Cora
"The Countess of Grantham," her butler announces.
Lady Grantham is a somewhat frightening woman and although Cora is her social superior she is a little afraid of her and is glad when the Countess accepts her invitation to sit down.
"Duchess, I came here to invite you for Christmas. My daughter and her husband are coming on the 24th and they'll leave on the 6th. You could go with them if you wanted to. Lord Grantham and I would be very happy to have you at Downton for Christmas and New Year's Eve."
"And I am very happy to accept your invitation, Lady Grantham."
"Good, good."
"How is Lady Mary?"
"She is improving every day. She is still very shy and hardly ever speaks to anyone besides Lord Downton but at least she speaks at all."
"I am glad to hear that she is getting better."
"She talks about you. When she talks in front of Lord Grantham or me it is usually about you."
"She is a lovely child."
"Cora, both my granddaughter and my son love you very much. They both have dreams of a future that involves you. If for any reason you cannot offer them more than friendship, please tell Robert. It would break his heart but it would be easier for him to know now than to keep hoping and then be disappointed."
She is speechless. Not because Lady Grantham has called her by her first name, but because of how worried the Countess is about her son and granddaughter.
"Duchess?"
"Excuse me Lady Grantham. Of course I would tell Lord Downton if friendship was all I could offer. I understand your concern."
"I also advise you to think about all of this very carefully. Because you would be giving up a lot. You are a Duchess now, but you would be a Viscountess if you married Robert. Until your son comes of age, all his property is yours to do with what you want. That right would be transferred to Robert if you were to marry him. I am sure he would not make use of it, but I think you should know."
"Are you trying to tell me that I should not consider marrying Robert?"
"No. But he has been very unhappy; he was stuck in a horrible marriage. If he was to get married again, it could not be to a woman who might hold grudges against him because it would not be an advantageous match for her."
"Lady Grantham, I was stuck in a horrible marriage as well. Not as horrible as Robert's, but not pleasant either. Should I ever get married again, it would only be out of the deepest love. And where there is love, there can be no grudges because a love match cannot be disadvantageous."
"If you say so."
"Yes, Lady Grantham I do say so."
Lady Grantham chuckles at this.
"I like you, Cora. I really do. Even if you are an American."
"Thank you. I take that as a compliment."
When she tells Rosamund about that last comment, Rosamund replies that that is quite a high praise coming from her mother.
She joins Rosamund and Maramduke in their private compartment on their way to Downton. She has Sam with her because she sent the nanny home for Christmas. Robert said he wouldn't mind if Mary's nanny had to take care of Sam for a few days but Cora supposes that she will do a lot of the taking care herself. "We are in for a white Christmas", Marmaduke says and points out the window. It has started to snow. How fitting she thinks. A perfect white Christmas. Rosamund tells them stories about Christmas at Downton and most of them involve her and Robert looking for their presents in the attic. She has to laugh imagining a 12 year old Robert sneaking out of his room at night to join his 16 year old sister in her endeavor to find out about the presents they will be given a few days later anyway. "It will be lovely Christmas this year", she says.
"If we ever get there." Marmaduke points out the window again and she notices that the train is going at a snail's pace. Sam is becoming fussy and she has difficulties to calm him down. Eventually the train stops all together. Marmaduke goes to find the conductor while she tries to soothe a screaming Sam. "Give him to me for a while", Rosamund offers and she gladly hands Sam over to her. Miraculously he stops screaming as soon as Rosamund holds him. "Thank you."
"They need to clear the tracks. It'll be a while. We will arrive very late. We should probably try to get some sleep." But sleep doesn't come for any one of them except Sam who seems to have gotten over his fussiness. They eventually arrive at Downton at 4 am after having been on the train for almost ten hours and when they get to the Abbey, only Robert is still awake. Because Lord and Lady Grantham aren't there, they do away with the conventional forms of greeting. Rosamund gives Robert a peck on the cheek and says "I am so tired, I am about to fall asleep standing up. I'll go to bed little brother." Maramduke follows her, carrying up the trunk with their nightclothes in it himself because the hall boy on duty is nowhere to be found.
As soon as they are gone Robert takes Sam from her without asking.
"You look dead on your feet, Cora. Let's get Sam upstairs. We've put a crib in the room next to Mary's, so the nanny can have an eye on both of them. I just didn't have it put in Mary's room because she still doesn't know that you will be here for Christmas. And because the train was so late you will now be her Christmas present. She will be so happy."
He opens the door next to Mary's room, turns on the light, gives Sam a kiss on the forehead and puts him to bed without waking him up.
"Thank you", she says although what she wants to say is "I love you". But she doesn't dare to. He smiles at her.
"You are very good with him. You are so gentle."
"I've had a lot of practice with Mary. I miss having a baby around. I wish" But he swallows and doesn't finish.
"Robert, who is to say that we won't have more children?" He walks towards her, pulls her close to him and kisses her. "Thank you." She only now realizes what she has said but she finds that she doesn't regret saying it.
"Would you care for a nightcap?"
"Isn't it a little late for that, Robert?"
"It is so late now that it doesn't matter anymore."
"You are probably right."
So they walk back downstairs, hand in hand. She remembers Lady Grantham's words and wonders if Robert needs more reassuring while she watches him pour their drinks. But she doesn't know how to give it to him while he is still married. She is scared of telling him that she loves him because he might not be ready to say it back until the divorce.
"How is the divorce going?"
"My father pulled some strings; the court date is January 24th. That is six weeks earlier than the lawyer estimated. So far Philippa's family hasn't made any demands. So as far as that is possible, one could say that it is going well."
"The scandal isn't as bad as you thought, is it?"
"No. But people are talking about it."
"Of course they are. But they are all on your side. Half of London knows that she wants to go to America with that man. She isn't exactly quiet about it. But I think that is rather helpful for you."
"Let's hope so. I just want this to be over."
"Your mother said that Mary was doing much better."
"Yes. She now talks to my parents. She is still shy around them but she speaks."
"That makes me very happy."
"Dance with me."
Mary
She wakes up for the fifth time that night. She looks at the alarm clock next to her bed. She can read the clock. It is easy. The small hand shows the hours and the big hand shows the minutes. And she can read the numbers. Numbers aren't as difficult as letters. Her Papa is teaching her letters now because she wants to read Cora's letters herself. It is half past 5 now, because the small hand is between five and six and the big hand is on six. Her Papa has told her not to get up before eight but she is too excited. It is Christmas. She won't go to her father's room; she doesn't want to be scolded on Christmas morning. But she will look at the tree. Maybe Father Christmas has already brought the presents. But she won't open them. Granny would be mad. She goes into the hallway and sees Knight in front of her father's door. She is not supposed to go somewhere alone with Knight but she'll stay inside the house. "Come on Knight. Let's look at the tree." She walks downstairs with Knight. On her way to the tree she sees light in the sitting room. And she hears someone hum. It sounds like her Papa. If he is up she can go to him. Maybe he is excited about Christmas too. "Shhh", she says to Knight. She peeks around the door. Her Papa is standing with his back to the door, moving from side to side. But he isn't alone. There is a woman there who is holding onto him. She has her head on her Papa's shoulder and her Papa is humming for that woman. She gets mad because he only ever hums for her. He is not supposed to hum for anyone else.
"Robert?"
"Hm?" Her Papa has stopped humming now and Mary's heart has begun to beat really fast.
"Can we stay like this forever?"
"That would be very nice."
"Let's just not go to bed. Let's stay here and ignore the world." She knows that voice. It is Cora's. Her Papa has started humming again but she isn't mad anymore. He can hum for Cora. She wants to leave. Her Papa is not supposed to know that she is up. She will go back to bed and be a good girl. She can be good. She has to be good for Cora.
"Knight, come with me", she whispers. But Knight doesn't listen. He barks. Really loudly. She wants to hide but her father turns around and sees her. And then Cora sees her too. And smiles at her. And although she is scared she runs to her. Cora catches her and lifts her up.
"Hello Mary," she says. "What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"I couldn't sleep anymore."
"Are you excited about Christmas?"
"Yes."
"Mary, I told you to stay in bed until eight. You can read the clock, can't you?"
"Yes Papa. I am sorry."
"It's all right my darling girl." Her father isn't mad at her.
"Is Sam here too?" She likes Sam. She sometimes pretends that Sam is her brother. She wants a brother.
"Yes he is. He needs to be fed soon. If you promise to go back to bed afterwards, you can help me. You can hold the bottle for him. Would you like that?"
"Yes."
"Will you go back to bed when he is done?"
"Yes. I promise. Papa, can I? Please?"
"Yes. I'll come with you, if Cora doesn't mind."
"I don't."
Cora asks the hall boy to get the bottle of milk form the kitchen and once he has given it to her, they go upstairs. Sam is in the room next to hers. He is awake already. He is making funny sounds.
"Mary, you have to sit on my lap." She doesn't mind, she likes sitting on Cora's lap.
"Robert, would you give him to us?" Her Papa nods and smiles and then places Sam in her arms. Cora shows her how to feed him with the bottle and then gives the bottle to her. Sam drinks from it.
"Look Papa. He is drinking."
"He must be hungry. He was on the train for a long time."
"Why?"
"Because our train got stuck. It snowed so much it couldn't really move. Your aunt and uncle and Sam and I were on the train for almost 10 hours."
"That's a long time."
Her Papa is now looking out the window. "I don't think we will be able to go to Church tomorrow. We are snowed in. I can't remember that much snow." He turns back to them and smiles. Her Papa is always happiest when Cora is there. Just like her. Sam's eyes are closing now.
"I think he is falling asleep," Cora says softly. "You have done very well, Mary. Robert?" Her Papa takes Sam again and puts him back into his crib.
"And it is off to bed with you too, little lady."
"Yes Papa. I promised. And you don't break promises."
"We'll tuck you in." She likes being tucked in by her Papa. He can't do it every night because sometimes there are guests and he can't come back upstairs after dinner. But it is nice when he tucks her in. It is even better when Cora is there too.
"Cora, how long will you stay?"
"For two weeks."
"Good." She wants Cora to stay forever but her Papa said she wasn't supposed to ask about that. So she doesn't.
Robert
"We should go to bed too."
"Yes. It is quarter past six. Mary will wake me in less than two hours."
"You could sleep again during the day. As you have already pointed out, we probably won't be going to church today."
"I don't want to sleep during the day."
"Why not?"
"I want to spend time with you, Cora. And I can't do that when I'm asleep." He wants to tell her that he loves her but he doesn't think he should as long as he is still married. It is only four more weeks. He will have to go to court to sign the divorce papers on the 24th. He will stay at Rosamund's and he dearly hopes that Rosamund will have her wits about her and invite Cora there too. He should tell Rosamund to do so and then he will tell Cora that he loves her and that he can't live without her anymore.
"Robert, as sweet as that is, we have to go to sleep now. I have been awake for twenty four hours now; I'll faint if I don't go to bed now."
"Sleep well then."
"You too." He kisses her on the lips and wants to pull her into his room with him, even if it was just to sleep. He could let her sleep in his arms but he has to let go of her.
"I'll see you later today," she says and leaves.