AN at the bottom today.
Chapter 4 – The next day, Grantham House, London
Robert
"Robert, wake up. Wake up now! Robert!" He has never heard his father shout like that. Never. And he has never seen him so frantic. Or crying. His father never cries. But he can see tear tracks on his face.
"Is it Mama, or Rosamund?" he asks, imagining them sick and fighting for their lives because of some stupid illness.
"No. It is Richard." His father says this with such finality that he knows what has happened. A shower runs down his spine, he feels his stomach turn around and has difficulties keeping last night's dinner down. He gets out of his bed and looks his father in the eyes.
"What happened?"
"The police say your brother got involved in some sort of brawl. It might have been about a woman but they weren't sure. He was drunk and fell and hit his head on a table and there was nothing that could be done for him. Nothing."
He feels empty. So very empty. And his father looks so old and forlorn.
"Mama," he says.
"I haven't told her yet. I couldn't do it." His father looks at him pleadingly and he nods. "I'll come with you."
Together they walk to her mother's room and it pains him to see his father gently shaking her awake. He doesn't yell, not the way he yelled when he was woken up.
"What, what is it? Patrick? Why is Robert in my bedroom?"
He sees his father struggling for words. He sits on his mother's bed slumped and defeated, not able to say anything.
"We have very bad news, Mama," he says and is not surprised to hear his voice croak. He may not have liked his brother, but it pains him endlessly to know that the man he grew up with does not exist anymore.
"What is it?" His mother has now turned to him and he thinks that these are the hardest words he has ever had to speak.
"Richard was out last night. I don't know where. He got into a fight and hit his head. Badly. There was nothing that could be done for him."
His mother asks "what does that mean?" but he can see comprehension on her face.
"It means that he is dead, Violet. Our eldest son is dead." His father says and his mother falls back onto her pillows. He has never seen such a pained expression on her face.
"I'll get dressed and tell Rosamund. And Miss Levinson."
Rosamund deals with the news of brother's death as she deals with all unpleasant news. She says "damn it," swallows once and then holds her head up high.
"Would you like to stay?" she asks and for a moment he considers saying yes because he would like to talk to her about Richard, to deal with losing their brother together but then he remembers that this is Rosamund and that she will do anything not to have to talk about Richard. Not because she isn't sad. She is incredibly sad. But because she does not want to talk about matters close to her heart.
"I have to tell Miss Levinson. She is expecting Richard's proposal."
"Yes, it is best if we tell her before she reads it in the papers."
So he walks up to the house the Levinson's have rented and asks to see Miss Levinson. He is inconveniently stopped by her father.
"Mr. Crawley. I already told your parents that we will not consider you as our daughter's husband. Your brother, yes. But not you." He is taken aback by this but then pushes the deeper meaning of what he just heard aside.
"It is my brother I need to talk to her about. Right now," he says and Cora's father looks at him with surprise on his face. "Go ahead then. She is in the drawing room."
"Mr. Crawley, how nice to see you," she says gets up and walks towards him. He needs to say it now and he has the feeling that he is getting used to it. Cora is the third woman after all he has to tell about his brother's death within a few hours.
"I am afraid I come with rather bad news. Richard got into a fight last night. He fell and hit his head and there was nothing to be done for him. He is dead. I am so sorry," he says and looks at Cora. All the color has left her face as she is walking towards him. She touches his left forearm with her right hand. "How very dreadful. This must be very hard for you," she says in such a tender voice that he feels tears stinging his eyes.
"We never got along well. I was envious of him, of how he was able to charm others left, right and center. I envied him the estate that he did not care about. And I know he was envious of me too. Of my freedom, of not having the pressure of being the next Earl of Grantham on me. He used me sometimes, and I was mad at him, I was mad him for making me sort out his future bride but this is not what I wanted. I didn't want him dead." All those words tumble out of his mouth and he can feel the grip of Cora's arm lifting. He wishes she'd keep gripping him. But instead she leans forward and puts both her arms around him in a hug that is so full of comfort and so unexpected that he can't stop himself from putting his head on her shoulder if only for just a second. He then steps back and takes her arms off him. "Thank you for being understanding. I am sorry, I embarrassed you."
"You could never embarrass me," she says.
"Mr. Crawley," he hears her father shout and only then realizes that he has taken Cora's arms off him but not let go of her hands. "What do you think you are doing?"
"He told me that Richard is dead, father," Cora says and looks at her father without letting go off his hands. "I only gave him a tiny bit of comfort. It was very nice of him to come here and bring the news instead of letting us find out through the newspapers. It can't have been easy."
The expression on Mr. Levinson's face softens immediately. "Of course," he says. "Forget my outburst and please accept my condolences." He nods. "Thank you," he says. "I am afraid I must take my leave now. You may relay the news to anyone who needs to know. The papers will be full of it anyway." He turns around and the butler hands him his hat. And then he hears Cora's father's voice again.
"Lord Downton, if there is anything my family or I can do for you right now, please let me know."
His insides turn to ice and he turns around. Until this moment he had not realized that he is not the Honorable Robert Crawley anymore, but the Viscount Downton. The future Earl of Grantham. He has turned from spare to heir. A weight that he has never felt before comes crushing down on him, almost making him unable to breathe.
AN: First of all, thank you for all the wonderful and kind reviews! I really appreciate them.
eyeon: Congrats on guessing the plot!
I am fully aware that some of you may not like this development and think it is the easy way out. Don't despair! I have already written seven chapters of a differerent version of this story. I can never let a story rest, I keep thinking about storylines and what would change if I changed the plot and then I just have to write it.
Please let me know what you think of this chapter!
As always, have a great day everyone!
Kat