A dark winter's night
"Robert!"
The cold night wind howled around the grand estate of Downton Abbey. The cold air nipping at the windows and doors, sending chills down to the bone for those unfortunate enough to be outdoors. The temperature inside the mansion matched that of the outside. Bitterly cold.
"Cora, I no longer wish to discuss the matter with you, Sybil must and shall be punished."
Cora, sensing a headache coming on, sat down on the end of her bed and sighed.
"Neither do I wish to discuss Sybil's rather poor judgment, but your behaviour is rather ridiculous! You need to calm down, and until you do I shall be sleeping alone." Cora, rather curtly stated.
"I think I should be the one to make the decision, you seem to forget who is in charge of this estate Cora." Robert snorted back.
Cora paled. The fact her husband had made such a remark made her sick to her stomach. The walls seem to close in around her, trapping her in a room she wished nothing more than to escape from. She was suffocating in the hatred for her husband's very remark. She chocked back the tears, that were willing to escape from her eyes. She could barely speak:
"Robert, I…"
Robert, who was on his way out of Cora's room, turned on his heels to find his devoted wife, clenching onto the bedpost for dear life itself. She was shaking and her skin was a sickling grey color. Her brow glistening in the dim candlelight.
"Cora! Darling, you're shaking, sit down at once!" ushered Robert, taking his wife in his strong embrace. He forced Cora down on the bed holding her petite frame the entire time.
"I'm fine there's no ne.." Cora complained as Robert interjected:
"Cora, you're in no state to be walking around, you are as pale as the snow outside! I'll call for Dr. Clarkson at once."
"Robert, please I just need some rest, it's just a headache, I promise you, I am fine" Cora weakly replied.
It struck Robert like a swift blow to the head with a bat, his rant about Sybil had brought on his wife's temporary illness. She only developed headaches when she was stressed, and he had caused her to become so stressed that she had developed a severe headache, which almost caused her to faint. Robert felt like a failure, he had failed at his job as a husband to protect and stand-by his wife.
"Cora, darling, I'm terribly sorry! I did not mean for this to blow out of proportions, I'm sorry I forced my frustration upon you. I shall leave and let you get your rest at once!." Robert whispered to his wife, not wanting to make her sore head worse. He took her hand and pressed his lips against it.
"No, please stay. I'll feel better if you lie beside me, it's awfully lonely when you're not beside me." Cora acknowledged Robert's apology.
Robert slowly removed the covers and slipped into his rightful position, next to his wife in her bed. Robert looked over to see his wife asleep, so he pulled the sheets up and tucked her in and kissed her goodnight. Robert, right there and then, knew his wife was beginning to show signs of her stress. Her body beginning to slowly shut itself down, after the endless sleepless nights and sobbing episodes, that he could hear from his room. He knew he had to be better. For her.