AN: this is T rating for the first 4 chapters, probabaly lower actually, but the last one got a little out of control! Anyway enjoy!
Cora sashayed into the library pleased with the telephone called she just shared with her eldest daughter. She knew she was being selfish at being pleased that her daughters were staying the night with Rosamund, she knew it was selfish to be excited at the prospect of dinner with just Robert. It was with these thoughts of possible outcomes of dinner alone that she wandered into the library and headed for the hunched over figure of her husband at his desk.
"Darling,that was Mary on the telephone. She and Edith are going to stay the night with Rosamund." Cora gets a little disheartened when all she gets in response to her announcement is a huff. An announcement that she thinks is a great opportunity for them to spend some quality time together, that hadn't been that prevalent in their marriage for the last few months. They were getting there it was true, but they weren't quite what they were before Bricker had been made known to them. She takes a breath and goes for the plunge. "Which means it is only us for dinner." He still doesn't turn to look at her and she reaches her hands forward and massages the tense muscles of his back. He seems to relax a little, the pen dropping from his hand and a satisfied sigh slipping through his lips.
"It's been so long since we dined alone, I'm not sure I can even remember it." Cora blushes as he tilts his head back so he can look at her, albeit upside down, his head presses against her ribs just below her breast and she knows she blushes when Robert grins. They both jump as the door opens and Cora turns quickly to face the stoic butler. Not that he was so stoic since Mrs Hughes had got to him.
"Ah, Carson, could we have some tea? And Lady Mary has telephoned, the young ladies are staying the night with Lady Rosamund, could you please inform Mrs Patmore of the change in numbers for dinner and apologise for the inconvenience."
"Very good m'lady." Cora heard the movement of the chair behind her and turns expectantly to her husband as Carson makes his way to the door.
"Actually Carson, wait, give yourself and the footmen the night off. Her ladyship and I can manage to serve ourselves dinner." Cora's embarrassed gaze meets the critical eye of the butler as he attempts to hide the disgust at the thought of the Lord and Lady of the house serving themselves for dinner. "You could spend some time with Mrs Carson." The embarrassed inch of the butlers ears is all they see as he retreats quickly to the door. Cora's thoughts quickly return to the room as she feels her husbands warm hand creep agonisingly slowly around her waist, his breath tickles at her neck as he whispers into her ear. "You're right my dear, it's been a very long time since we dined alone, and even longer since we dined totally alone." The chaste kiss to her neck is so quick she almost misses it and before her thoughts are quite back in control of themselves and her senses steadying Robert has returned to his desk his eyes fixed firmly on the table. Cora swallows the irritation that he's got one up on her and moves to sit on the settee with her book, her thoughts miles form the page thinking of only how she may tease him as he has done her.
Carson stumbles from the room his ears still pink with embarrassment. Why on earth do the Lord and Lady of the house have to be so embarrassing, can't they keep their hands and lips off each other. He swallows the thoughts of how he likes the feeling of Elsie's lips on his and let's his thoughts wander back to the lack of propriety it shows in two such prominent people in the county. He walks with poise absentmindedly to Elsie's sitting room realising later that the advantage of an evening off to spend with her really was quite a propelling factor in his decision to abandon the afternoons jobs to Molesley and Barrow, and seek her out. She sits at her desk her hair wound simply but sophisticatedly onto her head. The last few weeks since their marriage had been a learning curve of hairdressing for him as he'd admired the coif of her hair each morning. He studies her for some moments from the door, pride consuming him at the sight of the wonderful woman who had agreed to be, and now was his, for the rest of their lives.
"Mr Carson, are you going to come into the room or was creating a draft your only intention in stepping this way?" He jumps and quickly closes he door behind him.
"I'm sorry, I was admiring your beauty." He smiles at the soft blush that appears on her cheeks. It's not quite as fiery as the deep red that Lady Grantham's had been in the library a few moments before but then Carson knew the stimulant wasn't the same. He don't doubt if he kissed Elsie on the neck in full few of someone else she would blush as deeply if not a colour verging on burgundy. "Lord and Lady Grantham are dining alone tonight and they have given us the night off. There might be a film on in Ripon we could go and see."
"We could have an evening in." The sparkle in her eyes is something he's got used to and when she stands and wanders to his side he automatically encircles her corseted waist.
"I think you should stop wearing his corset. Surely it's uncomfortable?"
"Yes. But in many things I agree with you. Changing times is scary and as much as I like to keep up with them. The new more modern underwear is not something I'm quite ready to try." He tries his best to hide his disappointment. He knew how Lady Mary and all the other servants were enjoying the freedom of less restrictive garments. And he wasn't oblivious to the fact Lord Grantham could more quickly remove his wife's clothing without her corset, no servant he thought would be oblivious to this fact. The things that had happened since the new year had left some of the younger servants confused and had involved a great deal of hushing up by himself and his wife. Elsie had regularly announced that 'the lovebirds are back' and in many ways he was as glad as she was merry. Lord and Lady Grantham had been through a tough time in the last year with that Mr Bricker so much so Carson had done something he'd never done in his whole life in service, he'd hidden and burned a letter that should have been delivered to the Lady of the house. The ghastly man, with his eye black and swollen had taken the opportunity to slip a note into his hand addressed to Lady Grantham upon his departure. Carson hadn't thought twice once he'd seen Lord Grantham's taped up hand and the non existent conversation between the 'lovebirds,' the letter went to the flames and he'd had some satisfaction in watching it crinkle and curl; the corners blackened as the flames grew fiery. "Charles," the use of his first name snaps him back to reality, he turns his gaze from the long gone fluorescent flames to the woman in his arms, "so, now I have your attention, an evening in or out, which would you like?"
"In I think. However, I think we should do something special for Lord and Lady Grantham. They've had a tough time." He's amazed to see her lips curl into a smile.
"I was wondering when you might suggest that. What were you thinking?"
"I'm not sure. But I am amazed you agree with me I thought you 'didn't worship them all like I do.'"
"I don't, but her ladyship was kind to me, very kind actually. When I thought I had no hope she offered me a life. I life before an inevitable fate but it was a life and for that I am forever grateful. As to what to do, I have an idea."
Robert sits at his desk a gleeful expression turned towards the page he works on. Just when Cora had thought she had one up on him with all that massaging he'd sent her flying over the edge her blushes proving she was desperate for more. The plan for the evening was already forming in his head, he needed to make it special for Cora, it was after all about time that he showed some appreciation for her love. The last year had been difficult and it was time he proved to her that he'd definitely put it behind him, it was time to prove Bricker had not affected their relationship or his feelings for her. He thought he'd buried her insecurity each time she'd mentioned the painting and her belief that his true reason for selling it was not what he had said, but the truth was he was well aware she hadn't totally believed him; there was definitely still a part of her that was convinced he'd sold it because it reminded him of her and Bricker with all their flirting and gallery visits. Yes, those things had hurt but not half as much as the realisation that he had been in the wrong, he had been the one to push Cora to find someone else to appreciate her beauty and intellectual mind because he had been ignoring it. It was time to bury her insecurity once and for all, time to show her that he had her best interests at heart, always, and that he did enjoy her attentions.
When Carson appears with the required tea tray some moments later he drops his pen to the table and watches with total wonder as Cora pours the tea and stirs it with her signature figure of eight, something his mother had tried to get her out of the habit of doing. He slips from his chair and wanders to her side his eyes still absorbing her tiny figure in the sapphire gown she wears. The new styles had at first scared him but he must admit they have their advantages, most notably the chance to admire his wife not only at night in the dim light of their bedroom but during the day. With her collar and arms bare and even occasionally her shoulders in the evenings he has an ample amount of her creamy skin for his eyes to devour. He reclines onto the settle beside her his arm snaking around her waist, which as expected by society is only just perched on the settee. He tugs her gently trying to entice her backwards. When all he receives in acknowledgement of his attempt is a mini scowl with far too great a twinkle in her sky eyes for her to really be serious he lunges forward with his other hand and tickles her along her sides. With squeals of 'Robert' and 'stop' she eventually collapses against him, her coiffed head landing on his shoulder. She turns a pair of pink, enticing, lips towards him and her eyes glint with mischief.
"You will pay for that Robert Crawley. You will pay." Robert doesn't doubt that he will, the only thought that disturbs him is how. He's well aware she wants to get one back after his stolen kiss earlier, he'd left her in a state of annoyance after he'd failed to continue his ministrations with more than the one peck. From these quick deductions he imagines that she's likely to try and tease him and make him desperate for her touch. Tonight, he muses is going to be one desperate game of who can break whom first. As expected Cora turns her lips to him and begins kissing at his neck. Robert attempts to keep from getting excited at the sweet suckling of his skin and when her lips trail a hot pattern up his neck to his lips he moans into her mouth not only because the feeling is beautiful, as it always is, but because he can't believe he's letting himself fall for her tricks. Any moment now she's going to pull away a grin upon her face at how she's managed to discomfort him. Sure enough, the moment his senses give over to the pleasure of her mouth and his hands reach inadvertently for her waist pulling her atop him she parts their lips and waggling her eyebrows turns back to the tea previously abandoned on the table top.