Robert paid for the carriage as it let him out in Eaton Square trying not to let his hands shake with nervousness. He had been to his sister and brother-in-law's house more times than he could count, but this was different. He'd never gone there—or anywhere, actually—with the express purpose of seeking permission to court a woman he hoped to marry.

Well, Robert did not really want to get married at all. But it was the thing to do, wasn't it? A dowry would help the estate, and once he got married and got the succession figured out, he could take on full running of the estate from Mama without worrying about those other things. Yes, he needed a wife and a couple sons and then he'd have everything. And of course, a dowry from a wealthy family would not hurt.

It was that latter point that inspired Robert to set his sights on Cora Levinson. She was beautiful and interesting, which put her heads above the English girls he'd met over the last two years, and she was heiress to an absurd fortune. The fact that she was American was not a point in her favor, but Robert did not actually mind it as much as Mama certainly seemed to. For some reason, Americans bothered him, but Cora herself did not. Coming from her, the American accent was actually quite charming.

And now Robert would take the opportunity to see if she was as lovely as he'd first thought. Hopefully he could win her favor and overcome this first hurdle of adult life: marriage.

The butler greeted him when he rang the bell at the house. "A pleasure to see you, Lord Grantham. Please come into the library. Lady Rosamund is out, but Mr. Painswick has not yet returned to the bank after luncheon. I'm afraid I was not informed of your arrival or I would have ensured that Her Ladyship was here to receive you."

Robert followed into the library. "No, I didn't give any warning for my visit, I'm afraid. And I'm not here to see Lady Rosamund or Mr. Painswick. I was hoping to call on Miss Levinson."

The poor butler was taken aback by that. "I-I shall send for her, Your Lordship." He turned to leave and probably gossip with a maid or footman on his way.

But Robert was not left alone for long. Marmaduke appeared less than a minute later. "Robert?"

"Good day to you, Marmaduke," Robert greeted pleasantly.

"Simmons said you were here to pay a call on Miss Levinson."

"That's correct. I was intrigued when I met her, and I wanted to see her again."

Marmaduke stared at him in disbelief. "D-does the Dowager know?"

"I informed her that I wished to court Miss Levinson and that I was coming to London this morning. I am sure she put two and two together."

"What did she have to say about that?" Marmaduke asked warily.

Robert chuckled. He was far from his mother's interfering for the time being. "She wasn't pleased at the prospect. She has quite a prejudice against Americans. But even she can't be too displeased over Miss Levinson's dowry."

"You've looked into her dowry?!"

"I have," Robert said with a nod.

Marmaduke narrowed his eyes. "And?

Robert smirked in spite of himself. "You know how much Rosamund's was, of course. Well, double it."

Whatever response Marmaduke may have had, what with his jaw dropping and his eyes big as dinnerplates, was interrupted by Simmons announcing Miss Levinson.

Moving past Marmaduke, Robert greeted Miss Levinson as kindly and charmingly as he could and asked if she would like to take a walk around the gardens with him. The elated grin that beamed across her face when she said yes made his heart skip a beat.

"Did you and Lord Grantham have a nice time today?" Marmaduke asked when there was a small lull in the dinner conversation.

Rosamund's head shot up, as Marmaduke expected. "Robert was here?"

"I was leaving after luncheon to return to work when he arrived to pay a call on Miss Levinson," Marmaduke explained. Oh his wife was going to have an absolute fit which amused and entertained Marmaduke far more than it should.

"Oh did he?" she asked icily.

Miss Levinson was no fool. She did not miss Rosamund's tone at all. She was smart to measure her response. "He did. It was quite unexpected. We walked around the gardens and talked. It was quite pleasant. I invited him to tea, but he said he had to catch the train back to Downton."

"What on earth did the two of you find to talk about?" Rosamund demanded.

"The flowers, mostly. He said the gardens at Downton Abbey are magnificent and he pointed out the plants and things that he knows about. We don't really have gardens like that in New York. I thought it was lovely," Miss Levinson answered, slightly defensive.

And who could blame her? Rosamund was as formidable as the Dowager when she got riled. It probably wasn't nice for Marmaduke to wind them up like this, but he couldn't help it. It was just too good to pass up.

Unfortunately for Marmaduke's fun, both ladies were too well-bred to really let loose at the dinner table. Miss Levinson excused herself right after dinner, claiming to be tired after her long walk that day. Marmaduke escaped to the library to write a letter. He knew Rosamund would give him an earful as soon as they were alone, and he hoped to postpone that as long as possible.

But as it was, he really did have a letter to write.

Violet,

As you may know, Robert came to call on Miss Levinson today. He says he intends to court her. And he also told me about her dowry. I know you're opposed to the idea of her marrying the Earl of Grantham, but I implore you to think about what that dowry could do for the estate. The limitations we have had, the contingencies we have been exploring, they would all be rendered moot by a cash infusion like that. Please consider carefully in opposing Robert's pursuit of Miss Levinson. And may I also offer another point in her favor: you needn't pay her for her contracting services if she's in the family. Just a thought.

—Marmaduke

"Miss Levinson, Your Ladyship," Carson's booming voice announced.

"Thank you for making the journey to Downton," Violet greeted politely, gesturing for Miss Levinson to enter the library and sit. "Carson, you may bring the tea now," she added to the butler.

The young American sat, looking just as elegant and pretty as the last time Violet had seen her. She did not wear black today. Instead, she was clothed in a deep navy blue trimmed with cream lace. Violet found herself annoyed.

"Thank you for the invitation, Lady Grantham. It is an honor to be here and to see Downton Abbey. I've heard such wonderful things about it."

"And would it be the Earl of Grantham who has told you these wonderful things?" Violet asked bluntly.

"He has," Miss Levinson answered truthfully.

"That is why I asked to speak with you. I'd like to have this conversation before the servants return with the tea. I don't wish to be overheard."

Miss Levinson did not answer, simply waiting for Violet to continue. Another annoying moment. She behaved perfectly, and Violet wanted nothing more than to find fault in Miss Levinson. Other than the facts of her homeland and her profession, there seemed no fault to be found.

Violet got to the point. "My son intends to court you, Miss Levinson. He has inquired into your prospects and has discovered your substantial dowry."

"I see." Violet thought she saw a hint of disappointment cross Miss Levinson's eyes, but perhaps she was just seeing things.

"But more important than his intentions is this: my son is not privy to the estate's business."

Miss Levinson startled at that. "I beg your pardon?"

"My late husband had just begun to foray into illicit business dealings before he passed. My children were quite young at the time, particularly Lord Grantham. I have carried on the business on Lord Grantham's behalf until such time as he was old enough and experienced enough to take it over. But while he manages Downton itself, the wider investments and other businesses are unknown to him," Violet explained.

"He doesn't know you operate illegally?" Miss Levinson asked in utter disbelief.

Violet shook his head. "He does not. And thus he of course has no idea what it is you do or why you should be hired by me or why your father would recommend your services to me."

Miss Levinson's brow furrowed as she tried to contemplate these implications. "Mr. Painswick said that the other members of the family are not involved in the business, but I had no idea they didn't even know what the business was."

"Lady Rosamund knows. She is not involved, but she knows what we do. She and Mr. Painswick are quite close and discuss estate matters between them. It is only Lord Grantham who does not know. Nor do I wish for him to know."

"Why not?"

"Because, my dear, every thief needs to keep clean hands. Lord Grantham is the respectable face of the estate and ensures that Parliament and the rest of the world keep looking the other way when it comes to the things I run. This arrangement has worked for quite some time, and I imagine it shall continue to work so long as all those involved keep their story straight. And now you, Miss Levinson, are involved. Do not give me cause to regret that," Violet warned.

The door to the library opened. Carson had returned with the tea tray.

"Ah, here's our tea. Would you be agreeable, Miss Levinson?" Violet was offering tea, of course, but Miss Levinson was clever enough to know what Violet was really asking.

And Miss Levinson looked her right in the eyes and gave a steady nod.

The last few days had been such a whirlwind, Cora hardly knew what to do. Her time in England was, so far, nothing like she'd expected. Well, other than assassinating Jack the Ripper, she hadn't known what to expect at all.

Meeting Robert had been the first surprise. Lord Grantham, she'd later found out. She had been charmed by him from the first when they bumped into each other in Whitechapel when she was fresh from murder and disposition of a corpse. She was better rested and yet just as enchanted during their second meeting at Grantham House when she'd learned his true identity.

Thereafter, it seemed he'd learned her true identity as well. Or at least, he'd learned who her father was and what her dowry was, and that had been enough to convince him to court her. Having him call on her at the Painswick residence had been a surprise but a very, very pleasant one.

Their walk around the Eaton Square Gardens had been like magic. Cora felt like she was walking on a cloud with her arm in his. The way he spoke, the feel of him close to her, it was all she could do to keep from going weak in the knees! If Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, wanted to court her, Cora was more than happy to allow him to. And if he wanted to marry her, Cora would consider it a dream come true. She would get to be Countess of Grantham and she would get to marry a man she was already falling madly in love with.

But then cracks began to appear. Lady Rosamund, Lord Grantham's sister, absolutely hated Cora. She wasn't sure what she'd done to offend Lady Rosamund, but Mr. Painswick, her husband, had indicated that his wife did not like any woman with independence, self-assurance, and a lack of proper English breeding. Lady Grantham, the Dowager Countess, certainly felt the same way.

Lady Grantham was a different issue altogether. She had made it clear that she did not approve of Cora marrying the Earl, but she had also dropped the stunning truth that Lord Grantham himself had no knowledge of the estate's criminal enterprise! Cora did not know how, if he intended to court her, she would be able to hide the truth from him. But that was what she was expected to do. And so she would. Anything to get to be with him and to prove herself to Lady Grantham.

Cora had been moved from the Painswick home in London up to an extra residence on the Grantham estate. It was referred to as the Dower House, meaning that it was the traditional residence of the Dowager Countess. The current Dowager Countess still lived at Downton Abbey, of course, but when the Earl got married and there was a new Countess of Grantham, the Dowager would move out. Cora hoped that in opening up the Dower House for her, she and Lady Grantham were expected to essentially swap places; no use having Lady Grantham wait around for the Dower House to be made ready for her once Robert got married, better instead to have Cora live there during the renovations and such.

She sighed, already exhausted by everything. But she had to put all of it out of mind. After discussing how to keep the truth from Lord Grantham, Lady Grantham had then told Cora about a problem they were having at a factory in York and how her services might be useful there. Cora sat in the back of the carriage that took her into the city and traced the lace fan that hid her dagger. Time to get to work.