AU/extension of scene in Season 2 Episode 1.

Strong T rating.

Chap 1

"Mr Bates left because had he not done so, his wife was planning to engulf this house in scandal."

The Earl of Grantham had laughed. Scandals didn't happen at Downton, of all places. His butler seemed convinced yet refused to reveal any details. The only clue Robert was able to discover was "not betraying her." It could only, he thought, mean Mary. There was surely no one else Carson would protect. Yet what scandal could Mary possibly be involved in? Yes, she was certainly head-strong and highly strung, but not foolish. Somehow she had been responsible for his valet leaving. He remembered with shame the way he had treated Bates when he left. He wondered if there was any way of contacting him, if only to apologise.

He reached his wife's bedroom, glad to finally get to bed. Cora watched Robert fiddle with the belt of his dressing gown. He seemed to be taking an age to come to bed. If he takes any longer with that dressing gown, she thought with a smirk, I'll come over and remove it myself.

"Is anything the matter?" She knew he was disappointed after his regimental dinner, how desperate he was to get to the front. Yet there was something else. He looked puzzled and worried.

Robert looked up and finally took the dressing gown off. "Nothing. Except that today has shown me that I am not only a worthless man but a bad-tempered and ungrateful one."

"Well, we all know that." She smiled at him affectionately and was rewarded with the briefest of smiles before he went back to his brooding. What had happened? Who had he upset? Her husband was such a decent man - she knew from experience the guilty soul-searching he felt whenever he lost his temper.

"Can I help?" He still didn't respond, merely getting into bed.

Her husband clearly wasn't going to tell her what bothering him. So she changed the subject, assuming he would simply apologise to whoever he had offended. "By the way, Mary wants Sir Richard to come and stay. So we can all meet him."

Mention of Mary reminded Robert once again of what his butler had said. He raised his voice and enunciated every word, the way he did when he was angry. "She wants us to invite a hawker of newspaper scandal to stay as a guest in this house? It's lucky I have a sense of irony."

It was now Cora's turn to be puzzled and worried. The word "scandal" inevitably made her think of Pamuk. She was grateful that Robert did not know about that scandal. Yet what other scandal could there be? She had to find out.

"What do you mean, darling?" He didn't reply. She was becoming irritated - why did he always want to protect her from anything unpleasant? She cuddled close to him, gently massaging his chest in a familiar routine. When she felt him begin to calm down, she tried again. "Robert?"

Robert groaned. He could never hide things from Cora, not when she was this close to him. "Carson said Bates left to prevent a scandal."

Of course. Bates. She wasn't surprised her husband's valet was involved in scandal, not after all the problems he had already caused. As far as she was concerned, they were glad to be rid of him. She relaxed, slipping her hand under Robert's shirt to slowly stroke the hairs on his chest.

Robert breathed deeply, very aware of Cora's fingers tickling his chest and stomach. He reached for her hand and kissed it. The "scandal", he decided could most certainly wait until the morning. Carson was probably just being melodramatic. He shifted on to his side, facing her and resting his hand provocatively on her thigh, easing her nightgown higher. "Don't worry," he murmured, more to himself than Cora. "I'll talk to Mary in the morning." He moved to kiss her lips and was surprised when she jumped back.

"Mary?" She hadn't meant her voice to come out so panicky and shocked. Why on earth was Robert going to talk to Mary? She pushed the thought of Kamal Pamuk from her mind.

He shouldn't have mentioned it - Cora was so protective of their daughters, Mary especially. "Carson wouldn't tell me anything. Who else would he protect?" He pulled her close and tried kissing her again, sighing when he got no response.

"What's that got to do with Bates?" She had to stay calm - she needed to find out exactly Carson had told Robert.

"Bates left to prevent his wife from publishing the scandal." Scandal - the word sounded foolish now. "There' s nothing to worry about. Mary's obviously just committed some minor faux-pas or oversight. You know what a stickler Carson is for doing things properly." As far as he was concerned, the matter was finished for the night. He kissed her neck softly, slowly working his way down.

Cora squirmed. She was finding it hard to think clearly. For once, it had nothing to do with what Robert was doing. She tried to work out why Bates (and his wife!) would know about the scandal. Anna must have confided in him. Robert's kisses had reached her collar bone now, his hand…she shifted, putting her hand on his shoulder to put some distance between them.

Heaving an over-dramatic sigh, he released her and collapsed back onto the bed. He turned round - why was she so anxious? "What's wrong?" No reply - he wasn't even sure she had heard him.

She could do nothing about Bates now. Carson was obviously too loyal to Mary to tell her husband. Yet the thought of Robert questioning Mary tomorrow…she would tell him, in that cold, obstinate way that always angered him.

"Why don't I talk to Mary?"She tried not to sound too desperate. "If you talk to her it will only descend into an argument, especially when you start accusing her of something."

Robert rolled his eyes. "Is that all that was bothering you? Of course, you talk to Mary tomorrow then."

Cora's panic subsided slowly. Once she was sure her breathing had returned to normal, she leaned over and kissed him, finally glad of the distraction. Her husband readily responded.

Everything, she thought, would be alright.