December 25, 1889

Robert woke before dawn on Christmas morning. Dawn was later in the day during the winter, of course, but the family had all been up late celebrating Christmas Eve the night before. Robert was still up quite early, which he was glad about. He had hoped to have sufficient time to do what he wanted for this particular morning.

He put on his dressing gown and slippers, feeling the early morning chill in the air. The fires hadn't even been lit yet. But Robert did manage to light a lamp and carry it over to his desk. He placed the lamp down and opened the top right drawer. Inside, he found the box already tied with a red ribbon. He wanted to open the box and gaze at the surprise inside, but he knew he'd not be able to tie the ribbon again properly, so he left it be.

With the box out on top of the desk, Robert moved to close the drawer until he noticed another item there. The black cardstock folded frame he'd received more than a year before. He smiled, pulling it out and opening it. Cora's beautiful, seductive gaze stared out at him, looking eerily beautiful in the dim lamplight. When he had first received that portrait for his birthday, he'd lost his senses. He'd never seen her look so beautiful before. And he had been without her for months and wouldn't see her for months thereafter. Having the portrait to look upon in her absence during their engagement had been quite a gift indeed.

Robert gently traced his fingertip over her pretty face and smiled a little wider. He folded the frame and put it back in its hiding place in the desk. After all, no one else ever should see his wife looking like that. But Robert had very little need for the portrait now, for the beauty herself slept right next door.

It still boggled his mind sometimes that he had won the hand of such an exquisite woman. Cora's beauty and her sweetness and her sharp mind and her kindness and her humor and everything about her was just wonderful. And in this past year living in England, her rough edges were starting to smooth. Not all of them, unfortunately—particularly if you asked Mama—but Robert saw the change in her. He was glad of it. Life would be easier for all of them if Cora could learn how to fit in. He'd worried whether she'd be able to. The young fiancée who had sent him that portrait for his birthday, for example, was not the sort of woman who would make life easy for anyone. But Robert should have known better. The first night he met her at her parents' home in New York, he had seen the way she could remain quiet but charming amidst the insanity of the Levinson household. And though her exuberance had quite overshadowed everything else in London that first season when he began courting her, he had carried on enough conversations with her to know that she was quite clever. Yes, Robert should have known that Cora had it in her to fit this role. And he was quite proud of how well she'd done so far.

Now if only they could manage to conceive an heir, everything would be alright.

But today was not a day to worry about things like that. Christmas was for joyful things, for being grateful for all they had and not dwelling on those things they still lacked.

With that thought in his mind, Robert opened the curtains to let in the first rays of cold winter sunlight over the snowy grounds. He blew out the lamp and picked up the box with the red ribbon. As gently as he could, he opened the door separating his room from Cora's.

There was a slight chill, same as in his room, but Robert immediately felt overcome by the smell when he walked in. He'd never come into her room in the morning like this before. Usually in the evenings, after Smithson left, Robert came in to find Cora finishing her evening ritual, perhaps putting some cream on her hands or else sometimes in bed already with a book. The lingering scent of her perfume was sometimes still in the air. But here and now, before the room hair been aired from her slumber, Robert smelled a hint of that perfume but mostly just Cora. It stirred something within him to recognize the scent from the countless times over the last nine months that he had lost himself in her body, felt her and touched her and kissed her and found bliss inside of her. He thought he perhaps knew her body better than his own. And the smell of her was as magnificent as the rest of her.

Robert swallowed back the onslaught of feeling that this recognition brought him and gave himself a little shake. He crossed softly through the room, unsure of precisely how he wanted to do this. He stopped at the foot of the bed. In the dim light, he could see his lovely wife curled up on her side, facing the center of the bed. She was closer to the left of the bed as he looked at her, but she was facing the right side. The side he occupied when he was in bed with her and where he had slept those rare times he'd actually fallen asleep beside her and not done the proper thing of returning to his own bedroom after making love to her.

He decided to go to the right. Carefully, he put the box on the bed right next to her. Then, he removed his slippers and got up as gently as he could to sit in the vacant place on the bed. Robert reached out and traced the smooth, pale skin of her face. He'd done the same thing with her portrait. Now he had the privilege of doing it in reality.

Cora's eyes started to flutter open at being disturbed from sleep. She made a rather adorable little sound as she stirred.

"I'm sorry to wake you, dearest," he whispered. "But I wanted to be the first to wish you a very happy Christmas."

Her eyes opened, gleaming sapphire blue even in the darkened room. She looked up at him, confused but smiling. She moved to sit up and found the box. "What's this?"

"Your Christmas present," he told her proudly.

"May I open it?" she asked.

"Of course. That's why I brought it."

She grinned with such glee, Robert couldn't help but laugh. Cora's greedy fingers undid the ribbon with ease and opened the box, its hinge creaking slightly in the cold morning. Cora saw what was inside and gasped. "Oh Robert!" she exclaimed.

Inside the box was an extravagant necklace adorned with clusters of glittering diamonds forming little flowers and leaves. Robert had found it in a shop more than a month ago and bought it immediately, knowing that it would be perfect for Cora. He knew the answer already, but he asked, "Do you like it?"

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" she gushed.

"Then that's fitting, because you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Her eyes sparkled to rival the diamonds, and she blushed at his flattery. "Help me put it on?" she requested.

"What, now?"

"Yes, please. It's Christmas and I want to wear my present!"

Robert laughed again. That American exuberance of hers still came through sometimes. It used to bother him. And perhaps it was distasteful. But just now, he felt like nothing could bother him at all.

Cora shifted so she sat with her back toward him. She put her hair in its long plait to the side as Robert took the necklace from its box. He placed it around her neck and fastened it in the back, careful not to catch any of her hair. He also placed a few tender kisses to the back of her exposed neck, eliciting a happy hum from him.

"There we are," he murmured.

She turned back to him, her hands feeling at her new prize. "Thank you, Robert. I love it. I love you."

Robert hesitated, feeling his breath catch in his throat at her words. He wanted to tell her he loved her, too, but he had since learned not to tell her that particular lie. And he didn't want to spoil Christmas. So instead, Robert leaned in and kissed her lips.

Cora seemed to forget—or else just ignore—that Robert hadn't answered her declaration of love. And they both forgot about everything as they lost themselves in the kiss.

The door opened as one of the maids came in to do the fires, and Robert practically jumped away from Cora and off the bed. He was immediately mortified at being caught like that.

But Cora just started giggling. "Ring for Smithson, would you? Since you're up," she teased. "And you'd best call for Willis. We're all having breakfast together this morning, since it's Christmas."

He did not need her reminder, as Christmas had been done the same way at Downton all his life. But it was Cora's first Christmas with them, and he was pleased that she was starting to get accustomed to the Crawley family traditions.

Robert returned to his room and called for his valet to get him dressed for the day. During a lull in their conversation, he could hear Cora through the door telling her lady's maid about her new necklace and how much she adored it. Robert grinned to himself, pleased that he had been able to please his wife.

From the beginning of their relationship, he had vowed to make her happy. Her happiness was his duty. Being a good husband meant providing for his wife and ensuring her protection and her happiness. He had not always succeeded in those goals, but he had today. And he was quite proud of himself for it.

Eventually, he was dressed and ready to go downstairs for Christmas breakfast. He didn't realize how long things had taken or how distracted he'd been by Cora until he got to the dining room and found everyone except Cora already seated at the table.

"Ah, brother dear," Rosamund greeted in her usual teasing, sarcastic tone. "Nice of you to join us. Happy Christmas. And since Cora isn't here yet, I presume this means you were detained together? Perhaps having a little morning celebration of your own?"

Robert noticed Marmaduke shoot a warning look at his wife as Mama said, "Rosamund, vulgarity has no place at breakfast."

"Tell that to Robert," she quipped.

"I resent those insinuations," he grumbled, going to take his seat.

Not two seconds later, Cora hurriedly burst into the room. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry to be the last one here. Robert woke me up to give me my Christmas present, and I lost track of time."

"Robert, it's Christmas," Papa hissed at him. Obviously he, like the sniggering Rosamund, got the wrong idea from Cora's words.

"It was a necklace," Robert explained. He noticed that she was no longer wearing it. Smithson must have removed it and put it away when she dressed Cora for the day.

"And it's beautiful," Cora said, taking her own seat at the table. "It will go perfectly with my new dress for New Year's. I'd wear it tonight, but the neckline of this dress isn't quite right for the necklace."

"That's enough," Mama scolded. "Breakfast is not a time for enthusiasm."

"It's also not a place for vulgarity," Rosamund added with mock seriousness.

Robert rolled his eyes at his sister. Cora just stared at her, confused. Mama and Papa, well-versed with Rosamund's antics, just ignored her. Marmaduke pressed his napkin to his lips to keep from laughing.

Yes, it was certainly Christmas with the Crawleys now.