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"Mama, might we go for a walk? Nanny said that Lily likes to go out for walks!"
Mary set her book aside with a sigh. While she loved her son, she never had been able to match his energy.
"I suppose, George. But you mustn't run Nanny all over the estate…it isn't fair when she has to take care of Lily as well," Mary replied.
"Will you come, Mama? Donk and Grandfather went to the stables….we could see the horses, couldn't we Mama?" George asked eagerly, coming over and tugging on Mary's hand.
Cora and Isobel laughed from across the room.
"I daresay you have not lost any of your energy by playing all morning, have you George?" Cora asked.
"No Granny, I don't think so," George replied honestly, smiling at Cora before turning back to tug on Mary's hand again. "Please Mama!"
"Oh all right. Let us go for a walk then," Mary answered, smiling to her son but rolling her eyes when she looked over at Cora and Isobel.
"Granny, Grandmamma, will you come? Please, come see the horses! And Miss Elizabeth, you will like them too! They are very nice horses," George said, holding fast to Mary's hand while looking around the room.
"My George, you do make it sound like a great deal of fun," Elizabeth said, setting her tea cup aside and standing. "I do believe I might come along."
George's eyes lit up as he turned to his grandmothers. "Come on then!"
"George, perhaps Granny and Grandmamma have other things to finish inside. We mustn't beg, dear," Mary warned.
"Oh, I am sorry," George said, his face dropping a bit.
"Not at all, silly boy," Cora said. "Of course we'll come…won't we Isobel?"
"I think that's a lovely idea. It will be nice to get out in the fresh air," Isobel answered, setting her cross stitch to the side.
"Let's go find Nanny and Lily! Hurry! Hurry Mama!" George exclaimed, his vigor back with a vengeance as he pulled Mary towards the doorway.
Cora, Isobel and Elizabeth all laughed at young George's enthusiasm while Mary tried to make him slow down.
"He is a darling child," Elizabeth said, smiling over to Cora and Isobel as they stood.
"He is that," Cora replied. "We had better hurry or he will leave without us!"
She and Elizabeth began following Mary and George, though Elizabeth noticed Isobel standing still out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and turned, finding Isobel's eyes closed and one hand gripping the edge of the settee.
"Isobel?" Elizabeth quietly moved over to where Isobel stood. Cora, too, noticed and saw Isobel's strange appearance.
"Isobel, are you all right?" Elizabeth asked a bit louder this time, gently touching Isobel's arm.
Isobel nodded but her eyes remained shut.
"Isobel, dear, what is it?" Cora asked, coming to stand beside Elizabeth. "You're dreadfully pale. Are you all right?"
Elizabeth remained silent, wanting nothing more than to tell Cora these dizzy spells were quite normal for Lady Merton. But it was not her secret to tell…and she did not want to give away any more information than Isobel would allow.
Isobel forced her eyes opened and formed a weak smile for the two concerned women in front of her. "I apologize…I must have stood up too fast. Signs of old age, I presume," she explained with a small laugh.
Cora sighed in relief and put a hand to her chest. "You had me quite worried for a moment. Though I do admit to having a few more 'spells' myself now and again."
Elizabeth smiled as well but kept a close eye on Isobel. "You're sure?" she asked quietly.
Isobel nodded. "Quite. Cora, might you mind asking them to hold back a moment while I tell Mrs. Denton where we are off to? I will have her serve tea a bit later this afternoon."
"Of course!" Cora replied brightly, heading off in search of Mary and George. Elizabeth had turned to follow but instead, shut the door once Cora was out of sight. Turning, she saw Isobel had sunk to the settee. She hurried back over and sat beside Isobel, gently placing a hand on her back.
"Isobel, what is it? What is wrong?"
"I'm afraid I did stand up too fast…and things aren't quite in focus yet," Isobel replied quietly, letting out a slow breath. She patted Elizabeth's leg softly. "I'll be all right."
"Are you sure you'll be all right to come along? The stables are quite far off…without your cane…"
Isobel visibly winced at the word, turning her face away and shaking her head. "No."
"But Isobel…"
"Not in front of George."
Elizabeth sighed. If only Isobel would tell the family what was going on….
"Perhaps then you could allow Nanny a break and would like to push the pram? That would give you something to hold fast to," Elizabeth suggested.
It took a moment but Isobel finally nodded, looking back over to Elizabeth. "Yes, that might work. Thank you."
Elizabeth stood and kept her hand on Isobel's shoulder. "You stay here a moment and keep calm. I will find Mrs. Denton and let her know our plans. Then I will come back and help you out front. You're sure you're all right?"
Isobel nodded and thanked Elizabeth once more before the girl left the room in search of the new Housekeeper. Once alone, Isobel allowed her head to drop in to her hand, the dizziness causing her to become nauseous and lightheaded. She took a few deep breaths to try and calm her nerves, knowing that getting upset would not help the situation any.
Elizabeth returned less than five minutes later, shutting the door behind her and rushing over to Isobel.
"Everything is set for this afternoon's tea. Mrs. Denton said she would inform the Dowager Countess of the change in time when she returned from her outing to the village."
Elizabeth reached down and took Isobel's hands in hers. "Are you sure you feel up to this? I can make allowances for you."
"I do not want to worry George. He is so looking forward to this," Isobel replied, squeezing Elizabeth's hands before tightening her hold on the young girl and standing. Elizabeth helped to steady her before looping her arm around Isobel's waist and leading her towards the door.
"They're just outside the front door and Nanny has brought Lily down in the pram. Cora was watching over her," Elizabeth explained while opening the door.
Isobel smiled gratefully at the young girl before taking a few cautious steps in to the hallway. She stayed towards the outer edge, keeping one hand on the railing Dickie had installed in accordance with Dr. Clarkson's recommendations.
Elizabeth stepped out of the front door first, smiling as George began jumping up and down at the sight of her.
"Might we go now?" he asked, clapping his hands together.
"Just about. Grandmamma is just coming," Elizabeth answered, turning and taking Isobel's elbow as she stepped down on to the landing.
Mary's head cocked to the side, catching sight of the hesitation in Isobel's movements. She looked quickly to Elizabeth who still had a slight hold on Isobel's elbow. Elizabeth and Mary locked eyes for a moment before Elizabeth shook her head slightly, warding Mary off. She knew Mary wanted to insist that Isobel stay inside and rest, but Lady Merton had already made her position clear that afternoon. It would not help to upset her in front of Cora, George and Lily now.
"I do believe Miss Lily is ready, too," Cora said, smiling down as Lily clasped on to her fingers. Lily giggled and George came over quickly, standing on his tip toes to look inside the pram.
"Might I lead the way, Granny?"
"I think that is a splendid idea," Cora agreed.
"Then I think we are all here," Isobel said, stepping forward to stand beside Cora. She took hold of the pram's handle and smiled down at Lily. She fixed the blanket a bit and then brushed a finger down Lily's soft cheek before reaching over to ruffle George's hair.
"Ready, Master George?"
George stood straight and tall, nodding firmly. "Ready Grandmamma!"
"Then lead on," she called. George began marching down the road, the women laughing as they followed.
Elizabeth thanked Nanny and wished her a happy hour off before hurrying to catch up with the group. Before she could come in line with Cora and Isobel, Mary took her by the arm and held her back a few steps.
"What is wrong?"
"We mustn't discuss it here," Elizabeth whispered. "Your mother might get suspicious."
"It's Isobel…she's feeling poorly, isn't she?" Mary asked. Her eyes pierced in to the kind eyes of Elizabeth, intimidating the younger woman in to telling more than she ought.
"Yes…a bit…we can talk at tea this afternoon. I'm sure your Mother and Isobel will want to hear about the Dowager's outing. We won't be overheard then," Elizabeth explained.
Mary was about to protest but Elizabeth had already hurried to catch up with the others. Luckily, George was still small enough that his steps did not allow him to get very far very fast. And Cora did not seem to mind the leisurely pace, having gotten in to discussion with Isobel about what plans were for the upcoming Season.
Mary sighed and picked up her pace, falling in to step with Elizabeth and George, both now hunting for any sign of a rabbit. By the time they'd reached the stables a half hour later, Mary had to admit the joy of her young son was helpful in easing her worry for Isobel.
As they rounded the corner, George's eyes lit up seeing both Robert and Dickie standing outside the stables, speaking to a few workers about redesigning some of the fencing to allow more space for the horses to roam during the day.
"Mama, Mama! Look, they have the horses out!"
George quickly grabbed on to Mary's hand and pulled Elizabeth along with his other.
"Hurry!"
"Now George, we mustn't run. I don't want you getting all dirty before dinner. You have to see Great Granny when we get back," Mary chided.
"Yes, Mama. But hurry!"
Mary chuckled and looked over George's head at Elizabeth who seemed quite amused by George.
"I'd say you're not going to win this battle," Elizabeth said softly as George tugged on their arms, pulling them quickly to the end of the road.
"He does love the horses," Cora mused, smiling over at Isobel. "Did Matthew love them this much when he was a boy? Mary rode…but she was never as fond of them as Edith and Sybil."
Isobel smiled down at Lily who was kicking her legs and giggling. "Yes, he did love them. We had a horse for quite a while…it allowed Reginald to get to families outside of Manchester much faster. He allowed Matthew to ride after school and on the weekends."
She couldn't help but smile at her memories. "George reminds me so much of Matthew…rushing home so he could see the mare…wanting nothing more than to get out of his school clothes and in to something I didn't mind him getting dirty. The poor old dear was just as eager…she would whinny when she heard the bell ring after school until he got home to see her."
"How lovely," Cora replied. "I can assure you George is already showing the same habits. Nanny practically has to lock him inside until she can get Marigold ready to go down to the stables in the afternoon."
"Dickie was so pleased to give them the foals…and I know it meant a great deal to him that Mary and Edith allowed the children to keep the horses," Isobel answered, smiling as George rushed over to Dickie's open arms.
The workers moved back in to the stables while Robert and Dickie took George over to pet the horses. Mary and Elizabeth stayed back on the road, waiting for Isobel and Cora to reach them with Lily.
"He is a ball of energy!" Elizabeth said as Cora came to stand beside her.
"He is more than that," Mary replied dryly. "There are some days that I wonder whether he will ever learn to behave like a gentleman."
"Oh Mary, he's only a little boy!" Cora exclaimed. "You girls used to run in the fields and get dirty all the time."
"Not when Granny was coming to dinner," Mary answered curtly.
"Well, I can assure you it does not bother Dickie or I in the least," Isobel said, laughing lightly as a mare nuzzled George's hair and sent the little boy in to a fit of giggles.
Mary tried to remain stern but the laughter from her son was always her undoing. She sighed and uncrossed her arms. "As long as he is cleaned up by the time Granny arrives back at the house tonight, I suppose I will let it go….for now."
She and Elizabeth made their way over to the fence, George calling out that they needed to come pet the beautiful horses. Dickie set George down when he saw Isobel and Cora standing on the road.
"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" he said, coming over and kissing Isobel on the cheek. He stooped down and placed a small kiss on Lily's forehead as well.
Standing straight, he smiled at both ladies. "I take it George got everyone to come along for his walk today?"
"We thought we would give Nanny a bit of a break. She was only hired to care for an infant and now she's had to deal with a very energetic four year old!" Cora replied.
"I'm sure she appreciates it," Dickie replied. "Robert and I have made some good progress with the layout of the fencing, I believe. The workers think they can get started by the middle of next week. Timothy will be pleased….it was his idea."
"Come now, Dickie…give yourself some due credit. You put the thought in his head," Robert said, coming to stand beside Cora.
"Perhaps. But he solidified the plans….it's a shame he could not be here today to speak to the workers."
"Will he be back this evening?" Robert asked. "I thought we could discuss plans for you all to come to Downton before the Season. He had wanted to look at a few things on the grounds."
"I would think so," Dickie replied. "He only had a few things to attend to in the village."
George's squeals rang out across the yard, followed by the sounds of both Mary and Elizabeth laughing. The four older adults smiled as they watched George run along the fence, a young filly chasing him from the other side.
Dickie turned back to say something to Isobel but found she was no longer smiling like the others. Her hands were gripping the handle of the pram, so much so that her knuckles were beginning to turn white. He subtly took a few steps closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Lean in to me," he whispered in her ear, tightening his hold on her.
"Look at him go! I don't know whether the filly or George will tire first," Robert said, pointing at the pair that continued to chase each other up and down the fence.
"My bet is on the filly….he has never met the likes of our young George," Dickie answered, trying to keep the atmosphere light. He knew something was wrong with Isobel but did not want to bring attention to it. She would despise making a scene…especially in front of George.
"You might be right," Cora agreed, smiling at the couple standing beside her. It was wonderful seeing how easily they fit together, Dickie with his arm around Isobel and little Lily in the pram beside them. A delightful little family…Cora could only hope that no antiquated opinions would take this little girl away from them.
"I should be getting back," Dickie said, taking out his pocket watch to look at the time, "though I do hate to leave this merriment. I'm afraid I promised to meet with Mead this afternoon."
"I'll go with you," Isobel said softly. "Lily will be ready for a bottle soon."
"Would you like me to go with you?" Cora asked.
"Oh no…you stay and enjoy the fun," Isobel replied kindly. "Tell George that we're going to get his Great Granny settled."
"And good luck with that," Robert answered, the sarcasm evidenced by his sly grin.
It wasn't until they were down the road and out of earshot that Dickie took a closer look at Isobel.
"Isobel…what is it?" he asked quietly, not wanting any workers to overhear their conversation.
"I'll be all right," she answered, forcing a smile up at him.
"I would have to disagree with you on that, my dear," he replied. "Why not let me push the pram back? Give you a bit of a break?"
"No, I…I think it best I hold on to it," she answered hesitantly.
"Isobel…"
"I just need to sit down and then I will be fine."
"Is it another headache?" he asked, his voice growing as his worry increased.
"Not so much…my equilibrium seems to be a bit off, that's all," she answered, keeping her focus on Lily's smile. It seemed if she focused on the little girl's precious face, rather than the vast grounds, she felt a bit steadier.
"Would you like to sit for a bit? We can go to the gardens if you like," he suggested.
"Violet will be back soon, and I'd never hear the end of it if no one was in the house to greet her when she returns," Isobel reminded him.
"Mm, quite right..." She did have a point…and getting in to an argument with Violet Crawley was the last thing Isobel needed if she wished to regain her bearings.
They walked in silence for a few moments before Dickie dared broach the subject. "My dear, you could have used the cane."
The rocks scratched beneath her shoes as she stopped short, turning sharply to glare at him. But his face and everything surrounding her suddenly began to move from side to side. She cursed under her breath for having turned so fast. Dickie stepped forward quickly, seeing her body begin to sway. He firmly took hold of her arms and pulled her close, his body shielding the pram from rolling away.
"Isobel…please…I cannot bear to see you push yourself this far."
He looked down as her forehead came to rest on his chest, her hands now gently holding to his forearms. He could tell she was trying to keep strong and not allow him to see how poorly she felt. He realized that when she was truly feeling ill, she would never look him directly in the eye.
Always the nurse…always caring about others before herself, he thought with a sigh, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Let's get you inside. We can discuss it later, all right?"
She nodded from her current position, taking a few slow breaths to try and calm the dizziness and her frustrations. If only her body would work the way she wanted it to! Her mind was as quick as it had been in her twenties, but her body….that was a different story and completely out of her control. And it frustrated her more than she could explain.
Isobel had just allowed her eyes to meet Dickie's when Lily began to fuss in the pram.
"Shh, shh, it's all right darling," Isobel hushed, tearing her eyes and body away from Dickie to take hold of the pram once more. She rocked the pram back and forth to try and soothe the girl but knew the baby was probably hungry.
"We're just about there," Dickie said, his hand meeting the small of Isobel's back.
She nodded and they continued on. Dickie would make Isobel see reason…he had to. They had come too far and been through too much for him to lose her now.