Here I am with a litte Christmas Story. I hope you will enjoy it. I'm going to place some quotes from famous Christmas stories in every chapter. Cookies for everyone who spots them :-)

Chapter 1- Darkness was cheap

Downton, December 1926

Darkness was cheap. And comforting. Richard Clarkson leaned back in his chair and send a silent curse up to the ceiling. It was already half dark outside. Snow was whirling behind the window and the wind was hauling. Christmas was upon them, but he didn't feel like Christmas. He had no use for mistletoe, carols or plum pudding and he had never cared for eggnog.

He felt old and useless and the cause for his melancholic anger lay in the drawer of his desk. He had read the letter that had reached him with the morning post for about ten times. The more often he repeated the message in his head, the more it made him furious. The letter came from York. The administration of the hospital wanted to send him another doctor 'to assist him'. Some kind of internship. He scoffed. He knew what this meant. It was their plan to replace him, to oust him. They thought he was too old to run this place. He knew how these things worked. He had seen it in war and peace. First the young, fresh doctor would only 'assist' him and pretend to learn from him. Then he would start to making suggestions to run the hospital more efficiently. Soon someone would mention the little word 'retirement' and before he knew it would find himself in a cottage, surrounded by roses. All alone and out of work with a bottle of whiskey to accompany him.

What was his name again? Something Scottish, when he remembered correctly. They dared to send him a fellow Scot to banish him. McGregor? McEwan… Fredrick McEwan. Doctor Frederick McEwan. Married, no children, but young and fresh.

Clarkson decided it was time to swallow his disappointment with a drink. He opened the hidden cabinet in his desk and took out the bottle, but froze when he heard a knock at his door. He groaned. Not even his favourite treat was granted him on a day like this.

"Come in!"

He instantly recognized the shadow in the doorway. She was actually the last person he wanted to see right now.

After a short moment of confusion Isobel Merton switched on the lights. Blinded he closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"Is everything all right with you?" she asked bewildered and mindfully closed the door behind her. "You have the nurses in quite a state with your bad mood!"

"I've had better days," he admitted sourly.

"What is it? Can I help?" she asked with gleeful anticipation. Of course, the woman was always ready to help. Christ, she even got married to help. Sometimes he wondered if she would throw herself into a vulcan in order to help someone.

In this case however, he wasn't sure if she was the one to turn to for help.

With a heavy sigh he opened his drawer and took out the letter. "What do you know about this?" he asked as he shoved the pages over the top of his desk.

Puzzled she quickly scanned the lines and blushed.

"You may pay special attention to the last paragraph," Clarkson said, satisfied about her embarrassment. "What does it say? 'Since Lady Merton suggested Doctor McEwan for the post…'". His voice trailed off and a meaningful silence filled the room.

Isobel dropped the letter and looked at the doctor. Her cheeks were still flushed. "I know what you're suggesting and I can assure you, this is not what happened," she said. "Do you really think I would suggest someone for such a post without consulting you or Lady Grantham?"

"Actually, yes."

If possible her cheeks became even redder and thunder awoke in her eyes. Sure, if he were too fierce with her now, she wouldn't tell him the truth, he decided to subdue his anger for a moment.

"But I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. So, what did happen?"

She gave him a look that could freeze lava, but he did his best not to yield. When she was angry like this she was the most beautiful woman on earth to him and he was reminded about his repressed feelings for her. He had never forgiven her for not even allowing him to propose to her and he would never forgive her for marrying someone else. It was ridiculous, of course, childish, but he couldn't help it. He was only human, only a man and his armour was bruised.

"I met Doctor McEwan last year spring in Manchester. I told him about the recent hospital merger and he was so intrigued that I promised him to write to the administration to recommend him for a post - in York. Not Downton."

"Well, he is coming to Downton and we both know that they will want him to replace me rather sooner than later!"

"Aren't you a little too melodramatic?" she asked. "What if he just wants to see how a hospital like ours works?"

"Bah!" Clarkson scoffed. "Don't be so naive!"

"I'm many things, but not naive," she said, obviously offended by his words. "Anyway, I take it you won't need my help with this," she said as she put on her gloves. "You seem to have it all under control."

He ignored her snappy remark. "He will arrive the day after tomorrow. I'm sure you and Lady Grantham will want to welcome him."

"I'll be there," she said. "Good evening, Doctor."

"Good evening, Lady Merton."

When Isobel returned to the warmth and peace of Crawley House her mood improved massively. She couldn't believe that Doctor Clarkson actually suspected her of ousting him from the hospital. The man had a nerve, but this demeanour was typical for him. He lashed out at people and phrased his questions - if he had any - afterwards.

"His Lordship's in the library, Milady," the maid said when she helped Isobel out of her coat.

"Thank you. Would you bring us some tea into the drawing room?"

"Of course." The maid vanished downstairs and Isobel went upstairs to Dickie's 'man cave' as she used to call it. Library sounded grander, of course, but she had come to realize that the room was actually his refuge and she barely disturned him in there.

She knocked softly and peeked inside the room. He said in his favourite armchair by the fireplace. A sparkling fire filled the room with ease and comfort.

"I'm back," she announced.

He looked up from his book and a smile brightened all over his face when he saw her. "I was waiting for you!" he said and abandoned the book on the small table next to him.

"I was at the hospital to see Mrs Potter," she said. "The poor thing won't be released for Christmas and needed some cheering up," she said. Mrs Potter was a former neighbour of hers and suffered from pneumonia.

"You're such a treasure," Dickie said and kissed her cheek as she bent down to greet him.

Isobel sank in the armchair next to his and sighed. "And then I went to Doctor Clarkson, because the head nurse told me he was not quite himself." On her way home she hadn't been sure if she wanted to tell Dickie about her little argument with Clarkson, but now that she was home, so close to him and she abandoned her doubts. He was really the one person, Violet aside, she could tell everything.

"And?" he asked, sensing that she was upset. "What's wrong with him?"

"He got a letter from the hospital in York. Apparently a second doctor is coming to Downton and Doctor Clarkson fears, he's meant to replace him!"

"Surely not!"

Isobel shrugged. "The point is, I'm afraid I may be to blame for it."

"And why?" Dickie asked.

"Do you remember our trip to Manchester in spring?"

He smiled. How could he forget their little trip down her memory lane? They had gone to Manchester to finalize the selling of her old house in Manchester. At first he had been wary about the prospect of visiting her old life with her husband and her son, but it had actually helped him to understand her even better. In the end their stay in Manchester had helped her to draw a line under her former life and their bond had become even closer.

"Of course, I do," he said and took her hand.

"We met a young Doctor in my brother's hospital. His name was Doctor McEwan."

Dickie wrinkled his forehead while he tried to remember and place the different people and places they had visited. Then he suddenly remembered the man she was talking about.

"He was tall and fair-haired, wasn't he?"

She nodded, "Yes. He was so interested in the hospital merger that I wrote to York and asked them to invite him. Well, they did, but he's coming to Downton."

Dickie shrugged. "So? I doubt a doctor from Manchester wants to spend the rest of his professional life in Downton. Perhaps he's just curious."

"That's what I told Clarkson, but he was just… miffed." She exchanged a glance with Dickie and then she chuckled. "You should have seen him. He was sitting in the dark, huffing and puffing like Scrooge."

He laughed and shook his head. "You have to give the poor man a rest. It's not easy getting old."

"Well, I think it feels better not to think the worst of everyone. I just hope you're right and Doctor McEwan won't overstay his welcome!"

"And if he does, it won't be your fault," Dickie said. He leaned over to kiss her. A knock at the door jerked them apart. The maid came in and announced that the tea was ready and waiting for them.

"Thank you, Anne," Isobel said and waited until the maid had closed the door again. "I love you," she said and kissed him once more.

"What was that for?" he asked surprised.

"Because you are you," she answered. "And now let's go downstairs to have some tea."

****tbc****