Cora requested your visit. That's why you're here.

The only reason you're here.

It was not the welcome he expected. He was tempted to turn round and head home, except home was three thousand miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

And where else but the New World would he find an heiress possessing sufficient funds to rescue Downton - and who was prepared to marry him?

He sat now in the drawing room, watching his chosen heiress pour tea. Cora Levinson was the "catch of the season" - or so his friends told him enviously. She had certainly dressed for effect - a monochrome basque jacket showing off a perfect hourglass figure, hair piled on her head accentuating her tall frame. He noticed the frizz of a fringe over her forehead, the slight flush of her cheeks and the way her eyes seemed to sparkle. He allowed himself a brief fantasy of this creature as his wife - not an entirely unappealing prospect...

She had looked up to meet his gaze; he abruptly looked away before he could be caught staring. His eyes flitted aimlessly round the room, observing the walls stretched with red velvet, studded with crystals and jeweled butterflies. The ceiling was crowded with murals - he made out a hunting scene, jousting knights at a tournament and a harvest festival. The archway was guarded by the goddess Nike. He wondered what his mother would say...

"Lord Downton?"

"Hmm?" He took a sip from the milky Earl Grey in front of him while trying to wipe the smirk of his face. "I'm sorry?"

"I was saying - I hope your trip wasn't too unpleasant."

"Just a little choppy at times."

"How awful! When we came back in the spring, the regular steamer was cancelled. We were delayed in Belfast, and ended up on a much smaller boat, crammed full of Irish immigrants, who-"

"-were evidently in search of a better life."

"Of course." She smiled uneasily. "And how are you finding New York so far?"

He tried recalling the past few hours - the grandeur of the Statue of Liberty, the hotchpotch of nationalities, the vast mansions - and the disapproval of his prospective father-in-law. He settled on a diplomatic response:

"It's too early to say."

"I'm afraid it can be a little overwhelming. I found London Society much more open to visitors."

"London Society can be very accommodating to American visitors-"

"-especially when they bring American dollars," she finished with a smile which he did not return. The quip - indeed the whole situation - left him uncomfortable and confused. Is this how Miss Levinson viewed their marriage - as a business transaction? That was what he wanted, wasn't it? And - since her father was so implacably opposed - did it really matter?

"Miss Levin-"

"Call me Cora."

"Miss Levinson." Her smile faltered; he was aware of the tension in the room - entirely his fault. "I presume you know why I am here?"

"Of course - I hope I haven't misunderstood your intentions."

"Not at all, but your father spoke to me in the carriage. You know he is firmly against any marriage?"

She rolled her eyes with a sigh. "He's just being overly protective. He finds it hard to let to let go of his only daughter."

"It was more than that. He seemed to object to me - and to my particular circumstances."

"Father objects to anyone he has not made their own fortune. But there's nothing to worry about - Mother and I will talk him round."

"I wouldn't want to cause trouble."

"You won't have to - I am allowed to choose my own husband." She leaned forward, making sure she had his attention before continuing: "And I choose you."