A/N:

Due to the increased demand via tumblr and pm lately , am I going to republish the sequels ( I must be mad). Made some minor changes.

PLEASE review! You can´t imagine how motivating a single review is, especially when you constantly struggle and often think that your writing sucks, like I do.

And let me assure you, it takes longer to read this fic than writing one or two words in the comment box that is right below the fic !

Thank You!

2 weeks later

The Crawleys are in London for Rose´ debut. Cora and Elsie just went through the arrangements for the guests who are arriving on the next day.
"Good, I´m glad that everything is arranged. I do hope that you are enjoying your free afternoon, Mrs Hughes, and see something of London while you are here." Cora tries to sound laid- back but since that night a couple of weeks, she finds it difficult to be alone with them because every time Cora fears that they might mention what happened not a long time ago and she doesn´t know how to deal with this, at least not yet.
"Yes, Milday. I´m going to meet Mrs Crawley later. We are going to visit the exhibition at the National Gallery."
"Mrs Crawley is here? I had no idea." Elsie´s comment pricks Cora´s ears.
"Yes, Milady, she arrived yesterday. She is staying at the Grand Hotel."
"The Grand Hotel?" Cora is surprised that Isobel is staying in such an exclusive hotel.
"Well, Isobel likes to treat herself once in a while." Elsie has used Isobel´s first name on purpose, because she wants to see if Cora reacts in any way. Both women have noticed that the way how Cora looks at them has changed a bit, especially when Isobel is at Downton and Elsie happens to be upstairs as well and Elsie often finds a reason to be upstairs when Isobel is around. They have of course spoken about what happened but Cora has never mentioned it. She had more than one chance to speak with them or separately about this incident but she never did.
And indeed has the use of Isobel´s first name caused a little reaction. Elsie has seen a little jitter in Cora´s eyes. "Well, send my regards to Mrs Crawley then, Mrs Hughes, and I wish you a pleasant afternoon." Elsie can feel that Cora is looking after her when she walks to the door.
"Oh, we will have a pleasant afternoon and you know it," Elsie thinks and smiles when she´s closing the door behind her.

Cora hardly speaks during lunch and stares absent minded on her plate. Luckily is Rose speaking the whole time about her big day and Cora just has to nod occasionally.
Her thoughts swirl around the brief conversation with Elsie. No matter how hard she tries to push them aside, pictures of the National Gallery and the Grand Hotel keep popping up.
"Why is this bothering me?" Cora asks herself. "I´m sure they have met since that night. So, why can´t I think about nothing else?"
"Because now you know for sure. You know that they will meet today and that IT will happen today again," a little voice whispers in her head. "That makes all the difference. You know what that means."
Cora shakes her head inwardly, silencing the voice. She knows very well what that means but she doesn´t want to hear it, because once it´s been vocalised, it will hang over her like a dark cloud.
"Cora?"
She looks up, just noticing that Robert has said something. "I´m sorry, Robert. I was miles away. What did you say?"
"I said, that I´m going to the club right after lunch and wanted to know if you have any plans for this afternoon."
"I haven´t really thought about it," Cora replies. "Yes, you have."
And with this Robert officially ends the meal.

Cora doesn´t really know what do to with herself. She tried to read a magazine, rearranged the flowers but nothing could really distract her mind. She walks into the hall and finds Carson, who is making a list of all the presents which already arrived for Rose.
"Carson, do you know if Mrs Hughes has already left?" Cora asks as casually as possible.
"Yes, Milady. She left about thirty minutes ago."
"Thirty minutes," Cora mumbles. "You can still catch her."
"Can I be of any help, Milday?"
"No, thank you, Carson. Just... I´ll be out for the afternoon and back before dinner." Cora hastily puts her coat on, not waiting for Carson to help her, gets her hat and handbag and leaves a rather bewildered Carson behind.

It´s only a short walk to the National Gallery and Cora knows it by heart because she often spends the afternoons there or in other museums when Robert is at the club. Cora loves to visit museums and galleries. Stroll around the rooms and looking at paintings or artefacts that come from exotic countries. It sometimes hurts her that people see only the American in her, who doesn´t seem to have a cultured bone in her body, even Mary is doing this from time to time.

Cora has reached the National Gallery and looks around the entrance hall but can´t find them. She buys a ticket and a catalogue and enters the exhibition. Cora stands next to the door and scans the room. She finally finds Isobel and Elsie standing together on the other end of the room. Isobel points at something on the painting and Elsie reads something to her. Cora wants to make a step forward but hesitates at the last moment.
"What am I doing here? This isn´t right. No, that was a bad idea to come here," Cora thinks. And she wants to leave but her feet seemed to be glued to the ground and her eyes to that couple in front of her. Elsie has made a comment and Isobel laughs, putting her hand on Elsie´s arm, smiling at her. Cora has seen this look before. They move to the next picture. Cora is still standing there. Feeling helpless, because just like weeks ago, she can´t take her eyes off them.
She sits down on the bench next to the door. The room is crowded enough that visitors are once in a while blocking her view, so that Isobel and Elsie will hopefully not notice that they are being observed, but Cora doubts that they pay attention to anything else than to each other.
This time it´s Elsie who is raising her interest. She is wearing a blue blouse. It´s a bit tighter than the blouses she is normally wearing. It clings to her curves because she isn´t wearing a corset, just like Isobel. Elsie turns half to Isobel and Cora sees that Elsie is even showing a hint of cleavage. Something that doesn´t go unnoticed by Isobel either. Cora smiles when she sees Isobel´s look. An ordinary observer would just see two (past) middle- aged women, who are having a nice day and enjoy each others company. But Cora isn´t an ordinary observer. She knows so much more about this couple. Cora can see behind this facade. She knows that their hands are not brushing by accident. She can nearly feel the sparks when they look at each other. She has noticed that Isobel´s hand rests longer on Elsie´s back than necessary when she leans over and reads something in the catalogue that Elsie is holding.
"She wants you, Elsie. I know it and I want both of you." Cora jumps up by this sudden thought. Her heart is hammering in her chest. She pretends to look at one of the paintings, hoping that no one has noticed this little outburst.
"Where did that come from?"
Cora tries to put her mind at rest but the revelation, she only made moments ago, is still echoing in her head.
"Everything IS alright. It was just a slip of the tongue. Nothing more," Cora tries to calm herself down, trying desperately to silence the little voice in her head that keeps whispering. But was really everything alright like Cora wants to believe? Has she really never thought about Isobel and Elsie when she was with Robert? And how about last week when she locked herself in while having a bath? Imagining that it was Isobel´s hand and not her own that was touching her.
"Excuse me, Madam, you are blocking the view." An older gentleman smiles at Cora.
"I... I beg your pardon, Sir. I was just so fascinated by this painting that I wanted to have a closer look." Cora is forcing herself to smile and steps out of his way.
She looks back at the spot where Isobel and Elsie have been standing, but they are gone. Cora looks around the room, a faint feeling of panic is rising inside her. She finds them wandering around in the other room.
Again she follows them and lets the opportunity pass to turn around and leave things be. Cora is hiding behind a group that is listening to the explanations of a guide. Her eyes follow them strolling around the room. Once in a while they stop and look at a painting before they move on. This goes on for quite a while until they suddenly stop in the middle of the room. Cora fears that they have noticed her and steps behind a younger woman, who is standing in front of her, watching them now from over the woman´s shoulder. Elsie and Isobel just stand there. Looking at each other. Smiling. Suddenly Isobel takes Elsie´s head and starts kissing her. Cora gasps. Elsie is as surprised as Cora but replies Isobel´s kiss. Cora looks around her but no one pays attention to that kissing couple. In fact, they all walk around them as if something like this happens all the time in a museum. They are flushed and out of breath when they end the kiss. They look at each other and then, they slowly turn their heads into Cora´s direction. The catalogue, Cora was holding, falls on the floor, dragging her back into reality. She quickly picks it up and when she looks again at the spot where Isobel and Elsie have been kissing, she sees nothing. Isobel and Elsie are still walking through the room and still haven´t notice Cora´s presence.
"I have to get out of here," Cora mumbles. She´s rushing to the entrance, picks up her coat and leaves.

She stands for a moment outside the gallery and takes a few deep breaths. "What is happening with me?", she asks desperately. She walks down the stairs and just walks, aimlessly and not paying attention to the other pedestrians. Her mind is in a turmoil. Pictures of what happened between the three of them weeks ago pop up and mingle with what she´s just imagined. Cora stops right in the middle of the pavement. A single tear runs down her cheek. She angrily wipes it away, looks up and is shocked when she realise where she is. She is closing her eyes for a brief moment, takes a deep breath and opens them again, hoping that her mind was playing a trick on her again. But not this time. Cora can´t believe that she´s standing in front of Isobel´s hotel.
She looks around and finds a little cafe right opposite of the hotel. It´s actually against her principle but she just needs a drink and at the moment she doesn´t really care if this is ladylike or not. She sits down at a table that stands near to the huge windows, that are facing the busy street and orders tea and a small sherry. "Having the reputation of being an uncultured American is at least good for something," she thinks sarcastically and empties the sherry with one big gulp.
"You know why you here?" that voice in her head wants to know.
"I do," Cora sighs.
"Then why don´t you admit it?"
"Because it would change everything. I would feel as if I betray Robert."
"Even when you know that they can give you something Robert can´t?"
"Yes, even then," Cora replies. She is feeling a bit better now. The sherry has helped her to clear her mind and calm her nerves.
Cora finds a bank note in her handbag and wants to pay, when Isobel and Elsie come around the corner. Elsie has linked her arm with Isobel´s, who is carrying a little paper bag. Cora recognise the logo of a local bakery that is famous for their delicious praline.
"They will have tea with it. No, champagne," Cora corrects herself. "AFTERWARDS," she adds embittered.

Again Isobel´s hand rests longer on Elsie´s back than necessary when they enter the hotel. They disappear into the hotel and out of Cora´s sight. Cora looks up at the windows over the entrance. She doesn´t know which ones belong to Isobel´s room but she knows very well what will happen next. Hats will be taken off and coats will be thrown casually over a chair. Deep looks and smiles will be exchanged before passion takes over. Greedy lips will finally meet. Impatient fingers will unbutton blouses. A button comes loose and rolls under the chair. A brief pause and giggles follow before they continue. The first blouse will land on the floor. Tongues will fight little duels while they slowly move to the bed. The second blouse will fly on to the floor before they lay down together. Looking at each other, whispering sweet words. Lips will kiss their way down to breasts, that are covered with fine silk. Skirts will be pushed up, exposing smooth and white skin. Hands will find aroused center, which have been craving for this touch since they entered the room.

Cora fumbles on the collar of her blouse. She feels hot and restless. She looks around her but no one is paying attention to her. No one has read her thoughts, although they seem to be written all over her face.
"This has to stop. It can´t go on like this. Why am I torturing myself like this? I should leave. NOW." Cora puts the bank note, she was still holding, on the table, grabs her coat and leaves the cafe as quick as possible she can without raising any attention.

Minutes later the door of suite 207 opens and Cora steps in.

A/N:

By now I tempted to write another chapter but I´m not sure if this a good thing :-/