C'mon, It's Lovely Weather
A/N: None of these characters belong to me. I have to admit that I struggled a bit with this one. However, I think it turned out quite nicely. I wanted to have a bit of Robert and Cora reminiscing about Christmases past, and since Sybil was born in August or September of 1895, I imagine her being conceived right before Christmas of 1894. Hence the significance of the barn. I'm not that great at writing smut, but there is a little bit so it's rated M just to be on the safe side. Thank you, as always, to SashaElizabeth, my wonderful beta reader!
December 20, 1922
"Keep them closed, Cora. No peeking," Robert said as he led his temporarily-blinded wife by the hand out of the Drawing Room and toward the front door. "I'll not have my surprise ruined because you decided to cheat."
"My eyes are closed, Robert, I promise," Cora replied with a laugh. "As long as you don't let me run into anything," she teased. She heard Robert chuckle, and a smile came to her face.
He had looked like an excited little boy earlier that day when he had come into her room after breakfast and asked that she ring for Baxter and get dressed for an outing. She had protested that it was too cold; there was a thick blanket of snow on the ground, and she didn't want either of them getting sick so close to Christmas, which was only a week away. He had promised that he would keep her warm, giving her a mischievous smile as he said so. She'd no idea what he had up his sleeve, but seeing him so excited had made her excited, too.
Carson opened the door for Lord and Lady Grantham, giving Robert a smile and nod, indicating that his surprise was waiting. Robert led Cora, who began to shiver slightly from the winter wind, a few feet from the door, and moved to stand behind her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he whispered, "Alright, my love. Open your eyes."
The sight that met Cora as she blinked her eyes open caused her to gasp as a smile of surprise and delight spread across her face. Standing in front of her was a beautiful sleigh. She turned and wrapped her arms around Robert's neck and, forgetting momentarily that Carson still stood nearby, captured her husband's lips in a kiss. She felt him smile against her lips as his hands pushed gently at her waist. Remembering herself, she broke the kiss as a blush stained her cheeks. "I apologize, Carson. Please forgive my lack of propriety."
"There's no need to apologize, my lady," Carson replied, smiling at his employers. "I hope you enjoy your outing." With that, the butler turned and headed back inside, closing the door behind him.
Robert helped his wife into the sleigh and settled in beside her, wrapping one arm securely around her waist while taking the horse's reins in his other hand. He paused momentarily to place a kiss to Cora's temple. Cora turned her head to smile at him before resting it on his shoulder. So warm was she in her husband's strong embrace that she barely noticed the biting wind that whipped around them. Robert gave the reins a gentle flick, signaling the horse to begin the journey to Robert's chosen destination.
"What on earth possessed you to do this, Robert?" Cora questioned as the couple made their way down the hillside toward the woods. "What a wonderful surprise!" She couldn't help but feel a bit giddy as the horse made its way farther and farther from the Abbey. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," Robert answered mysteriously.
"Not even a hint?"
Robert laughed at his wife's persistence. "Not even one. Trust me; you'll love it. Just relax and enjoy the ride."
Cora settled once more into Robert's embrace. The couple chatted as they rode together. They talked of what they had bought the grandchildren for Christmas (they had both gone a bit overboard if they were honest), of what they had bought for Mary and Edith, and of how excited they were about the upcoming holiday. Cora had lost herself in their conversation when suddenly something in front of her caught her eye and caused her to gasp. She turned to Robert with tears in her eyes, but with a smile wreathing her mouth.
"The barn," she whispered. "Oh, Robert."
"I have to admit to being a bit reminiscent of late, my dearest. Tom and I happened by here the other day whilst we were visiting some of the farms. Later that day as I sat with Sybbie in the nursery, I couldn't help but think of Sybil. Sybbie looks so like her mother, and I thought that perhaps it was time for us to visit this place again."
Cora nodded in agreement, too overcome with emotion to speak. The first time she and Robert had visited this place was just before the Christmas of 1894. On that particular day, the two of them had ventured out for unexplored parts of the estate. They had been married for six years and had two beautiful daughters. Robert's father had recently passed away, and Robert and Cora had taken their places as the Earl and Countess of Grantham. However, they both felt a need for a bit of respite from the constant pressures of parenthood and societal position, not to mention the Dowager Countess' seemingly endless remarks regarding the lack of a direct heir. Seeking momentary shelter from the cold, the couple had happened onto the old, run-down barn. What was meant to be a moment of rest from their journey turned into an afternoon of passion. A few weeks later, Cora had discovered that she was once again expecting a child. Of course, the child turned out to be another daughter and not the "heir to Downton"; nevertheless, this spot had since then held a special meaning for Robert and Cora. They endeavored to visit this spot often; however, they had not done so since their darling Sybil had passed, worrying that it would be too painful. But, Robert felt that perhaps the time had come to visit once again.
Robert tugged gently on the reins, bringing the horse to a stop just outside the doors to the barn. As he helped his wife out of the sleigh, he offered her his arm and led her to the doors of the barn. Pushing them open, he stepped aside to let Cora enter first, taking in the radiant expression that swept over her face as she surveyed the scene before her.
A blanket had been laid out beside a neatly-laid stack of firewood. On the blanket sat two candlesticks and a basket laden with fruits and cheeses. There was a bottle of Cora's favorite wine and two glasses. Turning to face her husband, Cora wrapped her arms around Robert's waist and laid her head upon his chest, sighing contentedly. "It's perfect, Robert," she whispered. "Thank you for this."
"I only ever seek to make you happy, my darling," he whispered into her hair as he pulled her closer. "I love you so very much, dearest Cora. These past few years have not been easy for us. But, through it all, I've come to love you more than I ever thought possible. In spite of all that has happened that has threatened to tear us apart, we continue to grow closer and stronger together. I've always been thankful for you, but I become evermore aware of just how vital you are to my survival. I truly don't know what I would do without you, my love."
"Oh, my dear," Cora breathed, pulling back to look into his eyes. "I don't even want to think about that. I love you so much that it hurts, Robert. I can't bear to think of going one day without you. Having you on the other side of the ocean for those few weeks was pure torture. Even knowing that you were coming back, my heart ached with longing for you. I just can't bear to think of ever losing you." Tears came into her eyes as she began to thread her fingers through the hair at his temples. "You're the very air I breathe, darling. I love you so."
Robert felt tears prick his own eyes as he looked directly into those of his wife, seeing in them the same love that he felt for her. Trying to lighten the mood, he gestured behind her to where the blanket and food were waiting and cleared his throat. "I had Mrs. Patmore prepare this for us, darling. Let's go and sit down, shall we?"
"Of course. I am a bit hungry." He really is so terribly English, Cora thought to herself with a smile. He didn't often show emotion, even around her. Robert led Cora over to the blanket and helped her to sit down. After making sure that she was situated, he extricated a few matches from the pocket of his jacket and set about building a suitable fire. Cora watched as he fanned the flames, making sure the fire was large enough to keep them warm. Finally satisfied with his efforts, Robert made his way back to the blanket, and lowered himself down beside his wife. Pulling the basket toward himself, he opened the lid and brought out a bunch of grapes. Cora peeked over into the basket, and furrowed her brows in confusion. "Robert, where are the plates?"
Giving her a mischievous smile, Robert replied, "There aren't any."
As his meaning began to dawn on her, Cora gave her husband a coy look. "I see. Hmmm. Well, I guess there's only one thing we can do." She then plucked a grape from the bunch and brought it slowly and seductively to her lips. Robert felt his pulse begin to quicken as he took in the sight before him. "Here," he said, hoarsely. "Allow me, my dearest one." He took the grape from her and placed it in her mouth, his pulse quickening even more as Cora's mouth closed around his fingers. She lingered there for the briefest of moments, delighted with the response her husband was having at her actions.
"It's your turn now, my love," Cora whispered. Taking another grape between her fingers, she held it to Robert's lips. Robert wrapped his hand gently around Cora's wrist, holding her hand in place as he accepted the proffered grape. Cora felt a shiver run down her spine as Robert mimicked her earlier action by closing his lips around her fingers.
It soon became apparent that the fire wasn't the only thing creating heat in the old barn. The rest of the food seemingly forgotten, Robert inched himself closer and closer to his wife, his eyes locked with hers. Cora began to color slightly under his intense gaze, but didn't lower her eyes. Now only inches apart, Robert took Cora's face in his hands and kissed her passionately. Cora parted her lips to him, inviting him to deepen the kiss. As Robert's tongue sought hers, he gently laid her back on the blanket.
Finally in need of air, Robert broke the kiss. As he did so, his hands made their way to the hem of Cora's dress. Pushing it up her legs ever so slowly, his fingers finally found the tops of her stockings. He was deliberately taking his time, knowing that by doing so he would cause Cora to become completely undone, which was just what he wanted to do. He gently rolled her stockings down the length of her slender legs, kissing the smooth skin of her thighs and calves as he did so. After removing the silken garments, he turned his attention back to removing her dress. His fingers began to trace feather-light patterns up her legs and finally to her inner thighs.
By this point, Cora was struggling to form a coherent thought. She knew that Robert was deliberately teasing her, but strangely she found that this time she was actually enjoying being teased. She brought her hands up to Robert's chest and pushed his jacket off his shoulders. Sensing that Cora was struggling to hold back, he sat up long enough to remove his waistcoat, cravat and shirt, tossing them to the side. He then quickly divested himself of his trousers and undergarments. This brief pause allowed Cora to sit up and finish removing her dress and under things, tossing it all over her shoulder. She quickly brought her hands around to Robert's pack and pressed herself to him, and reclined once again on the blanket bringing her husband with her.
Robert and Cora spent the next several hours in the throes of passion, each endeavoring to show the other how much they were loved-indeed how much they were needed. As the fire begin to slowly die down, Cora snuggled further into Robert's embrace as she tried to keep warm. As she draped her arm across her husband's waist, she felt his body begin to shake with silent laughter. Puzzled, she tilted her head back to look at him.
"What's so funny?" she questioned.
Her question only made Robert laugh harder. But, seeing the bewildered look on his wife's face, Robert did his best to quell his laughter, coughing a few times before responding. "I was just remembering the results of the first time we did that here."
Cora responded with laughter of her own. "Yes, well, I don't think we'll have to worry about that this time, darling. The time for that has passed. But, we'll always have the memories of our darling baby girl, won't we?"
Robert smiled tenderly at the memory of his youngest child. "Indeed we will. I was worried that by bringing you here it would stir up painful emotions. But, I find that being here has made me happy. And, not because of…" His voice trailed off as he waggled his eyebrows at Cora, causing her to giggle.
"No, it wasn't painful," she responded softly. "I miss her every day. Every minute of every day. But, I know that a part of her lives inside all of us who had the privilege of knowing her. And, I believe the biggest part of her resides in her own daughter. As your mother once said, we need to cherish her memory. I strive to do that daily, as painful as it may sometimes be. Sybil would want us to do that, not to be sad. She only ever wanted to make people happy. In spite of her independence and radical ideas, I don't believe I could have been more proud of the young woman we raised. I feel blessed to have been her mother, even if it was only for such a short time." Cora glanced around, and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. "We should be getting back, my love. They'll send out a search party soon, I'm afraid."
After helping each other into their clothes and gathering the various items that had been set out, Cora and Robert made their way back out into the cold and into the sleigh. Before driving away, Robert took one last look at the run-down building in front of him and whispered, "Happy Christmas, my darling girl. I love you."
Merry Christmas, everyone!