"Ah, yes," he said, his smile noticeably tense, though he was putting in an effort. Pulling a box from the pocket of his coat, he handed it over, echoing her sentiment of a Happy Christmas, though that seemed unlikely, now.

The gift, a small hair comb of crystal flowers, at least continued to seem like the right choice for her. It would've been entirely inappropriate for Thomas to give her such a gift, at Downton, but many things had changed between them.