Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome to my first ever Cobert fic! I apologise in advance if this isn't the best first chapter of a fic that you have read, but I've never written for this couple up until now and so I'm not the best yet, hehe. I hope to improve as time passes, however, and I hope that you all enjoy! x

1st January 1890

Even though she had no shawl around her shoulders and soft flakes of snow had started to fall from the sky, Cora Levinson found that she wasn't at all cold as she returned the kisses that her fiancé was brushing against her lips. The clock in the hall had announced that it was midnight and she and Robert had heard the exchanges of "Happy New Year!" quite a while ago now, but the two of them still had yet to bring their rather passionate exchange to an end. She honestly believed that she could go on kissing him until sunrise.

When she felt one of his hands leave her waist and venture around to her lower back so that he could pull her closer she smiled against him, her hands sliding down the front of his chest through his shirt before she laced both her arms around his waist underneath his jacket. He broke their kiss a short time later and gave her nose a tender nudge with his when their eyes met. 'Perhaps we should go inside,' He breathed, his breath warm on her face. 'The last thing I want is for you to get sick just a month to our wedding, Cora.'

'You're sailing back to England in eight hours, Robert,' She stepped closer to him so that their chests were touching before curling her fingers into the back of his waistcoat. 'I won't be held in your arms like this again until our wedding night, so…so all I want is five more minutes. Five more minutes of you holding me, five more minutes of you kissing me and five more minutes of pretending that no-one else exists.' She saw a soft smile form on his lips. 'You wouldn't deny me that on our last evening together, would you, dearest?'

Deciding not to answer her question with words he lifted one hand to her face to ease a curl that had fallen into her face back behind her ear, his eyes drifting shut again when he leaned in to capture her in another kiss. The two of them tightened their hold of one another as their lips caressed each other's with ease, warmth flooding Cora's body when Robert cradled the back of her head in one hand and traced the seam of her bottom lip with his tongue. The last time he had done that had been on the afternoon he'd arrived.

When the two of them, just like now, had managed to lose their chaperones.

She parted her lips beneath his own when his tongue ran along the seam of her lower lip a second time, a gentle whimper escaping her when he deepened their kiss. For the next few minutes the two of them exchanged soft yet passionate kisses, the snow continuing to fall around them as all thought of their feuding mothers and the New Year's Eve ball going on inside vanished from their minds. Far too soon, however, the need for air arose and Cora drew back from her fiancé's lips before gazing into his eyes with a warm smile.

'You're so beautiful, Cora…' Was the first thing that Robert said to her when he noticed that some snowflakes had gotten trapped in her hair, his hands sliding from her back to her hips before he started to brush his thumbs against them through her evening gown.

After looking into his eyes for a moment longer, she whispered: 'I love you, Robert.'

'I know you do,' He smiled before leaning in to kiss her temple. 'I know you do.'

She had known that he would give her that response before she had even breathed the words. It was the same response that he had given her whenever she had told him that she loved him since their engagement ball. He didn't love her. He cared for her, she was certain of that, but he didn't love her. Not like she loved him. When she walked towards him in her wedding gown next month, she wouldn't be entering a love-filled marriage. He would only be making her his wife to have access to her money. To save Downton Abbey.

It hurt her to know that, of course, but she was still going to do it.

If it made him happy then she would do anything.

'I think we should get you back inside and get you settled near the fireplace.' She came back to the present when Robert spoke to her again after a few long seconds of silence.

'Would you mind walking me to the stairs instead?' She asked. 'I…I'm rather tired.'

He offered her a smile. 'Of course I will.'

She then took hold of his elbow and allowed him to guide her back inside the house, her head falling against his shoulder whilst the two of them walked together. It wasn't long until the two of them reached the foot of the split-staircase and turned to look at each other, Cora releasing a sigh of happiness when Robert took her hand in his and kissed it. 'Pleasant dreams, my precious one.' He said after allowing her hand to slip from his own.

'And to you, darling,' She rose up onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, 'And to you.'

She then turned on her heel and began to ascend the stairs whilst removing her gloves, Robert watching her from where he stood as she all but floated down the gallery before turning the corner and heading to her bedroom.

As she laid in bed in the darkness a short while after her maid had left her, Cora let out a deep sigh and snuggled further beneath her quilt. Even though she was counting down the days until she would be walking down the aisle; even though she couldn't wait to – at long last – be Robert's wife, she was going to miss her parents and her brother so much. It would be the first time that she had ever been apart from them. She was so anxious.

Robert had reassured her that everything would be fine and that she would settle in in no time at all, but she wasn't so certain. How on earth was she meant to settle when the Countess, Violet, would be disapproving of her the entire time? She knew that the elder woman didn't care for her much and knowing that wasn't helping her nerves whatsoever. What if she had no-one to fight her corner if she and the Countess ever had a dispute?

She doubted that Robert would stand up to his mother.

However, she also knew that – along with the downsides of leaving home - it wouldn't be all bad. When she left home she would be marrying Robert and starting a brand new life with him. In the future she would bear his children and the thought of that caused her to smile. She had always wanted to be a mother. She had always wanted to have a child.

And, in just a few months, she would be able to have that.

Along with many, many other things.

'Hmm…' She said to herself as she settled for the night, 'maybe…maybe I can do this.'

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this first chapter. I would be so grateful if you would leave me a review to let me know what you thought and I'll see you all in the next chapter! x