Be My (Cobert) Valentine: My Hero
13 February 1893
"Oh, come on Robert, it'll be fun," Cora said, taking his hand and grinning broadly.
"Cora, you know I don't like things like that. It seems silly," he retorted, instantly regretting his words when he saw her smile falter. "Cora, darling, I didn't mean it like that."
"Didn't you. You practically called one of my favourite winter activities silly. There's barely any snow in England and I want to go skating," she pouted, her bottom lip trembling.
"Alright, tomorrow morning, we'll go ice skating on a frozen pond, but Cora, if you start getting cold, tell me and we'll come right back, I don't want you getting sick," he said. "Agreed?"
Cora nodded and smiled again, kissing her husband eagerly, happy that she had made him agree to her little plan.
The next morning, Valentine's Day, Cora and Robert left Downton hand in hand with their skates. Robert's were borrowed from his father, who had said that while he loved it, he wouldn't be skating anymore. Cora had tried to not laugh when Robert told her he didn't have his own pair. Since Cora had arrived at Downton, it would usually have been her and Patrick that would go skating, with or without Rosamund, depending on whether she was here or in London, spending time with her then fiance, now husband, Marmaduke Painswick. Now, since Rosamund was living in London and Patrick was too tired to be skating, she dragged her husband along. It was no use asking her mother-in-law to go, since she was staying at home with her husband.
Cora half dragged Robert to the frozen pond where she, Rosamund and Patrick had skated many times before. She sat on a log, changing into her skates, telling Robert to do the same. He sighed and sat beside her, removing his boots and putting the skates on. She stood up, steadying herself and offering a hand to Robert who took it and stood, nearly falling over. Cora giggled loudly, pulling Robert onto the ice with her. "Cora, darling, I don't want to," he moaned. "It doesn't seem safe."
"Oh, Robert, it's safe, I've been skating on ponds and rivers practically my whole life, in America and here," she said. "I won't let you fall."
"It's my job to make sure you don't fall, not yours to make sure I don't fall," he said.
"You've never let me fall Robert, now it's time to return the favour," she said with a smile. "Come on." Robert smiled back at her as they stepped onto the ice together. Robert looked down at his feet, looking back at Cora with an expression that seemingly was asking what on Earth he was supposed to do. "Have you never skated before?" she asked.
Robert shook his head and smiled at her, his face going red. "I'm really embarrassed," he said. "I'm going to fall on my damn ass."
"Don't talk like that!" Cora scolded. "Bad boy with the language."
"Sorry," he pouted. "But show me what to do."
"Would you like to sit while I show you, then you can come give it a try?" she asked. Robert nodded and looked at Cora for help off the ice. The smile returned to her face as she helped her husband off the ice and back to the log. "Just watch me." He nodded slightly.
"I do little else, my darling," he said, pressing a kiss to her lips before sitting on the log.
For the next ten minutes or so, Robert sat and watched Cora in awe as she skated around the ice, calling out little things to him so that he would make note of them to not fall. Every time she looked at him, she was smiling. Robert kept watching until he heard a loud crack and Cora's smile turn to a look of fear. Robert stood up, the ice had cracked, while Cora was on it. Not good. That is very bad, he thought. He watched as Cora moved very slowly, trying to not panic, until the ice gave way underneath her and she fell into the icy water. Robert's jaw dropped and he took barely any time to get from the log onto the ice, trying to remember what Cora had taught him and stopping right beside the hole. Cora was underneath the water, bringing Robert to near tears. Thankfully, the water wasn't too deep, but it was still cold.
He reached his arm into the water, grabbing Cora and pulling her up onto the ice. Her eyes were shut and she was shivering heavily. Robert pulled her into his arms, positive that she was unconscious from the freezing cold water. Her wet hair froze because of the cold temperature and frost began to appear. He checked for Cora's pulse, noticing right away that it was elevated. Oh no. Cora, please be alright, he thought. This is all my fault. I let you fall. Forgive me and give me another chance to take care of you. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cold lips, that would turn blue soon if hypothermia set in. He knew he wouldn't have time to go and fetch the doctor now and get back in time without risking her life. He would have to carry her back to Downton, she needed to get into the warmth. And the Doctor would need to summoned. He carefully skated off the ice, surprising himself. He knew how to skate in an emergency. Once he was off the ice and back to the log, he quickly put his boots back on, picking up Cora's and carrying them with his skates and Cora in his arms.
He hurried back to Downton, telling Charles the footman to summon the Doctor while he carried Cora up the stairs to their bedroom. He first brought her to his dressing room, putting her onto the bed and going to get her some warm clothes. He returned quickly after grabbing her a nightgown, her dressing gown and slippers. He pulled off her wet clothes, replacing them with the dry ones and carrying her into their bedroom and placing her under the sheets and duvet on their bed. He slipped back into his dressing room to change into dry clothes, since his had got wet from pulling Cora from the pond and carrying her back. Once he was changed, he went back to their bedroom, slipping under the covers and pulling her into his arms, trying to get her warm. He felt her skin gradually get warmer, thanking God that the kitchen maid had lit a fire. He felt her stir after a while. He looked at her.
"What happened?" she asked, quietly. "I thought we were skating."
"We were, but you fell through the ice and I had to pull you out," he said. "Good news, watching you taught me how to skate, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get across the ice to pull you out. I'm sorry for failing you."
"Failing me?" she asked. "You saved me."
"I let you fall," he said. "I'm so ashamed. I'm your husband. It should have been me to go through that ice."
"No," she said sternly. "Because I wouldn't have had the physical strength to pull you from that water. I would have lost you, and I couldn't live with that. Losing you would destroy me."
"Oh, darling, I'm sorry, I didn't think about that," he said. "I was so scared, I can't lose my most precious treasure, can I?"
"Just as I couldn't lose mine," she replied. "Now, the water is cold this time of year, and I'm still a bit chilly. Would you do your wife the favour of warming her up?"
"Gladly," he replied, gently rolling her onto her back and pulling her nightgown up, realizing then that he hadn't put fresh drawers on his wife. He blushed a deep shade of red. "Well, er... I was more worried about getting you into dry clothes than grabbing the everyday necessities."
Cora began giggling as her husband's face got redder by the second. "Maybe next time I save you from a freezing pond, I'll forget to put your drawers on again."
"Don't push it, Robert," she said, pulling his lips onto hers as he started to warm her in the best way he knew.
Author's Note: Sorry it's late Coberts. Hope you enjoyed this little cobert fic. Not exactly smutty, but I wasn't going to make them go at it in the snow when his goal was to get Cora warm. I know my prompt word wasn't used in the fic, but there was no way I could have added it in, but the picture, mixed with the word armour made me think this, and honestly, he was her knight in shining armour, no need to say it. I hope everyone thought it worked out well. Happy late Valentine's Day, hope your Valentine's days were almost as exciting and Robert and Cora's. 3
As always, I'd love to thank my lovely beta Shelley aka Settees-under-siege. She is truly fabulous. I love you dearie.