Christmas Special

Part 1

"Isobel, I am so glad you came here today"

Lord Merton's fond words and kind smile was the warm welcome Isobel received when she stepped into his huge sitting room. Despite her inward irritation for the situation, she couldn't help but smile in return at him; it was clear that he was sincere in his affection and that was undeniably a pleasant contrast with his soon to be daughter in law's flattery.

"Of course, we both are" Amelia echoed him immediately, with another melliflous smile, while asking the footman to bring them some tea.

Isobel ignored her though and just sat on the couch near the man. "Well, did you have any doubt about my presence?" she asked then, still with the smile on the lips.

Actually, she herself had had doubts. When she received the invitation for tea only a couple of days before, her first instict had been to sigh deeply and look for an excuse to refuse. She didn't like at all the prospect of being at the centre of another vain attempt of persuasion, there was nothing that opportunist woman could have done anymore. But that feeling lasted just a moment though; considering the good relationship that still linked her to her former fiancè and, especially, the curiosity of seeing which other plans would have come out, she was left with no other choice but accept.

However, when some minutes later the footman returned carrying four cups instead of three, she started to regret her choice. Suddenly, Dickie's good mood and Amelia's exaggerated confidence achieved a new meaning, a meaning that her new words only confirmed.

"You don't know yet, Mrs Crawley, but there is a surprise for you!" the young woman exclaimed in fact. "Someone was so desparate to see you!"

Isobel turned to her, looking very surprised indeed - not in a plesant way though. "Really?" she just asked, not helping the evident trace of irony in her voice.

Amelia nodded enthusiastically and was about to reply, when the mysterious fourth person appeared at the door with his usual annoyed – and annoying – expression. As Isobel had sadly predicted, that certain someone was Larry Grey indeed; what was still a surprise though, was the fact that he was actually there in flesh and bone.

"Mrs Crawley" he greeted her with a cold nod in her direction, "it seems it is finally time for us for have a talk" he added then, while entering slowly the room but not making any hint to sit down.

Blunt and straight to the point: Isobel had expected that too. After all, he didn't need to convince anyone, but actually, according to the triumphant smile his fiancèewas wearing, he was the one that had been convinced. His discomfort was clear for everyone to see, as he was preparing himself to make what must have looked to him as an act of humiliation.

"Oh, finally, indeed! What are we supposed to talk about?" she asked, pretending unawareness.

"Look, Mrs Crawley, I admit that I may have been a little unfair toward you in the past…"

"May? A bit?"

It was impossible to not to notice the way his jaw clenched and she was sure that it had occured him a great effort not to roll his eyes, but still he managed to keep his calm and tried to rephrase. How much that was due to his own control or actually because of Amelia's eloquent glare at him, it was hard to tell.

"Well, the point is that my father is old enough to take his own decision."

At that, Isobel slightly chuckled a bit and moved her eyes to look at a somewhat hurt Dickie. "Oh, thank Lord he is!"

"What I am trying to say is that I won't interfere in anyway in his decision to marry you" Larry replied quickly, though, as the hardest thing could be now easily said out of frustration. "If that is what makes my father happy, then I will try to be fine with it"

A long look was exchanged between the two. Those words were the biggest offer he could make and she knew that, but yet she wanted to press the matter a little bit further. His eyes seemed to beg for mercy, but that was a mercy she wasn't willing to give – at least not yet.

"Is this an apology?" she insisted instead, with a nonchalant smile.

The room fell in a tensed silence for some seconds, during which all eyes were fixed on the young Grey: Lord Merton's hopeful ones, Amelia's glaring ones and Isobel's somewhat amused ones. After all, everyone knew that everything was at stake in that precise moment – and everything stood for two weddings and a father/son relationsip.

"Yes, it is" Larry decided to concede eventually, in an abrupt way and with a deep sigh.

The other people sighed too in relief and three satisfied smiles appeared at the same times; the young man wasn't able to see that though, since he looked away as fast as he could and then simply excused himself. No one tried to stop him, afraid that any longer contact would have destroyed that victory they had all achieved.

"I hope you are happy about this. This is what we wanted, right?" Dickie spoke softly at Isobel, not hiding his own satisfaction.

He dared to reach for her hand and she allowed him to. She didn't know if that and all its implication was exactly what she wanted, but that was a question she would have asked herself later. In that exact moment she just wanted to enjoy her little victory.

"Oh, Dickie, I must admit that I am delighted!"

Another tea invitation, another conversation that had to be done - except that this time, she was the host and there was a quite more comfortable atmosphere.

"…And so, he finally apologized!" Isobel exclaimed with a proud smirk, at the end of the brief and yet accurate account of her meeting with the Greys.

Sitting in front of her, Violet slightly widened her eyes in surprise, but soon her face mirrored that expression, just like Isobel had expected. Actually, she didn't have anything against Lord Merton, but she had never liked his sons and, considering her lively conversation with Amelia Cruikshank, she felt that the apologize from Larry was somehow her own victory as well.

"Well, that is definetly good news" she said, nodding with convinction, and right then her look became teasing. "I guess our dear Larry Grey hasn't seen the last of it, though. I can see his and his fiancèe's face whenyou'll meet them again as the lady of the place… Maybe that could happen even before Christmas!"

Isobel didn't reply straight away and looked for a moment confused instead. It was the first time she was being so explicitly told about the likely plans for her own future, but the real surprise was actually that that suggestion was coming from Violet.

"You know, Violet, I would have never imagined you to be the one to push me toward Dickie in the end" she pointed out with an incredulous little chuckle, delaying once again to avoid the main topic.

"Do not mistaken me, Isobel!" the older woman replied quickly, glaring at her as if she had just been accused of being middle class. "I still think that you and Doctor Clarkson would be a better match, but this is irrelevant now…" She paused for a short while as her face uncharacteristically softened and, unexpectedly, she reached for her cousin's hand and squeezed it for a moment. "What really matters to me is that you are happy."

Isobel froze and blinked a few times, taken completely aback by the gesture. She wasn't used to such a displeasure of affection by the so ever proper and strict Violet and it wasn't just that: looking at the matriarch of the Crawley's family,in that particular moment, she appeared suddenly tired, fragile and really old.

"Oh Violet… Thank you…" she managed to say eventually.

Recovering from the first shock, Mrs Crawley was about to add something more, when suddenly Lady Grantham took back her own hand and looked away, focusing on the cups placed on the table in front of them. All the sings of weakness disappeared, as she returned in the blink of an eye her usual self.

"Now it's time to drink this tea, dear. It's becoming colder than Miss Amelia's heart!"

Hey again:) I am supposed to be very busy with life right now, but yet it was easy for me to find the time to start this new long-fiction lol

As you have already guessed from the title already, my aim is to show you my ideal Christmas Special - only focusing on the Richobel (and Violet, as you'll soon see) related parts. Everything that happened in the previous episodes is considered, as are considered the spoilers we have heard during the season (such as the weddings, the funeral, some pics maybe...), but what I completely disgarded is the actual trailer. Every chapter contains one or more scenes I'd like to see and so, basically, this is Richobel Christmas Special written by me - have no fear after reading this first chapter: it is a Richobel story indeed. I really hope you like the idea as I do and reviews are always appreciated (maybe this time a bit more than always lol)