December 15: Good Will Toward Men

Pairing: Robert/Cora

Rating: K

The snow fell like heavy globs of ice cream all night. While the sky darkened completely, hiding all the stars and the moon, the ground transformed into a wintry landscape, becoming purer and whiter by the hour. The wind continued its cry, signaling that harsh weather had finally struck, and the miniscule snowflakes swirled in the air, creating patterns only to be dissolved in a matter of seconds.

When Miss O'Brien drew the curtains back, both Cora and Robert blinked their eyes quickly, briefly blinded by the sun reflecting off the vast lay of snow. Even though the sun was out for now, more clouds were gathering to continue the onslaught of blizzard-like conditions.

"Mmmf," mumbled Robert. "O'Brien, how much snow is out there?"

"About twenty centimeters, sir," answered Miss O'Brien. "It's below freezing, and the weather report predicts there will be more."

"Good God," Robert groaned, throwing himself back onto the pillow.

"Oh Robert," Cora said, still lying beside him. "Must you always act like a little boy every time the forecast calls for snow? If you wanted to avoid winter, you can stay at my mother's beach house at the Turks and Caicos."

"I have Downton to maintain, thank you very much," Robert answered, still with his cheek pressed against the pillow. "If Sybil were to be left here without my charge, Downton would look like the Guggenheim."

"That's a rather unfair exaggeration," Cora noted.

"If you don't mind my telling you, Lady Grantham," Miss O'Brien said brazenly, "I have something to say about Lady Sybil."

"Go on," Cora said, skeptical but nonetheless readily listening. Robert turned his head slightly.

"Lady Sybil was up when the rest of us were, and with Mr Branson," O'Brien began. "I think that Lady Sybil was up much earlier than we were."

Robert was very still for three seconds before pushing himself off of the bed. "For the love of Christmas," he said, turning red as his parental rage caused him to do so. "If she pulls something like this — !"

"Hold on a minute, Robert," Cora said, gently reaching for her husband's arm. "O'Brien, what exactly were Sybil and Tom doing?"

"They were decorating the tree," answered O'Brien.

Cora turned to Robert with a know-it-all look. "See? They must have wanted it to be a surprise for us."

Robert sputtered, but Cora shushed him. "O'Brien, as far as Sybil and Tom are aware, we don't know anything. I want it to be a surprise when we go downstairs. And I'll be having breakfast with the family."

O'Brien pursed her lips, but said, "Very good, m'lady," and exited the room.

Robert shot his head towards Cora. "Are you really going to let this happen?"

"Stop being such a Grinch, Robert," Cora said, rubbing her eye with her knuckle. "Sybil and Tom have been working so very hard these past few weeks. They don't deserve to get into trouble simply because they were making something nice. Or is it because you wanted to decorate the tree all by yourself?"

"That is not the reason or the point," Robert said. "Sybil let Tom Branson into our home at some ungodly hour of the morning —"

"To help with decorating the tree, and that is all," Cora said, sitting up. "Really Robert, I'm starting to think that I will revoke my Christmas gift to you. And it was quite lovely, too."

Robert scoffed, rolling his eyes. "The tree better look some degree of decorated when we get down there. I'll give them another half hour."

The tree was absolutely magnificent.

Both Robert and Cora descended the stairs with their mouths and eyes wide open. The entire tree, from the tip of the star topper to the base of the stand, was decked out in silver, gold, red and white colours, ornaments in an almost Victorian style hanging with the soft lights shining from in between the branches. False icicles, strands of silver tinsel and small boughs of holly were placed irregularly on the tree.

"I decided to go classical this year," Sybil said to her parents. "We had plenty of old ornaments left over, and I think it looks nicer when it's just simple ornaments and such."

"It's lovely," Cora said breathlessly. "How did you get the star on top?"

"Mr Carson found us a really tall ladder, and Tom put it up," Sybil explained.

Robert looked closely at the tree, then at Sybil. "How long have you been up doing this? It looks as if it took you a week for all of this."

"Well, remember we put the lights on the tree a few days ago?"

"No."

"That's because we never turned them on. We wanted to wait until the tree was trimmed before lighting it up. And I was up at half-past five putting the bottom ornaments on before Tom came a half-past six to put some on the taller branches."

"You were up at five-thirty doing all this?" Cora said. "It's a lovely job, and I'm proud of you for working so hard, but have a little bit of breakfast and then go back to bed. If you're going to continue as Santa's elf, you need to rest."

"Ugh, Mama please," Sybil said, hiding her own weariness.

"No 'mama please,'" Cora said decisively.

Sybil folded her arms. "Bye Tom," she said passively. "I'll see you later."

She went upstairs, dragging her feet.

"She did good work on the tree," Robert noted. "I never realized just how dedicated she was to this whole decorating business."

"Sybil was always a hard worker," Cora said. "And so are you, Tom. Thank you for helping out, the tree is magnificent. And I'm glad you have helped to clean out the attic."

"We're not quite finished up in the attic," Tom said. "There's still some matters to take care of."

Neither Cora nor Robert noticed Tom was giving a slight smirk at the word 'matters.'

"I suggest you go home and get some sleep as well, before Sybil makes you slave away again," Cora said.

"I'm quite happy to help Sybil out," Tom said. "Even if she makes me get up at six in the morning to surprise you."

"And it was a lovely surprise," Cora said. She nudged Robert to elicit a positive response from him.

"Yes. Lovely surprise," was all that he said.

In the breakfast room, Cora was fully prepared to chastise Robert.

"Are you really still acting like this with Tom?" she asked him, even before he had time to sit down. "He has been a good friend to Sybil, and he is a hardworking young man. The least you can do is accept that much."

"The problem is that I am afraid the two of them are more than 'good friends,'" Robert retorted, making quotation marks with his fingers.

"Would it really be that bad, Robert?" Cora said. Robert was silent.

"Who said you had to agree with his politics or his beliefs?" Cora continued. "He treats Sybil well, and they work well together, and frankly I do not see anything wrong."

"Are you turning American on me?" Robert asked.

"Well, why is it that when our girls find someone they like, you have to turn your nose up like some hoity-toity?" Cora said, staring sternly at Robert.

"First off, not always," Robert said. "But Edith just so happens to always attract men as old as me —"

"Michael Gregson is only ten years older than Edith," Cora said.

"— and I did approve of when Mary considered dating Matthew," Robert went on.

"Yes, that went rather well," Cora said sardonically. "Actually, you pushed the two of them together, so the one time you decided to put your nose in something, you ruined it."

"What do you suggest I do, then?" Robert said, spreading his arms wide. "Let my girls run wild with random men?"

"Be their father, but don't be an overseer," Cora said. "Even if they don't make the match that you want, their happiness is priority. Besides, it is Christmas, and remember: peace on earth, good will toward men. Which includes Tom and Michael."

Robert, at this point, knew much better than to argue with his wife, especially when she made a valid point. "Must you always try and educate me in this?" he said.

"Only when you are being a Grinch," Cora said.

"Stop calling me that," Robert said. "I am perfectly capable of enjoying Christmas."

"Yes, you are," Cora said. She leaned up and gave Robert a quick kiss. "Let's put this to rest, alright?"

Robert looked down at Isis, who was nudging his hand to get a scratch behind the ears.

"You aren't going to run off with some other dog, are you?" he asked her. "I can deal with my daughters going with other men, but if you left me, I'd be so heartbroken."

"Robert, what I said should include the dog," Cora said pointedly.