A/N: No idea where this came from... While Eaton's was a popular catalogue in the early 20th century, it was Canadian, not Britsh. I used it mainly because I couldn't find a comparable British one.
Disclaimer: If I owned DA, I'd have my own ladies' maid.
Isobel Crawley had planned out nearly all of the Christmas gifts for the coming holiday. She had long prided herself on getting the task done well before the festivities began. As always, the problem was what to get Cousin Violet. Before the war, she had managed to scrape out of the problem by giving Violet some handsome book volumes. During the war, Isobel had felt that gifts should not be overly extravagant. Now with the war over, Downton Abbey was back to normal and Cousin Violet was going to expect a better gift. She pulled out Eaton's most recent mail-order catalogue.
A wardrobe of cashmere stockings? No, she could easily imagine Violet's horrified expression at holding such garments in front of the male Crawleys.
A new walking stick made of mahogany? No, Cousin Violet hated to be reminded of her need for walking assistance. At least, she became short whenever Isobel seemingly hinted about it.
Perhaps a new fountain pen with a nice, plentiful supply of stationery? No, Isobel was sure that Cousin Violet would inwardly sneer at such a lowly gift and then make snide comments for the remainder of the the day.
A new hat? She shoved that idea away the second it popped into her head. Violet was always highly particular about her millinery and Isobel did not know where to go to get the expected high quality.
Well, what about this silver nutcracker? Yes, Isobel thought that it was perfect. It wasn't inexpensive, but it fit nicely into her budget. If the picture was to be believed, it looked like a rather elegant specimen too. 'I'll order it straight away,' she thought.
'I do hope Cousin Violet loves it.'