A knock came at the door, and Cora glanced toward the couch where Simon rolled over with a grunt. She wanted to laugh at the same time that she wanted to kick him out on his ass.

Doing up one last button on her blouse, Cora opened the door just enough to grin at Robert. "Right on time," she whispered.

Immediately, Robert's brow furrowed. "Why are we whispering?" he asked in a low voice.

"Um… someone had quite a lot to drink last night, and I didn't trust that he could find his way home." Looking down, she stepped aside to let him in.

Glancing past her, Robert shook his head. "Mr. Bricker. I should have known," he muttered. He came in and took off his coat while she closed and locked the door.

"We can study in my room. I have a table in there that's big enough. That way we don't disturb him." She blushed, somewhat confused at the almost blustering expression on Robert's face.

He nodded in ascent, and she walked down the hallway, letting him into her room. Robert extricated his textbook and notebook from his bag, and Cora sat next to him so she could see his notes. For a couple of hours, they sat and studied, Robert asking questions and Cora answering them in a way he understood better than he ever understood Professor Arundel.

After a while Cora could tell they were both flagging. She turned to him.

"Would you like anything? Coffee? Tea? Juice?"

"A cup of tea would be nice," Robert replied.

Smiling, Cora said, "I'll be back in just a moment then."

Heart pounding, she went into the kitchen area, getting out the tea things as quietly as possible. She wondered what Robert thought of her – if he thought anything. Still, she thought of that blustery look from before….

The sound of the kettle broke her out of her reverie as she took it off hastily to pour the boiling water into cups. Her tea wasn't exactly wonderful, but it would do in a pinch, she wagered. Normally she would drink coffee, but she wanted him to feel like he wasn't putting her out by asking for something different.

Robert sat there, waiting for Cora to come back with tea, conflicted. Why shouldn't Cora do as she liked – or who she liked – in her own flat? He only knew that it gave him a jolt to the pit of his stomach. Had she gotten under his skin – already? Shaking his head as if to shake off his thoughts, he looked up with a slight smile as Cora entered with a tray. He stood quickly, grabbing the tray from her, and she closed the door as he put it down on the small table.

"Simon still out there?" he blurted out without thinking, pouring the tea for the two of them.

Cora peered at him curiously. "Yes. I think he should sleep off the hangover if he can." She lowered her eyes. "Robert?

"Yes?" He tipped a generous spoonful of sugar into his tea and stirred it.

"You said something before, like you should have known that Simon was here." When he made no reply, she asked, "Why did you say that?"

Robert half rolled his eyes. "The man hangs about you all the time. It's obvious he's smitten with you. It's the next logical step, right? His being here in the morning after being here all night." His eyes fastened on hers.

The blue spark that flared there took him by surprise. "Robert Crawley, just because he's here does not mean that he slept anywhere but on the sofa. And it doesn't mean that I care a thing about him beyond gratitude for his generous help and the fact that we share an appreciation for art." Blood suffused her face as she realized she was basically yelling at the man with whom she was smitten. But she couldn't have him thinking ill of her. "I have no feelings for Simon Bricker, and I won't have you think something's going on just because I did a good deed in letting him stay here last night." She stuck out her chin, hands tight around her tea cup.

Blinking, Robert opened and closed his mouth several times in slight embarrassment before managing to say softly. "I do apologize. If you'd like me to go, I will." His cheeks wore a faint flush.

Cora sighed. "No, don't go. I apologi—"

"For what?" Robert interrupted, his brow furrowed. "I was rude and probably deserved a dressing down. I shouldn't assume such things." He looked away. "I often get the wrong end of things," he muttered. It was something he didn't often admit.

Her expression softened, and she tried changing the subject. "When do you go home for the holidays? Where is home?"

Robert smiled, sighing inwardly, relieved that she didn't seem mad at him. "After the exams are over. A few more days. We have a country house in Yorkshire. I'll go there. My sister and I. She lives in London."

"And this is your last year of school?" She sipped her tea, hoping to prolong the conversation, to learn more about him.

Nodding, he took one of the tea biscuits off the tray. "I major in classics, and I wish I didn't have to take this art history class." He grinned in spite of himself. "Although it's turned out better than I expected."

"Oh?" Cora's eyebrows lifted, the slightly flirtatious comment unexpected.

"Well, I did get all this help for my exam." Robert gave a small cough, as if to clear his throat, color rising on his cheeks again. "And I should probably go. I've taken enough of your time."

Stifling a sigh, Cora inclined her head in assent. "Yes, and you have to meet your sister in a while for lunch. What's her name?"

He looked up from packing his things back into his bag. "Rosamund."

"It's a pretty name." She smiled at him, preceding him to the door of her bedroom, then the door of the flat. "I suppose I won't see you again, will I?" The thought about knocked the breath out of her.

Robert tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "I suppose not. But thank you, Cora." He spoke in a low voice and reached out to take her hand, pressing it. "I may actually pass now." And with a last grin, he turned and left.

The sigh Cora had kept tamped down rose now and escaped her lips with great force as she watched him walk away. She finally closed the door and turned to lean back against it.

"Cora?" Simon sat up and rubbed his eyes, then clutched his head. "God, how much did I have last night?"

"I lost count," Cora threw out at him, moving to get a glass of water and some paracetamol from the kitchen. She came back and handed these to the man squinting on her couch. "You should have this."

"Thanks," he said, obviously missing her tone from before. He knocked back the pills and swallowed a generous amount of the water. "And thanks for letting me stay here. I'm not sure I could have made it home."

"Not like that you couldn't," she muttered, trying not to take her feelings out on Simon. Taking a deep breath, she started folding the blankets he'd used. "I couldn't have you try. I would have felt responsible if something had happened to you."

Simon nodded, finishing the water. He smiled widely at her. "Well, I'm safe because of you." Putting down the glass, he rubbed his eyes hard. "What time is it? My contact lenses are all fuzzy from sleeping in them."

Cora glanced over her shoulder at the clock. "A little after noon. There is some lens solution in the bathroom if you want to wash them off. Then I think you should get on home. It's getting late."

Heaving himself off the couch, Simon almost tripped over his own shoes sitting there by the end, but made it to the bathroom. Cora listened for the door to close, then mumbled under her breath to herself, cleaning up the glasses and other items from the party last night, not having gotten the chance before with a man sleeping on her couch.

The room was cleaned up by the time Simon returned, pushing his hair back with his fingers. "Wasn't there supposed to be someone coming by today? Some student?"

"Robert?" At his nod, she shook her head. "He's already come and gone. I think I helped him, though." She avoided Simon's gaze.

"Well, then maybe we should order something in and go over our plans for the next week. We're going to be doing quite a lot of traveling, since the term is over, so—"

"Simon, please?" Cora's interruption – and its tone – caught him off guard to tell by his visage. "Can we not do that today? I'd like to take a breather. And I'm sure you have things to grade… or, something." All she wanted to do was to curl up on the couch with a pint of ice cream and a sad movie.

"But, Cora—"

This time they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Cora pursed her lips, then crossed to the door to open it. Her mouth fell open. "Robert? But, you said…."

Robert grinned, shuffling one foot on the snowy door mat. "Yeah, but Rosamund rung me just a while ago and said she couldn't make it, so I thought that maybe—" The sight of Simon coming up behind Cora made him stop. "Oh, but perhaps you already have plans."

Cora looked at his downcast eyes and bit the inside of her lip. "No, no I don't have plans," she said clearly, so that both men could hear her. "Simon was just leaving." Turning, she put one hand on her hip, opening the door wider so Robert could come in if he wanted. "Weren't you, Simon?" She said pointedly, her brows sternly pulled together.

Sitting back on the couch, Simon fumbled with his shoes. "But, Cora—" he said again, sounding slightly desperate now.

"Bricker," came Robert's voice from where he stood inside the closed doorway. "If a lady tells you to go, you go. Otherwise you're a cad." His word might have made Cora giggle in any other context, but she could see his expression was dangerous.

Simon's Adam's apple rose and fell visibly in a swallow. He silently nodded, collected his coat, mumbled a thanks to Cora for letting him spend the night on her couch, and ducked out the door.

When he'd gone, Cora slumped onto the couch with a long sigh. "Thanks for that, Robert. You didn't have to, but, well, thanks." She gave him a small, tired smile.

Robert inclined his head. "You're welcome. What are friends for?" He went to the bank of hooks by the door and lifted off her scarf and coat from the day before, hoping he wouldn't be told to put them back. "Now, how about that lunch?"

Cora's small smile transformed into a wide grin, mirroring his. "I'd like that. Very much. Let's go."

The pub just down the road seemed a strange choice to Cora at first, but soon she settled into its homey feel and the better than average food. After a pint – not of ice cream this time, but of beer – and some starters, Cora began to relax. Not beer buzz relaxed, but completely comfortable in the atmosphere. And the company.

"I didn't really know about this place," she said. "I like it, though."

Robert tilted his head at her, sipping Scotch. "No? I should think you would, being only a bit from your flat."

Cora laughed, and Robert's breath almost hitched at the uninhibited, lovely sound. "No," she replied, shaking her head. "Simon is always taking me all over, and I really don't even know my own neighborhood that well." She grinned at him. "Thanks for bringing me here. I do like it. Reminds me of some out of the way places in Manhattan."

"Really?" He waved a man over to take her empty mug and fill it again. "There are some places like this in London too."

"Have you been to New York?" She nodded a thanks to the man bringing her a fresh pint and sipped it happily.

"No." Chuckling, he picked up a chip and ate it. "Mama would hate it."

She grinned at him over the top of her mug. "You should come sometime, Robert. Your mother need not have to come with you. You're not a child, right?" Realizing she was close to smirking, Cora's eyes lowered to the table.

"You're right, Cora. I'm not a child." He paused, keeping his eyes on her face and meeting hers as her eyelids rose again, and waited for the server to put their meals on the table.

The statement hung in the air between them for a few moments, until Cora broke the gaze, looking down and picking up her fork, saying, "This smells so good, Robert."

"It is good," he insisted, falling silent while they tucked in. After he saw she'd eaten a fair amount of her food, he wiped his mouth with his napkin and raised his eyes to her face. "So. Do you have Christmas plans? I can't imagine you would go home and come back, since you're here for a little longer, right?"

Cora nodded and applied her napkin to the corners of her mouth. "Right, I'm not going home. My mother about flipped that it would be over the holidays and was close to not letting me go on this trip." She laughed again, making Robert's stomach feel funny. "And, no. I don't have plans. Not sure what to do or where." She smiled at him, putting another forkful of food into her mouth.

Robert coughed a little. "Well, uh, I haven't run it past my mother yet, and I don't know how comfortable you would feel in a stranger's house with his family, but I know Rosamund has brought people home before, and it should be alright…."

A wide grin broke out on Cora's face as Robert worried the corner of the table cloth, his eyes glued to it as he rambled on. Her heartbeat sped up as he continued.

"…I would hate for a friend to be alone on Christmas, especially one who helped me so much with my studies, so, maybe, would you consider…?" He looked up, smiling shyly.

Cora raised her eyebrows. "Consider…? You haven't really asked me anything, Robert." She stifled a giggle.

He let out a breath and grinned. "I thought you could come spend Christmas with us. You could come up the 23rd and, well, stay as long as you like."

"As a friend?" she asked, teasing him.

Robert didn't realize this. "Yes, of course. As a friend. And you don't have to worry about Rosamund or Papa. Even as little as I know you, I can tell they'll like you. So will Aunt Josephine, I think." He kept beaming.

"And your mother?" She chuckled, going back to eating.

Shrugging, Robert took a long drink of Scotch. "Maybe we can get her drunk."

Throwing her head back, Cora laughed hard. "I accept." She grinned at him and leaned forward, cheeks pink. "I would love to have Christmas with you and your family, Robert."