Cora couldn't stop the smile from forming upon her lips as she lay quietly in bed beside her sleeping husband one morning and her hand was settled upon the recently detectable swell of her belly through her silk nightgown, her baby moving slowly beneath her palm as her gaze was fixed on the proof of the love that she and her husband possessed for one another and she released a gentle sigh of contentment as she ran the palm of her hand soothingly over the expanse of her stomach. It had been a little over five months since she and her husband had found out that they were going to be welcoming their first baby, just two weeks after Robert had finally realized how blind he'd been and had finally fallen deeply in love with the beautiful woman that he'd married. The two of them were ecstatic at the thought of beginning their family, both of them talking softly to their baby into the early hours of the morning as Robert would brush the occasional kiss against the smooth skin of his wife's belly. The only thing that Cora couldn't stand about her pregnancy were the stretch marks that had begun to form upon her skin. They were anything but beautiful, even though Robert never failed to tell her that he adored every single thing about her, the red lines making her hesitant to become intimate with him in case he suddenly realized how tarnished her once flawless skin really was. She shook her head, then, pushing the negative images away.
It was a few moments later when Robert pressed himself up against her back and allowed his chin to come to rest upon the creamy skin of her shoulder, his arm wrapping slowly around her expanding middle before he slipped his hand beneath her own and they laced their fingers upon her stomach. 'I can practically hear your brooding, my darling.' He murmured gently into her ear as he drew her into his warmth, Cora sighing deeply as she caressed his knuckles with the pad of her thumb and he pressed a tender kiss to the side of her head. 'I tell you day in and day out, the stretch marks upon your stomach and your thighs are so incredible beautiful to me, because they're a reminder that our little boy or girl is still healthy and growing properly. I know that I told you that I loved every part of you when we were alone out in the garden at the beginning of this summer, but you are so much more irresistible to me in this moment, when your stomach is becoming rounder with every passing month and I can feel our baby kicking and moving inside of you.' He pressed a warm kiss to the smooth skin at the side of her neck, his thumb brushing against the roundness of her belly as he could sense the breathtaking smile that'd formed on her lips. 'Come and lay against my chest.' He whispered to her a few moments later, Cora rolling her eyes lovingly before she carefully turned over and Robert brought her to snuggle against him. 'I love you.'
'I love you too.' She hummed in contentment as she draped her arm slowly over his hips and anchored herself to him, her eyes fluttering closed as he began to trail his fingers comfortingly through her warm brown hair. They lay in a comfortable silence for a time as they communicated through gentle caresses and the occasional chaste kiss, Cora beginning to feel her self-consciousness wash away with every soft stroke of her husband's fingers through her hair. It was only when her gaze fell upon the small clock on the wall that Cora's heart sank slightly, a gentle groan escaping her as she buried her head underneath his chin. 'Do you really have to meet with Mr. Jarvis this morning?' She sighed as Robert allowed his hand to slip down to the curve of her side, his thumb tracing the indent as he buried a tender kiss into her hair. 'We never seem to have the time to just lay together anymore, my head on your shoulder as you tell me all the things you love about me. Now I just sit with Mama, eating and reading the same novels.'
'Are you trying to guilt me into shirking my responsibilities, Lady Grantham?' He smirked as he hooked his finger beneath her chin and tilted her head back upon his chest, her soft giggle making him chuckle.
'Is it working?' She raised an eyebrow as she brought her hand to settle upon the side of his neck, her thumb brushing against the warm flesh that she found there before she brought his lips against her own in a slow and tender kiss. 'Or do you need a little more convincing?' He didn't answer her in words, choosing instead to capture her perfect mouth in a kiss that was deeper and longer than their previous one.
'Oh, I think I'll need a lot more convincing, my dear Countess.' He murmured against her lips, his hand burying into her hair.
Cora was more than happy to oblige.
Author's Note: Hey everyone, and thank you for reading chapter 1! I don't know whether to make this into a multi-chapter story and go through Cora's entire pregnancy and labour, also maybe taking it as far as writing about Mary as a young child? Let me know with a review! Thanks!