#cobert flufftober

[bella-caecilia]

Slowly getting to round up the Cobert flufftober challenge lol. I have one more WIP, so this is the second to last drabble. This is for @cobertaddict who requested #23 & for @countesscorazelizabethcrawley who requested #23 & #26. Thank you both for the prompts &lt;3<3

set in s3e3 after they visited Eryholme, that should become Downton Place

(warning: not edited because I don't have the time right now. pls forgive me)

Day 13

23 + 26 - letting them ramble when they need to let off steam & scalp massages when they have a headache

The day had been long. Awfully long. Robert pulled his head between his shoulders when the nasty headache pounded stronger in his skull the moment his valet opened the screeching closet door for the umpteenth time.

“I think I’m fine. I can manage myself,” Robert said in a bad attempt to hide his irritation.

“Very well, milord. I bid you a good night.”

Robert dismissed him with a short nod, his lips pursed in strained pain. When he was alone in the room, he walked to the dresser, took the dressing gown his valet had been preparing, and threw it over his arm, not bothering with putting it on. He turned off the only source of light on the bedside table of his deserted and uncomfortable bed and opened the door to the adjoining room.

“There you are,” her soft voice greeted him. Strangely, it was a sound – unlike any other – that didn’t aggravate his headache further. He growled in response, unable to utter anything else. He walked straight to the bed and only looked up when he was a few steps from it.

Cora sat upright on her side of the bed. She looked tired, but not as tired as he felt. Her unruly curls were pulled into a braid but Robert could see how stubborn they were. The shadows under Cora’s eyes were dark, but her smile was warm and faithful. In her hands, she held her pocket watch. Robert could only guess that she had been winding it to put it back into the drawer of her bedside table where it always rested.

“What a day, hm?” she added when her eyes travelled over his appearance. He noticed the hint of scrutiny in her unwavering smile. The lines on her forehead deepened for a second, and her eyes narrowed so briefly, he was only sure it happened because he knew her so well.

“Tell me about it.” With a groan, he put down his dressing gown at the feet of the bed. They had been to Eryholme, or ‘Downton Place’ in the future. They had a picnic there, and everyone had tried to make it a joyous and light-hearted occasion as best as possible. Robert hadn’t liked it. He hadn’t been looking forward to the day, he hadn’t enjoyed it, and he wasn’t in a good mood now that the day had happened. It had brought the loss of the money painfully to everyone’s attention and the forefront of Robert’s mind again. The gravity of it all was as clear to him as ever.

He hated the whole ordeal that Cora called ‘downsizing’ in a bright tone as if it was something positive. Which it surely wasn’t. It meant they were losing Downton, and this was clearly a disaster as big as anyone could imagine.

Robert got into bed not without wincing, and of course, that didn’t slip Cora’s attention.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Ugh, just an awfully nasty headache,” Robert mumbled. He pressed his fingertips into his temples. “The ride home from Eryholme wore me out.”

“My poor darling,” Cora cooed. Robert heard her putting down the pocket watch and closing the drawer again before he felt her shuffling closer to him.

“I could ring for O'Brien to bring you some powder.”

“No, it’s alright. And anyway, I couldn’t afford all the amounts of it I’d have to buy for the countless headaches that will come with all the troubles in the coming weeks and months and God forsake years. No, no. Better not get started on these powders.”

“Now you’re being silly.” Her voice was very close by his side now.

“Hmph,” he only grumbled in response. He closed his eyes, trying to hide from the pain. The bed shook slightly from Cora’s moving around, and Robert was about to chide her for being so restless when she spoke again.

“Why don’t you come here?” her voice was very soft and careful, and Robert opened one eye to look at her. She sat against the headboard and smiled down at him empathically. With her right hand, she patted the duvet on her lap. She was trying to take care of him, Robert realised.

“Rest your head here,” she explained and straightened the covers on her lap again.

Robert only thought about it for a second. Her proposal was very alluring. He groaned as he lifted his head and upper body and moved to the middle of the bed to put down his head in Cora’s lap. The muscles in his neck pulled painfully when he moved and he tried to suppress any further groans. He was no sniveler after all.

When his head lay down, Cora’s fingers descended into his hair and began moving lightly over his scalp. Her fingertips pressed gently here and there, and involuntarily a sigh slipped from Robert’s lips. It just felt so good.

“Is that right?” Cora inquired in a warm whisper.

Robert hummed his agreement.

After a moment of silent massaging, Cora said, “I know it’s a lot at the moment. And I know how testing it is on you. It is not easy.”

She was right. “Well, it’s easy for you,” Robert gave back. He tried his best to handle the situation right and honourably but it was hard, and watching Cora, he saw how easy it all was on her.

“It is not easy for me to see you having to part with the idea of Downton and living your whole life here. Don’t think it’s not hard for me to see you struggle,” she answered. “I may be able to adapt but I’m still sharing your heartache, Robert. I am your wife and how can I be happy when you aren’t? I wish it was easier for you but I know there is no way it could.”

Robert felt a lump in his throat. He pressed his closed eyes more tightly together and exhaled forcefully through his nose. “You know I’d do everything for Downton. You know that.” Cora’s hands stopped moving for a second in his hair. Yes, she knew very well. “It is very hard to accept that there isn’t anything I can do anymore,” Robert breathed.

“Oh, darling,” Cora whispered. One of her hands combed through his hair as the other brushed over his cheek.

Robert hated how he got so sentimental again. “These damn railroads,” he muttered in annoyance to distract himself from the tug at his heart. “The railroad business is booming everywhere. You’d think they could make a simple company work on such an emerging branch of the economy. Every idiot would have made a ton of cash with a railroad company like this. Why do they have to blunder the one company I invested in?” he rambled.

“It’s a shame,” Cora agreed. Her hands patiently continued massaging his scalp.

“I still can’t believe they messed it up completely,” Robert grumbled. His head was already a bit lighter and he just kept rambling with closed eyes because talking all that aggravating nonsense off his chest was nearly as relieving as Cora’s massage. “Sometimes I think it might be just a bad dream and the business is actually going as well as anticipated. I mean it would only be logical.”

“Mhm,” Cora hummed.

“Ugh, it’s just bloody awful. Bloody, bloody awful.”

“It is,” she agreed.

They were silent for a moment and both concentrated on the movements of Cora’s fingers in his hair. The two of them were bathed in the warm golden light of their bedside lamps and the glowing fireplace. Robert smelled the fresh cotton sheets and Cora’s perfume on her wrists. It mixed with the subtle lotion she put on before bed. Robert slowly felt relaxation seeping into his body.

“Your hands feel very good,” he mentioned into the silence.

Cora exhaled in a single chuckle. “I like to hear that,” she said. “I always like to hear that.”

Robert felt a hot coil build in his abdomen and a sudden heat rise onto his neck. Cora never let a double-entendre slip. She really never did.

[bella-caecilia]

17. exchanging looks in a crowded room 🖤

Day 3

17 – exchanging looks in a crowded room

The room was buzzing. The giddy excitement was palpable. And Cora felt that’s how it should be on one of the first balls of the season. Rose was long off to chat animatedly with her friends, and since the first dance was already over, Cora had left the dancing parquet and stood at the side with Rosamund. Robert was making conversation with two lords he had been fellow students with at Eton. Everything was how it should be.

The things Rosamund was talking about only partly reached Cora’s conscience. Her mind was nowhere in particular as she just soaked up the boisterous and warm atmosphere of the ball. She felt like she belonged right in with her shiny light orange gown, bedazzled with stones and clad in exquisite orange sapphire jewellery. She had to admit, Robert really hadn’t held back to make sure they had a London season worthy of Rose’s debut. There was a fleeting possibility that it was egoistic spending with the way Robert eyed Cora ever so often. She couldn’t quite remember the last time his eyes raked over her appearance so devouringly in broad daylight. Cora definitely felt undeniably comfortable in her skin. And Robert’s behaviour made her feel like the belle of the ball. She chuckled quietly at that thought.

Standing at the side of the lively ballroom, Cora let Rosamund’s words ripple around her. But as much as her sister-in-law was never a boring conversation partner, Cora was somehow wishing for someone else to be by her side. They shared the first dance some moments ago, but she already missed her husband.

Cora wasn’t quite used to being apart from Robert anymore. In their domestic idyll at Downton, they rarely decided to part for more than a few hours when Robert was going after his duties to the estate. They preferred being together, even if it was in mutual silence, each with their tasks. When Robert had been to America, it had felt like ages. Long torturous ages. Since he was back, Cora was trying to spend even more time by his side. Sometimes she felt a little foolish for clinging to him in a way only Isis did, but Robert didn’t seem to mind. He always had a fresh smile on his face when she sought his company in the library.

But now that they were here in London, it felt strange not attending every event clutching her husband’s arm constantly. She had a weird flutter in her stomach when she had to let go of him to talk to others and comply with social customs. Seeing him spending a great deal of these evenings conversing with other gentlemen, seemingly unbothered by her absence, felt strange. She would never say she was jealous. What for? What could possibly make her jealous? They were just following society’s standards, and Cora knew very well that Robert was looking forward to taking her to their room afterwards and being alone with her. Oh no, she had been married enough years to not feel the need to be jealous. She was just utterly affectionate this year and she took it as a good sign for their marriage. Hers and Robert’s relationship was thriving like she never thought possible for a couple their age.

Though, it was getting harder every minute to stay the relaxed wife and keep up a conversation with her sister-in-law. Cora craned her neck to look for Robert. She made a noise of approval to Rosamund who had asked a question Cora hadn’t listened to but Rosamund didn’t seem to have noticed Cora’s absence of mind.

“Right? That’s what I said all the time!” Rosamund proclaimed with emphasis.

Cora’s eyes were scanning the room. Through the crowd of dancing pairs, it was hard to get a proper impression of the groups of people. It was then, that Cora discovered her husband in a small circle of men by the winged doors to the neighbouring hall. He balanced a flute of champagne with three fingers and nodded at something the lord with the impressive moustache had said. Cora had forgotten his name. As always, Robert was participating just as he should. He was immersed in the conversation and didn’t seem to miss anything.

Cora sighed.

“What is the matter?” Rosamund inquired.

“What? Oh, nothing,” Cora waved off. Rosamund had a stern expression on her face. The red of the high collar of rubies around her neck made her eyes pierce even more intensely in the warm light of the candelabras. She was displeased to have the attention snatched from her talk.

“Well, it’s just so strange to stand in this ballroom this year, that it’s Rose’s first season, and knowing we’ve attended balls here for… how many years? It feels like Mary’s first season was just yesterday. And I remember being swirled on this exact parquet myself at this age. It’s so strange,” Cora said. She looked across the young ladies with pink cheeks and nervous eyes.

“Yes, I guess you’re right,” Rosamund agreed. “I’ve lost count of the seasons I’ve partaken in.” She took a sip from her champagne. Cora looked at her and had a thought that had been recurring since she met her sister-in-law for the first time. Rosamund was a lady through and through. Just the way she sipped her champagne pensively, remembering old times, had a poise to it Cora could never dream of matching. The way there was never a redundant motion, her chin always held up high. No matter her real height, Rosamund managed to always seem like the tallest. She was always master of the situation, never lost control. It was impressive. And Cora thought that without any judgement. It was merely an observation she made time and time again.

“Are we getting old, Rosamund?” she asked.

“Old? We? Come on, Cora. I am a widow and not just since yesterday. But I refuse to call myself old. It’s bad enough when others do it.”

“Of course.” Cora didn’t want to feel old herself, but there were rare moments when she wondered.

“And look at your husband,” Rosamund remarked. She tipped her head to the side and indicated to Robert across the room. “The way he pines for you. Don’t tell him you thought we might be old. How ancient would that make him? He couldn’t handle it.” A smirk ghosted over Rosamund’s features.

Cora snickered. She turned her head to look at Robert. He did indeed seem to pine for her. Cora felt the heat rise on her décolleté and cheeks. He still stood along with his peers but looked over at Cora intensively. His glass was empty, and the smirk that flashed across his features was unequivocal. Cora bit her lip. The wide smile she couldn’t avoid pushed up her round cheeks.

“You two are impossible,” Rosamund said.

‘You would be the same with Marmaduke,’ Cora thought but knew better than to say it out loud.

“This is not about you, this ball or this season even,” Rosamund added. “But somehow you’re acting like that.” She groaned. “See, that’s what I mean.”

Cora followed her look and saw Robert coming over with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“You have already been courted,” Rosamund hissed.

“Yes,” was the only answer that Cora was able to come up with.

“It’s not about you,” Rosamund repeated. The irritated undertone only bothered Cora very distantly.

By the time, Robert had reached the two women and blindly set down his empty champagne flute on a tray of a passing footman. He clasped his hands behind his back as he entered the ladies’ atmosphere.

“I hope I don’t interrupt you,” he said.

Rosamund already opened her mouth, and Cora saw that she was about to spew something vicious.

“Oh no, not at all,” Cora hurried to assure. She smiled broadly at Robert.

“I’m glad,” he said. “Would you care for a dance, my dear?”

Cora didn’t answer but only took the hand he held out for her. There was a flutter in her stomach and it wasn’t of the weird kind. Before she totally succumbed to her husband’s charm on the dance floor, though, she turned back around to her sister-in-law.

“Maybe you also find someone who will court you,” she spoke softly. Rosamund only rolled her eyes and shook her head in denial.

The next moment, Cora already found herself twirled around between the other dancers. No, she wasn’t old. Not yet. At this right moment, she was sure. She had never felt younger.

[bella-caecilia]

4 + 20 for the cobert fluff thing! i love ur writing sm <3

Day 1

4 + 20 – brushing a strand of hair behind their ear & playing with their hair right before falling asleep

The only sounds that Robert heard were the light crackling of the dwindling logs in the fireplace and Cora’s deep breathing. Her head nestled on his bare chest. Her arm rested weakly on his upper body. She was pressed close to his side, and Robert held on to her lazily with one arm while his other hand ran through the tousled curls at his hairline. Robert pulled the sheets even higher up around them; the heat of their passion slowly wore off.

“That was nice,” Cora’s soft words carried easily to his ears. The dulcet breath of her voice needed no more vigour to be understood perfectly by him.

He hummed in agreement. It was very nice. He thought maybe it was even nicer to bask in the afterglow with her now. Her warm skin on his without the impatient urge of passion. Just her calming and warming presence. At this moment, her soft and relaxed body was the ultimate reassurance.

It had been a long day. Robert had been out and about all day. He made a tour around the grounds, visiting some of his tenants, even though the weather had been ghastly. Matthew had accompanied him after lunch when he came from his office and had asked a bunch of questions as he usually did. Good questions they were, but an abundance nevertheless. Robert knew that dinner wouldn’t portray an all too relaxing situation as well with Mama, Isobel, and Matthew all coming over. It was quite late when he finally followed Cora upstairs and got ready for bed.

When he had entered her room and slipped into bed next to her, she had snuggled up to his side. She came really close, seeking warmth on this cold day of autumn. She loosely held on to his biceps and leaned her head partly against the headrest of the bed, partly against his shoulder, while he thoughtlessly browsed his book. She didn’t give him a chance to read properly as she threw in her thoughts about this and that every other minute. But Robert didn’t really care either. His mind was already a bit drowsy.

“I hope Cousin Isobel didn’t feel too put off tonight. Mama was being particularly harsh today,” Cora mused. Her voice rang sympathetically in the silence.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Robert gave back. “I always got the impression that Cousin Isobel could handle Mama’s jabs remarkably well.” He didn’t look up and turned the page when the letters began blurring before his eyes.

Cora adjusted her grip around his arm as her thoughts wandered further. Robert felt her curls tickling his neck when she spoke again.

“But I do not like it when she is like that,” and Robert could hear it in her voice. She probably remembered many an occasion where she had been the target of Mama’s hardly amiable digs. Robert lowered his book a little and looked at his wife from the side. Her brow was furrowed, an expression of worry etched on her face. He pressed a chaste peck on her hair.

“Dearest, I think we can agree that it’s hardly one of her best traits. But not everyone can be as gracious and good-natured as you, my dear.” Robert spoke softly as he planted another kiss right above her ear. Just as he had hoped, some of the wrinkles on her forehead disappeared, and he could see a smile tugging on the corner of her mouth.

“But that doesn’t mean she could not at least try being kind,” Cora emphasised. She turned ever so little at Robert’s side, not turning to look at him but her front still being closer to him, giving him more access for his light kisses.

Robert put a finger of his left hand between his current pages and slung his other arm around Cora’s shoulders.

“I know,” he said.

Robert couldn’t have foreseen that this evening turned out to become so ardent when they lay heavily breathing in each other’s arms sometime later, Cora’s leg wound around his hips and his palms spreading on her back beneath the mass of hair that he had let loose from her braid. He wasn’t as tired all of the sudden and she wasn’t worried at all anymore. Her little sounds, her verbal affirmation that this was exactly what she needed right now, his name falling from her lips repeatedly, spurred Robert on. Holding her like this just felt so right.

And holding her afterwards, when all hunger was sated was the sweet reward. He expected her to slowly doze off by the minute. The pauses between her exhales were getting longer. Her slender fingers had long ceased their drawing circles on his chest. But just then, Cora lifted her head. She pressed her hand onto his chest for support as she raised her upper body and turned to look at Robert. Their faces were a few inches from each other. Her serene and calm expression broke into a little grin.

Robert had to chuckle. “Still thinking about how nice it was?” he remarked in a whisper. Cora gave off a light snort before she blinked heavily. She looked so endearing to him with the way her open hair was a bit dishevelled and built a halo around her head, the errant curls illuminated by the embers of the fireplace. This was his dearest Cora right in front of him, not the honourable Countess of Grantham she had to be all day. Robert reached out to brush a strand of her chocolate hair behind her ear. It was soft and unruly beneath his fingertip. The serene smile returned to Cora’s face and it grew even wider when Robert’s fingertip traced the shell of her ear. Her eyes wandered lovingly across his features.

“Come, let’s go to sleep now and dream of all the nice things,” Robert suggested, and Cora’s heavy head sank onto his chest again. She shuffled a bit under the covers until her head was tucked into the crook of his neck in the right manner and a long sigh escaped her. Soon, her breathing had slowed down again and her gentle snores filled the room.

Robert though couldn’t seem to close his eyes. He was trapped in a blissful state of trance. The movement of his chest matched Cora’s rhythm of breathing but he didn’t find it in himself to succumb to the land of dreams as he had Cora advised to do. On its own accord, his hand found its way into Cora’s hair. His index finger was wrapping a tress of her soft hair around itself with a circular motion. Cora stirred in her sleep when he didn’t stop and the curl around his finger was getting rather tight. He loosened it and repeated the process with a new strand of hair and in a fashion a bit more careful.

It was a great reassurance to be this close to her. She was a great reassurance. Feeling her, and every part of her, not only her skin and her warmth pressed to his body. Not only her heartbeat and her respiration projected onto his chest. He wanted every part. The cold soles of her feet glued to his shins. The sound of her light snores in his ears. And of course, the silken texture of her hair between his fingertips.

[bella-caecilia]

9 - innocent touches when they're close <3

A little happy s3 drabble

Day 8

9 – innocent touches when they’re close

A soft drizzle hit the large windows in the library and the thousandfold sound nearly covered the crackling of the fireplace. It was almost noon and Robert basked in the solitude of the familiar room. His family gladly left him be and he finally reached the state of relaxation he had longed for.

He sat at his desk and was buried deep in his books. The finances of the estate were no easily understandable concoction. He needed all the peace of mind he could get to manage them as they ought to. Matthew didn’t quite understand it yet but Robert would show him the right way. Nonetheless, it wasn’t something that was learnt within a few days. It would take time, but one day, Matthew would make a great caregiver of the estate. Robert was sure of that.

He turned a page of the budget book in front of him and pulled his hair back. He was fully concentrated and his brow lay in deep wrinkles. Robert liked his tasks as Earl and owner of the estate and he liked to believe he did them well. Sometimes, however, the numbers blurred in front of his eyes and he felt like a child that had no clue about any mathematical concept. After some hours of being bent over the estate’s accounts, he was slowly reaching that point now.

When the door to the main hall creaked, Robert ignored it. His hand still held onto his curls. He didn’t want to lose focus. The sound of the door being closed again got lost on him and the steps on the carpet were so familiar that they didn’t attract his attention. When she was standing diagonally behind him, he saw her from the corner of his eye.

As he didn’t react, she took a step closer and Robert felt her palm on his shoulder.

Her voice was soft when she spoke. “You are so diligent.” Her palm rubbed up and down on his shoulder blade. “Don’t let me disturb you. I am just sitting down here and reading a little, alright?”

“Mhm,” Robert’s response was more of a rumble. Cora said she didn’t want to disturb him and she was very considerate about how she moved across the room so quietly. But her company was much more enticing than the papers in front of him. If he looked up and greeted her, he could forget about finishing his budget calculations today. So, he opted for ignoring her presence for some more minutes until he had finished his increasingly annoying task at hand.

When he finally turned around to look at her, he had already forgotten about the numbers on the paper. He was finally done though he had no idea what he had just calculated. But it was good and right for sure. Why shouldn’t it be?

Cora sat on a settee and held a thin volume of poems in her hands. The way she sat there so upright and orderly looked absolutely effortless. Her back was flawlessly straight and her head was only the slightest bit bent over the book. It seemed to Robert that she was well. He could usually see the first hint of exhaustion in her when he looked closely. It showed in the slight slump of her shoulders and her restless feet that tried to find the right foothold as they struggled to keep her knees locked as was the proper way to sit on a settee. At the moment, however, she had no difficulties maintaining the right posture. And Robert knew that she must be well rested.

He pushed his chair back and stood up with a sigh; one hand on the armrest of the chair, the other on the tabletop of his desk. Cora looked up at the noise. Her eyes followed his movements to then point to the empty space beside her on the settee. Apart from her head and eyes, her body remained still and poised. Robert took her up on her invitation and moved to her side. The cushions of the settee were soft and much more comfortable than his wooden chair.

“Are your duties done already?” Cora asked. The gentle smile she directed at him was one of pleased surprise. Robert felt the warmth of her body so close to him.

He nodded as he put his arm on the back of the settee behind Cora. “I have seen through and worked on the books all since breakfast. And as I was able to do it uninterrupted, I could finish it already.”

Cora raised her eyebrow, her book still hovering in front of her chest. “Is this a subtle lecture on my uninvited coming in here?”

“No, I mean it,” Robert was quick to say. “It was nice to work in peace. You weren’t bothering me at all. And after all, I was nearly done anyway.” He was looking at her face and was glad when the short-lived expression of trouble disappeared.

“Good.” Even the one-syllable word was drenched in her familiar American accent after all these years in England. The way she said it, her upper front teeth were exposed slightly. The sight made Robert aware of the physical proximity to her. When he looked at her eyes then, he saw how they wandered over his face. They paused at his forehead. Cora lowered her book and her slender hand reached out gently to touch his face. Robert held still.

Her fingertips made contact with his hairline. Her voice was soft as it carried to him in its tender volume. “You really have been working,” she stated. Her fingers brushed through his hair and combed his curls. She tried to bring some order into his mussed hairstyle with her repeated motion. Robert’s eyes were transfixed by Cora’s concentrated face. The gentle touch on his scalp sent tingles down his spine.

Cora turned her upper body more fully to him to pat his hair with her palm and smooth it down. Her eyes were busy checking her work, so Robert could watch her lips freely when she spoke again.

“You are so diligent. I know you are expected to do these tasks but I do think your dedication could be appreciated more,” she said. “I definitely am very proud of you.” Her hand slid down to his cheek, which she cupped shortly as she looked into his eyes lovingly.

Robert’s eyes widened a little with a surprised smile. He leaned toward her and pressed a kiss to the side of her face. “That’s very sweet of you to say,” he whispered. With his arm behind her on the backrest of the settee, Robert touched her elbow lightly as she brought her hand down from his face. He was endeared by her behaviour.

His wife was always nice but today she was particularly loving and sweet.

“Did you have a nice morning?” he inquired.

“Yes, I did.” A grin broke out on her face. Robert hadn’t seen her grinning like this for quite a while. He could see how she tried to hold it back but failed. He raised his eyebrow. His hand still cupped her elbow.

Cora shook her head at Robert’s questioning look. A little laugh fell from her lips. “Oh, it is nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary,” she said.

“So, what ordinary thing has you beaming like this?”

“I was just downstairs and discussed the meals with Mrs Patmore. And we are having my favourite meal today for dinner. That’s all. It is a nice day and everything is just going the best way possible,” she smiled. “So, I am happy. You seem content and placid too, and that makes me happy as well.”

Robert simply smiled in response.

He brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

 “So we are having Salmon Mousse tonight?”

If you want to send in a prompt, the list is here.

[bella-caecilia]

Could you please do 21/44 for Cobert? Love your writing so much!!💖💖

A little drabble somewhere between the two movies (and thank you so much for your sweet words!)

Day 5

21 + 44 – pulling them closer when they’re cold & kisses on the tip of their nose

A gust of wind took Cora by surprise. The weather was merciless but it didn’t impact Cora’s mood. She chuckled silently when she ducked under the blow of the wind.

“Ugh, good God!” Robert muttered. Cora had to chuckle even more at his obvious dislike of the harsh autumn weather. His pointless and shallow grumpiness amused her more than it should. Robert turned his head to look at her. Her cheeky smirk and rather open amusement broke his mask of sulk.

Cora had insisted on this walk. She enjoyed this time of the day a lot, even if the weather wasn’t ideal. She knew Robert also appreciated their habit of a daily walk across the grounds but she had observed a growing convenience in him over the last few years. He didn’t want to leave the house when the tiniest drizzle was too consistent. He denied it but Cora saw that he became more comfortable with age. She knew, however, what she had to say and how she had to smile or pout to still get him out of the house if she wanted to.

“Granny!” A bright little voice sounded. The patter of tiny feet on the gravel echoed behind them. They halted in their steps and Cora let go of Robert’s arm to turn around. Little Caroline was running towards them. The nanny and George were following less hectic behind her. Cora crouched down a little and opened her arms to welcome her little granddaughter. Robert chuckled behind her. Caroline slowed her steps slightly when she was right before Cora but she still threw herself into her grandmother’s arms with a squeal of delight.

Cora shortly considered lifting her up but decided against it. Caroline grew faster than Cora could comprehend and she was getting a little too heavy for Cora. So, Cora only briefly breathed in the sweet scent of the little girl’s hair before she let go of her.

“Hello, Caroline,” she said in a soft voice and smiled down at the girl that peaked around her grandmother’s legs to catch a glimpse of her grandfather.

“Hello, Donk,” Caroline whispered. She was a little wary of him. Caroline was quite shy in general. She was nothing like her brother or cousins in this aspect, most likely though like her cousin Marigold. She preferred observing from a distance. Cora however had managed to earn the little girl’s trust and nearly put a spell on her with her gentle and loving nature. She also had a lot more perseverance in cracking Caroline’s shell. At the age of three now, Caroline had great trust in few adults, including her mother, her grandmother, the nanny, and her father. But she was beginning to warm to her grandfather too since she saw how fond her brother and cousins were of him.

“Good morning, Caroline,” Robert answered with a smile.

By now, George and the nanny had reached them too. The cold air had tinged everyone’s nose red. George’s blue eyes shone brightly in contrast. The drizzling rain had put a watery coat on everyone’s hats, and Cora saw that a few drops clung to George’s long lashes, looking like tiny transparent pearls. It reminded her of Sybil when she had been that age. Her eyelashes had been just as long and full, and she had always enjoyed the gloomier weather. Her nose had stuck to the window when there was a storm outside and when it rained, she had insisted to go out. When the adults weren’t watching for a moment, Sybil immediately sought the nearest puddle to jump into. And when Cora had fished her out of it or taken her from the nanny’s angry grip, Sybil had beamed up at her with cheeks and nose a bright red and her lashes adorned with beautiful droplets of rain.

Cora shook herself slightly to come back to the present. George was chattering lively with Robert now.

“He can do it nearly as well as Teo,” George said. Cora could only guess what this was about. George had taken a great interest in dogs lately. He adored Teo and often visited the other dogs of Downton Abbey at the stables where he usually found them running around, always by the feet of the stable master. It seemed George even tried to train the dogs like proper house dogs. Robert was very amused by that but didn’t have the heart to tell George that these hounds would never be allowed inside the house. Cora had an inkling that it wouldn’t take long until George would get his own Labrador as a present from his proud grandfather.

“You can take Teo on walks with you when she is not with me,” Robert said. George’s eyes beamed. Cora caught the vigilant expression on Nanny’s face. After all, it wasn’t the same to look after two children when there was a young turbulent dog with them. She was glad when Robert acknowledged it too. “Just ask Andy if he and Teo can accompany you.”

“Oh, thank you, Donk!” George exclaimed happily.

“Thank you, Donk,” Caroline copied in a more moderate tone. Cora could tell that she hadn’t really followed the conversation but instinctively agreed with her brother’s gratitude because she thought that was what she had to do.

“Well, we don’t want to keep you any longer,” Cora said in Nanny’s direction. She saw how the woman was tucking her coat close around her body and assumed her feet were beginning to freeze to ice blocks in her shoes too. “I am sure you all want to get back into the warmth again.”

When they resumed their walk, all five of them now, the children bounded back and forth between their nanny and their grandparents. Whenever they thought of something that they had to share with Granny and Donk, they turned around and began talking excitedly to Cora and Robert who walked a few steps behind the nanny who was guarding the children. Cora and Robert let Nanny go ahead with the children, as they stuck to their leisurely slow pace.

Soon, the nanny took another turn that parted ways with Cora’s and Robert’s usual walking route, and they watched how George and Caroline skipped down the gravel close to the house, totally unbothered by the whipping drizzle. Robert stirred Cora down their way out onto the grounds. He knew that this was the path she wanted to go, and Cora appreciated that he put this over his dislike of the weather.

She found she needed this ritual more than she had thought. Whenever their walk was cut short or completely skipped on some days, she felt unbalanced. Even if larger distances of their route were spent in silence, she relished so much in this time spent together. No one would bother them when they made their turn out onto the grounds. Everyone knew this was their walk and not to interrupt them.

Cora slid her arm down Robert’s sleeve, pushing her body even closer to his side. Eventually, she slipped her hand into the pocket of his jacket. Her palm glided against his. Robert looked at her from the side with a smile of surprise. He interlaced his fingers with hers in his pocket. There was an intimacy between them that exceeded the ordinary closeness on a walk by far.

The wind was getting more intense on the unguarded flat grounds. It blew and piped around them, and tried to find cracks and gaps in the barriers of their wardrobes. Cora felt Robert tense up beside her from the shudders that ran through his body. The iciness of the weather intensified. The vision became slightly fogged, and it took Cora a moment to realise the cause.

Slushy snowflakes fell from the sky. “By Christ, it’s not winter yet!” Robert grumbled. “Let them stay up there,” he pointed his head to the sky. “We don’t need them yet.” He flicked a melting snowflake from the cufflink of his jacket.

“Oh, come on, Robert. It’s quite nice. You have to agree,” Cora said. He looked at her with scepticism. And she actually had to confess, it didn’t feel as pleasant as the thought of snow was. Two snowflakes had already fallen onto the back of her neck, and Cora flinched at the feeling.

“You are really testing me with today’s walk,” Robert said. He returned to glaring straight forward and pressing his arms – and her arm with it – close to his body.

“Alright, alright. I know,” Cora admitted. “I promise I will help you warm up when we’re inside again.”

Robert was instantly alert at these words. “Oh?”

Cora slowed her steps. When they came to a halt, she pulled at both his arms until he was standing right in front of her. She looped her arms around his waist, which wasn’t as easy in their thick coats. “Of course. That is my job, remember? To take care of you.” She wiggled a bit closer to him, hoping to spend at least a little bit of warmth.

“And you do it so well,” Robert concluded in a warm tone. “So, what do you say? We take a hot bath together when we are back?” he suggested.

Cora laughed. “Oh, that sounds a bit too scandalous, Robert Crawley,” she teased.

“You are probably right.”

“And apart from that, there wouldn’t be enough space for me once you are in the bathtub,” she added with a grin.

“Oh, please! I’m sure I could make it work.” He sounded a bit exasperated.

The snowflakes still fell and one landed right on the tip of Robert’s nose. Cora rose to the tip of her toes and planted her lips on his nose. It was icy cold under her hot lips. A surprised hum came from Robert.

When she came back down onto the balls of her feet, she said, “I prefer to share the warmth of my blankets with you later. I think that it is more suitable.”

“And who would I be to refuse this?”

Cora let go of him and set about to resume their walk. She took hold again of his upper arm and briefly rested her head against his shoulder. A sigh slipped from her lips. The weather really was nasty but Cora’s contentment was complete.

If you want to send in a prompt, the list is here.

[bella-caecilia]

could you do 11 for Cobert for flufftober pls:)

A little drabble set post s6 <3

Day 12

11 – being distracted by thoughts about them

She shuffled slightly in the wooden chair she had been offered when she had been a bit late for the meeting. They had waited for her and immediately accepted her hurried apologies. But she felt very bad nevertheless. She didn’t want to appear as if she treated the weekly meetings in Dr Clarkson’s office with little respect. And she didn’t want to blame Robert for keeping her from departing timely either. But he didn’t seem to realise that her responsibilities as chairwoman of the hospital weren’t mere fun activities. She had to take them as seriously as he did his duties to the estate. When she had a meeting at the hospital it just didn’t do for him to hold her back with talk about next week’s dinner with Isobel and Dickie.

She huffed inwardly and blinked her eyes to focus on the meeting she was finally present at.

“We only have so many options to realise a higher bed count,” Dr Clarkson emphasised with a stern look at Isobel. “We–”

“Yes, very well. But isn’t it more important to ensure the proper workspace for the staff?” Isobel interrupted in her usual confident and slightly displeased tone. “Pushing the beds closer together will have our nurses in inopportune situations where they are trying to operate in the crammed spaces and don’t even have all the staffrooms and examination rooms they need.” The head nurse standing slightly behind Isobel silently agreed with a nod. “We had to do this in time of war but these exceptional circumstances don’t apply anymore.”

“Well, but what do you want me to do?” Dr Clarkson pressed his palms on the tabletop and his words were drenched in badly hidden exasperation and his Scottish tint. “Shall I expand and just build the hospital a few more wings?” he suggested sarcastically.

“Why not?” Cora asked. Until now, she had watched the discussion as a bystander. But someone had to get in between the intense bickering of Isobel and Dr Clarkson, and Cora didn’t think it a bad idea to grow the hospital.

Dr Clarkson looked at her perplexed. He was speechless, so Cora took the opportunity of the arising silence and elaborated.

“If we don’t look for a long-time solution, whatever we do will only postpone the problem for so long. I know putting up new buildings for the hospital isn’t something you can do overnight and it definitely will cost quite some money, but I am sure we will be able to raise enough extra money to settle the financial situation,” she said generously, and in the back of her head, she already pictured Robert’s exasperation.

“Are you quite sure, milady?” Dr Clarkson inquired.

“Well, I don’t say it’s a simple matter. But it’s the only real solution I see. And we all will have to work to make it happen.” She looked at Isobel and was glad when Isobel’s bright smile indicated they were allies in this issue. Having Isobel’s support was a deciding aspect. Without it, Cora would inevitably become a Sisyphus of her own idea. Now, in Isobel’s ambitious strength she had found the motor of her project.

“What an excellent idea you two have come up with!” Isobel praised and gave out approving looks between Cora and Dr Clarkson. “I absolutely agree with Cousin Cora on this. We need a stable solution for the future and if this means opening up a building site behind the village hospital then we should get to work. And if Cora says we’ll find a way financially then there is nothing to argue about, right?”

Dr Clarkson set to speak but Isobel was already rolling out her next ideas.

“We could put the maternity ward into the new wing. That way we have more room for our surgical patients.”

Cora cleared her throat and quietly chipped in, “Well, we don’t have an inexhaustible spring of money. Let’s keep that in mind.”

Isobel raised her eyebrows as she was interrupted in her speech and listened to Cora for a moment. “Of course!” Seconds later, she was head of her new building committee again. She scribbled floor plans on a piece of paper and explained to the Scottish doctor exactly how the project had to be structured.

Cora found herself zoning out again. She hoped Robert would not show too much of his disapproval. She knew that how he felt about it wouldn’t decide about the realisation of the project entirely, how it would have undoubtedly been in his father’s times. But his opposition would still make it harder for her. Maybe though, he wouldn’t be such a grouch about it. Cora had to think about the time he told her how proud he was of her. It still made her heart swell. How he brushed his knuckles over her cheek and sought her eyes under the brim of her head to tell her how greatly pleased he was with her work. She wouldn’t have been able to tell by the countless remarks he made about her absorbing job. He whined about her absence. He chided her priorities. And he indirectly questioned her choice. So yes, the revelation of his pride came as a surprise. He still managed to have words for her long days of work and to delay her in the mornings with his neediness, but overall, Cora could sense more acceptance and harmony with her job on his part.

His animated face appeared before her eyes as she thought about this morning. His vivid expressions had grated her a bit. He had tried to pull her full attention to keep her from leaving. He had talked about the right main course for next week's dinner and had tried to lure her into sitting with him on one of the library’s settees for a while. This morning, Cora had felt not understood. He knew she had to go but he didn’t respect it. Now, however, when she recalled his vivid facial expressions, she felt a twinge in her chest. Actually, she thought, he was quite endearing. She realised it was his expression of love to keep her for a few more minutes. He didn’t actually care for the dinner menu. He just wanted her attention and right now, Cora found it adorable.

She had to think of something Sybbie once said. They had been with their grandchildren, Robert and she, and Robert had carelessly given one of Marigold’s stuffed animals to Teo. When Marigold had cried out it was already too late. Teo had torn the stuffed rabbit irrevocably, and Robert stood embarrassed; the tips of his ears blushing bright red. He apologised sweetly and immediately promised a new rabbit if Baxter couldn’t fix it. He even brought the ruined toy downstairs himself right away. That was when Sybbie told Marigold not to be upset and explained to her, “Oh, but we do love our Donk!” And how right she was!

Cora did love her Donk, and a picture of him from last night arose, she had actually already forgotten because she had been so tired. But now, in her sweet thoughts, it came back. He was bowing above her as she already lay deep in the sheets. She was blinking jadedly and he looked down softly at her. With two fingers, he touched the hair framing her face and brushed it aside carefully. His smiling face was so adorable she couldn’t–

“I assume you agree, Lady Grantham?” Dr Clarkson’s voice ripped her from her thoughts.

Cora felt her cheeks grow hot. “I’m sorry. What was that again?”

And Isobel fell into an animated monologue again.

[bella-caecilia]

Is there any way you could use 30 and 41 together in the flufftober? I love your writing and I'm pretty sure it would make my heart melt :)

Set in s2e1 and contains original dialogue that belongs to JF and not to me :) Also, this is less fluffy than the rest of the drabbles. Maybe more hurt/comfort with a bit of innuendo at the end. Hope you still like it!

Day 10

30 + 41 – actions to make them laugh & not letting them go when hugging

Cora was reading her book when he came in. His brisk closing of the door moved the cold air from his dressing room into the slightly warmer air of her bedroom. Cora felt the small draught on her upper arms. The newer fashions allowed high slits in the sleeves of her night dresses, exposing even her full shoulders. Cora liked it.

Robert took off his dressing gown in silence. Cora noticed that something was on his mind, distracting him from the warm and welcoming atmosphere in her room. She abandoned her reading.

“Is anything the matter?” she asked.

Robert sighed a little. “Nothing,” he said while pulling the sleeves of the cream-coloured dressing gown off his arms.  “Except that today has shown me I’m not only a worthless man, but also a bad-tempered and ungrateful one.” Cora listened to him attentively. His dramatic words both amused and irked her a little.

“But we all know that,” she gave back and a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. She hoped it would make him laugh or at least smile. He shouldn’t sulk. Surely, he saw that too. But his reaction was meagre. While he had been looking into the distance before, he turned his head now at her words and looked at her. He exhaled through his nose as he reciprocated her smile, but just very weakly. His brooding expression was back in an instant. He wasn’t joking and her words didn’t take away from his gloom.

Cora’s smile vanished after she observed him smilingly for a moment. “Can I help?” she asked softly. She sensed he maybe needed a gentler reassurance. She didn’t like seeing him like this.

Robert gave her a short look again and then put down his dressing gown on the armchair by her bed. He sighed and dragging his feet, went to the bed. He didn’t answer her question. It had to mean that his mood and thoughts were worse than Cora believed initially.

“I wonder how Sybil is feeling,” she mused. She had serious thoughts as well, and a part of her hoped that voicing these thoughts would take away from Robert’s own struggles.

“The war’s reaching its long fingers into Downton and scattering our chicks. But I’m glad we’ve made peace with Matthew,” he responded while he turned up the bed covers.

“I agree. Let us give thanks to Sir Richard for distracting Mary at just the right moment,” Cora emphasised. She threw her book onto the bedside table as she watched her husband getting into bed beside her. He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her and her eyes were glued to the back of his head. A short image flashed before her eyes, how she brushed her hands through his short curls and tugged at them as his lips explored her cheek and neck. Not right now, she realised. She focused again on the topic at hand and remembered something to add. “By the way, she wants him to come and stay. So we can all meet him.”

Robert’s attention was immediately on her again. With an audible inhale, he turned to her. The absurdity of Mary’s affiliation with Sir Richard put an expression of amusement on Robert’s face. “She wants us to invite a hawker of newspaper scandal to stay as a guest in this house?” Cora knew he wasn’t really amused. She looked at him from under her lashes as his intense look rested on her face with every word he enounced clearly. “It’s lucky I have a sense of irony.”

She lay down on her side with her arm under her head and looked at him. He pulled off his slippers. Cora could guess from his hunched posture that his mind was still clouded by gloom. She wished for easier times with better news if it was just for him. The constant worry did him no good.

When he finally sank into the sheets, turning off the lights with one hand, Cora’s arms were around him at once, enveloping him together with the darkness. A little sound of surprise escaped him but he didn’t say anything and just patted her arm. Cora breathed in the scent of his neck with her face at the neckline of his shirt. She was out of wise things to say and hoped this gesture of affection instead would help him at least a little. He didn’t push her away and he didn’t seek another sleeping position, which was already a good sign.

“You smell good,” Robert commented out of the blue.

“I took a bath. And O’Brien put a new fragrance in my hair. Do you like it?”

“Yes. It is quite nice.”

Cora squeezed him lightly as a rush of glee went through her. It was dark out in the world, but Cora believed that this didn’t prevent personal luck per se. Why couldn’t it be true for Robert too? He lay there unmoving with his arm loosely around Cora’s body. Was he happy to hold her, she wondered. Did it make his heart the tiniest bit lighter?

She breathed a kiss to his partly uncovered collarbone. She heard Robert sigh. There was a thought that ran around and around in her head. It ran circles like it needed to be voiced out loud.

I am glad the war isn’t taking you away from me.

But she didn’t dare say it out loud. The cause of her happiness was the root of his hurt. At least, it was what partly upset him. But the situation in general wasn’t rosy right now.

So instead, Cora pressed her lips to his neck again and held him close, trying not to suffocate him with her affection. It was then that he actively hugged her back, pulling her closer to him. Cora smiled into his neck. Maybe her affection helped him nevertheless.

“Do you think this lurid Sir Richard only wants to visit to find new cannon fodder for his newspaper? Hoping to unveil scandals in the aristocracy?” Robert asked into the dark. His mind still seemed to turn around Mary’s supposed suitor.

“Do you think he is in for finding that the most scandalous thing in this house is the Lord and Lady themselves sharing a bed?” she gave back. Her pronunciation was lazy and the words were slightly slurred. It was a late hour already anyway.

Robert snorted at her words. She did manage to make him laugh, after all, Cora realised.

“Are we really that scandalous, my dear?” he asked lowly, trying to hide the tone of amusement in his voice.

“Oh, we actually do more scandalous things even,” she remarked. She felt safer joking now that she knew he was a bit more aboard. “But I don’t plan on letting Sir Richard know.” She poked him in the side. His following laugh rumbled in his chest and gave Cora the confidence to lift her head a bit and nibble at his collarbone to tease him.

“My dear Lady Grantham. Are you working on giving the scandal some substance?” Robert mocked.

“Shhh, shhh,” she shushed him. “There’s no scandal if no one’s seen or heard anything,” she explained. She brushed her cold fingers over his waist where the tiniest bit of skin was exposed. “And do you see anything?” she asked into the dark room. Cora heard his head moving from side to side on the pillow. She grinned.

“No,” he whispered after a moment.

“Good,” she breathed into his ear. Her hand moved upwards beneath his nightshirt. He shivered slightly under her touch. “And do you hear anything?” she whispered as silently as possible as her leg locked his hips tightly to her.

His lips connected with her pulse point at her neck. Cora yelped voicelessly at the unexpected attack.

They spent the rest of the night as silent as possible. After all, this was no house of scandal. Right?

[bella-caecilia]

Could you please do 27 from the gentle love prompts?

Here you go, a little pre-canon Cobert piece, anon and also for @vinnyvangohsleftear who requested the same prompt :) Thank you!

Day 2

27 – defending them in front of others

“Yes, of course, she is doing all that is asked of her, but with what success?” his mother’s voice proclaimed in no uncertain tone and loud enough for everyone present to hear it. “I mean, Robert, that is really the bare minimum your wife is fulfilling here. Look at those flower arrangements.”

She picked at some orange flowers with pointed fingers and an expression of disgust written on her face.

“Oh really, Mama,” Robert put in. “They aren’t too bad.” But he couldn’t think of anything else to say. When he leaned closer to show appreciation for Cora’s critiqued flower arrangements, a rather repulsive smell rose to his nose. Maybe Mama was right and these botanicals didn’t have that much to them. But Cora’s efforts only being the bare minimum? Absolutely not.

Robert turned his head looking for Cora. She wasn’t with them in the drawing room but right outside with the two girls and nanny. Tea was over and Cora’s guests had left after uttering sweet compliments as they blew kisses on Cora’s cheeks. Mama wasn’t as impressed. She made these compliments out to be mere pleasantries and insincere civilness. Fortunately, Cora hadn’t witnessed Mama’s harsh judgement. Not this time at least. After teatime, she had been much too eager to meet Nanny halfway who readied the girls for their afternoon walk. Now, they were standing outside on the gravel in front of the drawing room. Mary was jumping on one leg, showing off her new skill with excitement and Cora squatted – quite unladylike he had to add – in front of her eldest daughter and cheered her on. Nanny was rocking the pushchair while Edith was sitting upright in it and mustered the whole situation with a sceptical expression. Robert was glad Mama was standing with her back to the windowfront, even though he himself enjoyed seeing his sweet family so casually.

“Cora is doing her job very well,” he said without taking his eyes off his wife.

“I can see why you feel like you have to say that,” Violet replied and redirected Robert’s attention back to her with this statement. She was fishing a last scone from the tray the footman was carrying back to the kitchen. She eyed the pastry scrutinisingly as she continued talking, “and I respect your loyalty to your wife, but if we were all acting like you on this matter, I’m afraid this estate would be in quite inept hands in some years. And it won’t help you fulfil your tasks to your best abilities either.”

From the corner of his eye, Robert could see the butler busying himself with rearranging the throw pillows on one of the sofas as a futile attempt to escape the awkward silence that followed. He wasn’t the only one who tried blending into the background at Mama’s latest statement. In his upwelling anger, Robert could see how his father stood at the mantle of the fireplace, still in his walking attire and his back turned to Mama and Robert. Robert was sure his father had heard every word Mama had said about Cora and had decided to deliberately zone out at this point, now that it seemed to get serious. Rosamund however, who was staying for a few days since it was Papa’s birthday soon, sat on a sofa next to where Papa was standing and looked at Robert with raised eyebrows, eagerly waiting for his response. Certainly, this was more entertaining for her than the ever-same stories that were exchanged during tea with the other ladies.

The sound of Papa slurping the remainder of his tea made Robert finally snap. His simmering blood now boiled severely behind his eyes.

“I won’t accept ANY of these things said about my wife and me!” He spat the words out in a dangerously low and forceful whisper. Mama’s lips narrowed into nothing but a thin line.

“In fact, Cora is doing an astoundingly good job, and no one of you – no one of us – can understand what it is like to be in her position. What I see is a lady adapting to all the demands and challenges remarkably well. And there is more than one way to do this job, Mama. Cora is finding her own way, with all your help and guidance, but it has to be her own way nevertheless.” His chest heaved, the adrenaline still rushing through his veins. No one dared to speak, and Robert challenged Mama with an intense look. He usually didn’t defy his mother’s words. Somehow, he expected more of a reaction from her than the ignorant silence.

Rosamund and Papa observed the dispute now with more curiosity. Papa turned around and looked his son up and down with some estrangement. The superior eagerness on Rosamund’s face was relieved by genuine surprise.

“You really are always so awfully defensive of her, Robert,” Mama eventually dropped. Before he could interject, Mama went on. “And you better get a grip on yourself, because this is truly no tone in which to talk to your mother.”

He took a quick breath and briefly decided to disregard the last statement. “It is not that I am defensive, Mama.” He couldn’t keep his voice under control, and it quickly broke into a higher volume as his anger took over. “YOU are just unreasonably RUDE!”

It was a good thing that the butler had left the room just a minute before because Robert knew, his mother would forgive him even less if he had yelled at her in front of the staff.

He heard his mother’s sharp intake of breath and the beginning of his father’s displeased grumble but only saw Cora through the window behind Mama. She was standing there in her dark green coat and looked at him with wide eyes. Nanny was bringing the children back inside but Cora was standing behind the window and looked at him with worry. His yelling must have been loud enough to be noticed outside. Robert saw how her eyes asked him if everything was alright.

Before his father could set to chide him, Robert cleared his throat, “Please excuse me. I’m not feeling quite well.” He turned on his heel and left the drawing room.

In the main hall, he met Cora whose feet quickly carried her from the front door to him. She stepped to his side and grabbed his arm to walk up the stairs with him.

“What was all that about?” she asked curiously. She shot him a glance with her attentively wide eyes. The bright blue stuck with Robert even as their eye contact broke.

“Oh, nothing.”

“You seemed really upset,” she remarked.

“Well, you know how Mama can be.” He kept his answers short, not wanting to burden Cora with the unpleasant discussion.

“But what could she have complained about? Everything went well today, didn’t it?” Cora leaned forward while talking, showing her full expression of confused worry to him.

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve been so upset that she had to dampen everyone’s spirit just because she is in a lousy mood,” Robert grumbled. He patted her hand where it held onto his upper arm. He was relieved when it seemed like this answer calmed Cora’s mind. She relaxed beside him as they ascended the last steps of the large staircase.

“Well, I’m glad tea time had been a success at least. I don’t want to imagine her humour if that too had displeased her.” The swing in her tone, that attributed undeniably to her Americanness, was unmissable to Robert.

“Me neither,” he just replied. This one time, that he was able to, Robert wanted to shield his sweet wife from the sorrow his mother often provoked.

When Cora let go of his arm and turned to him as they reached the door to her room, she practically beamed at him.

“I know I won’t ever get a compliment out of her,” she began. “But the absence of any criticism is enough acknowledgement when it’s your mother.”

Robert gulped.

“Now let me get my coat off,” she said in her chipper mood. She rose slightly onto her toes and breathed a kiss on his cheek. “Will you join me in our sitting room in ten minutes? I could use someone to keep me company while I’m doing my needlepoint.”

Robert nodded slowly as she turned the door handle.

When there was no verbal answer from him, she added, “Otherwise I’d have to join Mama and Rosamund downstairs.”

“No, no! Of course, I’ll join you, my dear,” Robert quickly protested. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Cora closed her door behind her with a content smile and Robert went to retrieve his book from his dressing room.

If you want to send in a prompt, the list is here.