Robert watched the distraught Charlotte and the man she loved leave the room. He watched as Lady Hexham threw dissatisfied glances at the door. He observed Lord Hexham keep his eyes fixed on his plate and his own two parents pretend nothing had happened. As he watched these things he made a resolution. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he was going to speak with Lord and Lady Hexham.
"Lord Hexham," the gentleman looked up into his kindly face, "I wondered if I might have an audience with yourself and Lady Hexham some time tomorrow."
"Why, of course." It was Lady Hexham's eager eyes that met his while Lord Hexham's became firmly fixed on his plate again. "Didn't I always tell you Richard dear that it would all come right in the end. Dear Charlotte shall me the Countess of Grantham one day."
"It depends what you look at as right Amelia." Robert kept his eyes fixed on his plate, not wanting either to meet his parents' gazes or those of either of his hosts. It was paramount he didn't portray the fact it was not asking for her hand that he was suggesting. The one thing he did worry about was her aunt telling Charlotte, no doubt it would send her into a fit of panic, he resolved that he had to either tell her or Thomas that he was not asking for her hand, not that he wanted to disclose what he was actually doing as he wanted it to be somewhat of a surprise to them both.
As expected after dinner, when only Thomas had returned, Charlotte he said was staying upstairs and was having a early night, Robert's worst fear come true, he'd hoped to just leave a note for Charlotte's maid but it seemed a confrontation was necessary. After Thomas had announced Charlotte was in bed and would not be returning, Lady Hexham had immediately exclaimed with a glint of joy in her eyes that 'Charlotte has to come back downstairs, Lord Downton has been kind enough to make her an offer and she should not be sulking.' The look of rage upon Thomas' face was great, so ignoring Lady Hexham's exuberant remarks about how happy Charlotte will be, Robert turned to Thomas.
"It's not what you think. Come with me into the library." He walks towards the door and is pleased when he can hear Thomas' footsteps behind him. The moment he's out the door he turns and blocks the fist heading for his stomach- lovesick men are so predictable. "Thomas, I'm serious. I know about you and Charlotte." The look of relief that washes over Thomas' face is enough to tell anyone he's calmed down. "Now will you come with me to the library." The pair trail into the library and lighting two candles they sit.
"How did you find out, I know Charlotte didn't tell you."
"I overheard you down by the stream. The plan is to talk some sense into Lord and Lady Hexham, the latter particularly. That's why I've asked for a meeting tomorrow. I won't explain what I heard, I will say I worked it out. Even if they question Charlotte we're safe as she didn't tell me, so she won't get into trouble."
"Why would you do this?"
"Because, I have lost the free choice to marry whom I liked. I don't want others in that position. I'm convinced I can win them around."
"I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. You weren't meant to find out that's what I'm going to talk to them about but I hardly wanted to be beaten to a pulp. The only thing I do ask is that you don't tell Charlotte. Surprise her." He nods and Robert leaves, his heart a little lighter in the hope of bringing good into someone's life.
The next morning as he waits patiently outside Lord Hexham's study his father passes by and gives him a concerned look.
"Make sure you're doing the right thing son."
"It's alright Papa, I am. Although you best be prepared to comfort Mama I'm not sure she's going to like it." His father gives him a strange look and opens his mouth only for Lord Hexham to herald Robert into his office. As he enters the office he declines the invitation to sit and remains standing, facing the couple on the settee before him. One beaming the other looking worried.
"Before you begin Mr Crawley I think there's something you ought to know."
"Actually Lord Hexham. I think if you let me start this will be a lot easier. What you about to tell me is no doubt about your niece's attachment to Lord Stanley, which is the same issue as to which I've some to talk to you both about."
"You see, I told you Richard, it is putting other men off." Lady Hexham's squeal fills the room.
"If you please Lady Hexham. It is not 'putting me off' as you put it. I'm not here to ask for your niece's hand in marriage. I'm hear to plead with you to let her choose her own husband."
"She's has no right to 'choose her own husband' as you put it. Her parents are dead and they left her in my charge. Besides no woman chooses her own husband, I didn't."
"No, you didn't Lady Hexham, but excusing my impertinence, perhaps it would have been a nicer life for you if you'd been allowed to." Lady Hexham's face falls as she realises the truth of the words now ringing in her ears. "As a man, women think we have a choice of every one of their gender before we choose a wife but that is not true. No man is that fortunate, I'm certainly not. A few months ago Lady Hexham I was enjoying life, considering marriage and I knew I wanted to love and respect the person I married. About a month later my father told me I had to marry an heiress. This key fact greatly narrows the number of women to whom I can form an attachment and the chance of that attachment being based on love is almost nil. Don't, I beg you, let your niece be placed in the position I am, with forty, fifty maybe even sixty or seventy years ahead of her in a loveless marriage with almost no friendship. You know what it feels like and I'm sure if you really think about it you don't want it for her. She's made her choice, and of the observations I've made since I've been here I believe she will be very happy. That is the important thing in life after all, and coming from a man who knows its never likely to come to him I'd appreciate it if you let it come to Charlotte, she is a lovely, lovely girl and I'll sleep better for the next goodness knows how many years knowing that although I'm not necessarily happy she is and it was partly due to me." It was strange how the tears bundled in his eyes like clouds before they slipped silently down his cheeks. Lord Hexham sat staring at him, his wife at her lap.
"I don't think I can argue with that." Lady Hexham's tearful whisper can be heard clearly in the silent study. She stand daubs her eyes and leaves. 'I'll go and tell Charlotte."
"That was well said sir. I don't mind saying that you would have been a fine husband for Charlotte."
"And she a fine wife I think. She does you credit. But it was not to be, she is happy, that is the important thing."
"I pray that you will be happy to, you should be allowed to be after giving happiness to two other people."
"I'm not sure that's how the world works, I'm afraid. I pray that I'll be happy too. But I doubt any marriage I have will be like Charlotte's will be, her and Thomas are perfectly suited."
"You never know what the world might churn up. I've heard there's an heiress from America coming over for the season. She's supposedly a stunner, maybe you'll marry her. Her name was, now...it was...Miss, something American I can't remember and then her surname was...Leafson...no Leviton...Levinson. That was it, Miss Levinson, maybe she's your girl." Robert didn't like to destroy the man's hopes but he highly doubted it, what are the chances in such a big world finding someone to love and who loves you, people say it's destiny, but does that really exist?