I gotta say, I just love Robert/Cora. Enjoy! - darthsydious

Crack!

A punch as solidly as it sounded, landed directly against the jaw of his opponent, sending the man tumbling, pulling over one of the dining chairs as he fell.
"Robert!" Cora gasped, embarrassed, furious, and standing amid the small group of women who had leapt up from the table, out of the way of the fight. The other gentlemen were all standing, pulling Robert and Gridley apart. Robert needed no holding back, having already done what he intended; he pushed the man off of him, straightening his waistcoat. He held his hand for a moment, realized he'd split his knuckles in the process of hitting Gridley.

"I do apologize, Lady Scribner." He said. "It was not my intention to cause such a disruption. Oh…and someone may want to fetch a doctor. I do believe I broke Mr. Gridley's jaw." The groan from the man on the floor seemed to confirm it. The butler went to send someone to fetch a doctor. "We'll take our leave now." He bowed quickly to the group, to the ladies, and took Cora's arm. She craned her neck, looking over her shoulder to see Gridley crawling up; no one made to help him, not even the party he came with.

As the butler helped them into their wraps, she could see blood on Robert's cheek.

"You're bleeding." She said, unable to gauge her anger or shame at the moment.

"Yes I know. Thank you Jackson, I do apologize."

"Of course Lord Grantham, but…if I may be so bold…young Gridley seemed to have it coming." Robert glanced at Cora, who looked twice as horrified now, and looked from the butler to her husband.

"Thank you Jackson. Goodnight." And placing his hat on his head took Cora's arm and stepped out into the cold night air.

~O~

Downton Abbey

"Honestly Robert Crawley. Must you behave like such a child? Brawling in the dining room, really." Cora asked sternly, hands on her hips. "Thank you, Carson, I'll see to his Lordship." Carson bowed and left, shutting the door to the dressing room behind him. Robert sat on the bench, the scrape on his cheek stinging. She went to the tray, soaking the clean cloth in the hot water for a moment before wringing it out.

"He shouldn't have said that about you."

"Darling, I'm from America, I've gotten used to people thinking ill of me."

"Thinking ill and speaking it are two different things- ow!" he winced, pulling away as she pressed the hot cloth against his injured cheek.

"Stop moving." She tapped his hand impatiently. "It's going to sting. And you deserve it, hitting that man."

"He's not a man, he's a boy, he struck me first, and there's no cause for that sort of language."

"But there is for hitting I suppose." She said, dabbing at his cheek. She was quiet a moment. "What did he say?"

"I'd rather not discuss it."

"Well I would." She said, "I wasn't right next to him, so I didn't quite catch all of what he said, I only heard the part about my coming to England to find a title to hide behind." he looked away,

"I won't say because I don't want to excite you. Not with the chance of a baby on the way." He said. Cora didn't say anything for a moment.

"Did you really hit him for me?" she asked, holding a cloth over the top of the bottle of alcohol she turned it upside-down, soaking the end.

"I'd be a cad if I'd let anyone speak of you in such a way. Especially right in front of you." He said. "You're my wife, and your battles are mine." Again she was quiet, cloth in her hand hovering near his face.

"This will sting." She said finally, and brushed it against the cut. He sucked in a breath, nearly hissing as it touched the raw flesh. After a moment the pain began to ebb as she cleaned the dried blood from his cheek. "Well…" she said finally "I still don't approve of you hitting him, frightening the ladies like that." She shifted, tilting his head into the light so she could see better "But…it was noble of you, and there is something to be said for that." Capping the bottle, she set it down on the tray.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked, fighting back the urge to smile at her. She knew he wasn't one bit sorry for hitting Gridley, and he certainly wasn't going to apologize for it.

"No." she said, and kissed him gently. "That doesn't mean you can't make amends."

"I suppose I'm sleeping in here tonight." He said, glancing at the bed.

"No, you'll be sleeping with me tonight, same as usual." She said, heading through the doorway to their bedroom.

"Oh." Rather relieved that he didn't have to sleep in his dressing room, he sat for a moment, dabbing at his cheek.

"Robert, this sort of thing requires two people."

"Oh!" he hurried through, shutting the door behind him. Apparently, he could start making amends right away.