A/N: This idea wouldn't leave me alone after I'd re-watched Season 2 so here it is. The bold writing is set after this fic has finished and the usual writing is the story of how Cora/Evelyn begins! It feels somewhat naughty to be publishing a non-Cobert fic but I felt Cora deserved her own affair after Robert's sins. If you wish to flame that's fine, I'll dance around the fire like... like a really happy slamander. See you at the finish...?

1. Anyone Can Hurt Someone They Love

"Don't look at me like that..."

"How should I be looking at you?" A tremendous silence, Cora opened her mouth to object but Robert went on. "How does one look at their wife after discovering her unfaithfulness?"

"Well Robert," she paused, pulling her eyes off the floor and levelling her gaze with him. "Now you know how it feels."

Amassed outdoors, a slight chill stung the air despite the beginnings of Spring. Cora looked to her left and wished she hadn't. There stood her husband all tall, proud and oblivious. But beyond him and his notable self-assigned dignity, another pair of eyes lay watching. Before more hatred could become Cora, the rumbling of the car's engine interrupted her mental cursing. They had company.

Cora needn't fix a smile, she was genuinely pleased to greet a new party to Downton. Given the current circumstances, she believed it might just be what she needed. Those days she welcomed any distraction to take her mind away from her frolicking husband and his doe-eyed mistress. Cora had not quite reached acceptance about Robert's infidelity with Jane. Afterall it hadn't happened before. If Robert had had past encounters, Cora certainly knew none of it. Perhaps he was getting careless...

"Lady Grantham," a familiar smile beamed at her and she offered her hand.

"Mr Napier, what a pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise, certainly. Good of you to have us," he grinned, squeezing her hand and turning to Robert. "Pleasure to meet again, Lord Grantham."

"The honour is all mine. I trust you're well?"

"A few battle scars but otherwise I've been very lucky," Evelyn assured, he turned to acquaint his band of comrades. "Might I introduce Second Lieutenant Jacob Islington..."

Indoors the introductions continued as the family, with Evelyn and his army companions, sat down to luncheon in the dining room. All was going as it should have been. Matthew had been wheeled to the table and he seemed very engrossed in a conversation with the Captain from Evelyn's regiment. Mary was being stiffly civil to Lavinia, Edith was busy trying her hand at flirting with the soldier seated beside her and Sybil was discussing medicines with Isobel. Violet had given the luncheon a wide berth seeing as a bunch of rowdy fellows fresh from war were not her most favourite company at dinner. Robert and Evelyn chatted easily about a range of subjects with Cora occasionally chipping in between their conversation and aiding Edith in her shamelessly obvious endeavour.

But as the plates were cleared and dessert was brought in to be served, Cora caught sight of Jane. Cora had just been getting used to ignoring the woman throughout the meal but as Jane laid down a new plate for Robert she gently brushed his arm, he turned and smiled at her. Just for a split second, Cora was deaf to everyone around her, seeing only the interaction between her husband and the maid - his maid. And when Jane left the room the noise of chatter became unbearably loud.

"Lady Grantham?"

"Hm?" Cora turned her attention from across the table and smiled in a sort of daze.

"Are you quite well?"

"I'm sorry," Cora shook her head, trying to put back on her front. "I'm fine, what was it you were saying Mr Napier?"

"We were just talking about how much the house doesn't seem to have changed - considering it's been used to convalesce patients," Evelyn said, looking to the friend he'd introduced earlier, Jacob Islington.

"Well we only just recently got it back to normal," Cora replied, spooning a small piece of trifle onto her plate and replacing the spoons in the bowl the footman offered her.

"It's a fascinating house," Islington was saying. "Incredible stone-work - have you a chapel?"

"There is, in the East wing," Robert cut in. "It's still fully operational but we usually go to Sunday mass in the village."

"You'll have to forgive Jacob - architecture is his... passion, if you like," Evelyn said to Cora.

"Better architecture than fox-hunting and shrubbery," Jacob replied, poking fun back at Evelyn who shrugged him off.

"In fact I'd very much like to see the gardens if we've the time while we're here."

"I'm sure we've time for that," Cora replied, watching Robert anxiously as he struck up conversation about towers and steeples. "Perhaps we could go today after luncheon?"

"Sounds splendid."

"A few of us could go," Cora suggested. If she'd not looked away to ask her daughters to join the group of garden-goers she might just have noticed Evelyn's face fall a little.

After luncheon, the sun had hidden behind a large black cloud leaving the world with gloomy greyish sky. Nevertheless, half the Crawley family with army folk additions trekked off across the grass for an expedition of the grounds. Cora and Evelyn lead the way up front, occasionally chatting between themselves. Behind them, Edith was talking to Captain Oliver Willows about farming and piglets. Sybil and Mary brought up the rear with Matthew and another of Evelyn's friends who trained a rather keen eye on Sybil.

"Where are you headed after you're done here?" Cora continued her conversation with Evelyn.

"On Thursday we continue up to Scotland and we'll stay there about two weeks before we start making our way back to London."

"Well I'm glad you could stop here."

"I'd not have missed it."

"Mama," Sybil called. The whole troop stopped. "I'm going back to the house now, it looks like there will be rain soon."

"I'm going back aswell," Mary announced, turning Matthew around and immediately starting to push him back to the house.

"Would you like to stay out a little longer?" Cora asked.

"If you wouldn't mind a few minutes more."

"We'll stay out a little longer," Cora called after her three daughters as they all retreated back in the direction of the house. Edith seemed to be hurrying to keep up with the Captain. Cora re-linked her arm with Evelyn's and they set off again.

"I hope you won't think me a pry," Evelyn started. "But I wondered if you were really alright at luncheon."

"Oh, I'm fine..." she trailed off. Once again Cora was seeing Robert and Jane together in her mind's eye and without realising it, she had begun to cry. Evelyn stopped walking, Cora came to a still.

"How long have you known?" Evelyn asked gently. Cora's eyes went wide.

"How do you know?"

"I saw them too - it wasn't obvious," he assured her. "I was just looking where you were looking."

Cora said nothing for a moment, looking about herself. "About a week," she answered his question, furiously wiping away the wet on her cheeks.

"You've not confronted him?"

"Forgive me, Mr Napier but I'd rather the issues between my husband and myself remain between my husband and myself."

"I understand."

"Do you?"

"If you'll pardon my being blunt - my engagement wasn't called off for nothing."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Evelyn shrugged. "I know how you must be feeling..."

"I feel like I've failed him," Cora said quite suddenly, quickly wishing she hadn't because now the tears were flowing. She'd not cried so publically since she'd married Robert and watched her mama's ship leave while she stayed, alone with a man who at the time did not love her. Evelyn looked to be struggling with the spectacle - as any Englishman would - but more so he was upset for her than embarrassed. And so he did something particularly un-English.

The Honourable Evelyn Napier gave the Countess of Grantham a hug.

"I never did anything with her!"

"And what about-?"

"It meant nothing!"

"So the words and the kisses were nothing, were they?" Cora's eyes flared, in a split second she looked more dangerous than he'd seen her in a long time. "Words and affection..." she said, looking away from him as her anger faded to sadness. "Were what told me you loved me... at least in the beginning when we were younger."

"I didn't mean what I said to her," Robert said quietly.

"You're not a man who says what he doesn't mean," she answered in a matter-of-fact manner.

"I felt neglected."

"I realise that. But did you think what I was neglecting you for?" Cora watched him carefully, Robert gave a look of confusion. "Why Robert, it was exactly what you needed me here for in the first place - everything I did during that God-awful war was for our family and for Downton - as well as for those wounded men. I am not perfect, try as I might I cannot provide for everyone's needs."

"But you didn't try for me."