I was part of the Richobel secret santa and here is my contribution this is for Olive-345

Roses in the Snow

Isobel Crawley sighed as she looked into her mirror. It wasn't her reflection that gave her pause it was the fact that she could see snow falling outside the window. At first she thought it was just the late evening light shimmering through the lace curtain. Snow made her think of Mary's story of how Matthew had proposed to her whilst the snow fell. The pain she expected to feel at thinking of her son had been lessening. In fact she had to be certain that the small pang of pain was grief.

She was to be dining at Cousin Violets tonight, a chaperone, a third wheel. Violet was to be dining with Prince Kuragin and she had been invited to attend. This had been the fourth time she had been invited.

The last three dinners had been tedious at best.

Prince Kuragin had left the Dowagers home and Isobel was itching to leave herself. Spratt helped her into her coat and left. Turning towards Violet Isobel spoke, "Are you going to tell him?"

Violet showed genuine puzzlement, "I don't know what you mean."

Isobel had sighed, she didn't want to hurt Violet so she merely pressed her lips together. Violet had seen her discomfort. Violet had hoped that these dinners would have been a respite of sorts after the ugly display by Lord Merton's sons. "If I can persuade you to come again I will make it more bearable."

Isobel had merely nodded before gathering her things and leaving.

So here she was, trudging towards the door of her friend. If on cue the door opened and she was ushered inside. She could hear the whispers of conversation. Hands relieved her of her coat. Spratt needn't have bothered to lead her to the sitting room yet he still did. As the door was pushed open she watched as some bodies stood to acknowledge her. Prince Kuragin got to his feet though with his position others should be rising to acknowledge him. The other body that stood was Doctor Clarkson.

Isobel felt a rush of relief and something else that she was beginning to associate with the Doctor-affection.

Dinner passed with relative ease and the banter between all four of them was fresh. While dinner was being cleared away they adjourned back to the sitting room. Spratt poured coffee from a highly polished silver carafe. The door opened again and Denker appeared quickly moving to Violet. Spratt moved to refill Doctor Clarkson's coffee cup which had Isobel and Richard puzzled. There was no room in the doctor's cup so Spratt turned his attention to Isobel's all the while humming disjointed chords before settling on "It's a long way to Tipperary."

Denker bristled and finished her discourse with her employer before hurrying out of the room. Prince Kuragin seemed not to notice the skirmish between Spratt and Denker and merely took a sip of his coffee before asking, "That tune? I've heard it before."

Isobel wanting to defuse the situation, "Oh, probably just some random piece of music floating around in someone's head."

Kuragin inclined his head in a non-committal gesture. Isobel herself then began humming and Richard smiled into his coffee cup.

"Is something funny doctor?" Kuragin asked.

"Mrs. Crawley is humming a tune I know, Roses of Picardy." Clarkson informed before he set down his cup and spoke in a clear voice. His deep voice was melodious in the sitting room:

And the years fly on for ever, Till the shadows veil their skies,

But he loves to hold her little hands, And look in her deep-brown eyes.

And she sees the road by the poplars, Where they met in the bygone years,

For the first little song of the roses Is the last little song she hears

Everyone in the room seemed to be transfixed by the Doctor's rich voice. As he spoke he had turned to look at Isobel and she had stared back at him. Isobel herself could have sworn that she had stopped breathing, his words more intoxicating than the wine she had drunk earlier. She could only focus on Richard and realize that the affection she felt for him was morphing into love and she had no doubt he felt the same. Violet had been stunned by the display, indeed everyone in the room did, except for the Prince who merely scratched his beard, "Brown? синий...yes?"

Richard who had been staring into Isobel's eyes as he had recited the lyrics never broke his gaze he merely inhaled deeply before agreeing, "Yes, you're right the correct lyric is sea-blue. My apologies."

Prince Igor Kuragin had learned to trust his gut and he knew that the Doctor knew the correct lyrics so he merely responded, "нет сошлемся."

синий Blue

нет сошлемся No Problem

A/N: I hope I met all the requirements to Olive-345 liking.