Cora's fortune, part 10
Rating: M (but a soft one)
Pairing: Cora/Robert
Summary: “24 years ago you married Cora, against my wishes, for her money.”
Disclaimer: Downton Abbey and its characters don’t belong to me. I make no money from this work of fiction. I only own the plot line.
Part 9
Cora’s Fortune
Chapter 10
Cora awoke, as every day, when the door opened. Robert had rolled onto his side and was still sleeping soundly. Elsie made a stop when she saw the other occupant of the bed but quickly recomposed herself and put the tray on Cora’s waiting knees.
"Would you please make sure that Sir Robert’s room appears to have been slept in before her ladyship sees it?"
"Right away, lady Cora."
Elsie left the room without disturbing the sleeping heir. Cora started to drink her tea. Several months in England had made her change her view on tea. It was drunk differently in Britain than in the state and although she hadn’t been fond of the beverage to begin with, she acquired the taste while she was enjoying the small cakes that came with it. The cook made splendid jams that went wonderfully with the bitterness of the tea. Once she was done with her breakfast, she put the tray on her nightstand and got out of bed. Elsie would be back soon to help her get dressed. Her new clothes had arrived a few days before and she still had new things to try on. The circumstances surrounding the purchase were far from good but the little girl in her couldn’t help but be excited about it. She would be wearing black for some time; she might as well find the clothes agreeable. Even though it was a sad thing to think about, she vowed she would never be caught unprepared like that. Deaths were a common occurrence in large families, she would need a closet worth of black. It was a dull colour to wear, but a necessity and some really nice clothes could still be made out of it. Elsie would bring a new one today; Cora hoped it would please her husband. He seemed to like her appearance enough to be attracted to her regardless of his absence of feeling; as if on cue the maid came back with a mourning dress draped over one arm and the corset under the other.
“Do I have the time for a bath, Elsie?
“I’m afraid not, Lady Cora. Lady Rosamund is back and I have to tend to her.”
“What was that Elsie?”
Both women jumped at the sound. Robert had woken up and was sitting on the bed, watching the head housemaid in disbelief.
“Lady Cora will have a bath if she wishes one.”
“I’m sorry sir…”
“Robert, please…”
“No, Cora. You don’t understand it is her job to make herself available to you.”
Elsie had paled considerably, Cora noted, feeling quite sick about it.
“Robert, please listen to me!”
Her husband took a deep intake of breath and a nod allowed her to explain herself.
“I wasn’t asking for a simple bath. When you were absent Elsie was a great help to me in becoming a Lady. With the bath I meant a lengthy tutoring session, which is not in her job description. I asked her to refuse if it disturbed the house holding.”
Robert seemed to think about it for a while.
“Alright. Elsie you may tend to Lady Cora. I will ring for Charles in my room.”
Both women nodded and kept still while he got out of the room. Cora swayed and sat on the bed breathing heavily. The maid wasn’t looking too good either.
“Oh God Elsie, I’m so sorry! I nearly got you fired…”
“It’s alright Lady Cora. Sir Robert is right and I forgot my place.”
“No. We are not going over that again. I need your help too much for you to withdraw now. Please don’t shut me down!”
“Don’t worry Lady Cora. I only meant that I should have realised that Sir Robert was still there and could wake up.”
“You and me both. Will you be able to draw the bath during the afternoon?”
“I am sure I could arrange that, lady Cora. Afternoons are usually slower.”
“Maybe I should bathe in the afternoon from now on.”
“That would be easier indeed.”
Cora smiled and let herself be tended to. Robert came back when Elsie was leaving the room.
“Does my mother know of this arrangement?”
“No and she isn’t going to.”
“I don’t think she would like it.”
“Well I don’t see why it should bother me: she doesn’t even like me.”
“It’s not quite the same thing. She has no real ground to dislike you; but being tutored by the servant on that point is certainly ground.”
“According to your mother being American is ground enough.”
“That is exactly why she’s giving you a new education.”
“So you both think she’s better than me, do you? Well I don’t care. I saved the estate, didn’t I? She may be old family all she likes; her dowry wasn’t enough to save her husband properties. Mine did.”
“You are not going to allow me to forget it, are you?”
“Well you are not likely to allow me to forget I married above my station. It works two ways you know.”
“What on earth can you mean?”
“You made it clear that you were marrying my money. I married you for your title. I could have tried for Duchess or Princess but Countess seemed good enough.”
Robert was horrified now. He was watching her wide-eyed and open-mouthed.
“Yee needn’t be quite so shocked. I knew my money would make a good match.”
“But… But your speech after my proposal about my wanting only your money...”
“I settled for countess because I thought your supposed tenderness toward me would make our marriage nicer. Understand that I was quite put off when I discovered the feelings were only pretended. I thought the recognition would make up for it. I guess I was wrong.”
“I never pretended to like you…”
“Well good for you. I won’t impose further. I won’t ask any more from you than conjugal duties. You need to get me pregnant after all.”
Her husband still appeared speechless so she put one more nail in the coffin.
“You won’t have to spend the night in my bed, you won’t have to speak with me, and I’ll deal with your mother on my own. We both secured what we came into the marriage for. The heir I need to provide will be a joint effort but apart from that we don’t need any contact. So I will kindly ask you to leave me alone now.”
Robert started to retreat back to his room when Cora noticed the handkerchief on her dressing. She took it and threw it at him.
“This is for you by the way.”
He picked it up wordlessly and got out. Cora breathed heavily and put her head in her hands. The door closed suddenly behind her and she turned quickly, ready to resume the argument.
“I’m sorry to have startled you Lady Cora. I came back to retrieve the tray.”
“It’s quite alright, Elsie. You’re my only ally in this house. I wouldn’t want to lose you too.”
“You won’t, Lady Cora.”
The young lady smiled sadly while the maid resumed doing her job. A walk in the garden would clear her head. She asked for her coat and went down. She had pushed her husband away. It was a stupid thing to do but at least she wouldn’t spend her time mooning over him since she would barely see him. She wished she could go back in time. Spend more time with her father up to his death, which would mean not marrying the English Lord and avoid falling in love. No love would mean less suffering. Unrequited love was pathetic: it didn’t really bring happiness, it adds to the suffering and it made her do very silly things. The only person she could have a civil conversation with was a maid, she had no friends in England, and her mourning was preventing her from socializing. She couldn’t even threaten her husband with a lover for that would surely relieve him… and where would she find one anyway?
She sat on a bench and breathed deeply to keep her tears at bay. She missed her parents, she missed her giggling girl companions in America, and she missed her maiden house… She couldn’t miss her husband anymore but it wasn’t much better. She didn’t know what came over her. She closed her eyes and presented her face to the falling snow. The clod burnt her skin but the light physical pain felt a relief compared to the mental one she was in.
Being a stranger to her husband would be easier than a friend to the man she loved. Their physical relationship, she could detach herself from it: she had done so on their wedding night. She hoped that given time the feelings would fade. She couldn’t fight them - whatever it meant - because she had no idea how and it seemed the best way to keep them in the front of her mind. She hoped she would fall in love again with someone that would return her feeling. She wouldn’t be unfaithful to her husband, that would be too great a betrayal and whatever pushed those women to have physical affairs she couldn’t begin to fathom. Of course the fact that she was currently angry and in love with her husband might be a cause of her incomprehension. Anger caused her reluctance to be that close to her husband and her love made her unwilling to be with someone else in that way. There had to be some reason that explained the number of liaisons going around but she had no idea what it was: sleeping with a man wasn’t enjoyable enough to be worth the risk.
Some movement on her far left caught her eyes. Rosamund was strolling with her brother speaking animatedly while Robert seemed lost in thought. Served him right! She didn’t like bitterness or revenge but it felt good to know she could affect her husband even if it was only in a bad way. She felt a bit guilty but it was drowned in the mass of other feelings twirling around in her mind. She was more lost now that the men were back than when they had left… Well with some luck Lady Grantham would be too distracted with her husband’s return to resume her scolding. Cora snorted, like that would ever happen. Lord and lady Grantham looked like the archetype of an English couple. He was years older than her and they seemed quite dull and sad. If that was the life she was supposed to lead… she had to seduce her husband. No! She was angry with him. She would seduce him if he was nicer to her. Until then… well until then she would lead the dull life of a British Lady. She could do some charity work she guessed but that would mean working even more closely with her mother-in-law and that was even more dreadful. Hopefully there would be some dinner party now the Earl was back. The wedding festivities had been cut short for the obvious reasons and she felt she had been robbed of the best occasion to know her English relations better. She wouldn’t have a party back then, but the pain was dull now, not the sharp burning sensation it had been at first. She still wouldn’t party much, but socializing would be a nice recess… and a way of talking to someone else than Elsie.
The two strollers were gone now and the sun seemed higher in the sky, as far as she could guess through the clouds. She rose and went back to the house in order to get ready for luncheon. The Countess’ maid was there to help her.
“Where is Elsie?”
“She’s tending to Lady Rosamund, m’lady.”
“I will wait for her; there is no need for her ladyship to be deprived of her maid.”
“I have been told to tend to you, m’lady.”
Cora sighed. Robert had obviously told his mother.
“Go ahead then.”
She felt she was back in her mother’s maid’s hand, rough and bored and her corset was nowhere near as tight as it should be. Why the girl had felt the need to untie it in the first place was beyond her. When she would be interviewing maids they would have to tie her corset: a loose one was far worse than a tight one. She felt she had too much oxygen: at least half of her lungs were filled with unnecessary air. When at last the lady’s maid was done Cora slumped in front of her dressing table and jumped when the corset moved and hurt her armpit. She couldn’t even trust her corset to keep her straight. Screaming her frustration was so very tempting. Going down seemed however a better idea. She joined her in-laws, careful not to cross anyone’s eyes. Rosamund was late and Cora found it extremely unfair that her Ladyship wasn’t openly criticizing her daughter. When the latecomer finally joined them she didn’t even get a comment. The American girl locked her jaw not to show her displeasure and followed the rest of the family in the dining room.
When everyone was seated, Rosamund asked in an excited voice.
“May I tell them now, papa?”
“Of course my dear.”
“I’ve gotten engaged to Sir Marmaduke Painswick while I was in London.”
That explained the excitement then… Cora was happy for her sister-in-law - she had no actual reason to dislike her - but her impending wedding would lead her away from the house. And with both her children married there would be no need for Lady Grantham to entertain. Cora would be stuck with an Earl she despised for the stealing of her money, a Countess she couldn’t bear and a husband she had vowed to ignore. Her ladyship didn’t seem too pleased with the news but then when did she?
She quickly avert her mother-in-law’s gaze and helped herself a large portion of the vegetables; since her corset was loose she might as well make the best of it. The silence she couldn’t usually bear was a relief. She couldn’t wait for dessert, for once she would take a generous portion and decency be damned. If she was lucky Lady Grantham would still be swallowing her daughter’s news as well as her food.
Pairing: Cora/Robert
Summary: “24 years ago you married Cora, against my wishes, for her money.”
Disclaimer: Downton Abbey and its characters don’t belong to me. I make no money from this work of fiction. I only own the plot line.
Part 9
Cora’s Fortune
Chapter 10
Cora awoke, as every day, when the door opened. Robert had rolled onto his side and was still sleeping soundly. Elsie made a stop when she saw the other occupant of the bed but quickly recomposed herself and put the tray on Cora’s waiting knees.
"Would you please make sure that Sir Robert’s room appears to have been slept in before her ladyship sees it?"
"Right away, lady Cora."
Elsie left the room without disturbing the sleeping heir. Cora started to drink her tea. Several months in England had made her change her view on tea. It was drunk differently in Britain than in the state and although she hadn’t been fond of the beverage to begin with, she acquired the taste while she was enjoying the small cakes that came with it. The cook made splendid jams that went wonderfully with the bitterness of the tea. Once she was done with her breakfast, she put the tray on her nightstand and got out of bed. Elsie would be back soon to help her get dressed. Her new clothes had arrived a few days before and she still had new things to try on. The circumstances surrounding the purchase were far from good but the little girl in her couldn’t help but be excited about it. She would be wearing black for some time; she might as well find the clothes agreeable. Even though it was a sad thing to think about, she vowed she would never be caught unprepared like that. Deaths were a common occurrence in large families, she would need a closet worth of black. It was a dull colour to wear, but a necessity and some really nice clothes could still be made out of it. Elsie would bring a new one today; Cora hoped it would please her husband. He seemed to like her appearance enough to be attracted to her regardless of his absence of feeling; as if on cue the maid came back with a mourning dress draped over one arm and the corset under the other.
“Do I have the time for a bath, Elsie?
“I’m afraid not, Lady Cora. Lady Rosamund is back and I have to tend to her.”
“What was that Elsie?”
Both women jumped at the sound. Robert had woken up and was sitting on the bed, watching the head housemaid in disbelief.
“Lady Cora will have a bath if she wishes one.”
“I’m sorry sir…”
“Robert, please…”
“No, Cora. You don’t understand it is her job to make herself available to you.”
Elsie had paled considerably, Cora noted, feeling quite sick about it.
“Robert, please listen to me!”
Her husband took a deep intake of breath and a nod allowed her to explain herself.
“I wasn’t asking for a simple bath. When you were absent Elsie was a great help to me in becoming a Lady. With the bath I meant a lengthy tutoring session, which is not in her job description. I asked her to refuse if it disturbed the house holding.”
Robert seemed to think about it for a while.
“Alright. Elsie you may tend to Lady Cora. I will ring for Charles in my room.”
Both women nodded and kept still while he got out of the room. Cora swayed and sat on the bed breathing heavily. The maid wasn’t looking too good either.
“Oh God Elsie, I’m so sorry! I nearly got you fired…”
“It’s alright Lady Cora. Sir Robert is right and I forgot my place.”
“No. We are not going over that again. I need your help too much for you to withdraw now. Please don’t shut me down!”
“Don’t worry Lady Cora. I only meant that I should have realised that Sir Robert was still there and could wake up.”
“You and me both. Will you be able to draw the bath during the afternoon?”
“I am sure I could arrange that, lady Cora. Afternoons are usually slower.”
“Maybe I should bathe in the afternoon from now on.”
“That would be easier indeed.”
Cora smiled and let herself be tended to. Robert came back when Elsie was leaving the room.
“Does my mother know of this arrangement?”
“No and she isn’t going to.”
“I don’t think she would like it.”
“Well I don’t see why it should bother me: she doesn’t even like me.”
“It’s not quite the same thing. She has no real ground to dislike you; but being tutored by the servant on that point is certainly ground.”
“According to your mother being American is ground enough.”
“That is exactly why she’s giving you a new education.”
“So you both think she’s better than me, do you? Well I don’t care. I saved the estate, didn’t I? She may be old family all she likes; her dowry wasn’t enough to save her husband properties. Mine did.”
“You are not going to allow me to forget it, are you?”
“Well you are not likely to allow me to forget I married above my station. It works two ways you know.”
“What on earth can you mean?”
“You made it clear that you were marrying my money. I married you for your title. I could have tried for Duchess or Princess but Countess seemed good enough.”
Robert was horrified now. He was watching her wide-eyed and open-mouthed.
“Yee needn’t be quite so shocked. I knew my money would make a good match.”
“But… But your speech after my proposal about my wanting only your money...”
“I settled for countess because I thought your supposed tenderness toward me would make our marriage nicer. Understand that I was quite put off when I discovered the feelings were only pretended. I thought the recognition would make up for it. I guess I was wrong.”
“I never pretended to like you…”
“Well good for you. I won’t impose further. I won’t ask any more from you than conjugal duties. You need to get me pregnant after all.”
Her husband still appeared speechless so she put one more nail in the coffin.
“You won’t have to spend the night in my bed, you won’t have to speak with me, and I’ll deal with your mother on my own. We both secured what we came into the marriage for. The heir I need to provide will be a joint effort but apart from that we don’t need any contact. So I will kindly ask you to leave me alone now.”
Robert started to retreat back to his room when Cora noticed the handkerchief on her dressing. She took it and threw it at him.
“This is for you by the way.”
He picked it up wordlessly and got out. Cora breathed heavily and put her head in her hands. The door closed suddenly behind her and she turned quickly, ready to resume the argument.
“I’m sorry to have startled you Lady Cora. I came back to retrieve the tray.”
“It’s quite alright, Elsie. You’re my only ally in this house. I wouldn’t want to lose you too.”
“You won’t, Lady Cora.”
The young lady smiled sadly while the maid resumed doing her job. A walk in the garden would clear her head. She asked for her coat and went down. She had pushed her husband away. It was a stupid thing to do but at least she wouldn’t spend her time mooning over him since she would barely see him. She wished she could go back in time. Spend more time with her father up to his death, which would mean not marrying the English Lord and avoid falling in love. No love would mean less suffering. Unrequited love was pathetic: it didn’t really bring happiness, it adds to the suffering and it made her do very silly things. The only person she could have a civil conversation with was a maid, she had no friends in England, and her mourning was preventing her from socializing. She couldn’t even threaten her husband with a lover for that would surely relieve him… and where would she find one anyway?
She sat on a bench and breathed deeply to keep her tears at bay. She missed her parents, she missed her giggling girl companions in America, and she missed her maiden house… She couldn’t miss her husband anymore but it wasn’t much better. She didn’t know what came over her. She closed her eyes and presented her face to the falling snow. The clod burnt her skin but the light physical pain felt a relief compared to the mental one she was in.
Being a stranger to her husband would be easier than a friend to the man she loved. Their physical relationship, she could detach herself from it: she had done so on their wedding night. She hoped that given time the feelings would fade. She couldn’t fight them - whatever it meant - because she had no idea how and it seemed the best way to keep them in the front of her mind. She hoped she would fall in love again with someone that would return her feeling. She wouldn’t be unfaithful to her husband, that would be too great a betrayal and whatever pushed those women to have physical affairs she couldn’t begin to fathom. Of course the fact that she was currently angry and in love with her husband might be a cause of her incomprehension. Anger caused her reluctance to be that close to her husband and her love made her unwilling to be with someone else in that way. There had to be some reason that explained the number of liaisons going around but she had no idea what it was: sleeping with a man wasn’t enjoyable enough to be worth the risk.
Some movement on her far left caught her eyes. Rosamund was strolling with her brother speaking animatedly while Robert seemed lost in thought. Served him right! She didn’t like bitterness or revenge but it felt good to know she could affect her husband even if it was only in a bad way. She felt a bit guilty but it was drowned in the mass of other feelings twirling around in her mind. She was more lost now that the men were back than when they had left… Well with some luck Lady Grantham would be too distracted with her husband’s return to resume her scolding. Cora snorted, like that would ever happen. Lord and lady Grantham looked like the archetype of an English couple. He was years older than her and they seemed quite dull and sad. If that was the life she was supposed to lead… she had to seduce her husband. No! She was angry with him. She would seduce him if he was nicer to her. Until then… well until then she would lead the dull life of a British Lady. She could do some charity work she guessed but that would mean working even more closely with her mother-in-law and that was even more dreadful. Hopefully there would be some dinner party now the Earl was back. The wedding festivities had been cut short for the obvious reasons and she felt she had been robbed of the best occasion to know her English relations better. She wouldn’t have a party back then, but the pain was dull now, not the sharp burning sensation it had been at first. She still wouldn’t party much, but socializing would be a nice recess… and a way of talking to someone else than Elsie.
The two strollers were gone now and the sun seemed higher in the sky, as far as she could guess through the clouds. She rose and went back to the house in order to get ready for luncheon. The Countess’ maid was there to help her.
“Where is Elsie?”
“She’s tending to Lady Rosamund, m’lady.”
“I will wait for her; there is no need for her ladyship to be deprived of her maid.”
“I have been told to tend to you, m’lady.”
Cora sighed. Robert had obviously told his mother.
“Go ahead then.”
She felt she was back in her mother’s maid’s hand, rough and bored and her corset was nowhere near as tight as it should be. Why the girl had felt the need to untie it in the first place was beyond her. When she would be interviewing maids they would have to tie her corset: a loose one was far worse than a tight one. She felt she had too much oxygen: at least half of her lungs were filled with unnecessary air. When at last the lady’s maid was done Cora slumped in front of her dressing table and jumped when the corset moved and hurt her armpit. She couldn’t even trust her corset to keep her straight. Screaming her frustration was so very tempting. Going down seemed however a better idea. She joined her in-laws, careful not to cross anyone’s eyes. Rosamund was late and Cora found it extremely unfair that her Ladyship wasn’t openly criticizing her daughter. When the latecomer finally joined them she didn’t even get a comment. The American girl locked her jaw not to show her displeasure and followed the rest of the family in the dining room.
When everyone was seated, Rosamund asked in an excited voice.
“May I tell them now, papa?”
“Of course my dear.”
“I’ve gotten engaged to Sir Marmaduke Painswick while I was in London.”
That explained the excitement then… Cora was happy for her sister-in-law - she had no actual reason to dislike her - but her impending wedding would lead her away from the house. And with both her children married there would be no need for Lady Grantham to entertain. Cora would be stuck with an Earl she despised for the stealing of her money, a Countess she couldn’t bear and a husband she had vowed to ignore. Her ladyship didn’t seem too pleased with the news but then when did she?
She quickly avert her mother-in-law’s gaze and helped herself a large portion of the vegetables; since her corset was loose she might as well make the best of it. The silence she couldn’t usually bear was a relief. She couldn’t wait for dessert, for once she would take a generous portion and decency be damned. If she was lucky Lady Grantham would still be swallowing her daughter’s news as well as her food.