So here it is. The result of my head canon of 'Cora in a dress that barely graces her knees & Robert being flabbergasted by it.' Also bonus points because I gave her a slight bob cut. (It's no Mary Crawley bob, that's fo sho.) I've included the link in the tumblr post as I forgot that likes to delete links :P Anyway, I hope you enjoy it & as always your thoughts are appreciated!
Robert sat at his desk pushed in the back corner of the library, feeling Mary hovering over his right shoulder with a teacup poised in midair, Tom just behind his left, examining papers that Robert wordlessly handed over to him.
They poured over the documents mostly in silence. Only the shuffling of papers, the occasional remark, and the clink of Mary's teacup against the saucer filled the otherwise quiet room as three sets of eyes scanned tiny print typed across various pages that were also marred with personalized signatures.
There were inventories to take of each farm, building costs to consider, rent to keep track of. Plenty of items to keep the three of their minds focused on this particular afternoon.
He was so absorbed in all that needed done, everything else faded away from his mind. The time of day, the day itself in placement of his social calendar was forgotten amidst the work.
That is, until the door to the library swung open and Edith announced herself while reminding him of the day's significance.
"I just came across Mama on my way down," She told them.
"Oh good," Mary replied before disappearing from his side. "She'll be pleased she hasn't missed the children this afternoon."
"Is she coming down?" Robert asked, casting a fleeting glance over his shoulder to see both of his daughters getting tea and cakes from the nearby table.
"I suppose," Edith shrugged, meeting his eye while she explained briefly. "She said she was going up to take off her hat."
He turned back around in his chair, bending forward over a slip of paper that required his signature. "I trust there's a parade of cases following her upstairs as well?" He teased, knowing full well that Cora and Rosamund's shopping excursion about London had undoubtedly yielded a success.
"A few," He heard Edith's voice from the red settee near the fireplace, "but not an unreasonable amount."
Mary snickered, "That's shocking." Her heels clopped against the carpet as she remarked dryly, "Shopping with Aunt Rosamund doesn't generally amount to a reasonable bill."
Robert sighed heavily in agreement, "No, it does not, particularly when she decides to make it a three day excursion." He shifted in his chair again, watching his daughter's seated on opposite sides of one another, exchanging restrained smiles.
Edith turned to face him, "I don't think they were shopping the whole time."
"No?" He echoed, arching a skeptical brow in her direction.
"Didn't Lady Grantham say they were getting their hair done while she was there?" Came Tom's suggestion.
Robert rolled his eyes slightly, letting out a low grumble of, "Well that's still an expense as far as I'm concerned." He capped his pen, and accepted the proffered papers from Tom before he began stacking them in an organized fashion.
"Her hair didn't look that different though," Edith announced, pinching her brow and tilting her head to the side thoughtfully.
Mary tilted back her head, challenging her sister's hesitant observation, "Well how would know if she was wearing a hat?"
"Your Mother's never been one to make drastic changes to her appearance," Robert assured them plainly. "I'm sure there's hardly a difference to notice."
"Neither was I," Mary countered haughtily, pausing to sip on her tea.
"Until recently," Tom nodded in the direction of her neatly cropped hair, his mouth twisting into a knowing half grin.
"You're younger though," Robert insisted, "I doubt very much she'd come back looking like you did that day."
At least, he surely hoped she wouldn't.
He wasn't particularly fond of the look, but Mary carried it rather nicely. It not only suited her sharp features, but also her personality. He couldn't picture his wife carrying it off though with her softer features and more temperate personality.
He barely had time to picture the image in his mind for his second youngest piped up boldly.
"Perhaps I should get a bob."
He let out an audible grumble, shaking his head in disapproval.
"You?" Mary balked, attempting to stifle her amusement. "You'd look like a boy."
"No more than you do," Edith retorted smartly, taking a long sip of her tea.
"Doesn't it only work better for sleeker hair?" Tom guessed, sitting down in the armchair situated by Edith's settee. "Or at least…" He noticed the perplexed look that both his sister's-in law shared, lowering his gaze and shrugging, "that's what I'm told."
Mary smiled at him, wiggling her brow at him while she added, "Sybbie could get one, one day."
"Oh god," He practically cringed at the suggestion. Shaking his head slowly, he admitted, "I don't want to think about that."
"Yes," Edith agreed, sharing in Tom's slight sense of dread. "We still have many years of childhood to tackle with them before we worry about those things, don't we?"
Before anyone could muster a response to this, the door to the library clicked open once more, and the lady of the house entered.
"Hello, my darlings," Cora greeted with a broad smile, her skirt swishing as she walked deeper into the room.
With his wife's appearance Robert stood from his desk, and turned immediately to catch a glimpse of her. His eyes instantly honed in on her hair, widening once he released the dark curls that framed her face hung loosely, barely brushing across her cheekbones.
He barely recognized her with her cropped hair, the creme, translucent silk dress with chocolate polka dots hanging loosely on her body.
She stood just behind the settee where Mary was sitting, bringing her hands out to the side, the bottom of her sleeves fanning out at her wrist with this motion. She glanced between them as though there wasn't anything to be baffled about, wondering lightly, "What have I missed?"
Her mouth curled into a seemingly innocent smile, although it was only for effect. Pressing her palms into the back of the settee, she leaned forward a bit and the low ruffled front billowed gracefully, showing off the airiness of the fabric.
Nobody said anything at first. The whole scene gave everyone a sense of déjà vu as their mouths dropped open, and all they could do was stare in utter surprise as they'd done with Sybil's scandalous harem pants, and Mary's bold cut.
Mary, herself, was soon drawn into curiosity by seeing everyone's shocked expressions directed behind her, and so she shifted in her seat and commented first, breaking the tense silence.
"More like what have we missed?" She gushed, her tone a mix of amazement and approval, "You look marvelous, Mama! Edith never said anything…"
"How could I...?" Came Edith taunt wryly, echoing Mary's earlier words, "She was wearing a hat. And a coat. I couldn't see a thing." Once she regained the upper hand from her sister, she looked back to her mother and added with an encouraging smile, "But in any case, Mary's right, Mama, the new look does agree with you."
Cora's smile deepened, and she reached up to pat the back of her head a bit self-consciously. "Oh thank you, girls," She muttered her gratitude, dipping her head forward before glancing between her two daughters. "I wasn't entirely sure about it at first, but it's starting to grow on me…"
"Cora…what?" Robert finally found his voice, and she stopped talking.
Their eyes fixed on one another's from across the room, and her enthused smile faltered whenever she noticed the look of horror radiating from his face. Slowly shaking his head he wondered, still clearly in shock by the change in her appearance, "What have you done? Your hair."
"Don't fret," She assured lightly, flipping her hand as she strode around the love seat in his general direction, "it's not a real bob. Just a faux one."
But the second she stepped out from behind the piece of plush furniture a new revelation was made known to him. He stood motionless, watching his wife move closer to him, the bottom half of her legs exposed in nothing more than in her nylon stockings.
He blinked several times, trying to convince himself that this was not his wife. Not Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham that he knew after all of these years. For she would never wear a nearly translucent dress that barely fluttered below her knees whenever she walked.
Perhaps he was dreaming. For he felt a jarring sensation in his middle whenever she rose on the balls of her feet to plant a quick kiss at his cheek. Although the feeling didn't rouse him from sleep like it generally did when he dreamt.
Still, this couldn't be happening. He couldn't believe it. So he found himself asking, rather blatantly as his gaze scanned the length of her body.
"Where is the other half of your dress?"
She opened her mouth to explain, but he heard Mary's voice shoot towards him from behind. "Haven't you heard? They've raised the hemlines again, Papa."
This bit of information hit him like that of friendly fire in the heat of battle, bringing him swiftly back to reality.
So it was real. She was really standing before him, wearing this. With her hair like that. Never in a hundred years would he have ever envisioned anything like this.
"Golly, when will it end?" He let out a defeated sigh, slowly turning to move around his wife to retrieve a cup of tea.
"Probably when they run out of things to raise," Tom jabbed playfully, his mouth curling around the edges of his own cup.
This did nothing to quell Robert's discomfort in his wife's wardrobe choice. After he stirred in two lumps of sugar, he handed her the cup before telling her stiffly, "I hope you're not planning on going for anything higher than that."
She took the cup and saucer from his outstretched hands, and responding through gritted teeth. "It's good to see you too, Robert."
Sensing the time for suspended disbelief might creep into an uncomfortable debate, Edith interjected swiftly. "So Tom, will you look in with Rose and Atticus once you've finally settled?"
As he made his response, Cora and Robert were only half listening as they huddled near the tea table, faces only a few inches apart.
Cora sipped her tea, eyeing her husband with a quirked brow. "I would have thought you'd like the new look," She grumbled quietly, cocking her head to the side her tone took on a playful lilt, "Gives you more of your wife to admire."
He bit into a biscuit, countering rather critically, "And more for others to admire as well."
"Oh, it's only daywear," She rolled her eyes, letting out a heavy exhalation. "Who else would see me in it outside of the family?" There was a pause reserved for chewing as they tried to reign in their individual frustrations. "Besides," Cora swallowed adding pointedly, "It's not as though, I've come back in a flapper gown."
"Thank god for that," Robert looked back at their children, all seemingly preoccupied with the conversation in regards to Tom's departure to America. Glancing back at his wife, he still couldn't get over his displeasure about the more permanent alteration. He lowered his gravelly ton, eyes narrowing, "And your hair. Whatever possessed you…?"
"Will you relax?" Her widened eyes shot icy daggers at him as she explained through clenched teeth, "It's not that much shorter."
He frowned, eyes studying it skeptically, which prompted her to explain.
"I just had them clip off a bit more in the front," She gestured carefully with one hand while balancing her cup and saucer in the other palm, "and the rest is tucked underneath to give off the illusion that it's much shorter." She turned her head a bit, showing him precisely what she meant by this.
"Besides," She went on evenly casting another sharp look at him, "it's my hair. I didn't think I needed your permission before I changed it."
This struck a chord of recognition within him, making him feel a bit guilty for being so hard on her. She might be his wife, but she had every right as he did to alter her appearance she pleased. That much still belonged to both of them, even if by law everything else belonged to the other.
"Cora," He leaned forward, the hardened edges of his face disappearing as he began apologetically, "I didn't mean…"
They're conversation is soon interrupted by the pitter patter of tiny feet clopping across the carpet, and squeals of delight that ring about the air as their grandchildren parade into the room.
"Let's not argue about it now," Cora informed him lowly, her eye meeting Sybbie's as she steered her Nanny about the room rather determinedly. Her attention flickered back to Robert for a split second as she added, lifting an appeasing brow, "We'll discuss it later, if it still bothers you."
"But…" His protested died on his lips whenever Sybbie's jovial greeting broke through their side conversation.
"Granny! You're back!" Sybbie tore away from Nanny's grasp and collided into Cora's legs, arms encircling her middle.
Cora stumbled back a step, her tea sloshing precariously in her cup before Robert freed her from any spills or stains on her dress.
"Sybbie, careful now. We don't run in the library," Tom scolded mildly, but it fell on deaf ears as Cora bent forward to embrace her granddaughter tightly, planting a string of sweet kisses atop her head and inciting a melodious giggle from the little girl.
"Yes, my sweet girl, I'm back." Cora then took hold of her arms, prying them from around her middle and peered down into her granddaughter's face. Smiling sweetly she kept hold of Sybbie's hands and swung them back and forth while gushing enthusiastically, "Did you miss, your old Granny?"
Sybbie scrunched her face up as she giggled, "You're not old!"
"But we did miss Granny," Robert intoned, bending low to meet his granddaughter's eye, "didn't we Sybbie?" He winked at her, his elbow nudging her in the side and producing a shrill peal of laughter from her.
She tugged on Cora's hands, chanting excitedly as she bounced from foot to foot, "We did! We did!" She grinned up at her Granny, and Cora felt her heart melt from her sweetness.
Robert then shifted closer to his granddaughter, cupping his hand around her ear, and whispering something inside that made her scrunched up her nose and blush from embarrassment.
"No, Donk," She shook her head, "you say it."
"I can't." He insisted softly to his granddaughter, casting a slight sideways glance up at his wife while continuing to explain to the young girl, "She's cross with me. You'll have to tell her."
Sybbie blinked back at him, clearly not understanding, and Cora felt the grip on her hands lessen. "Go on," Robert urged, placing a reassuring hand on Sybbie's shoulder.
The young girl clasped her hands together in front of her and then peered up at her grandmother, admitting in shy tones, "You did your hair all pretty, Granny."
She then turned away, burrowing her face into Robert's shoulder as if slightly embarrassed by this compliment.
Cora discovered Robert peering up at her rather apologetically, and she felt her heart melt a bit from his thoughtfully orchestrated apology. Her expression lightened in his direction, and she stooped lower, touching Sybbie's back, and asking in a genuinely curious voice, "You really think its pretty, Sybbie?"
Her granddaughter nodded against Robert's shoulder until he turned her to face Cora once more. She took a few steps back and seized the edges of her own hair before piling it messily up on top of her head while admitting with a shy smile. "I wish mine was like yours," She moved from side to side, her focus on trained well at her feet.
Cora saw her cheeks reddening a bit from this bold admission, and she looked over at Robert with a restrained smile of amusement.
"Maybe one day Sybbie," Tom touched her shoulder, steering her back to the place where her other cousin's played. "Come now with me, my darling. Let's leave Granny and Donk to their tea."
They slowly rose to their feet, eyes locked with one another's. She felt his quiet apology staring back at her, and she reached for her teacup resting on the table behind them, ducking her head forward.
"It'll grow back, Robert," She assured quietly, lifting her eye to meet his as she took a sip of the cool drink. "You needn't worry about that."
"I'm not worried," He told her. His hand reached forward, his thumb brushing back a few of the shorter pieces in a bold gesture. He pivoted until his back turned towards their children, and he gestured for Molesley to give him more tea as he murmured in a gently tone only she could hear.
"You do look beautiful."
She snickered, glancing down again while muttering from the corner of her half curved mouth, "Now you're just saying that because you feel guilty for being a grump about it earlier."
Their eyes met in another discrete, sidelong glance prior to feigning interest in separate endeavors that didn't involve one another. Cora faced their children playing with their grandchildren, smiling whenever Edith happened to look up and catch her eye. Robert pretended to be wholly interested in stirring the milk and sugar into his tea.
He mumbled, "I'm saying it because it's true."
"Thank you," She replied gratefully, smiling at the contents swirling around in her cup.
Once she finished with it, Cora turned, facing the windows like him. She reached for a tiny sandwich, biting into it.
"I'll admit it was a bit of a shock, at first," Robert confessed, his eyes sweeping across the expanse of her styled hair once as if seeking reassurance that her explanation had been correct. That it wasn't a true bob, but a more modernized version of a hair style she wished to emulate.
Cora shot him a thoughtful look as he went on softly.
"I hadn't seen you in days, and you return looking so…lovely…with all your new improvements and things and...Well we're getting on, you know?" He shrugged, glancing down now, his shoulders slumping a bit with this next admission. "And you're getting on better with all the changes than I am and I just…well I hope I'm not one of the changes you feel you need to…"
"Robert…" She exhaled, her hand pressing firmly into his sleeve, forcing his gaze.
He saw the familiar softness in her features as she spoke confidently, "Just because I change the way I look, doesn't mean it changes me. Or the way I feel about you."
"I know," He nodded, keeping his eye down before staring back out of the windows, flooding the room with a brilliant sunlight. "It's silly, and irrational," He went on sincerely before a ripple crossed his next words. "And I'm sorry for being a grump."
There was another ripple of amusement echoing from her, and she smiled just as broadly as she had when she first stepped into the library. "Well, so long as you're my grump and no one else's, I forgive you." She squeezed his arm momentarily, releasing it and turning back around to watch the children.
They were entirely engrossed in building a town entirely out of wooden blocks. Sybbie passed her Aunt Mary, who sat back on her knees, the blocks for the taller buildings, cheering excitedly as Mary stuck them into place. Edith sat cross legged on the other side, Marigold resting in her lap, cooing her praises as her daughter reached for the smaller bricks and dropped them against the carpet much to her own amusement. And Tom was lounging on the floor in between them all, helping George build a garage where his toy could rest.
It was a scene that made her think of times gone by. They all looked so happy, working and playing together without any regard for anything else around them. It was this notion that suddenly gave Cora an idea that might help assuage the present situation with Robert.
She nudged him in the arm with her elbow, leaning into his side, and dropping her voice down to nearly an inaudible tone. "You know, I didn't just get new daywear when I was away," In spite of its softness, there was no mistaking the coy edge that worked its way into her words.
"No?" Robert shot her a curious look.
She shook her head slowly, her mouth splitting into a devious smirk that danced across her lips. "Maybe you'd like to…sneak upstairs and see some of my new evening wear as well?"
He frowned, misunderstanding the meaning behind her suggestion, "You mean gowns?"
"No, not gowns," She enunciated more throatily, her intent flashing across her teasing visage.
"Oh! That!" He intoned loudly, and Cora reached for his arm, effectively silencing him with a tight squeeze.
They froze, staring at one another before casting a cautious glance at their children to ensure his realization didn't draw them from their playtime.
Thankfully, none of them seemed to notice as the Lord and His Lady quietly slipped out of the library in order to see what other modern fashions of a more intimate nature she had thoughtfully procured for her husband's pleasure.
Let me know your thoughts & excuse the typos...I wrote this without giving it a thorough once over so apologies for gross mistakes!