Christmas Special

Part 5

The shared prediction about Edith and Bertie proved to be correct and that same night between 1925 and 1926, they announced their official engagement. It delayed a little isobel and Richard's announcement and then wedding day, but yet they did not seem to care too much; after all, they have waited too many years to be counted to be together and, therefore, days were irrelevant – at least now that they had finally found each other.

On a surprisingly sunny day in late January, Edith became Edith Pelham and marchioness of Hexam, while Doctor Clarkson and the still Mrs Crawley sat together as engaged couple. The ceremony was beautiful and lovely and somehow it seemed even more so to Isobel, partially lost in the anticipation of her own. As she watched the bride make her way to the altar, she couldn't help but imagine herself in that same position and she imagined Richard waiting for her too; of course, their own wedding would have been much more simple and they did not have youth on their side, but she was completely sure that the atmosphere of love would have been the same. That was the thought that, while the spouses were exchanging their vows, led her to look up at her fiancè and just stare at him for a while. Richard kept his look ahead of him, but the little smirk taht appeared on his lips made clear that he had noticed that particular attention.

"Isobel, are you having second thoughts?" he asked at some point, in a whisper full of amusement.

He did look at his side then, just in time to catch her beautiful wide smile.

"Never" she whispered back with convinction.

She looked away, but slipped her hand into his and he didn't hesitate to squeeze it. That way, hand in hand and heart to heart, they waited in an emotional silence for the end of the function. In those moments, she was feeling her heart bursting of love just like when she was twenty, like she had never expected to be able to feel again; those were the moments when it appeared even more clear to her that he was the perfect choice and that she didn't want anyone and anything else.

No unexpected runaways this time, no unpleasant inconveniences: everything went perfectly, actually too perfectly. People started to leave the Church, the newly married entered a car, but in the general delightment no one realized that it was the calm before the storm. There were no dark clouds, no scaring thunders, it arrived suddenly out of the blue, as Violet fainted in the arms of his son. Cora cried for help and Richard's hand slipped from Isobel's one as they both started to run automatically toward the countess.

"What should we do, Doctor… Maybe her blood pressure dropped or…" Robert started to say as they approached, improvising medical knowledge out of worry.

"Lord Grantham, I fear it's something more serious than that…" Richard replied though, deciding to break his vow of silence without any regrets now. "We have to take her to the hospital, right now"

The doctor, along with some quick servants, started to carry Lady Violet but they did not make many steps before he was forced to stop by a too familiar voice behind him.

"Richard, you know something more about this, don't you?"

He turned around and in front of Isobel's pleading and deadly worried look, he could only gravely nod, before starting to move again. He didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes, he didn't have to look further to know what that tragic turn really meant for everyone and for himself too.

The storm had arrived and it was destroying everything.

"You were supposed to tell me"

Her words came as a whisper, as she watched from outside the door Violet's now sleeping figure. Some hours had passed since the arrival at the hospital and her conditions had just slightly improved. Everyone had returned to the Abbey in order to continue the wedding since the show must have gone on anyway; the only last person in the room was Robert, but he was about to leave as well and Isobel was ready to take his place at her cousin's bedside.

It wasn't the first time that she was seeing her weak, rememering very well when a couple of years before she had spent days taking care of her after she got sick, but still it was the first time that she was seeing her that weak. It was a fatal weakness this time, one she would have not recovered from – or so Richard had just explained, and the fact that it was explaining only then represented one more problem.

"Isobel…" he started, raising a hand to caress her arm in a weak attempt of comfort.

But the rest of his words remained unspoken, as she immediately finched at the contact and silence fell again between them. He wasn't going to say that he was sorry and she honestly wasn't expecting him to. According to his own morality and the segrecy imposed by his profession, he believed he had acted correctly and a part of her – the rational one – agreed with him, indeed. But there was then the emotional one that was just pushing her to be angry, desperate and disappointed.

"Lady Grantham didn't want anyone to know. I didn't agree, actually, but it was her choice to make and not my place to tell" he tried again after a while, succeeding at least to justify himself in part.

"I know, but still I had the right to know. I could have helped her, I could have stood by her side all this time…" she objected, in her painful stubborness. Then, she turned to him abruptly and her eyes widened a little in sudden indignation. "And we are about to get married! There should be no lies and secrets between us!"

"You know very well that there are no exceptions in this job" he told her, patiently.

"But we are not talking about a casual someone, we are talking about my family, my best friend and she… She's dying!" Her voice broke and she had to blink in order not to let her pain clearly show. "Could you really make no exception, not even for me?"

"Especially not for you, Isobel!" he exclaimed back. His sudden vehemence was soon balanced by his caring look and the loving way he took her hands in his ones. "Don't you see? I am tired of being the one to tell you bad news… Lady Grantham wanted you not to suffer and so did I"

The plea was now in his eyes and she couldn't pretend not to see it. Her own pain was suddenly uncovered once again, a pain that had always involved Richard as the messanger: Matthew's paralisys during the war, Sybil's death… Matthew's death. An unexpected sob escaped her mouth at that memory and her hands fell abruptly from his tender grip. It wasn't his fault then and it wasn't his fault now, she knew that, but the pain was too much in that very moment to allow a comfort; instead, the only thing that she needed was a scapegoat and he was the only one available to play that part.

"Well, I am suffering twice now" she replied coldly, before finally entering the door and leaving him behind without a second glance.

Et voilà, things are taking a tragic turn - for Violet, for Richobel and for the story itself. There is just one chapter left, where I will try to give my ideal conclusion to Downton Abbey - only relating to Richobel parts of course. Hope you liked this one and hope that you will let me know what you think - whether you liked it or not. See you before Christmas;)