Well suited

Part 1

It was clear as the sunlight that Isobel Crawley wasn't enjoying the day at all. Of course, it was the inauguration to Downton's war memorial after all, but still she looked even gloomier than Mrs Patmore - and that was a lot to say. Truth was, she had lost someone too even if not during the Great War and, unavoidably, the memorial of young dead men was bringing her endless pain back to light, with a new destroying power. She had kept getting better and better since her first mouring, but it would have always been impossible for her to totally recover from Matthew's death: just the thought was bringing tears in her eyes and leaving her suddenly breathless. She was always in pain, but sometimes just more than usual. These were the times she felt more alone; these were the times she needed someone to prove her wrong.

Speaking of which, she didn't know if she had to actually thank Violet in that very moment. On one hand, the dowager countess had started to talk to her, but on the other one, the choice of topic didn't make her feel any better at all. Maybe the older woman was trying to distract herself too, but, apparently, meddling in Isobel's love life seemed to be the only thing she was interested in. In fact, as soon as Robert's solemn speech was over and the crowd started to disperse, the questions and the insinuations began.

"Oh please, Violet, I don't think I'll reconsider the situation with Dickie any time soon…" Mrs Crawley said at some point, not hiding an exhasperated sigh.

"Well, I can't say I'm disappointed" was the quickly blunt reply.

The former nurse didn't spare a glare, but it came out to be amused rather than reproachful. Knowing her friend's disapproval for the engagement with Lord Merton, she even let out a small chuckle. However, before she could also add to that a remark of her own, she suddenly fell completely silence, as she abruptly stopped in her track with widened eyes.

Right when she thought that her mood couldn't get worse, an unexpected sight appeared in front of her eyes. On the other side of the road, half hidden by a tree, doctor Clarkson was standing with a relaxed expression on the face, laughing like she had probably never seen him to. In any other situation she would have probably be glad at that sight and maybe even approached him, but the problem was that he wasn't alone and, quite the contrary, it was a woman the reason of that laugh. And what a woman! A tall and slender figure wrapped in dark green, with blonde weavy hair and elegant features; probably she was a few years younger than her and maybe she even had an easier character to deal with.

Isobel swallowed hard; it was hard to say if it was for the comparison itself, or maybe for realizing that she felt the need to make a comparison in the very first place.

"Who is that woman?" she asked then, failing miserably to fake nonchalance.

Violet, who had not missed a detail of that silent but meaningful scene, smirked at herself and then looked at the woman too. "It's Mrs Bethany Murray, widow of a lawyer, with a married daughter. She moved here at Downton a couple of months ago, right in order to stay closer to her."

At that surprisingly precised answer, Isobel quicky moved her eyes to her cousin to cast her a puzzled look. "How do you know all these things about a person we have no contacts with?"

The noblewoman pursed her lips and mused for a moment. She looked in doubt wheter to speak or not, but then, unable to suppress her nature, she eventually gave in. "Actually, I wouldn't bet on it, dear. As far as I know we will know her better soon… She seems to have set her hands on our good doctor…"

Partly of the reason why she had chosen to speak in the end was exactly her curiousity of Isobel's reaction, and actually, she didn't have to wait much long to see it. Immediately, Mrs Crawley's eyes widened again as a shadow covered her whole face for a long second, a shadow that her next nervous smile didn't succeed in hiding.

"On Doctor Clarkson, really? I highly doubt that he will be captivated by a a good laugh and a pretty face."

Lady Grantham just slightly shrugged and politely nodded toward the new couple. "Oh, just look at her: a woman like that can have all the men she wants! And hoenstly, they do seem well suited…"

Isobel looked back at them too and that was a mistake, especially after hearing those last words. Because it was true: that woman seemed a very attractive one and clearly doctor Clarkson wasn't immune to her charm. In fact, in the meanwhile, the two had came somehow closer, so much that now one of her hands was now resting on his left arm. Well suited? She couldn't say it, but surely they did not look bad together.

She continued to watch them with an unavoidable and yet unexplainable sad look, until the man unexpectedly turned his face in her direction and their eyes met. She had been caught staring and yet she didn't lower her eyes; even at a certain distance, even with people passing between them, it was still blue against brown: a somehow bitter look against a forced sharp one. Only when she noticed Mrs Murray's eyes on her as well, Isobel abruptly looked away and she was sure that, despite her proud attitude until that moment, a slight blush was creeping on her face now. Or at least, Violet's reproachful look suggested that.

"Be careful, Isobel. Any other person in my place would think that you are jealous…"

Isobel looked up at her again and gathered all her pride to attempt a convincing smile. "Well, I'm lucky you know me well, then!"

But Violet didn't return that smile and instead gave her a long, penetrant and almost bitter look. "Indeed. I know you well, indeed."

The way back was awfully silent and Isobel's head felt even heavier than before. The dowager countess had remained at her side for the whole walk from the village to the Abbey, but yet she didn't utter a word; maybe the older woman was just trying for once to be tactful, but actually she was choosing the worst of moments to do that. Matthew's memory haunted her maybe even a bit more than usually,and the alternative was focusing her attention on the very recent meeting with doctor Clarkson and his new flame.

Odd as it seemed, it was Isobel the one to to speak up and, ironically, she recalled exactly the subject she had tried to avoid at first.

"Now that we're back, do you really think I should put up a fight for Dickie?" she asked in fact, not knowing – and actually not caring – why she suddenly was reconsidering their relationship, after all.

Violet looked up at her, not looking surprised by the question. "You said you wouldn't do anything until Rose's wedding. But, it's over, so it's time for action."

Isobel nodded and, before asking about Prince Kuragin and so meddling in her friend's love life as natural payback, she took some moments to let the meaning sink in. Time for action, indeed, but in which sense?

Hello, everyone! I can finally show you the first chapter of my Richobel long-fiction. As you have probably already understood, it's set in 5x08 after the inauguration of the war memorial and in fact the lines in cursive are taken exactly from the dialogue between Isobel and Violet in the episode. I just decided to introduce a new character, Bethany Murray to maybe shake a reaction in Isobel. By the way, just to give you an idea, I picture her in my mind as Jessica Lange. Anyway, I hope you liked the beginning, reviews are always appreciated:D