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Hardly knowing what to expect of the evening, Robert dressed for Lady Cotworth's ball with great care, taking more than his usual time in front of the mirror with his valet. When he finally arrived at the scene of the party, he was surprised to find that almost everyone else who could possibly have been expected to arrive was already there.
At least the dancing had not yet begun.
Taking a deep, calming breath Robert entered the house and, after greeting Lady Cotworth, set out to find Sir Henry. The task proved to be an easy one as Robert could hear the familiar voice of his friend almost instantly upon entering the ballroom. A further glance around helped him locate the source of the sound close to the fireplace at the other end of the room. Sir Henry appeared to be deep in conversation with an older gentleman Robert could not recall meeting before.
Judging it best to join the two, Robert made his way across the room and, once at a comfortable distance, cleared his throat to make his presence known.
"Robert!" Sir Henry exclaimed. "I was beginning to think you had changed your mind about coming."
"No, no," Robert replied hastily. "I – I had some business to attend to that took more time than I had anticipated," he quickly made up an excuse. It would not do to admit he had spent an extra half hour trying to decide which coat to wear.
"Well, you are here now," Sir Henry said, giving him a brotherly pat on the back. "And your timing is excellent as I was just conversing here with Mr Strauss," he continued, giving Robert a pointed look while performing the introduction. "Mr Strauss, please allow me to introduce you to Lord Grantham, one of my oldest friends."
The introduction was made and proper pleasantries exchanged on both sides, and for a moment Robert joined to conversation to further his acquaintance with Mr Strauss. Even as they talked, however, his eye kept wandering around the room, trying to find out if the rest of the Strauss family where anywhere nearby. At length she saw an opulent looking middle-aged woman, with perhaps more wealth than true elegance, standing not far from Robert with a younger lady of whom he could only see the back. Robert was quite certain he did not know either of the ladies and was preparing to ask Mr Strauss if he had arrived with any family when the man himself exclaimed:
"Ah, here comes my wife Agatha and our daughter Elizabeth."
Robert turned to look and found that another middle-aged lady and a younger woman were approaching them from the opposite direction.
"Sir Henry, Lord Grantham," said Mr. Strauss eagerly. "Please allow me to introduce my wife and daughter, Mrs. Strauss and Miss Elizabeth Strauss."
Again greetings and pleasantries were exchanged. Miss Strauss, Robert soon observed, was a fine looking young lady most likely in her early 20s. He would not have declared her an absolute beauty, but there was certainly nothing wrong with her appearance either. She spoke very little, however, making it difficult for Robert to form a proper opinion of her.
Her parents, on the other hand, seemed very keen to advance the acquaintance and it seemed to Robert that should he choose to pay his addresses to Miss Strauss, he would meet no opposition from the family. On the contrary, he was quite certain they would have been delighted to have either himself or Sir Henry court their daughter and, if Robert was any judge of behaviour, he was certain their pointed attention was directed more towards himself. Of course, it was an easy supposition to make. Sir Henry, while blessed with a respectable family and title was, nevertheless, only a Baronet. A Baronet next to an Earl was almost nothing.
When the dancing finally began, Robert felt obliged to ask for Miss Strauss's hand for the first set, after receiving a number of meaningful looks from his friend. As he led the young lady to the dance floor, he could not help glancing again in the direction where he had moments ago seen the other pair of ladies, but he could now only see the older of the two discussing with another woman of her own age. The younger woman, Robert concluded, must have been asked to dance. He returned his attention to Miss Strauss.
"So, Miss Strauss," he began as they took their first steps on the dance floor. "How do you find London?"
"I like it very much, Sir," she said blushing. Robert briefly considered correcting her manner of addressing him but then thought better of it. Clearly, if she was ever to be made the Countess of Grantham she would have to learn a great deal, but it did not have to start now. In fact, based on first impressions alone, Robert had to admit he did not find himself very keen on Miss Strauss. During their dance together, he made several attempts at conversation, but only received short responses and very little to give anything away of her real thoughts or opinions, if she possessed had any. She seemed like a sweet girl and willing to please, but there was very little else to go on.
When Robert tried to picture himself with her at Downton, he sighed. Was this how it was going to be? The decision to marry for money had come easily to him, but now that he had set about fulfilling that plan, the idea was already beginning feel quite distasteful to him.
At the end of the dance he escorted the young lady back to her parents and excused himself. It would not do to show one lady too much attention before he was sure she was the one he wished to marry. The last thing he wanted was to evoke unwarranted gossip or expectations.
Sir Henry was quick to follow Robert.
"Well?" he asked expectantly once they had made it out of earshot. "How did you like Miss Strauss?"
"She seems like a sweet girl," Robert said without much enthusiasm.
"Not love at first sight then?" Sir Henry asked in a teasing tone. He still seemed rather amused by Robert's venture to find himself a wife.
Robert sighed. "No, but you know love is not what I'm looking for."
"Then what's the problem? You say she was sweet and she certainly is rich. You could do much worse, as I believe we established yesterday."
"Then I why do I feel I should do better?" Robert asked, exasperated. "There is something about Miss Strauss that makes it hard to form an opinion. Either she is shy or she has been taught by her parents only to agree with everything any possible suitors might say."
At this, Sir Henry laughed. "You are after their money," he said in response to Robert's questioning look. "Why should you care if they are after your title and family estate?"
Robert blushed. Sir Henry was only too right. "It's not that," he argued. "I do not mind if they want my title, but if I am to marry someone, I would at least like to know beforehand that it is someone I can have a conversation with or our days at Downton will be very dull indeed. Surely that's not too much ask? Besides," Robert continued. "I would have to be certain that she could manage Downton as the lady of the house."
Sir Henry did not reply. He hardly seemed to have heard what Robert said, and when Robert followed his gaze he soon understood why. The young lady whose back Robert had seen earlier had returned to her previous position, and from where he now stood, he could finally see her properly.
It was no wonder if even Sir Henry was taken by her, for there was something strangely captivating about the woman's appearance. She had a pretty face, framed by dark curls creating a striking contrast against her pale porcelain skin, and if that was not enough to make an impression, her eyes seemed to be the most fascinating shade of blue Robert had ever seen. And she looked young, very young. Robert doubted she could yet be 20.
"Upon my word," he heard Sir Henry say next to him. "I believe that has to be Miss Levinson. I had heard her described a beauty but I was not expecting to find the assessment to be so correct."
"I will not argue with you there, Henry" replied Robert, his eyes still fixed on the young lady. "But she looks quite young."
"I will go talk to Lady Cotworth," said Sir Henry without paying much attention to Robert. "She will be able to make the introduction."
As Sir Henry set off in search of Lady Cotworth, Robert decided to stay put, judging such rash actions to be beneath his dignity. If an introduction was to be made, there would be plenty of time for it later. Just as he was about to look away, however, the young lady herself suddenly glanced in his direction, as if sensing a pair of eyes upon herself. Their eyes met briefly but, not one to be caught staring, Robert quickly looked elsewhere - and rarely had he examined a tapestry with as keen an interest as he did the piece on the wall next to him for the following minutes.
Once Robert could be satisfied that no one could possibly imagine him to be staring at anyone any longer, he decided to move to an altogether safer location and help himself to some refreshments in the adjacent room. He had only enjoyed his escape for a short moment, however, when he suddenly found himself addressed by a woman he could not recognize.
"I believe you were staring at my daughter just now," the woman said in a distinctly American accent. As Robert looked at her more closely, he soon realized she was the same woman who had earlier stood with who he now had reason to believe to be Miss Levinson.
"I – I assure you, Madam, that I was not…staring," he replied haltingly. There was something unnerving about the frank manner of her speech that Robert was not accustomed to.
The woman smiled at him, seemingly amused. "Now, now, it is not crime to stare," she said.
"Indeed, Madam, I – ", Robert began, but he was interrupted.
"Martha Levinson," said the woman, extending her hand.
Robert was taken aback by such familiarity and forwardness from such a complete stranger but, unable to see a polite way out, he took her offered hand, pressed it lightly and bowed.
"Lord Grantham," he said, "Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Levinson."
"Oh, a Lord now?" Mrs. Levinson said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, well."
To Robert's relief, they were at that moment interrupted by the appearance of a third person, but the relief turned out to be short lived as Robert suddenly found himself face to face with the daughter they had just spoken of.
"Mama, here you are," she exclaimed before noticing Robert. When their eyes met, she stopped on her tracks, and for a moment they both remained silent while Mrs. Levinson appeared to draw some amount of personal amusement out of their discomfort. Finally she took pity of the two.
"Cora, dear," she said warmly, pulling her daughter closer. "I believe you should say hello to Lord Grantham. Have I not impressed upon you that these kind of staring contents simply will not do around here?"
Robert, at that moment realizing his own lack of proper decorum, immediately bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss," he said politely.
"Miss Levinson," she said, curtseying. "And the pleasure is all mine, I assure you, Lord Grantham."