I Couldn't Stay Away From You For A Long Time
The characters do not belong to me. From a tumblr prompt courtesy of scintilla-te.
It had been about a week since the Simon Bricker incident, in which he and Robert had come to blows in the bedroom, but things still didn't feel right between Robert and Cora.
She was insisting that Robert come back to their bedroom and mend things, but the more she asked, the more stubborn he became. By the time the week was up, Cora had no more ideas to lure Robert back, no more words with which to talk sense into him.
Cora wondered if she should leave the Abbey for a while; not permanently, of course, but perhaps go on a holiday. Even though everyone else made fun of her mother, Martha Levinson, Cora thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her family. Perhaps she should sail to Newport. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen them recently enough, but it would be a good excuse to leave for a time and give the Robert situation a proper reassessment upon her return.
What Cora couldn't stand to think of was what might happen after the reassessment. If things hadn't worked out by then, she may have to start looking into permanent solutions. The idea brought tears to her eyes. She loved Robert as much as ever. He was the one making things impossible, not her. If he'd agree to understand that Cora had done nothing wrong with Simon Bricker, she'd forever abandon her plans of leaving for even five seconds.
But this was not what had happened, and now Cora was facing a possible future without the man she loved with all her heart. Another blockade to a future of this sort was more practical. While Cora had no doubt that her mother and brother would make sure she wanted for nothing, she had none of her own fortune left, as it had all been absorbed into Downton. She didn't like the idea of not being independent if forced to live alone. What would it do to her family? She may be kept away from her own grandchildren if Robert was still angry enough to try to exact revenge upon her.
She decided to give things one more try with Robert instead of worrying about myriad consequences of leaving the Abbey.
Cora knocked on Robert's dressing room door. "Robert? We need to talk. It's been a week since -"
She was interrupted by Robert flinging the door open. He fixed his eyes on her with a scowl. "We have nothing to talk about. I meant it when I said I can't trust you after you let that man into our lives and into our bedroom. I am not coming back and that is final."
He turned around and stomped back to his bed. Like a child having a temper tantrum, she thought. Mary had done much the same thing in her youth. Then he returned to the door and slammed it shut.
"Then that makes my decision final, too. I am going to Newport, and I may not be back again."
"Good! You belong there much more than you ever did here!" Robert shouted through the door.
Knowing that Robert was unlikely to open the door again and thereby not be able to see her, Cora let the tears fall. She prayed that he wasn't right. But a little voice inside kept repeating that perhaps he had been on the mark.
The next day, Cora packed up her things and caught the ten o'clock train to London. She would stay in a hotel there until it was time to sail from Southampton. At first, the idea of waiting to leave Downton until she needed to board the ship seemed like a good plan. But after Robert's stinging words of the night before, Cora knew that she could not stay another minute.
When Robert went into the library after tea, he realized that he had not seen his wife all day. "I suppose she's just pouting and will be back when she's come to her senses," Robert said to himself.
He nearly jumped out of his favorite chair when Carson appeared in the doorway. "The Dowager Countess Of Grantham!"
"Thank you, Carson," Robert said as his mother walked into the room.
She made no pretext as she settled herself into the chair across from him. "What's this about Cora leaving Downton? I found out just this morning that she has booked passage to Southampton on a one way voyage. Did the pair of you truly fall out over that art historian?"
"Yes, Mama, we did. I really don't wish to talk about it."
The Dowager banged her cane on the floor twice for emphasis. "You are going to talk about it, Robert, and you're going to talk about it now."
Robert sighed and faced his mother. There was no way that he could get out of the discussion once she was involved. "When asked for the hundredth time this week about coming back to our bedroom, Cora threatened to go to Newport permanently. I told her I thought it was a good idea."
The Dowager was shocked. "Oh, no, Robert. You didn't!"
Robert was perplexed. "Oh, Mama, don't go on as if you didn't think Cora should have gone back to America for the majority of our marriage!"
"I did think that in the past. And it is not because of appearances that I do not wish you to be apart." The Dowager lowered her voice. "I can see how you love each other, after all the things you've been through and still remained a strong couple. Sybil's death, Matthew's death, nearly losing Downton both because of your failed investment and the death taxes. You and Cora need each other. She didn't do anything wrong, Robert, and you are being a stubborn fool. I expect you to go find Cora and bring her back where she belongs as soon as possible!" She stood up, turned on her heel and left Robert to his own thoughts.
As he pondered what his mother had said, all the calamities they had weathered and come out even stronger, Robert realized with a painful stab to his conscience that she had been right. Cora was the love of his life, and there could be none other. He could not lose her now!
Robert frantically telephoned the London hotel where Cora stayed when she was in the city. He was shocked to hear that she was already on the train from London to Southampton, ready to sail the next morning!
He quickly packed his travel bag without taking the time to ask Bates for help, partly out of shame of his actions toward Cora. By the time he arrived at the depot, he was nearly late and had to run to catch the train. Once he was aboard, his worries didn't cease to assault his mind. What if she'd already made the decision not to return? What could he say to persuade her to come home to Downton, as well as to his open arms?
Robert didn't get a wink of sleep on the train, instead he waited impatiently until he neared Southhampton. As soon as the train disembarked, he rushed to the docks. What if he was too late? But then he saw Cora standing on the dock, looking sad but determined.
"Cora! Cora! Wait! Don't go!" Robert called out to his wife as he ran along the dock.
She turned around, staring at him as if he were a phantom. "Robert?"
"Yes, it's me. I'm here. Oh, Cora, I've made a terrible mistake. I know you would never betray me," Robert panted, out of breath from his mad dash.
"You do?" Cora was incredulous.
"I do. Please forgive me and come home to me and our bedroom. Please."
Cora's resolve crumbled, as did her brave front. She dove into Robert's arms. "Oh, Robert, of course I forgive you and of course I want to come home. I couldn't stay away from you for a long time. And sailing to Newport is much too long."
"Then let's take these trunks home, shall we? The next train leaves in half an hour."
She nodded and let the porter take them back to the route to the depot. "I didn't want to leave, not really. Not if we are going to be together forever, Robert. That's the only option for me. Can we go home now?" The tears started to fall from her eyes.
"Then that's exactly what we'll do," Robert led her gently toward the train station that would lead them back to Downton, where they would stay forever.
The End