Chapter 11

Cora was adding the final touch to a bouquet of sunflowers- a blush pink ribbon with tiny specks of gold glitter, when she felt warm hands slowly begin to wrap themselves around her waist as lovingly as the ribbon she had just tied.

"Mmm. Hi honey." She murmurs, turning her head to pepper sweet kisses on his lips. He can taste the ginger and honey tea he made to soothe her nausea and continues to drink her in until, they reluctantly part for breath. "Hello my darling- How's my favourite florist feeling?" Robert asks, genuinely concerned. For the last two weeks Cora has been violently ill, devoid of energy, throwing up constantly, needing to use the toilet almost as soon as she had used it. It was scaring him and yet, this morning she'd woken him with the most passionate, almost giddy kisses. Whatever it was, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"I'm fantastic." Cora sighs happily, stroking his cheek with love but, he knows her, three months of marriage and nearly two years together. He knows when she's hiding something.

"Cora-" Robert eyes are full of worry and she looks puzzled but just as she is about to speak he stops her. "You know you can tell me anything don't you?"

"Of course I do." she beams, her stomach doing flip flops and somersaults. "In fact... There's something I need to-" But, again he cuts her off pulling her into the centre of the room and away from any distractions. "My darling we will face this together." Robert promises with tears in his eyes, even though the thoughts inside his head were making it hard to breathe, to even form the words.

"I've sought out the best specialist." Robert begins, holding back the lump in his throat but, she has heard enough. "Specialist? Robert- I don't need a specialist." Cora says confused and yet, trying desperately to reassure him. "Oh darling I think you've got the wrong end of the stick." she kisses the crown of his forehead slowly and carefully moving to his cheeks and then finally his lips until he's radiant.

"Look at me." Cora asks lovingly but with seriousness. "I'm not sick." Robert lets out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding in but, then his brow furrows in confusion. "Then why have you been so terribly ill?"

"Oh." she huffs. "I wanted to suprise you not send you into the stratosphere. I'm a terrible wife I'm going to be a terrible..." Suddenly, she is kissed wonderfully silent. When they break he rubs his thumbs her cheeks to wipe away a tear. How could he have not seen it before? Oh! Cora wasn't ill, or in need of any of the millions of remedies he'd googled. No. She was. She is.

"Pregnant." Robert savours the word as much as he treasured her "Yes." Her "I do."

"Oh! Oh Cora!" He laughs overjoyed, kissing her over and over until she responds just as ecstatically. "You're happy." Cora cries, she'd dreamed of this moment, him as the most wonderful father to three gorgeous girls. "Of course I am." "Oh darling." he bends to kiss her flat stomach, that will soon be swollen with the glorious product of their love. Their baby boy or girl.

"Hello Little One. It's your Papa-" Robert begins and then chuckles as his wife tries not to buckle under the sheer magic of the moment. "Oh I can't quite believe it. I'm going to be your Papa.""I know you might not be able to hear me just yet, but, I just wanted to say... I love you and Mummy more than the stars in the sky. You've made me so happy my baby and I absolutely cannot wait to meet you."

Stroking his face Cora melts as he rises with tears in his eyes. "I love you so much."

"Oh Robert. I love you too." "I'm so sorry I scared you baby." Cora peppers his face with tender kisses until their noses nuzzle together blissfully.

"Don't be sorry, I'm over the moon." He promises. "Now, is there anything you need Mrs Crawley? I am your most humble and devoted servant." Robert says dutifully. "Actually... " Cora teases. "There is one thing you can do."

He waits in eager anticipation. "Kiss me again?"

A broad smile lights up the corners of his mouth and Robert bows his voice like a genie. "Your wish-" Robert pauses to kiss and kiss Cora while she can only shriek delightedly against him. "Is my command."

Hope you enjoyed. Thank you so much for all of your fantastic reviews. I got them all massive thank you. I don't know how much more I'll do but, I can promise you will see Cora and Robert with their little girls at some point. Whether that's the perfect ending or not I don't know but, I'm a softie so they might end up with fifty happy endings.