CHAPTER 15
They loved each other that night—a hundred secret senses sparked into a huge combustion of bright colours. Together, they scaled unimaginable heights and flung down unfathomable depths momentarily forgetting about the world.
In the morning she went down to make them breakfast, tea, and coffee with Isis following behind. Robert took a long time to come down so she went upstairs to wake him.
She stood beside the bed on his side in her white silk robe, a luminescent figure in the morning sun.
Robert sat up and pulled her to him his hands pulling at the sash that secured her dressing gown around her lithe body. Her hands were quick to hold his hands still. Her expression admonishing.
A smile broke from his face. "Cora, I want to look at you in daylight. I miss you so much..."
Her hold loosened and she allowed him to work on her sash, opened her dressing gown and slid them down to the crook of her elbows. He marvelled at the sight before him, pure adoration shone in his pale blue eyes. He brought his hands to caress her skin, moulding every curve and smothering every surface.
After a while, she called to him softly. "Robert, Isis can see us."
Robert turned to where Isis was sitting framed by the open door looking at them. "Hmm, she would like it."
"I don't think so. She'd be jealous she'd hate you for days. You wouldn't like it."
"Cora," he protested. "I want to make up for the lost five years." His eyes pleading.
"I know, but not this morning." His face fell so she bent down to whisper at him in the softest way possible, "I'm a little sore...maybe tonight."
Robert's face broke with understanding and he fixed her robe and tied back the sash. Standing up he asked, "Now, what's for breakfast?"
At work, Robert completed his paperwork with the energy he had not known in years that at the end of the day he exceeded his daily targets.
By 4:00 PM he was done with his last appointment and had only about two contracts to review. His extension line rung and he picked it up.
"Robert..." He had long stopped being Mr. Crawley. "You have a visitor. She said she does not have an appointment but she could wait in the lobby until you are done with work."
"Please bring her in." Robert's forehead knitted slightly.
He paused, "What's her name agai..."
Cora entered his office smiling in navy blue chunky jumper, blue denim jeans, and black slip on.
He looked up, jumped from his table and went to her, "Thank you, Daisy," calling after his secretary.
"Don't mind me, Robert. I came by to pick my cheque."
She took her seat on the plush office couch and went for the nearest magazine.
He went back to his work. After a while, he lifted his head and saw how Cora made a striking picture seated comfortably on the beige couch while the expression on her face was one of concentration at what she was reading. He reached up for his mirrorless camera in the drawer, adjusted the settings, and took his first candid photo of her in years.
At dinner in a pub where Edith once brought her father to, Robert and Cora sat beside each other in a darkened corner. Robert was served a big meal. She had vegetable salad and grilled fish in lemon and rosemary. They paired it up with a light wine. They took time eating their dinner sprinkled with conversations, laughter, teasing, and a little bit of flirting.
By 8:00 in the evening, Cora urged Robert to go home. "Isis might be starting to get lonely now."
Robert took to finishing his second glass of wine when his phone beeped. It was Edith
"Good evening, Papa. Is Mama home yet?"
He typed back his reply: Not yet, darling.
"Can we have the girls on Saturday? Cora asked.
"Of course, darling. They can even have a sleepover."
Thirty minutes later, after paying their bill, they left and headed to the street where Robert parked the car—hand-in-hand towards their renewed future.
