A/N: Written to go along with the scene in episode 4 with the soup kitchen after Cora and O'Brien arrive to join in. Unrelenting slashiness and longing looks and hand holding.
Sarah O'Brien turned around, intending to reach for her third loaf of bread, armed with a knife to cut it into equal sized but instead came startling close to slashing Cora's sleeve. She moved the weapon immediately back and hoped Cora hadn't noticed how close she'd come to doing her an injury and thankfully for her, the Countess was so distracted being Lady Benevolent that she scarcely noticed her maid's near blunder.
Edging between Cora and Daisy she managed a small smile for the young kitchen maid who was grinning giddily up at her as she revelled in the attention and the sheer bloody goodness of what they were doing, and Sarah supposed she should be feeling similarly useful, but instead she was busy watching the soldiers. Particularly the one that was making a grab for a practically full basket of bread. She reached forwards and snatched it off the table before he would – little sod had the indecency to look at her like she'd made a mistake about him! – and sent him a warning glance.
She watched him with beady eyes until a light clearing of a throat caught her attention and she looked round to find Cora watching her.
"He tried to be a bread thief m'lady."
Cora tried her hardest to give Sarah a reproachful look but it quickly turned into a smile instead. She couldn't be at all angry with the other woman if she tried, even if she had accused these people of stealing for profit, but it was an easy mistake to make, wasn't it? And the important thing was Sarah had told her out of concern for her. She didn't think it was possible to be any more fond of Sarah than she already was, but every day she grew fonder.
She gently took the bread basket from her maid and placed a slice on the soldiers plate with a charming smile before grinning at Sarah again.
"See? He just wanted a slice. Why don't you smile at them a little? You have a beautiful smile, O'Brien."
Sarah glared at the soldiers retreating back feeling sure she knew his game even if Cora didn't – she always had been a bit too innocent for her own good. The boy had been eying up the basket and probably the Countess as well… was it really necessary to smile at everyone that much? Surely being fed by a Countess should be enough for them?
"I'm better off choppin' bread m'lady. I reckon these men would prefer a smile off you...or Daisy," she added at the last minute.
She managed a small smile for Cora, one that the rest of the staff never saw and she seldom felt like doing outside of Cora's bedroom.
"I'll try an' be nicer..." She had been trying, it wasn't her bloody fault that someone had tried to steal the bread after all.
Cora grinned and leaned in to kiss Sarah's cheek on impulse, giddy from the excitement of the day and feeling terribly good being so helpful and actually getting out of the house for once! These men deserved so much more than a slice of bread and a bowl of soup after everything they had done to keep people like her beautiful girls and Sarah O'Brien safe, and they would all smile whether they liked it or not! She spooned another lot of soup into another bowl with a smile and sent the young soldier off on his way.
"You're doing fine, O'Brien. I'm glad you're here with me. I think we make a marvellous team, don't you?"
Sarah blushed from the rare physical contact and immediately saw one of the men turn to his companion and grin – was Cora quite aware of what she was doing she wondered – but she forced herself not to glare at this one, Cora could still see her now after all. She turned her head downwards to try and contain her pink cheeks before finally managing a slightly crooked smile for Cora.
"I've always thought so m'lady."
She reached into the basket and handed bread to the man waiting, managing to keep the smile on her face and getting one in return. It didn't fill her with quite the same feeling of triumph that a smile from Cora did, but it still made her feel a little bit better about being the designated bread chopper did.
"Well I suppose that didn't kill me."
"See?"
Cora beamed happily and stirred the soup to check the pots contents. This soldier was particularly handsome and she secretly gave him some extra vegetables; Rosamund would be so proud of her! Rosamund would love this actually, and it was a pity she wasn't here, but Cora was certain she was doing her own special bit for the war effort. The next soldier in line was momentarily distracted by the little kitchen maid, who was really rather pretty in a mousy sort of way, giving her a chance to turn to Sarah.
"You're doing splendidly, O'Brien. And if I'm not mistaken, that gentleman responded rather favourably to your smile indeed."
The idea made her the tiniest bit uncomfortable, but she supposed nobody would want to lose a maid as good as Sarah O'Brien.
"He did indeed m'lady."
She couldn't help the slight surprise in her voice. The occasions upon which men treated her as anything other than part of the background were few and far between. Even Thomas treated her more as a sister and Mr Lang...well Mr Lang was gone now and he'd been too damaged for much of anything anyway.
"I suppose coming back from the war they're so starved of women even me and Mrs Bird start looking appealing."
She managed another smile for Cora and handed over some bread to the handsome soldier. He smiled at her even without prompting and she smiled back after she reminded herself that none of these men had done her any harm and somewhere her remaining brothers might be getting looked after by other women and a smile might make all the difference.
Cora felt another uncomfortable flutter in her belly, like butterflies but not the good kind and she spooned some more soup into another bowl, her smile decidedly weaker this time and without the brilliance of before. She gave Sarah her best smile but it was more than a little half hearted.
"Don't sell yourself short, O'Brien. You're a wonderful woman. I'm surprised more men aren't interested in you."
The nearest soldier grinned again, clearly in agreement and Cora gave him her sweetest possible smile.
"There are others in the queue dear, we wouldn't want to deprive them of Miss O'Brien's smile, would we?"
The man moved on and Sarah really did feel like burying her bloody head in the soup with embarrassment, it couldn't possibly get any redder than it felt at the moment and she knew that her black clothes probably weren't making it any better. She placed the basket of bread back down on the table, her feeling of discomfort giving her an idea of how she could distract herself from Cora's smile and how much she wanted to stare at her without a thought for the men.
"The only men that I know who are ever interested in me are usually after one thing."
Off Cora's vaguely scandalised look Sarah grinned and reached into her little bag that she had secured on the floor along with Cora's and removed the packet of cigarettes she'd purchased only yesterday.
"I don't know a single man who's got the sense to buy his own cigarettes," she left her place at Cora's side, mingling amongst the men already eating and passed out cigarettes to anyone who asked for one, feeling much more in her element rolling her eyes and pretending they were all Thomas.
Cora wasn't sure passing out cigarettes was the best thing for these men really; surely it wasn't very healthy? But they had much bigger things to worry about than smelling of cigarette smoke, and soldiers seemed to like smoking so she could hardly tell O'Brien to stop. But watching her mingle and laugh and attract so much male attention made her oddly uncomfortable, and there was a decided sickness in her stomach that hadn't been there before.
She had a job to do though and she couldn't stop doing it just because she didn't like the idea of O'Brien falling in love and leaving her. She started smiling again, just as bright as before as she started passing out both the soup and the bread, seen as though O'Brien had abandoned her post, and cast a look in her direction.
"You know O'Brien, I read an article in the Sketch; it might not be a good idea to smoke cigarettes."
Sarah's opinion of the Sketch was woolly at best. After Cora had done with it for the day she usually took it away and left it in her own room to read in the evening. More often than not there was some hairstyle or clothing that Cora had liked and Sarah had found it useful, especially around Cora's birthday. But the articles left a lot to be desired - Sarah knew she wasn't very worldly but she didn't at all agree that arranging flowers was relaxing or that the novels of Austen and Alcott were words to live by - and she wasn't about to believe that smoking was bad for her!
"Would you like me to give them up m'lady? The rate I'm giving them out these days I'll have none left anyway."
She smiled over one seated soldiers head directly at Cora, slightly mocking and fond and not at all intending to give up her beloved fag break.
Despite the fluttering still in her belly, Cora couldn't help but smile and shook her head gently.
"No, O'Brien. I wouldn't want to deprive you of your one vice. The Sketch has been known to be wrong on occasion."
She turned back to the soldier in front of her with a charming grin and served him an extra dollop of soup, blushing a fair bit as he thanked her rather profusely and with a little wink. If the men were this appreciative, she could see why Rosamund liked doing this so much!
Sarah, now completely out of cigarettes and wondering how likely Cora was to let her stop on their way home to buy some more, returned to her station with the bread and resumed her work. Being by Cora's side made her feel safer and she had quite recovered from her bout of fluttery embarrassment. Being amongst the men and having them appreciate her for once was rather nice, but one word of favour from Cora made her feel happier inside than anything any of them could ever say.
"I've got none left now anyway, so it doesn't matter if the Sketch was right does it?"
She smiled and reached out to steady Cora's hand, it was looking suspiciously as though she was about to spill the spoonful of soup.
"Careful m'lady. You'll burn yourself."
Cora paused for a moment as she felt Sarah's hand on hers and momentarily held her breath. The fluttering had suddenly increased and she didn't understand it all! Things with Sarah were usually so absurdly easy and now they were so...unsettling! Just because she'd been flirting with a few soldiers! She managed to steady her hand with Sarah's help - she really had been terribly close to burning herself - and cast a soft smile over her shoulder.
"Thank you, O'Brien. I dread to think how many accidents I would have had without you here." She looked back to the soup, stirring it once again so the next soldier got an equal share of vegetables. "We'll get you some more on the way back."
Sarah mentally ran through the catalogue of all the various accidents she had come close to averting with Cora and found she had to stop herself around 1906 when the list began to get too long for her to think of without writing it down. She smiled instead and grudgingly removed her hand from Cora's.
"There's no need m'lady. I'm sure I can cope without them for a little while. Or else Thomas can finally give me one of his."
She turned to catch Mrs Patmore's eye and silently reached for the fresh pot of soup.
"I think you might be running out m'lady and I doubt the men'll stand for that! No matter how much either of us smile at them."
"Oh I don't know about that."
Cora smiled at Mrs Patmore as she came and took away the near empty bowl, and glanced apologetically at the ever growing line of soldiers. They didn't seem particularly upset though, and she put that down to the small army of women they had serving them. She looked back to Sarah, and her smile became decidedly mischievous.
"We seem to be doing rather well so far."
She peered over her shoulder and beamed at the men and noted several blushes with a great deal of satisfaction. She might have had three children but she certainly still had the ability to make a young man blush!
"We should go into business, you and I. Think of the business we could attract with the force of our smiles alone."
Sarah couldn't quite resist letting out a laugh and pointedly ignored the fact that next to her Daisy froze solid with surprise and didn't seem able to move.
"Do you reckon m'lady? I dread to think what we could do...a dress shop maybe? I'll do the sewing and you can sell the merchandise and we'll make your fortune again?"
Sarah fixed her smile to her face and tried not to feel awkward. She had no right to speak of Cora's fortune did she? She'd been chastised for being less forward than that in the past and no matter how much time had passed between them it seemed she still wasn't able to keep her mouth shut just when they were being friendly. She handed bread over to a young man looking at them both as though he'd got more than one idea about the kind off business the two of them could go into and raised her eyebrow sharply until he moved along.
Cora giggled and spooned some soup into the man's bowl. He seemed terribly amused by the both of them, in the same way that Rosamund seemed to be amused by everyone, and she couldn't help but give him a small wink, leaning against Sarah's side and getting another spoonful of soup ready.
"A dress shop sounds marvellous. You're talented enough after all and I..." She trailed off and tried to think of something she could do, but beyond the odd Countess smile and a generous financial contribution to the cause, she certainly couldn't help out practically! But she was willing to try. "You might have to teach me how to sew."
Sarah giggled and picked up the other spoon on the table, dipping her spoon into the pot to serve a soldier as Cora did, handing him bread as an afterthought. Cora might have started this as a production line but it would go much smoother if she was serving soup as well as the bread, it wasn't like she couldn't cope with doing both. The thought of Cora trying to sew properly, after the amount of times the embroidery had gone wrong, was somehow wonderful and hilarious and Sarah wanted to spend days teaching her in the privacy of Cora's room. The man walking past gave them a grin before turning to his friend and giggling like a girl and Sarah wondered what on earth Cora was doing to these boys and why she was just as malleable in her hands.
"We tried that before m'lady. If I recall it took us half an hour to unpick the stitches from your sleeve and detach you."
Cora peered across at Sarah and knitted her brow for a moment, watching her actions and taking note before serving the next soldier some soup and some bread, grinning at herself in satisfaction and giving this soldier a wink too. She was starting to have ridiculous amounts of fun now, and any moment Violet was going to burst in and tell her how inappropriately she was behaving; either that or Rosamund was going to burst in and join her...but she rather liked it being just her and Sarah.
"That doesn't mean we can't try again." She smiled at Sarah, more than a little taken with the idea of running a business with her. "Or you could teach me something else and I can be of some use to you. Surely there's something I can be good for."
Sarah could think of a number of things off the top of her severely deprived head but she didn't imagine Cora had heard of such things either in or out of polite society – Lady Rosamund might be a wild one at heart but Sarah had the feeling she sheltered her little sister-in-law as much as she could. She contained her blush this time, prepared for Cora to make comments like this, she always did after all, and instead grinned in pleasure at standing next to Cora like this and working together. It was something ludicrously simple but pleasing.
"You can already do plenty of things m'lady, it's just a matter of finding a way to use them productively." Sarah bit her tongue, she sounded like Mrs Hughes for Christ's sake! She nudged her arm against Cora's daringly - the one with the bread, she wasn't stupid after all – and grinned. "I've heard you sing m'lady, you can always entertain the customers."
"Sing?"
Cora giggled and did her best to control the blush spreading over her cheeks at the feel of Sarah's arm against hers. She didn't quite understand why she felt so odd around Sarah all of a sudden, but...well, whatever it was it, she was reluctant for it to end and she leaned into the other woman's arm, and after a while leaned her head momentarily against her shoulder.
"I'm not sure my vocal talents will be needed in a dress shop, O'Brien, but I'd be willing to give you a private recital."
She grinned up at Sarah and reluctantly raised her head, curling her fingers around the soup ladle again.
"Thought I'm afraid my voice isn't particularly impressive."
Sarah thought about the times she had heard Cora singing in the bath and wondered whether that quite counted as a private recital. She'd certainly heard it enough times in their fourteen years together and it occurred to her she'd spent nearly as many years with Cora as she'd spent at home before leaving for work. Cora's hair tickled her neck and though soldiers all seemed to find it a little more interesting than they perhaps should Sarah didn't blame them and resisted the urge to kiss Cora's forehead and instead savoured the scent.
"Oh it is m'lady, I've heard it after all." She smirked and quirked her eyebrow. "Although my old friend Vera always had the best voice I'd ever heard but then was trying to get paid in the pub. I bet if you really tried you could sing beautifully." She blushed and smiled self-deprecatingly. "I think the Vicar would 'ave thrown me out of the Sunday service if he could. I was a bit loud when I was young."
Cora smiled softly and momentarily abandoned the bread, taking Sarah's hand and entwining their fingers. The soldiers would just have to wait for now - they seemed happy to watch anyway!
"I'm sure you have a beautiful voice O'Brien. I've heard you humming on the odd occasion. You may not have your friend 'Vera's' voice-" She tried to keep the jealousy out of her voice at that, "-but you can certainly carry a tune."
She squeezed Sarah's hand again and finally let go with more than a little reluctance and cast a look in the direction of the soldiers.
"I wish there was something more we could do for them. Food is one thing, but they deserve so much more."
Sarah practically threw bread at the men, having lost interest in them for the most part. She wanted to help of course but when Cora was holding her hand it really did make most other things seem unimportant - the world fell away and she wanted to smoother Cora in silk and feathers, she knew how much her Countess loved them. She didn't exactly rate her judgement over her singing though, Cora had certainly never heard her sing before after all - she certainly didn't remember humming - but she was quite right about her not having Vera's voice at any rate.
"I don't suppose you fancy starting a sing-a-long do you m'lady? I don't know what songs we'll both know but I can always hum for you." She grinned at the break in Cora's voice. Why would she be funny about Vera? Cautiously Sarah pushed her theory. "I always used to for Vera."
Cora had to work hard to keep the smile on her face after that but she managed somehow. She couldn't quite prevent the catch in her voice though, and it was slowly starting to dawn on her why exactly the mention of a woman she'd never even met made her feel so uncomfortable. Wasn't this exactly how she'd felt when she'd first fallen in love with Robert? She couldn't mistake the feeling in her chest, and the fluttering in her stomach, and this afternoon had made both feeling so painfully obvious. Dear god, how had this happened? She forced another smile, returning to the soup and bread.
"A sing-a-long? Here? Somehow I can't imagine these boys being too keen on the idea."
Sarah smiled around at the boys, somehow it came more naturally whilst she was talking to Cora, and wondered exactly what ideas these boys were keen on. She thought she might have a feeling given how their eyes were roaming over Cora and, moving as subtly as she could, Sarah edged a little bit closer and reached around Cora on the pretence of picking up a knife. Her proximity to her ladyship certainly made more of them smile and she felt the amusement bubble inside – she could entertain the boys and be close to Cora at the same time, it was perfect!
"I don't know m'lady, I think they'd be up for anything you suggested to them. Look," she grinned up at Cora. "They can't stop staring at you."
Cora peered down and bit her lip to suppress the grin that was threatening to overwhelm her entire face. They had the undivided attention of every single male in the room, and married or not Cora rather liked the attention. And not just from the men. She felt her cheeks begin to heat at Sarah's gaze and she ducked her head to hide the blush. The closer Sarah got, the warmer she felt, until she began to think perhaps this wasn't just an act after all, but an excuse to be as close to the other woman as possible. She glanced quickly across the room – there were some people in this room that didn't need to see her flirting with her lady's maid after all – and pressed herself closer still.
"Us O'Brien. I'm fairly sure they're staring at us, together."
She smirked across at Sarah and brushed her fingers over her hip as she reached around her for some fabricated reason she'd figure out in a moment.
Sarah would never for a moment have imagined that Cora would cotton on to her idea quite like this or even join in with such gusto but she found herself utterly delighted and couldn't help the grin that spread over her face. She looked over the men and winked swiftly at the handsome soldier they had spotted earlier, earning him a guffaw of laughter from his friends when he nearly choked on his soup. She supposed getting any kind of advance off a woman whose facial expression hadn't moved for the first half an hour they'd been here must be a little bit shocking, but his choking was a bit excessive.
"You know what, I think they might be." She turned her body towards Cora's, reaching out to wipe at a fleck of flour that had appeared on her bodice, taking her time to wipe it over and not moving her gaze from the soldiers. "If Mrs Hughes could see me now she'd have a fit."
"If my mother-in-law could see me now she'd have a fit."
Cora held her breath as Sarah's finger brushed over her bodice, and for a moment, a moment of utter madness, she looked to her lips and so very nearly began to lean in. Five minutes ago this had been nothing but a joke, with a simmering undertone she could just about ignore, but now it was so much more.
"Aren't we being a little unfair on them? They've been fighting for their country after all. They at least deserve to see a kiss!"
She broke off, shutting her mouth immediately and went more than a little pale at the suggestion. The soldiers may or may not deserve a kiss, but it was what she wanted, wasn't it?*
To Sarah it felt as though her heart had dropped into her stomach and she felt unable to breath. Had Cora just suggested what she thought she had? It wasn't possible was it?
She carefully placed a spoonful of soup into a bowl and handed him a piece of bread – the man was blushing slightly and Sarah thought he had probably overheard. But he must have misinterpreted it too. She nudged her shoulder against Cora's, wishing for once that she was nearer Cora in height and didn't feel so small.
"See a kiss?" She furrowed her brow but still couldn't resist the vaguely flirtatious tone in her voice. "I think most of the people in this room want one off you."
Cora thought Sarah was probably right, and suspected they'd rather like a kiss from her maid too, but she was more concerned with whether Sarah might want one from her, and whether it was a good idea at all. Of course it wasn't. She was married and Sarah was her maid and this had all got so absurdly out of hand...but oh god, did she want to kiss her. She forced her brightest and utterly non-confused smile and followed Sarah's lead, serving the next soldier in line with another cheeky wink.
"Perhaps we should forget the dress shop idea altogether? We could make a great deal of money charging a shilling for a kiss. We could set up a stall in the village. You'd like that, wouldn't you dear?"
Cora grinned at the soldier again and Sarah waited for the man to blush. If a man had blushed for her then his friend was probably going to spontaneously combust for Cora and her teasing smile. She couldn't quite remove her eyes from Cora's lips and instead tried to distract herself by serving more food – they seemed to be getting towards the end of the line now – it wouldn't do to dwell on how much she wanted to lean forward and entertain the boys in a rather more provocative manner. Mrs Patmore was starting to pack up her pots and pans and with Daisy, move to the other room to start washing up so soon they would be alone with the men and maybe singing just wouldn't be enough for these soldiers…
"I think a shilling might be selling ourselves short m'lady. I'm sure we could think of something to charge them a whole pound for."
As Sarah had predicted, the soldier blushed a rather unnatural shade of red and bumbled a response that Cora couldn't quite make out, but she was rather humbled by his reaction. She'd never realised she was quite this alluring, but then she was married to Robert, whose range of compliments extended to 'nice' and 'good'. He'd never blushed for her, and he'd certainly never stared at her like he hoped her clothes might magically fall off... did she dare hope that was how Sarah was looking at her right now? She swallowed and turned back to the line of soldiers, trying to decipher exactly what they could do together that might be worth more than a kiss, but the answer was rather obvious, wasn't it? Her tummy fluttered as her mind ran rampant, and she very nearly poured soup all over the next soldier's hand.
"Well...if we can't come up with anything, I'm sure one of these young men can."
Sarah reached out and took the spoon from Cora's hand, using her own to fill the last bowl and smiling at the soldier boy as kindly as she could.
"There we go m'lady. That's the last one as well."
The other side of Cora Mr Molesley smiled bashfully at her and wondered after Mrs Bird like a lost puppy dog, leaving them entirely alone with the soldiers. It occurred to Sarah that if she were to kiss Cora now then no one would ever know but the two of them and roomful of desperate and no doubt grateful young blokes and throwing caution to the wind she leant back against the table behind her, not quite sitting on it but smiling up to Cora with blissful exhaustion.
"They'll only start asking for your picture to put up in their little trench dugouts if you give them the chance, m'lady. Don't know quite what I can do though."
Cora couldn't help but giggle at the idea of scores of young men plastering her photograph to their makeshift walls - she couldn't pretend she wasn't flattered by the idea, but she was more concerned by the fact Sarah didn't realise that half of the men - hell, all of them - in this room would pay double what her fortune had amounted for a night with her, or even just a quick tumble in the sheets. Alarmingly she would give everything she had for a fraction of that. Cora arched her brow as she attempted to clean up some of the kitchen equipment, grinning as a dozen or so of the soldiers jumped up to help her. She turned back to Sarah with her brow still raised, and folded her arms underneath her breasts.
"Don't be silly, O'Brien. Everybody in this room would kill to touch you."
She forgot to disclude herself, but she would have been lying if she had, wouldn't she?
Sarah smiled up at her and reached for Cora's hand, squeezing it gently and wishing so much she could pretend Cora had meant what it sounded like. But her ladyship had always been a tad silly – she probably didn't even realise what she was saying even if Sarah wanted to believe what she had said to be gospel. She contented herself with holding Cora's hand for a moment, daring really given their respective positions, and ignoring pointedly the lascivious stares they were receiving from the assembled soldiers now. The handsome one was out and out gawking and Sarah wished for a moment she had Lady Rosamund's bravery and could use his obvious interest to talk Cora into bed. She wasn't sure how, but she knew Lady Rosamund would manage it somehow.
"It's very kind of you to say m'lady, but I think I'm long since passed my best. Not that I was ever exactly chased after."
Cora thought any man who overlooked Sarah O'Brien needed to be examined by a doctor! She wasn't just beautiful, she was stupidly clever and Cora had never understood how some man hadn't made her his wife. But she was admittedly rather glad that no man ever had and she squeezed Sarah's hand in return, smiling like a love-struck girl during her first season and utterly oblivious to the stares of the men around them, completely lost on the warmth of the other woman's smile.
"It's their loss. I suppose I should be glad...I don't think I could bear to be without you." She smiled somewhat shyly and rubbed her thumb over the back of Sarah's hand, inching almost unconsciously closer to the other woman's body. "I don't suppose there's anything I could do to persuade you never to leave me?"
Sarah could think of a number of things that Cora could do to keep her, but none that they could do in front of the young soldiers and absolutely none that wouldn't make them infamous amongst the entire soldier community in Yorkshire. But maybe that would be worth the looks she'd get every time she left the house or encountered a solider…did it really matter? She spent most of her time in Cora's room anyway. She threw caution to the wind and darted up to kiss Cora's cheek, feeling her whole body bubble with warmth uncontrollably.
"You don't need to do anything, I'm not going anywhere. I've told you enough times now." She smiled and squeezed her hand again, matching Cora and running her thumb over the back of her palm wishing her skin wasn't so calloused. She laughed quietly. "I don't mind incentives though."
Cora could think of a few incentives she wouldn't mind trying out, and all of them involved Sarah's stupidly soft lips on every inch of her body, not just her cheek, though it had been wonderful as a starting point. It had made her want so much more though, and, blushing, she leaned in to reciprocate the kiss, pressing her own lips to Sarah's cheek and lingering for a moment.
"Oh? You'll have to elaborate. I'm determined to keep you and I'm not opposed to a little bribery." She became suddenly and impossibly aware of how close they both were and, rather boldly, at least for her, raised her hand to rest it against Sarah's hip. "What do you want, O'Brien?"
Sarah wanted to pull them both out of the room, away from all the gawping soldiers – was Cora unaware of how their proximity was making the men stare? – and push her against the nearest wall she could find. She wanted it to be night, for them to be alone in Cora's room and to have her hands on the delicate laces of her corset. She licked her lips and smiled.
"A lot of things, but nothin' I need. I'm quite happy where I am for the time being." And she was. She might want to take Cora back to her room and do things that would make Lord Grantham blush but she was happy just to be here and hold her hand.
"Although no one else would have me," she pressed closer against Cora, reaching around her to check everything was still in her bag, like these soldiers were thieves, but very aware that her chest was pressing against Cora's side.
Cora sucked in a breath at the sensation of Sarah's breasts against her side, and fought desperately against the urge to lean in to the touch and lost. She pressed her body into Sarah's and did her best not to show just how much she was enjoying it, but dear god she felt good, so good that she wanted to take her hand right now and drag her out of the room and against the nearest flat surface. She angled her head slightly, meeting Sarah's eyes and threw caution completely out of the window. There was no going back now, and at least if she was mistaken she was a Countess and she could laugh it all off.
"I'd have you, O'Brien."
Sarah's breath caught in her throat and her mouth ran dry at Cora's words and, even with all the rational thoughts in the world, she couldn't pretend that she didn't understand Cora's meaning anymore. But what the hell was she supposed to do? She couldn't very well pin Cora to the table and pounce on top of her could she, but they had said something about giving the soldiers something. She pressed her hand against Cora's hip and reached up to kiss her cheek, closer to her lips this time and catching the corner of them gently.
"You can have whatever you like. I thought…" She looked at her feet, feeling her cheeks flush and feeling unsure. "I thought you knew that by now."
Cora felt her head spin, momentarily dizzy with relief unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. The possibility of Sarah not wanting her in return, even if she could have laughed it off as a silly misunderstanding, made her heart lurch in pain, but this, Sarah wanting her and caring for her and ready to give herself completely, was more wonderful than anything she'd ever know. She slid her hand to Sarah's cheek, tilting up her head to meet her eyes again. The soldiers were still gaping of course, but she'd practically forgotten – nothing existed in this little soup kitchen but her and Sarah O'Brien, and she couldn't possibly resist doing what she really wanted to do, even if doing it in front of a gaggle of young soldiers wasn't especially romantic. Her lip curled up in a smile, and she brushed her thumb tenderly over Sarah's cheekbone.
"I may need you to remind me. A kiss might just do it."
Feeling braver than she had in all her life – even the time she and her brother George had decided to go ghost hunting over the moors in the middle of the night – Sarah gripped Cora's hip and, taking courage from her ladyship's soft touch, she leant up to gently kiss her lips. It lasted only a moment, she didn't want to push her luck after all, but her heart felt as though it stopped for all the glorious seconds. She didn't care about the soldiers, let them watch – it was entirely possible that Cora was just playing along for the sake of the soldiers of course but Sarah didn't care.
"I'd be happy to remind you of all the things I'd do for you m'lady. But maybe," she nodded her head towards the men with a grin, "Not around them. They haven't got enough shillings in the world to pay for that."
Cora remembered the soldiers with a blush and glanced in their direction, but she didn't really care because Sarah had just kissed her and it had been even more glorious than she could have ever imagined. She looked back to Sarah and beamed, tracing her fingers over her lips softly before leaning in for another, deeper kiss. She broke quickly free as one the soldier's coughed, trying to hide his reaction no doubt, and Cora grinned.
"I think we can let them have something for free, given all they've done in the name of their country." She leaned in a little closer, whispering this time. "But everything else I want to do, we'd best wait until we're alone."
Sarah blushed thoroughly at that but felt her heart swell with joy, so much so that she felt rather giddy and was quite sure that had she been entirely alone with her feelings about Cora bubbling away she wouldn't have been able to prevent herself from giggling like a schoolgirl.
"So," she felt such a fool, but she had to ask or else she wouldn't be able to think it was real, "You want me to kiss you later as well?"
As it was she thought she was well within her right to smoother her smile with another kiss from her Countess, reaching her hand up to cup Cora's cheek in imitation. Tentatively she parted her lips in invitation for Cora and simultaneously spun them both around until she was pressing Cora against the table and making them more visible to the soldiers who certainly had a favourable reaction.
Cora mewled in surprise, whimpering as she found herself pressed against the table and curled her arms around Sarah's neck, both to steady herself and pull her as close as she possibly could. This was certainly more than she was planning on giving the soldiers, but she was hardly going to stop now, she'd be mad to push Sarah away because of something as silly as decorum...or her marriage, but that mattered even less than the soldiers' presence right now! Her whole body trembled as their tongues tangled together and she pressed her hips forward, giggling a little against Sarah's lips as she heard a tentative cat call somewhere in the distance. She broke free, flushed and breathless and slid her fingers through the other woman's hair.
"Darling, I want you to kiss me now and later, and every single day."
Sarah threw a look towards the soldiers and couldn't help but grin – how could she do anything but that when Cora had been kissing her and wanted to kiss her more? She rested her head briefly against Cora's shoulder, covering up the flush of her cheek and stroking her hip affectionately.
"Maybe we should leave them to it? I think they're all fed and watered now and god knows I can't kiss you properly with them watching."
Several of the men had evidently overheard her and were shaking their heads emphatically, smiling and beginning to make noises that she had a feeling might attract the cooks and Molesley next door. They couldn't be seen by them, although none of them were likely to talk to Lord Grantham.
"And I think I'll need some practice if I'm to do it every day. Not to worry though m'lady, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it before Anna masters the hot rollers for Lady Mary."
Cora grinned across at the soldiers, gently caressing the hair at the nape of Sarah's neck and snuggling her hips into hers. She supposed it was rather mean to give them such a delicious display and then leave them high and dry, but she wanted Sarah so much and now, and the quicker they left, the quicker they'd be back at Downton in her big, soft bed and Sarah would be spread naked underneath her. And as for these lovely young men...
"I think we owe them a kiss for the road, darling. Don't you?"
She cupped Sarah's cheek again, taking her time, and leaned in to kiss her again. Pressing her knee between her thighs, she slid her hand up the other woman's stomach, cupping her breast and giving it a tentative squeeze. She couldn't wait to get her home and on the bed and out of these clothes, but this would certainly do for now.
Sarah groaned into the soft mouth latched onto her and leaned into the touch, well aware that the noise from the soldiers had increased dramatically at Cora's first touch to her breast. She couldn't really blame them as it quite summed up her own feeling on the subject too. She parted Cora's lips deftly and brushed her tongue teasingly against Cora's, thinking despondently of the drive back and the fact that they'd have to control themselves less they were seen. Now more than ever she cursed the advancement of time that meant they were in a car rather than a carriage.
"I think they've had their fair share m'lady. I'm sure they'd like more but I don't think it'll go down too well if Mrs Patmore or Mrs Bird come in." She affected a serious face. "They might not understand that it's just a sacrifice in the name of making the men happy."
Cora giggled along with the guffaws of laughter amongst the men and pressed her lips happily against Sarah's cheek, keeping herself snuggled as close as possible, never wanting to let go of her now she had her in her arms. She peered at the other woman as she laughed along with the soldiers and it hit her, with shocking and glorious force, just how much she adored her, utterly adored her, and she couldn't wait to show her how much.
"I'm sorry boys. Miss O'Brien and I have to be getting back. But..." She grinned impishly at Sarah. "Maybe we can come back tomorrow? I'm sure Mrs. Patmore would be glad of the help."
Unsurprisingly the offer was met with a degree of ascent by the men and Sarah grinned against Cora's shoulder, leaning up to kiss her cheek once more before moving away grudgingly to fetch both their coats, eager to get home. She smiled at Cora softly and held the coat open for her to step into her.
"I think that's a yes then. And I'll have a good think tonight about what dress to put you in tomorrow."
Mentally Sarah was hoping that his lordship's mood would mean he wasn't planning to sleep with his wife tonight and they could decide on Cora's state of dress together. She could see the flush trailing down from Cora's neck and was rather eager to see how far down it went and was quite sure the soldiers were looking at the same thing, they certainly weren't looking at her.
Cora grinned softly as she slid her arms into the coat and smoothed her fingers over the soft fur. Her skin was absurdly sensitive at the moment – every part of her was in fact, and she felt giddy inside thinking of what Sarah's touch would do to her once she was naked and panting beneath her.
"Thank you, O'Brien."
She passed the time waiting for Sarah to put her own coat on by reaching for a few of the soldiers' hands, squeezing them gently and thanking them for being so pleasant and – hopefully – discreet. But with the promise of tomorrow, she doubted any of these men would risk exposing her; she and Sarah could rest easy tonight with their secret undoubtedly safe. She smiled as Sarah finished dressing, turning back to the other woman, more than a little eager to get back and praying Robert's bad mood held up and he slept in another room tonight.
"Ready darling?"
Sarah felt quite frankly as though she could float back to Downton. She'd never been one for such foolish thoughts but the thought of what they were going home to do – at least what she hoped they were going to do – was enough to make her feel lighter inside than she had in more years than she cared to remember. When was the last time? Mickey? Christ, that was nearly fifteen years ago now and this was so much more than anything she had ever felt for the miner boyfriend all her brothers had teased her about. She dreaded to think what they'd say about Cora!
"I'm ready…I'm sure some of these fine gentlemen'll tell Mrs Patmore we had to get back, no point bothering her now. She might make us help with the washing up."
Smiling and feeling ever so slightly silly at the gesture she held out her hand for Cora and pulled her hurriedly from the room and towards the front door, dodging Molesley, the front gate and the car door without breaking stride, unwilling to let anyone, including a gaggle of soldiers prevent her from having Cora now.