A/N: I feel like it's been so long since I updated! This one is very short compared to some of my chapters, but I've been so overwhelmed with school since I started back in August, as you can probably tell by my inactivity on here. The amount of times I changed my mind about what was going to happen in this chapter is insane, I don't think I've ever scrapped so many attempts at writing a chapter, but I eventually found one I liked. Thank you so much for the review on the last chapter, reviews are so appreciated!
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Despite all my naive thoughts, Robert doesn't come back to apologise after he stormed out. It's been nine days since we returned from Downton Abbey, it's now the 5th of October, and I haven't heard from Robert since he walked out of my apartment. I haven't seen Rosamund or Marmaduke either, they were busy in meetings straight after our return from Yorkshire, and they've been in Scotland on a trip for their anniversary for the last five days, but they're back today. I've had to work harder than usual the past few days to make sure that the company didn't fall behind without them present, which has been the only thing keeping me from falling into a depression.
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I sigh as I notice the paparazzi outside Lucrum, but thankfully they seem to have lost interest in me. They're probably waiting for Rosamund and Marmaduke or a high profile client to arrive. Alana greets me, as usual, at the elevator, laden with papers. I raise my eyebrows.
"Good morning, Alana." I think she smiles behind her pile of paperwork, but I can't be sure as her mouth is practically hidden.
"Hey, Cora!" she says, walking with me towards my office.
"Do you want me to take some of those?" I ask, amused. She thrusts some at me gratefully.
"Yes, please!"
"What are they for?" I ask, glancing at the documents.
"Mr Painswick's PA gave them to me. It's your folders for tomorrow that I need to put together, I just got them later than usual." I nod.
"Did anything big happen last night?"
"Not really. Lady Rosamund and Mr Painswick are back today..." I try not to indulge in Alana's gossip as a rule, and she knows this, but my curiosity gets the better of me today.
"Oh?" We've reached Alana's desk now.
"If you could just put those down there, Cora," she instructs, gesturing to an empty space on her desk, and I does as she tells me. "I was eavesdropping when I was upstairs getting these folders from Hailee."
"Hailee?" I interrupt.
"Mr Painswick's PA," she answers, before continuing. "Anyway, she was talking to Lady Rosamund's assistants, and they were talking about Lady Grantham. Apparently, she's coming today, and Lady Rosamund isn't happy about it!" I can feel my heart rate increasing. Why is Lady Grantham coming here? More importantly, why am I freaking out about this?
"Do you know why Lady Grantham is coming?"
"No. It's not just a visit to see her daughter, though, because Hailee and the other assistants were so tense, and they mentioned that Lady Rosamund and Mr Painswick want someone to escort Lady Grantham to one of the conference rooms. It doesn't make any sense, honestly." I nod, and excuse myself to my office. As I sit down at my desk, my head is spinning. Why is Robert's mother in London? I really, really hope I don't run into her today.
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My morning goes smoothly, no sign of Lady Grantham. I'm ready for my afternoon meeting early, and head to the conference room ten minutes before the meeting is due to start, as the conference room doesn't seem to be booked right now. But as I reach the conference room, I hear voices drifting out through the ajar door, and although I know I shouldn't, I stand against the wall and listen. It sounds like Lady Grantham. Oh God, Alana was right, she is here, and she is in a conference room. What is she doing in a conference room, and why did it have to be the one that I need to be in?
"He should be married," she says, indignantly. Who is she talking about? I frown as I concentrate and move closer to the door, wanting to hear more. Luckily, it's a new building and the floors aren't creaky. I recognise Marmaduke's voice as he replies.
"Come on, Violet, he's only twenty seven."
"Rosamund was twenty one when she married you."
"I remember," Marmaduke replies. I can hear someone, presumably Rosamund, laugh.
"My point is, your father isn't in excellent health." Whose father? Is Lady Grantham talking about Lord Grantham? I know it isn't Marmaduke's father, because he told me his parents died when he was a teenager... Is there somebody else in the room? "We don't know how much longer he's going to be capable of running the estate and keeping up with the responsibilities that being the Earl of Grantham comes with. If Robert has to step up, he's going to have to find a wife to be by his side." I flinch and my heart jumps at the mention of Robert's name. She's definitely talking about Lord Grantham, and as she is referring to Robert in third person, Robert mustn't be there. Rosamund interrupts her mother.
"What are you suggesting? I thought you didn't like Cora." I bite my lip at the mention of my name. I knew Lady Grantham didn't like me. My mouth goes dry as I think about what Lady Grantham has just said. She isn't suggesting I marry Robert? He wouldn't even tell me whether he had feelings for me or not, let alone marry me!
"The American girl? No, I was thinking Jane Fernsby." My mouth falls open at the words I'm hearing. Rosamund and Marmaduke seem to have the same reaction, as they both protest.
"No, Mama, no," Rosamund says, quickly, "That won't work."
"Anyone but her, Violet," Marmaduke adds. "There's no advantages to that match, either."
"He proposed to her once, why can't he propose again?" Lady Grantham replies. My eyes widen, I didn't realise Robert and Jane had been so serious. Robert had always avoided talking about her, though.
"They've not been together for years," Marmaduke tells her. "They're both with different people now."
"Robert's with a different girl every week," Lady Grantham tells her son-in-law. I cringe at that statement, however true it may be, it hurts me to think of him with other people. "And Miss Fernsby is with a Hollywood actor right now? She'd come running back to Robert and his billions with half the chance, you know she would."
"They don't like each other, Mama," Rosamund insists.
"Well, at least they'd produce an heir for the Earldom," Lady Grantham says, flippantly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Rosamund asks, her voice sharp and cold.
"Don't jump down my throat, dear. You know what I mean."
"Yes, I know what you mean," Rosamund replies, her tone positively acidic.
"Ros," I can hear Marmaduke say. I frown, trying to understand what made her sound so angry. I can hear the chairs scrape on the floor, and as I realise they're about to leave, I dart into the adjoining conference room to hide, glad that there isn't glass walls on this floor, so they can't see me hiding. My head is spinning as I think about their conversation. I really shouldn't have listened. Why does Lord Grantham's declining health mean Robert needs a wife, and why did Lady Grantham suggest Jane Fernsby? Why did Rosamund and Marmaduke put down Lady Grantham's idea so quickly? I can't help the jealously I feel when I think of Jane Fernsby. And why did Rosamund get so defensive when Violet mentioned producing heirs for the Earldom? Is it because she and Marmaduke don't have children? They've hardly been married three years... I shake my thoughts off, and confident that Lady Grantham, Rosamund and Marmaduke have entered the elevator, I make my way towards the other conference room. I could think about the mysteries surrounding the Crawley family all day, but I need to get through this meeting.
I spend the rest of the day trying not to think about Robert. I end up calling my mother for half an hour to distract myself and to update her on my life. She keeps telling me to go out and make friends. She thinks I've turned into a recluse after Robert broke things up off between us, and she isn't wrong. I only ever leave my apartment for work and to buy groceries. I ignore my mother's orders to go out, instead showering and getting into bed early, deciding to watch TV for a few hours. I check my phone before I go to bed, and the top thread on my Twitter makes my heart stop.
Recommended For You: Robert Crawley spotted introducing his new girlfriend to family in London.
I click on the Tweet, and it shows me two photos. The first is a picture of Robert and a woman walking in front of Rosamund and Marmaduke as they head into a London restaurant. She's beautiful. She almost rivals Rosamund. With warm brown hair, a bronzed tan and a stylish dress, she's way more in Robert's 'league' than I am. I wonder if Lady Grantham set them up, if they're already engaged. That thought makes the tears sting my eyes, but when I zoom in on the photos, I can't see a diamond on the woman's finger. Robert has his hand on her back, guiding her into the restaurant, and they're both smiling widelty, the woman looking back towards Rosamund and Marmaduke and saying something which is causing both Rosamund and Marmaduke to smile. The second is a picture taken through the restaurant window, and you can clearly see Robert's arm around the back of the woman's shoulders as all four of them laugh. My chest feels like it's been stabbed. I can't help but feel slightly betrayed by Rosamund and Marmaduke, I always thought they were rooting for Robert and I to be together. I suppose Rosamund is his sister, though, she's going to stand by what he decides. I throw my phone across the phone, not caring if it smashes, switch the lamp off, pull my covers over my head and let myself cry.
A/N: Thoughts? Thank you for reading, and please ignore spelling mistakes and grammatical errors!!