The plot is thickening... every time the Dowager decides to get involved :-) Thank you so much for your continued support and all the lovely reviews! I think I've mentioned it before, but without my beta you wouldn't have much reason to enjoy this story!

Chapter 6

Isobel arrived just in time for dinner and caught Violet on her way to the salon.

"Where have you been?" Violet asked somewhat confused, as she perceived Isobel's dishevelled appearance. "I hope you haven't done something…"

"Don't you start!" Isobel cut her off. "I have to tell you something!"

Perplexed by Isobel's sharp order, Violet followed her upstairs into Isobel's room.

While she quickly picked out her evening clothes, Isobel explained in short words what had happened in Dickie's house.

"I have to say I'm in shock," Violet confessed, uncharacteristically short of words. "And now?"

"I don't know," Isobel replied. "I don't know what to think."

"But don't you think it's more likely that Larry is the father?" Violet asked.

"I guess it would make sense…," Isobel broke off. "But what if not? What if Dickie... After all, you were the one who said that Miss Grant had been throwing herself at Dickie."

Violet sighed, "Listen, dear, I know what I said, but I can't say I was convinced of my own words. I think it's rather mad to believe Lord Merton could have been the father of Miss Grant's child."

Isobel narrowed her eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

"My dear, I admit it. I wanted to plant certain ideas into your head! You needed to realize what he means to you. And having a potential rival in Miss Grant seemed to be a promising way to achieve that," Violet explained patiently.

"You wanted to make me jealous?" Isobel asked indignantly.

"Don't pretend it didn't work," Violet scolded her. "I've never seen you like this before."

Isobel bristled with anger. "Let me tell you something, Cousin Violet! Not a thing will change between Dickie and I whether he is the father or not."

Violet shook her head. "Oh, if you ask me, everything has changed. And now you should get ready. It would be a pity to miss dinner just because you're stubborn as a mule."

The next day Isobel decided to go back to Dickie's house to see how Elizabeth was doing. She felt she owed the young woman a visit. It was also the perfect opportunity to apologize to Dickie. Now that the confusion caused by Elizabeth's accident was clearing, Isobel realized she had become a victim of her own jealousy.

Cabot, the butler, let her in and informed her that his Lordship wasn't there.

"I'll just go upstairs then," Isobel said and headed upstairs, where she found Elizabeth in bed. She was very pale and looked rather fragile. She was visibly surprised to see Isobel.

"Mrs Crawley, how nice of you to come."

"I just wanted to see how you are," Isobel said and out of habit she reached out to touch Elizabeth's forehead. "No fever I see. Did you eat?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, I had some toast. The Doctor was here this morning. He said I was lucky."

"You were indeed," Isobel agreed pensively. "Do you want to talk about it? Perhaps you have some questions."

"I don't think so. And you've done enough for me." Elizabeth said flatly. "I just want to forget. But... does Larry know?"

Isobel looked at the young woman and felt sorry for her. Whatever happened between her and Larry wasn't pretty and the situation she was in, was even less uplifting. "I haven't told him anything. But I did tell Lord Merton."

The young woman closed her eyes in despair. "I guess that's the reason he wasn't here yet. God, I'm so embarrassed."

"He's quite worried about you," Isobel said and swallowed. "Miss Grant, there's something I have to ask you, but I don't want you to misunderstand me."

"It was Larry's baby," Elizabeth said tonelessly. "I'm just here, because I have nowhere else to go. After my parents died I learnt that they left me nothing, but an empty house in York. When I first got back to England I met Larry and we... well, it didn't work out. His father was a friend of my parents. I've known him since I was a child and he offered to shelter me. He's like a father to me."

"I see," Relief flooded Isobel and her lips curled up into a smile.

"It was my idea to make you jealous," Elizabeth continued. "And it worked, didn't it?"

Isobel preferred not to answer, but she felt how her cheeks coloured.

"He loves you so. Give him a chance."

"It's not that I don't want to," Isobel admitted. "But you know Larry. He won't allow us to be happy."

"Larry doesn't allow himself to be happy," Elizabeth returned sharply. "Ignore him and live your life."

"Would you have told him?" Isobel asked, because she needed a change of subject, before she admitted more than she was ready for. "About the baby I mean… If you had known?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Only over my dead body."

"Is Lord Merton in now?" Isobel asked Cabot, when she met the butler in the hallway downstairs.

"He is, Madam, but he's having a visitor," Cabot informed her politely. "Do you want me to tell him you're here?"

Isobel hesitated. Perhaps this wasn't the right time. "No, thank you. I don't wish to disturb him." She thanked the butler and together they headed for the front door. The door to the library opened, just when Isobel was saying goodbye. When she heard Dickie's chuckle, she unconsciously turned around and as soon as her eyes caught the reason for his good mood, she wished she had never set a foot in his house again. He was talking with Lady Shackleton. Isobel instantly remembered the annoying luncheon at Violet's when the Dowager had hoped to pass on Dickie to the wealthy widow.

"It was good of you to come by," he said and looked up, as if he had felt Isobel's eyes lingering on him.

"Isobel!" he seemed surprised and then he realized that Lady Shackleton was standing next to him. Isobel knew, she couldn't just leave now and so she went inside again to greet Dickie and his guest.

"What a surprise," Lady Shackleton said with a smile that looked extremely forced.

"I was just leaving. I paid Miss Grant a visit. She seems a lot better today."

"That's good to hear," Dickie said. "I'm afraid the poor thing has caught a touch of food poisoning," he explained to Lady Shakleton.

"Oh, how inconvenient."

"Yes, it is," Isobel agreed. "Anyway, I'm on my way out," Isobel said, wishing she could vanish into thin air.

"Please, stay," Dickie said promptly. "I'd like to talk to you."

Now trapped, Isobel mumbled a low agreement while Dickie summoned his butler. "Cabot will see you out," he said to Lady Shackleton who smiled at him, but seemed rather displeased to be send away like this.

"Please, come in," Dickie said, as soon as Lady Shakleton was out of earshot. Isobel followed him inside the library.

"Can I offer you something?" he asked.

"No, thank you."

"I'm glad you came today," Dickie said politely, but without the smile that he usually acknowledged her with.

"I just wanted to see how she was. But she seems to be a tough thing."

"She is indeed," Dickie confirmed.

"Look," Isobel drew a deep breath and finally plucked up the courage to apologize. "I'm sorry for last night. I was rude, and out of line – and wrong. I know that now and I should have known all along."

Dickie narrowed his eye, "What made you change your mind?"

"Actually it was Lady Grantham. And I talked to Elizabeth this morning," Isobel gave him a weak smile that left him rather unimpressed.

"The question is, if any of this makes a difference for us," he said, ignoring her apology.

"I don't know," Isobel confessed. She remembered her words to Violet the night before. She had told her cousin that nothing had changed between her and Dickie and last night she had meant it. But did she mean it now?

"I see." He snorted lowly.

"Will you at least accept my apology?" she asked in an almost begging tone of voice.

"Of course," he said with a sad sigh.

Isobel knew he was sincere, but she rather wished he wouldn't be. It would be so much easier to leave, if he weren't so forgiving and she didn't love him.

Violets' eyes scanned every detail of the salon at Grantham House to check if everything was in order. She had made sure that every family member was gone and only Carson would be around to serve the tea. The less people knew what she was doing, the better. The last thing Violet needed this afternoon would be witnesses – or too many accomplices.

Her visitor was on time, as she had expected. After all, her message had been clear easy to understand.

As soon as her guest had taken the seat opposite her, she dropped the pleasantries and came straight to the point.

"The way I see it, Mr Grey, you have a straightforward choice. You can choose between the devil and the deep blue sea."

"The hardest choices in life aren't between what's right and what's wrong but between what's right and what's best."

― Jamie Ford, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

~tbc~