It was nice to take walks like this.
For some reason, that was the only thought that passed through Robert's mind. Of all the things that he'd been pondering these last few weeks courting Cora Levinson, Robert's mind, at this exact moment, fixated on this one fact. It was nice to take walks with her.
They didn't really know each other very well yet. It was hard to get to know a person under these circumstances. Though perhaps that was what marriage was for, getting to know someone. Robert thought the whole business was odd, finding someone with the bare requirements of attractiveness and pleasantness and deciding to commit to building a life and a family with that person. In fact, Robert had sort of gone off the idea altogether until Marmaduke came by with some information about the accounts for the estate and informed Robert and Mama both that they would need to start selling some of the business interests if cash income weren't generated soon. The building projects for the town were going to bleed the liquid assets completely dry before too long. It was agreed—quite begrudgingly by Mama—that the best way to find that influx of cash was to gain a handsome dowry from a wife. Well, Mama had agreed in concept, though the precise person Robert would take as a wife was rather more vehemently opposed.
The small box in Robert's pocket felt like a lead weight. He'd had it for three days now, after going to see Marmaduke in London and asking his advice and assistance in choosing something. The prospect of even asking Mama for one of the Crawley family rings was too unpleasant to contemplate, so Robert had resigned himself to buying something new. Something chosen just for Cora.
He'd hoped to ask her the day he'd returned to Downton from London after purchasing the ring, but he'd gone to call on her at the Dower House only to find that she was out. He sent a footman there each day to send word that the Earl of Grantham wished to see Miss Levinson. It wasn't until today that he'd finally gotten a response. Cora had arrived at Downton Abbey almost immediately, and Robert suggested they take a walk around the grounds. Mama did not like Cora much, though Robert could hardly understand why, since Cora was polite and pleasant and well-mannered, even if she was American. It was simpler to keep out of Mama's way.
"I've missed you the last few days," Robert ventured. "Where have you been?"
"Oh I was over in Thirsk looking in on something for Lady Grantham. It took longer than I expected, so I stayed the night. It's a nice town, but I'm much happier to be back here," Cora answered.
"Are you?" Robert asked quite seriously.
She looked at him curiously. "Yes, I enjoy Downton very much," she said.
Robert swallowed hard, feeling that this was the moment he had been waiting for. "Come with me," he murmured. He let her hand fall from where it held his arm, taking her delicate hand in his instead. Robert led her over to a mighty oak tree that was hopefully picturesque. "Miss Levinson…Cora," he began. Oh good lord, was he starting to sweat? "Cora, I want very much for you to be happy at Downton."
Cora gazed up at him with those magnificent sapphire eyes of hers. "I am happy, Robert," she told him. It did not escape him that this was the first time she had called him Robert since she learned of his identity as Earl of Grantham.
Steeling himself, Robert took the jewelry box out of his pocket. "I would like to be able to ensure your happiness for the rest of our lives. Cora, would you do me the honor of being my wife?"
Her sweet face erupted into a beaming smile. She squealed, which actually wasn't very pleasant, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. "Yes, a hundred times yes!" she proclaimed.
Robert extricated himself from her grasp and opened the box. He slipped the ring on her finger, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her hand.
Cora took her hand from his so she could use both hands to take his face and pull it to hers in a magnificent kiss.
December 1, 1888
Dear Father,
I hope mine is the first letter you will receive on the issue, though I don't know if you were forewarned: Robert proposed! I am going to marry Robert Crawley and I shall be Countess of Grantham. I am so filled with unbridled happiness that I feel I may burst with it.
The issue of the dowry needs to be decided, I know. I hope I can leave that to you and Lady Grantham to figure out. So long as I can marry Robert, I don't really mind what happens with anything else.
I would like to be married soon, if possible. I do love my fiancé so very much and now that we are engaged, I want to start our wedded bliss as soon as we can. Do you think that you and Mother (and Harold, if you think it best) can come to England to visit and meet the Crawleys and help plan the wedding?
Obviously when I left in October, I didn't imagine I would not return home to New York. It seems now that's how it will have to be. I will miss our Christmas at home, but spending it here will be a grand beginning to my new life.
Oh I'm just so excited about everything! I do hope to hear back from you soon saying you'll be travelling to see us in England for Christmas. I'm certain Lady Grantham will welcome you all to Downton, particularly with your past business dealings. If nothing else, I imagine you want to finally meet the famed DCG.
All my love,
Cora
"Martha!"
With a small growl to herself, Martha Levinson turned around halfway up the stairs in order to go right back down. She did not rush, however, because that would be too much for her. But it did not take long to reach her husband's study.
"Ah, there you are," Isidore Levinson said when his wife appeared in the doorway.
"Dear, you know how I feel about you screeching at me like that," she chided. Martha could have easily made that remark teasing and affectionate, but instead, Martha had snapped at him in disapproval. Her mother's voice popped into her head reminding her that a wife's duty is to be pleasant and to always ease her husband's burden and to never be demanding on him. If her mother was here right now, Martha would have told her to put a sock in it.
Isidore paid no mind to his wife's scolding. He was far too used to it. "Look at this letter I received today." He handed the folded page to her.
Martha took it and immediately recognized the handwriting. It made her smile before she'd even read the words. When she did read Cora's letter, however, Martha's expression faltered. She looked up. "Izzy, did you know about this!?"
"Marmaduke Painswick, the Earl of Grantham's brother-in-law and the banker for the estate, wrote me last week to discuss the dowry."
"But did the Earl of Grantham write to ask for Cora's hand? I mean, do we even know anything about this man?" she demanded.
"He did write me to ask for her hand and I wrote him back to tell him that if Cora accepted, I would happily give her away," he assured her.
"Well that's something," she grumbled.
Isidore crossed to the other side of the desk and placed his hands on his wife's arms. "Come now, Martha, don't be like that," he soothed.
His attempts to appease her only succeeded in making her more annoyed. "I told you not to send her alone! She's been gone for two months now, and now she's never coming back. This was supposed to be for a job, wasn't it?"
"It was for a job, and she's gotten quite a few more out of it from the DCG. And we have been paid handsomely for it. But Cora's skill is the stuff of legends, and I wasn't very well going to let her pass up this opportunity."
That was not what Martha wanted to hear. "The job is one thing, and you know how I feel about that."
Martha had begged Izzy not to allow Cora to become a contract killer, not because it wasn't something for a woman to do—which it wasn't—or that she worried for Cora's safety—which she did—but because it was the kind of life that took ahold of someone by the neck and never let them go. What kind of life could Cora really expect to lead when she was spending all of her time lurking in shadows and killing people!?
Shaking her head in disapproval, Martha continued, "She went for the job, I know, but now she's getting married and never coming home? That's not what we wanted, Iz."
"Whether we wanted it or not, our daughter has fallen in love, and the man she loves has asked her to marry him. I, for one, know what it is like to be eager to being life together once love is found," Isidore said affectionately, his dark eyes glittering with his love for his own wife.
Martha sighed. "I just wish we knew who this Earl of Grantham was. I'm her mother, I should be helping her through all of this"
"And you will. I'm going to have the arrangements made for you to leave in two days to go to England. Harold and I will join you when the wedding date comes closer, whenever that is. He's got school and I don't want to be away from the business for an undetermined amount of time," he said.
"So that means you'll be away from me for an undetermined amount of time," Martha pointed out.
Isidore chuckled and kissed her forehead. "We'll have to have a proper goodbye before you go," he whispered suggestively.
She elbowed him in the chest for that, which only made him laugh more. "Fine, I'll go see Cora and meet this family she's marrying into. I guess there's nothing else for it," she said in resignation.
"When you're instructing your maid about the packing, don't forget that sapphire pendant necklace," he suggested.
"Why?"
A small smile played on his lips. "It's something old and blue. For Cora's wedding day."
"And borrowed?"
"Well, that's up to you, I think."
Despite the annoyance she still felt at the situation—her only daughter getting engaged without ever saying a word to her own mother about it and to a man they'd never met—Martha felt her heart soften against her will. He was quite a romantic, that Isidore Levinson. Martha was far more pragmatic about personal matters while Izzy took that approach to everything else in life. She'd married him because it was a good prospect for her, a man beginning in industry and apt to make a fortune to support her in comfort. But Martha had been lucky enough to fall in love with her husband after they were married. He had been in love with her before the wedding, something she never quite knew what to do with.
And now it seemed their daughter had inherited both her father's romantic heart and ruthless determination. Cora could plunge a knife into the heart of a rival and still hold her own heart right out on her sleeve. In spite of it all, Martha was extremely proud.
Violet looked up from her letter with a sigh of annoyance. "Carson, can you send for the Earl of Grantham to join me in the library, please?" she requested from the butler standing nearby.
"Of course, My Lady," came Carson's baritone reply.
She went back to her correspondence, though it only served to increase her frustration. By the time Robert walked into the room, she was quite livid.
"Good day to you, Mama," Robert said cheerfully.
"You proposed to her without telling me," Violet stated bluntly. It was not an accusation, merely a fact.
Robert nodded, not even having the decency to cower being faced with his own lack of manners towards his mother. "I did. A week ago. How did you find out?"
"Her father has written to me to provide the date that Mrs. Levinson will be arriving in England and asking if she might stay with Miss Levinson at the Dower House."
He nodded again. "It stands to reason that her mother should come stay with her to assist in the wedding plans. We don't wish to have too long of an engagement."
"I specifically forbid you from marrying her, Robert!" Violet exclaimed, her patience all evaporating.
"And you have no reason to forbid my marriage to her!" he countered. "Marmaduke and I went over everything, the cash standing for the estate, the value of the dowry, all of it! It is a sound business decision, Mama."
Violet nearly revealed the truth of Cora Levinson and why exactly it was that Robert couldn't marry her. Nearly, but she restrained herself. No need to shatter everyone's illusion just before tea. Instead, Violet merely said, "She will be an embarrassment to the estate, and I am extremely disappointed in you, Robert, that you failed to recognize that."
Robert stood firm. "I am marrying her, and that is all there is to it. If you're so worried about her being an embarrassment, perhaps you could be motivated into training her to be a proper Countess of Grantham. She is well-mannered and lovely in every way, but she is new to this life and will need assistance. I can think of no one better than you to provide it."
He did have a point, which she absolutely refused to acknowledge. Turning an American assassin heiress into a proper countess was a necessity if Robert insisted on carrying on this nightmare. And for Violet, that's what this was. The hired help was going to marry her son. A nightmare.