…"

Isobel held up her hand, stopping Elsie mid-sentence. "Don't go there, Els."

"But Izzie, he…" Elsie stopped when her friend shook her head. "Fine. And you call us Scots stubborn," she mumbled.

"We English can be stubborn. I believe the man you're married to proves that."

Elsie chuckled, smiling as she thought of her beloved Charlie. "Ach, tis true it is."

"Don't go slipping into your brogue just because you're thinking of Charles." Isobel shook her head at her friend. "You two are hopeless."

"Not hopeless, just still madly in love."

"I'm so glad I talked you into nudging him along. I knew he was in love with you."

"I'm glad I let you. We wouldn't have our Ernie and Mae."

"I still laugh when I remember the look on yours and Charles' faces when you were told you were having twins. And then the look on yours when Charles suggested naming them using your middle names."

"Well, really. It wasn't very original."

"No, but you must admit, the names fit them."

Elsie nodded, her lips turning up in a soft smile at the thought of her children. "They do."

"Is Mae going to be at the party tonight?"

"She is." Elsie shook her head. "She's too much like me. She's so close to her due date she's miserable, but not even her beloved Da could get her to stay home."

"Edward couldn't, either?"

"He didn't even try after Charlie had no luck. She loves her grandda, but…"

"But he isn't Charles."

"No."

"What about Ernie? Is he going to make it back? I still can't believe he lives in New York."

Elsie shrugged. "Who knew he'd want to do something his father did and doesn't like to talk about? Charles still grumbles when he thinks of his son on stage."

"Yes, but we all know he's extremely proud of Ernie."

"Yes, he is."

Isobel sighed when her mobile dinged to remind her she had a voicemail. "I suppose I should listen to that."

"You know that if you don't, and you ignore him, the old bat is going to be knocking down your door with her cane."

Isobel laughed. "Thank you, Els."

"You're welcome." Elsie stood and moved to the door, snarling her nose when she opened it and The Twelve Days of Christmas filtered into the room from the overhead sound system. "Why must they play that song over and over?"

"I don't know. It's like the Christmas version of Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer."

Elsie laughed, the laughter ringing out and echoing down the hall as she left Isobel's office.

Isobel scowled when her mobile dinged again. "Alright!" she fussed at it as she picked it up. Listening to the message, she rolled her eyes…just what she knew he would ask. Would she like to go to the Crawley's Christmas Eve ball with him? Dialing his number, she plastered a smile on her face. "Dickie? It's Isobel. I'd love to go to the ball with you tonight. I'm just leaving work now. My place at six sounds fine. I'll see you then." Ending the call, she snarled at her reflection in the mobile's screen. "What are you doing?"

Shaking herself out of the haze, she stood up and rushed about, gathering her things. Hurrying out the door, she half ran down the hall, realizing that she wouldn't have much time to get ready because it was far later than she thought it was.

"Bloody hell!" she shouted as she felt herself falling backward. Her head bounced off the floor as she landed flat of her back, her things scattering about her.

"My god," she heard someone shout just before her eyes rolled back in her head.

Isobel squinted as she blinked and opened her eyes a few minutes later. "What happened?"

"You ran into Igor."

"Igor?" Isobel frowned. "Who?"

"Never mind." Elsie told her as she helped her friend sit up. "I'm surprised you didn't crack your head open. Come on, let's go have one of the doctors look at you. I'm sure you have a concussion."

"I'm a nurse, Elsie. I can take care of myself. I have to go."

Elsie rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself."

"I'm already running behind. If I think I need a doctor, you know that Richard Clarkson will be at the ball tonight, he always is."

"Well, he might not be tonight. If he's heard you're going to be there with Dickie Grey…"

"Don't, Elsie."

"Fine. Go on then." Elsie shook her head as she watched her friend rush toward the lift. "Bloody fool. The man loves you," she whispered then turned and made her way back toward Charles' office. They were running behind themselves and needed to get going or they'd be late for the party. She smiled when she thought of Mother Carson's reaction. The lady wouldn't be angry at her Charlie, but his father would huff. Of course, Elsie knew all she had to do was bat her eyelashes at her father-in-law and they'd be back in his good graces.

Now if only it were that easy to fix things with her friends.