I did more. Hope you like.

There was a knock at the front door. Both of them turned around, looking at the other, wondering who it could possibly be.

"I'll go," Richard told Isobel, putting down his stethoscope on the open page of the little notebook he had started to map the baby's progress, "You settle her back down."

He left the room, and Isobel resumed tucking the corners of the blankets safely away, making sure she would not be too hot or too cold. It had been a long time since she had done this- well, it hadn't really- but with these blankets, this cot-... Helen was almost asleep.

"You have a visitor," Richard announced, coming back into the room, "Lady Grantham."

Isobel was sure she did not know what to think- or do, really- she was sure she felt her stomach sinking for a second before she saw it was Cora and not Cousin Violet who was visiting her.

"Cora," she addressed her, genuinely taken aback for a moment, "What a surprise! I mean, how nice to see you, but-..."

"I know," Cora smiled graciously, "We haven't seen a lot of each other lately. And I had heard-..." she nodded delicately in the direction of the crib in the centre of living room, "Hearsay."

"Ah, yes," Isobel exchanged a glance with Richard, "We wondered how long it would be."

"Add we're very relieved that you do know," Richard cut in quickly, "We're very keen to find her mother as quickly as possible," he explained.

"Yes, I'm sure you are," Cora agreed.

Isobel said nothing.

"Can I look at her?" Cora asked.

"Yes, of course, but be careful, she's sleeping."

Isobel stood back slightly and Cora peered into the crib at Helen, fast asleep now, her little fist curled into a ball and raised to the level of her head. Her hair had grown even fairer over the last few days and a lot thicker.

"She's so beautiful," Cora murmured, "Have you given her a name?"

Isobel nodded.

"Helen."

"Oh," Cora sighed, "It suits her too. She is gorgeous."

"Yes," Isobel replied, "I think so. Babies tend to be."

"It does make you wonder how desperate someone would have to be to abandon one," Cora remarked sadly, straightening up away from the crib.

"Yes," Isobel replied, rather stiffly, "It does."

"Shall we continue our conversation over here?" Richard suggested quickly, "So as not to wake her up?"

They withdrew to the other part of the room, sitting down on the sofa and armchairs.

"Shall I fetch some tea?" Richard asked them politely.

"You're not my butler," Isobel told him swiftly, "I may allow you to answer the door, but I draw the line at having you make the tea. Can I get you anything, Cora?"

"No, I'm alright, thank you," Cora replied, smiling, "I'm here to assuage my curiosity, I can stay at home for tea."

Isobel smiled briefly.

"And has it been assuaged?" she asked, "Would you like to know anything else?"

"Yes, there are lots of things I'd like to know," she replied, "But I don't think they are things you two will be able to tell me, I expect you want to know them yourselves."

Richard smiled rather sadly.

"I expect you're right, m'Lady," he told her.

"Is it well publicised in the village?" Isobel asked, "I haven't been out enough to know."

"The police seem to have publicised it fairly well," Cora replied, "At any rate, people seem to know, and I think they're quite disturbed by it. I mean, things like this don't really happen in Downton, do they?"

"Not in my recollection," Richard admitted.

"I think also," a sudden smile played across Lady Grantham's face, "There is another certain contingent expressing more surprise that "Mrs Crawley and Dr. Clarkson have a baby"."

Richard flushed a little, but Isobel could only sigh.

"Would this contingent be led by Cousin Violet, by any chance?" she enquired.

Cora smiled again.

"I couldn't possibly say," she replied.

Isobel smarted a little, and only stopped when realised she was huffing outloud. She checked herself.

"Well, at any rate, everybody knows, and that's what we want. I suppose."

"Yes," Cora agreed, "Or you could find yourself with a permanent houseguest in the front room."

"No I wouldn't," Isobel replied, "She just stays down here during the day so I can watch her. She sleep in the basket next to my bed at night."

There was a pause.

"You see what I mean," Cora returned, "It can't go on forever."

Isobel said nothing in reply.

"The police will find something," Richard cut in, when neither of the women seemed to think of anything to say, "I'm sure of it."

"Yes," Cora agreed, getting up to go, "Let's hope so."

Isobel stood up too.

"Oh, and I hope you don't think me rude," Cora told her, "But would mind if I brought Sybbie to see little Helen? She wasn't supposed to find out but I don't know one of the maids must have let it slip and now she keeps talking about seeing "Auntie Isobel's baby". I think she thinks she has a new little cousin."

Isobel was unable to not smile at the thought.

"Can I bring her?"

"Yes, do. Bring George too if you can."

"Of course I will. Thank you for letting me see her."

They made their way to the door.

"I'll telephone with a time when nanny says we can visit," Cora told her, "And you must come to dinner sometime."

"Yes, I'd like that. If I can."

She turned to go back into the house, finding Richard in the hallway, watching her.

"What?" she wanted to know, catching his expression.

"Nothing," he replied, "Nothing at all."

"Not nothing," she replied stoutly, "You were thinking something."

"I'm not your butler, you can't make me tell you."

She was torn between snorting loudly and raising her eyebrow in disbelief.

"I think you like her being "Auntie Isobel's baby," he remarked.

She smiled wryly.

"Well, I think it's certainly safer than her being "our baby", as Cousin Violet obviously thinks she is."

He did not smile, or raise his eyebrows; he watched her as she walked past him, back towards the drawing room.

"I don't think you want her to go."

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