Cora sighed as she sank down into the steaming, rose-scented water. She leaned back against the edge of the tub and allowed her eyes to drift shut. In the two months since Edith's birth, it often seemed as if her afternoon bath was the only time that she could truly have a moment to herself, free of others' worries and expectations. For a blessed half an hour or so, the only worries and expectations she had to entertain were her own.

It was far more exhausting than she had imagined, becoming a mother of two. She loved her daughters dearly, and the joys of motherhood far outweighed the trials, but the two of them certainly seemed determined to put Cora to the test. Edith was colicky and struggled to nurse; Mary's fascination with her baby sister had waned, replaced with a growing surliness at no longer being the center of attention. Between juggling her daughters and returning to the regular demands of Viscountess as the family prepared for the impending Christmas holiday, Cora found herself falling into bed every night, asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Robert, for his part, usually stumbled into bed right along with her. He too was walking a tightrope, balancing fatherhood and his own father's declining health. All of these factors conspired to make alone time for the two of them hard to come by, but they made due with any stolen moment they could find. There was, however, one element that was truly missing from their relationship: they had not been intimate since before Edith's birth, although the doctor had cleared her for that particular activity over a week ago. This was through no fault of Robert's - Cora hadn't told him about her appointment. She wasn't avoiding it, exactly. It was only that, with two pregnancies in as many years, her body was slower to return to its original form. As desperately as she missed her husband, she couldn't help but dread the prospect of him seeing her as she was now.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Cora turned her attention back to the hot water as it soothed her tired muscles. She didn't bother to look when she heard the door open, not wanting to lose a moment of relaxation. "I don't think I need anything else, Walker, I'll ring for you when I'm done."

"I'll just be going then," said a voice that was most definitely not her maid's. When Cora opened her eyes, Robert was standing beside the bath. Suddenly self-conscious, she slid down a bit so that more of her skin disappeared beneath the bubbles.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, already loosening his tie.

She gaped at him. In truth, she wanted nothing more than for him to get in bath, but that would lead to him seeing her, in broad daylight no less. "Oh! I - I don't…" she stammered pathetically.

His fingers paused on the third button of his shirt and he eyed her suspiciously. "Is something the matter?"

"No, of course not," she replied, forcing herself to hold his gaze even as she felt her face grow hot and tears stung the corners of her eyes.

"Now I'm worried." He took a step closer and placed a hand on her head. "Tell me what's wrong."

Cora briefly considered sending him away without a real explanation, but couldn't think of a way to do so without hurting his feelings. Maybe it would be better if she just came out with it. After all, the honesty and ease of their relationship had been so hard won; if she couldn't be open with him about this, what had all the struggle been for?

Taking a deep breath, she forced the words out. "My body...I don't...I don't look the way I did, before Edith."

"Oh, Cora." Robert began to stroke her hair. "Do you think that matters to me?"

She shrugged, dropping her eyes and biting her lip. Now that she had said it aloud, it did sound a little silly.

"It doesn't," he said firmly. "You are beautiful, Cora, and if your body isn't the same as it was before you carried our incredible daughters, then so be it."

His simple, matter-of-fact statement made her feel as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She gave him a watery smile. "Oh, get in here, you."

Robert didn't waste a moment removing the rest of his clothes. Cora scooted forward, making room for him to climb into the bath behind her. He pulled her back to lean against his chest and she laughed as water sloshed onto the floor.

"I love you," Robert said slowly after a moment, drawing out the syllables and punctuating them with a kiss on her shoulder. "You do know that, yes?"

She basked in the sweetness of his words, humming contentedly. "Hmm, you may have mentioned it once or twice." He chuckled and kissed her neck.

As they reclined together, lazy tendrils of steam curling around them, Robert laid his hand on her thigh and caressed it gently. His touch felt heavenly, the warm water letting his palm slide smoothly along her skin. Slowly, his hand crept higher and higher with each pass, until he was on the verge of something far less wholesome than an afternoon bath.

"Robert Crawley, I am trying to relax."

"Then relax," Robert replied innocently, although he stilled his hand on her knee.

In retaliation, Cora pinched his thigh. He yelped and rubbed the spot indignantly. "I come in here to give my wife the loving attention she so obviously deserves, and this is the thanks I get?"

"You'll get no pity from me, you lecherous man." She brushed his hand away, taking up the task of soothing his injury by running her thumb back and forth across it.

"Can you blame me for trying?"

"Yes, I can." Tipping her head to rest against Robert's neck, she closed her eyes once again. "But I wouldn't blame you for trying again tonight. I imagine you might find a bit more success then."

Robert's glee was palpable as he kissed her temple. He wrapped his arms around her middle, now apparently satisfied to let her have the relaxing bath she had requested. "Duly noted, my lady."