I am overwhelmed by such kind reviews! Thank you, thank you!
I hope you enjoy this second chapter…it was a bit difficult to write so I apologize if any of the wording seems out of character for our favorite Julian Fellows creations!
Happy Downton Day!
Her hand shook a bit as she laid the newspaper to the side, not sure what to believe in this moment.
"So, now you see for yourself," Violet spoke, watching Isobel carefully to gauge her reaction.
It was later in the afternoon, and Violet had insisted that Isobel come for tea….to discuss the situation. At first, Isobel had pushed the disinheritance of Larry Grey to the side, choosing instead to focus on her work at the clinic. It was quite easy to distract herself…she had been doing the same thing for three months. Ever since she had watched Lord Merton walk out of her sitting room.
But when early afternoon came and no new patients arrived, she found herself staring at a blank piece of paper. She had been trying to come up with a list of supplies needed for the clinic, but her mind could only focus on one thing….Dickie. Why he was in her thoughts when she had refused his proposal was beyond her logical mind to deduce. It did not make any sense.
And in this moment, sitting across from Violet Crawley, she still had no answer as to why this information about Lord Merton had opened up a well of emotions inside her.
"He must be serious," Violet said softly, raising her tea cup to her lips, one eye still on Isobel.
Isobel looked up in confusion at her cousin. "Well of course he is. One does not disinherit a child if they are not serious about it."
"No," Violet answered evenly.
"No?"
"I meant he must be serious about marrying you."
Isobel's eyes widened in silent shock as a grin formed on Violet's face. "You realize that now your reason for refusing his marriage proposal in nullified."
"But I…I told him I would not come between a father and his sons. Larry may be out of the will, but he is still a part of his father's life."
"My dear, I highly doubt Larry will be welcome at the next family gathering," Violet answered. "And with Larry out of the way, you have no further reason to deny marrying Lord Merton."
"But Timothy is still heir to the estate, and he was not keen on my entering the family either," Isobel countered.
"Perhaps it was Larry causing tension in the house, not Timothy," Violet shot back.
"True….it was Larry who wrote that dreadful letter…." Isobel hated to remember the harshness of Larry's words…and the look on Dickie's face when he finally read them.
"I still believe you should have showed Dickie the letter earlier."
"I wanted time to think over my decision," Isobel reminded Violet, only gaining another huff from the Dowager.
"Rather…to convince yourself of your decision," Violet said quietly, but loud enough that Isobel's tea cup dropped to the saucer with a clatter.
"What did you say?" she asked, her arms crossing while her eyes creased in frustration. Violet, however, did not back down.
"You were going to marry the man! But instead of fighting for his son's acceptance, you gave in faster than a hound on the hunt."
"So says the woman who let go of the one man who would have given up everything to be with her," Isobel argued, earning her a glare from the Dowager.
"A completely different situation," Violet answered with a sniff, holding her head high in challenge. Isobel, however, was not in the mood for a war of words.
She stood and smoothed down the front of her skirt, quickly gathering her hand bag. "Since I see you care about none other than your own opinion in this matter, I will leave you to it."
"You know I am right," Violet said, calmly leaning back in her seat…waiting. And as she had predicted, Isobel turned, one hand on the doorknob, the other tightly clutching her handbag.
"And what if you are? What does it matter now that I have already wished Dickie well and moved on with my life?"
"Yes, but you see…now, the tides have turned…and one of the boy's is removed," Violet answered, rising and grasping her walking stick. Taking a few steps closer to Isobel, she lowered her voice in case Spratt was standing on the other side of the door.
"You have a chance at happiness. I know you will not admit it...but you are in love with the man. And though it pains me to say this, you've always been unwavering in helping others find the right path. But now…you are letting fear drive your decisions, Isobel."
Isobel met Violet's eyes and instead of finding them harsh, she saw a glimmer of compassion. Emotions welled so much that a lump formed in her throat. And before she would allow herself to be embarrassed in front of the Dowager Countess, she quickly turned, opened the door and walked straight out of the Dower House.
"It was kind of you to come, Robert. Do sit down," Lord Merton said, motioning toward an open arm chair in the library of Cavenham.
He handed Robert a drink and then took a seat across from him, slowly sipping the scotch he had poured himself. Robert observed Dickie's movements, noting how depressed the man seemed. He wondered what had happened in the three months since he had last seen his friend.
"I thought it best to get the story from you, rather than the papers," Robert said, mimicking Dickie and taking a sip of his drink.
Dickie sat forward, setting his tumbler on the side table and clasping his hands over his knees. "It's quite simple, really. Larry is no longer my heir. Timothy has been named in the will."
"But why Dickie? This is all very sudden, isn't it?"
"Mm, it is…to a point. But had all of Larry's indiscretions and scandals been put in to the papers when they occurred, no one would be surprised by this turn of events."
Robert's eyes widened slightly as he leaned back in his chair. "So, this is something you were planning?"
"Not planning, necessarily. But when it came to it, I could no longer allow him to live his life free of responsibility."
Robert nodded but was silent for a moment. True, he had taken the time to cover up or "forget" many indiscretions for the sake of his family before; Mary and the Turkish diplomat….Edith and her illegitimate child…Tom's warrant for arrest in Ireland. Could he blame Dickie for covering up Larry's problems in the past to save his family's reputation?
"I can understand why…I cannot say that I have not done the same for my own. But why now? What happened….oh…"
Robert realized the answer to his own questions when Dickie's face fell and he looked down at his clasped hands.
"It was Isobel, wasn't it?"
Dickie did not answer for a moment, not sure what to say. But he nodded, continuing to clasp his hands tightly in front of him. He finally sat up straight, crossing his arms and looking over to Robert.
"I cannot allow Larry's choices to dictate the rest of my life, Robert."
"But I thought Timothy did not approve either," Robert reminded Dickie.
Lord Merton stood, crossing to the fireplace after taking his drink once more. He took a long sip of the scotch before staring in to the flames.
"Timothy has always been the forgotten younger brother. Larry treated him like a puppet…telling him what to do, what to say."
Dickie faced Robert again, turning his glass around in his hand.
"After it all was finalized with our lawyer, Larry decided to move out of the country. I do not care to see him again, neither does his brother. When Timothy heard all of what Larry had done…not only to others but to members of our own family…he began to change his opinions."
Dickie sighed and took his seat once more. "It is not for sure…but Timothy understands my care for Isobel. He has agreed to meet her again, learn more about her life and her motivation for becoming my wife."
As Dickie became silent once more, Robert saw the sadness wash over his face. He set his own glass down and leaned forward.
"You're worried she will not agree to it, aren't you?"
"She is adamant in her opinions, Robert. It is one thing I appreciate most about her. But…this is not another one of her charities she is fighting for. This is personal…and I fear she will not change her mind after all that has been said."
"She is a proud woman…but not so proud that she will not listen to reason," Robert replied.
"I do hope you're right. But I'm afraid there may be something else preventing her from marrying again."
"Why do you say that?" Robert asked.
Dickie swallowed hard, not sure how much he should divulge…especially when it came to something this personal.
"Just a feeling I have," Dickie replied, finishing his scotch with one last swig.