AN: This has been sitting on my computer for a while now, I totally forgot about it. I wrote it right after writing chapter 20 of Little Talks about Love. I just read this story (one shot for now and will most likely stay that way) through again and I think it is o.k. to post it.
Let me know what you think!
Kat
His sister greets their mother first, apologizing that she wasn't there when they arrived and then turns to him. "Harold," she says. "How are you?" There is no hug, only a friendly smile. "I am not at home, that's what I am." She rolls her eyes at him a little and turns to the group at large to say something about dinner. He sees how Robert looks at her and almost laughs out loud because the look on his brother-in-law's face is that of an idiot, which is especially funny because the Earl usually looks rather dignified. His sister smiles at her husband, apparently in acknowledgment of the look on his face. Some butler or footman, he doesn't really know the difference, comes in and takes Cora's coat and she sits down, talking to Mary and Edith and one of them replies to her, although he has no idea which one because he can't keep them apart. They don't look alike, but he just can't for the life of him remember whether Edith is the blond or the dark one. But he supposes that it doesn't really matter because he won't see them again once he has returned to the States, which he can't wait for. When the dressing gong rings and everybody makes to leave he feels as if he has been released from prison, he hates being in drawing rooms. He, his sister and her husband are the last ones in the room and when he leaves, he hears Robert say "Cora, stay. Just for a minute." He can't help himself but look back into the room where he sees his sister walking towards Robert who has gotten up. She steps into her husband's arms and rests her head on his shoulder.
"So I missed the grand arrival."
"We all did, except Edith." So Edith is the blonde one. He hopes to remember that.
"Poor girl. I should apologize to her." Girl? He'd have thought that she would be around 28 years old, certainly not a girl anymore.
"She'd appreciate it. By the way, your mother came without a lady's maid."
"I suppose the old one left because she had her head bitten of one too many times."
Robert chuckles at this.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you were right. But not everybody can be as nice as you are."
"True. But speaking of lady's maids, I have to go upstairs."
Robert sighs at this.
"I won't have you to myself again until we go to bed."
"I am afraid you won't."
"Pity," Robert says and kisses Cora's head. She looks up at him and they move in unison until their lips meet. It looks like something they have practiced a million times.
"I am looking forward to going to bed."
Robert chuckles again and then says "Let's go upstairs" and takes Cora by the hand.
He hides in a corner and watches his sister and her husband walk up the stairs hand in hand. He doesn't think he has ever held a woman's hand like that, but it seems to be quite familiar to them.
He watches them the whole evening. Of course they stick to the seating arrangement rule that the Lord and Lady of the house have to sit opposite and not next to each other and they also stick to the rule of talking to everyone around them, but he gets the feeling that they are both extremely aware of the other one being there. They throw each other looks and sometimes one look seems to convey more between them than ten sentences ever could. When he and Robert are by themselves in the drawing room, Robert seems to be very fidgety.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing. I'm fine. More brandy?"
"No."
"Good, let's join the ladies then."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to leave Cora alone with your mother for too long." He doesn't care about that, Cora always never has to deal with their mother while he sees her pretty often. And her granddaughter's are here. His mother always complains about not seeing her granddaughters often enough.
"Your daughters are there."
"And that won't be helpful. Your sister has her work cut out for her with trying to keep the peace between all of them."
"And you want to go in there?" Robert must be crazy. Going into a room full fo fighting women when they could just stay in the dining room, smoking their cigars in peace.
"You'll never understand. Stay here if you like."
With that Robert gets up and walks towards the drawing room and he follows. He isn't much use in a drawing room but he'd be bored by himself and a shouting match between Cora and their mother could actually be entertaining, although he isn't sure whether his sister hasn't become too English for shouting matches in front of others.
"There you are darling." Cora walks towards Robert gives him a kiss on the cheek and he briefly touches her hip. He is surprised by the fact that although both their daughters see this, they don't protest. Edith, he is quite confident the blond one is Edith, only rolls her eyes in a slightly exasperated manner and Mary smiles a small but sad smile. He then remembers that Mary is a widow and wonders if his niece actually loved her husband and did not just marry him for title she now won't get.
The whole time they are in the drawing room, Robert doesn't leave Cora's side and he wonders if they are putting on a show to proof to their American relatives that their marriage was not a mistake or whether they actually always are the way they are now. If they always are like that he is glad that he never sees them because he finds their behavior disturbing, for a number of reason that have nothing to do with the fact that some of their behavior seems to be rather indecent. Holding hands in a drawing room, really. But then again, no one seems to mind which probably means that this is a regular occurrence and he wonders whether he is watching love for the first time in his life.
He goes to bed rather early because he can't stand being in the drawing longer than absolutely necessary and contemplates what he saw between his sister and her husband. He doesn't really believe in love, his parents never loved each other, not really, and he has never fallen in love himself, but how can he fall in love if he doesn't believe in love? However, there also is something between Robert and Cora that makes him doubt his ideas about relationships. He can't put a finger on it, but somehow those two seem to be very close, although he can't really describe that closeness either. But for the first time in his life he wonders if his sister maybe made the better choice, that maybe it was a smart decision to get married. So far he has always pitied her, having to live in England with that stuck- up Earl. But Robert doesn't seem to be too stuck-up, he wouldn't have let Cora kiss his cheek then, nor would he have touched her hip or held her hand in the drawing room, and she seems to like England, at least she doesn't look out of place. But then again, his sister is a goody-goody, she has always been and when their parents told her to marry into the English aristocracy she did just that, always playing the dutiful daughter, and because she also is nice, she has probably been nice to her husband from the first day on and maybe that makes the Earl appreciate her. The women he takes onto his yacht aren't always nice to him, but they are also not facing the prospect of having to spend the rest of their lives with him.
Because he can't sleep he goes downstairs again, in search of a drink. He is sure that no one else is still up, so he doesn't bother getting dressed. When he comes close to the drawing room he hears voices, however.
"Finally."
"Yes."
"Should we go upstairs or would you like a drink?"
"I think I need another drink." He looks into the room and sees Cora at the drinks cabinet.
"Scotch?"
"Yes."
She grabs one of the bottles without asking which one and fixes the drink.
"There you go darling."
Robert has already sat down, which surprises him because he always thought that English men never sat down when there was a woman in the room standing up.
"Thank you. Sit with me."
His sister joins her husband on the settee that is too small for both of them but it doesn't seem to be the first time that they are sharing that chair and they seem to be comfortable enough. A huge house full of rooms and chairs and sofas and beds and when Robert obviously wants to relax, he doesn't only share room but also a much too small chair with his wife. Robert puts one arm around Cora and begins to play with her hair. Harold only realizes after a few minutes that without looking at what he is doing, Robert is taking Cora's hair apart with just one hand. He must have done it a thousand times to do it so expertly without giving it another thought and Harold wonders why. Once Cora's hair falls down her back she sighs audibly and puts her head on Robert's shoulder.
"Thank you darling."
"I really don't understand why you women always have to wear your hair up. It looks nice, I know, but wearing it down from time to time would make you less uncomfortable. And it looks very nice too."
"Don't ask me Robert, I don't make the laws of fashion or etiquette and if I did, I'd be wearing my hair down at least half the time."
"They should let you decide then."
His sister laughs at that and gives her husband a kiss a cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too. And I am glad I've got you for myself for a little while."
"Are my mother and brother going on your nerves already?"
"Not really, but you know how it is to have people in the house you are not used to."
"Yes I do. I am looking forward to your mother coming here. That's a sentence I never thought I'd say."
"You want her help?"
"She does tend to aggravate my mother so much that I am not the main target for her complaints and barbs anymore." Cora should not be complaining about that. He is the target of their mother's complaints and barbs year round, she only has to deal with them from time to time. Maybe their mother's behavior was one of the reasons why Cora really did not return to America. He and his father had been sure that she would, that in the end she would back out, that she wouldn't go through with it. He had been surprised when he actually saw his sister walking down the aisle and even more surprised when he saw walking the aisle back up again, married to a stranger who didn't love her. But he didn't really care, because back then he had already been sure that love didn't exist and that what Cora thought was love was nothing more than excitement about a new way of life she had been told was coming her way for years.
"You know that Mama does that on purpose, don't you? She wants to get your mother out of your hair. She feels rather sorry for you."
"Does she?"
"Yes. She will never admit to it, but she loves you just as much as she loves Rosamund and me and the girls and George and Sybbie." He wonders who Rosamund and George and Sybbie are, Cora's family is too big. How is he too keep all those family apart? He supposes that Rosamund must be Robert's sister. He remembers a red-head at the wedding. He tried to flirt with her and got punched by her fiance in return. George and Sybbie must be the children of Mary and Sybil and he realizes for the first time that his sister, a sister who is two years younger than him, has two grandchildren, while he isn't even married. But he doesn't envy her because being a grandparent equals being old and he isn't old, he can't be old, he is in the bloom of his life. Being old would mean no more new women and that would be a disaster.
"We should look for presents for George and Sybbie."
"You will spoil those two children rotten, Robert."
"I don't care. I've spoiled our girls too and they turned out fine. I think I spoil you too and I have no complaints about you."
"You better not have any complaints, my love." This makes him sick to the stomach, but he can't stop listening, he has never heard anything like it before.
"Cora stop." Robert laughs out loud and when Harold looks at them again, he sees that Cora is tickling Robert. It is obvious that she knows where exactly to tickle him, thirty odd years of marriage must have taught her that but he wonders about the Earl not minding being treated by Cora like that.
"I'll stop if you take me to bed right now." He can't believe his sister said something like that to her husband and can believe that Robert only chuckles at this even less. Robert finishes his drink in one gulp and then says "Alright darling, let's go upstairs then."
For the second time that day he has to hide to not be discovered by Robert and Cora. Although he doubts they would notice him, they are too intent on going to their rooms, probably just 'room' because somehow he doubts that they will now follow the rules of society that they should be undressed and then dressed in their nightclothes before seeing each other again. And considering how easy it had been for Robert to take Cora's hair apart, he is sure that his brother-in-law and sister are quite the experts and undressing each other. He wonders whether love really doesn't exist and he is almost sure that should it exist, his sister has found it in that stuck-up Earl in this really cold country.