Cora shut the door behind, slowly twisting in the knob into its lock. She chewed her lower lip and softly fell back against the door behind her. Her head landed on the door with a soft thud and she sighed.
"Shit" she said and closed her eyes.
What had she done? What was she thinking? That was the thing perhaps, she wasn't thinking. The words came out of her mouth naturally and as much as she felt the cringe of what had happened by the end of it creeping on her body, it felt good. It felt good to just let it out. Let out things and feelings she had never ever even admitted to herself. And it seemed like Robert was on the same boat; he talked back and it just felt normal. It felt like they were lifting the weight on each other's shoulders and it felt refreshing.
The last few minutes of their morning on the rooftop replayed in her head again and she softly slapped her forehead.
Robert Crawley.
Who even was he? She didn't know. She didn't know anything about him, not really and she spurted out things that had never slipped her lips before, confessed things that were alien to her as well. And as nice as it felt to have someone really understand and relate to her situation, (if she was even allowed to call it a situation), there was no excuse to talk so openly with someone she barely knew. She sighed again; everyone has filters that are socially required and she broke them. He broke them. And now things had gotten awkward.
Maybe it hadn't gotten so weird if his wife hadn't called. Maybe they had stayed blissfully unaware of crossing the invisible social boundaries. But she did call and it's like someone had poked them out of reverie and they felt embarrassed about being caught.
His wife. Oh, god, his wife. Cora was pretty sure she didn't see her through the video call, but she sounded angry, and rightfully so. Maybe she was a little too harsh, but even she'd be upset if she caught her husband picnicking with another woman at that hour without her knowledge.
She sighed again and walked towards her bed, lazily putting aside her camera bag. She lied down on her back and stared at the ceiling.
In that moment, it didn't feel like what they were doing was wrong in any way, but being caught like that surely was embarrassing. And if she was feeling like she wanted to hit her head against something, she only wondered what Robert must be been feeling like.
The conversation replayed in her head. It came out so naturally that it gave her goose bumps thinking back on it. She had never been this open in front of anyone. Not even with Phyllis, and she considered her, her best friend. She didn't know how it all happened, she just knew that it was very easy to talk to him and the fact that he was able to relate in some odd manner also helped. But still, no matter how lovely of a time she had had, mostly anyway, she had to be careful. She had to be careful to never cross a line in the future and watch her mouth. They were colleagues after all, and there were professional boundaries that they just so casually broke. She raised her eyebrows; she had never thought that she'd ever have to tell herself to watch her mouth or think before speaking. She was never like that. Perhaps there was a first time for everything.
She rolled on her side and looked out the window. The sun had fully risen and it was high time she went to sleep. She had the remaining of her photoshoots in a couple of hours and she'd be no good to man or beast if she didn't get her sleep. Closing her eyes, she thought back to what a lovely morning she had had and with the glimpses of that in her mind, she went to sleep.
Carson stared at the knob on the tripod and slowly twisted its handle to secure the heavy studio light in it. He had never been great with gadgets but the last few years had changed everything for him, including his anxiety to deal with technology. He was essentially an accountant for Cora but in the early days it had been hard for him to see her struggle and multitask between planning, lighting, shooting and editing so he offered to help with the lighting, although highly doubtful of his learning abilities. But Cora had been grateful and patient with him and he learned quickly. It wasn't even that hard, the main headache was setting up the hefty equipment, after that Cora would just tell him to increase decrease or tilt the lights and he would follow. He had also recently learned to operate drones. It wasn't his department, but one of the interns once damaged the equipment because Cora hadn't been there to assist and the poor kid had turned to him for help, and that had been few of the most tiresome hours of his life, trying to figure out how the bloody thing worked. In the end, he asked Phyllis to teach him, in case he ever had to help amateurs again and in the process of learning, he had started to enjoy it.
After tightening the last knob of the tripod, he stood back straighter, estimating the distance between the subject and the light, when he heard a soft cough.
He turned around to see Mrs Hughes standing in the door way with a grin on her face. He smiled back and immediately wiped his hands against his coat, suddenly anxious about his appearance. He heard a soft giggle and his ears started turning pink.
"All alone?' she asked as she stepped in the room, carefully making her way through the maze of gadgets and equipment scattered around the floor.
"Seems to be" replied Carson as he looked at his wrist watch "In fact, Mrs Bricker should've been here by now" he twisted his eyebrows together and cleared his throat. Cora wasn't usually late.
Mrs Hughes looked around the room and raised her eyebrows "You brought in all of this alone?"
Carson looked around the room, sighing. "Most of it, Mr Molesley offered to help and that saved me a couple of extra rounds"
Mrs Hughes smiled, looking impressed and Carson instantly stood straighter "You should've asked me, I could've helped you. This all looks very heavy"
"Oh I couldn't have.." Carson replied and Mrs Hughes raised her eyebrows, making him lose his trail of words.
"Why? You don't think I can lift, Mr Carson?" she asked
"No, I didn't mean that.." he replied
"You underestimate me" she cut him off
"No, I just didn't think..that is, I didn't want to bother you, I thought.." he spilled out words in explanation, nervous that he had offended her when he looked up to see her smirking opposite him. He stopped talking and looked at her confused.
"I was only teasing you, Mr Carson" she laughed and smirked again.
Carson opened his mouth to say something but stopped. She really enjoyed teasing him and that would always turn his ears pink. She really was something.
Mrs Hughes laughed again, looking at the seriousness etched across his face "I'm sorry. Where is Miss Baxter?" she asked changing the topic.
"She's editing the photos from yesterday. I'm doing the lights today"
Mrs Hughes nodded "And Cor..Mrs Bricker?"
Carson smiled at her, noticing how she almost called her Cora. It was of course because Cora had asked her to, but because he always called her Mrs Bricker on the job, Mrs Hughes did the same around him.
"She should be here by now. We were doing Miss Edith's photoshoot a few hours ago, then she went to her room, she should've been here by now."
Mrs Hughes nodded.
Carson chewed his lower lip and almost whispered to himself "She's been acting a little odd all day today"
Mrs Hughes looked at him and squinted "Is she?"
"Sorry?" Carson looked up at her, realizing that he had said his thoughts out loud.
"About Mrs Bricker acting odd?" Mrs Hughes asked.
Carson awkwardly nodded, not comfortable discussing Cora when he looked at Mrs Hughes chewing her lip as well "Everything alright?" he asked.
"Yes" Mrs Hughes looked up at him "Strange because Mr Crawley has been in a daze all day today as well. I think both our employers need a vacation soon" she smiled at him.
Carson nodded, and wondered if everything was alright with Cora and he was sure that Mrs Hughes was wondering the same thing about Mr Crawley. He hoped that they hadn't fallen apart. It was a big deal for PRIME and to him; Mr Crawley seemed like a very dignified man.
Mrs Hughes smiled at him "And now you're doing Violet Crawley's photoshoot. Saved the toughest for the last" she said changing the topic.
Carson raised his eyebrows "Why'd you say that?"
"You'll see" she replied and gave him a smirk.
Carson continued to stare at her in confusion when Cora walked in "Sorry, sorry I'm late"
Cora looked up and saw Mrs Hughes standing in the corner, slightly surprised to see her there "Oh Mrs Hughes, how are you?"
"Very well, thank you! I was just here to tell you that the president..I mean Violet Crawley is about to be here in a few minutes"
Cora nodded and gave a faint smile to her "Ah, thank you. Are we all set up?"
Carson nodded and Cora quickly took out her camera from her camera bag and fixed the lens hurriedly. Carson looked at her looking a little jumbled and then looked at Mrs Hughes giving him a faint smile. He knew that she had noticed her looking a little chaotic too.
Carson heard heels clicking against the marble floor from afar and Mrs Hughes made way for Violet Crawley to enter her office.
Cora had woken up a few minutes before her first session and had been catching up ever since. She was struggling to catch up on only a few hours of sleep and the constant thoughts of how her morning was spent didn't help. If she was honest, she was a little nervous to meet Robert now. She wanted to know if his wife had been really mad at him but was dreading the whole interaction. So she busied herself with work, not like she had any other option, but she tried her best to stay away from the places he could possibly have been. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they had to postpone Robert's photo shoot because of a meeting schedule with some important clients who had come from Leeds and were in no mood to leave. Mrs Hughes had sent a message that the meeting was likely to go on for a few more hours so it was best that they reschedule the whole thing. Cora agreed and shifted Robert to a slot at the end of the list.
She carefully replaced the lenses on her camera when she heard the sound of heels from outside the door. With everything going on in her head, she had only just remembered that she was about to take pictures of Violet Crawley. She had never met her, but had heard enough about her to be intimidated by her, including the fact that she wasn't in favour of replacing their previous photographer. She had forgotten that she was about to do her photo shoot and gulped to brace herself. She should've walked in mentally prepared. This whole morning had been strange but she gulped once again, determined to be at her very best and impress the woman.
A woman in her seventies, dressed in a smart black suit, with her hair tightly tied behind her head in a neat bun walked in with her chin up high.
"What, what is all this?" Violet said as she looked around the number of things scattered around her office.
Violet looked at Mrs Hughes, who then looked at Cora.
Cora realizing it was her cue to introduce herself walked towards her with a smile "Hello" she said extending her hand.
Violet looked at her and stared for a moment or two, unnerving Cora, who was trying her best to not look frightened. She raised her eyebrows, slightly pursed her lips and slowly moved up to take Cora's hand.
One firm shake and the woman dropped her hand. Cora softly smiled back. It seemed like Violet Crawley was going to be a tough one to impress.
"I'm Cora. Cora Levinson Bricker from PRIME and this is Mr Carson"
Violet looked behind Cora at Carson and slightly nodded.
"What is all this?" Violet asked as she pointed at the equipment.
"They're all lights and camera lenses for the photo shoot" replied Cora.
"What, you need all of this? They are being quite a nuisance for anyone who wishes to enter the room without falling flat on their face" said Violet.
Cora awkwardly opened her mouth when Carson stepped forward and gave an explanation.
"We'll get them out of your way" said Carson as he moved to lift the equipment from the room's end. Mrs Hughes gave him a hand as Violet passed by them to go to her seat.
"Right, Mrs Bricker, what am I supposed to do?" Violet asked as she stood next to her desk and scanned Cora from head to toe.
Cora sighed; she was not going to let her intimidate her. She walked towards her to give her, her best brief.
"Well, you are the president and you've been running the hotel for many decades now, with your husband first and now with your son, so I thought we could do a few portraits of you, close up shots and all. I'll then take some pictures of you working, how you go about your daily routine.."
Violet cut her off "Jarvis always did mid shots. Don't they look more sophisticated?" she asked raising her eyebrows "Why do we have act out what we do? It seems so unnecessary"
Cora sighed under her breath "You don't have to act. What I meant was, our goal is to show the people what the president of the hotel for the past many decades do on a daily basis. These shots will mostly be for the magazine and the interviews"
"Are we being interviewed now? I wasn't made aware of this?" Violet asked crossing her arms.
Cora softly shook her head "Potential interviews. We're discussing with Edith nowadays on when and how to go about it. It'll be good for the PR"
Violet nodded softly, opening her mouth but closing it the next second, as if trying to find something else to criticize "This all sounds thorough" she said, but somehow it sounded more like a taunt than a compliment.
Cora smiled and nodded softly.
"Is that it?" Violet asked.
"No, I also thought it would be nice to take a picture of you sitting on your chair, with your husband's portrait behind you sitting on the same chair, with the same pose" Cora pointed to the massive picture behind Violet's chair.
Violet turned around and her mouth formed a small 'oh'.
"Where, where did you find that?" Violet asked as she walked up towards the picture.
"Edith helped me. We found it in the hotel's store. She agreed it would be a good idea" added Cora.
Violet stared at the picture of her late husband behind her, lost in her own thoughts. The picture was close to three decades old. Violet vaguely remembered it being taken and had completely forgotten about it until today. She stared at the massive picture; Patrick Crawley sitting on the desk that was now hers. He looked so much like Robert.
"I haven't seen this picture in a long time" said Violet. She turned around and looked at Cora, raising her thin eyebrows sharply "But I do not understand what it is doing here"
Cora slowly walked towards Violet, straightening her back "The idea is to show the continuation of the legacy of your husband. One of the many unique selling points of your hotel is that it all belongs to one family. This is one thing that catches the interest of the people immediately and showing that Hotel Grantham is as strong as ever is important. You are here and continuing the great work your husband did with the rest of your family"
Violet looked at her for a few moments and Cora was sure she saw a hint of a smile on her face. She internally sighed and felt her racing heartbeat slow down and resume normally.
"Shouldn't it be behind Robert? He is the CEO" asked Violet.
"We are doing one with him as well, but you are the backbone of the hotel and I think it adds a very nice touch that the matriarch of the family is also the running president of the hotel"
Violet softly smiled at her and nodded.
"Shall I sit here?" she asked as she moved on to sit on her chair.
Cora nodded and switched on her camera "Carson, could you increase the cool light here, and diffuse the one on the right to avoid shadow"
Carson nodded and moved pass her "Well done" he whispered in her ear and Cora smiled.
She may not have gotten a single word of acceptance or appreciation out of her, but she got a faint smile and her cooperation and that was enough for Cora at this point.
For the next hour or so Cora patiently took Violet's photographs. It didn't take much to portray her as the strong matriarch and president of the hotel, her facial expressions and confidence were more than enough so thankfully Cora didn't have to speak much during the photo shoot and neither did Violet.
Cora finally did the portrait of her next to her husband's image and after an hour or so Violet Crawley opened her mouth to speak again.
"Can I see it?" she asked.
"Of course" said Cora as she walked towards her with the camera "We'll re-touch it a little later"
Cora handed her the camera and saw a sweet smile on Violet's face as she stared at the picture in the camera. The pictures had turned out great but the portrait against portrait idea really had been excellent and the pose of Mr and Mrs Crawley looked identical and it just looked like an image with a lot of power and poise, which had been the intention.
"This is quite good" Violet said, and Cora smiled at her; internally wanting to dance a jig.
"I'm very happy you like them" Cora replied.
Bingo. At least she didn't hate her or the pictures and Cora was glad about that. She smiled a big smile when she heard Carson speak.
"Oh, Mr Crawley" said Carson.
What? Cora slowly looked up at the door way and saw Robert standing at it, clutching on the knob. He stared back at her, mimicking the expressions on the face. Confused, awkward and surprised.
"Oh, Robert, what is it?" asked Violet.
Robert cleared his throat and looked at Violet "Oh sorry, Mama, I forgot that you were having the photo shoot now. It can wait"
Violet nodded and Robert looked back at Cora, gave a soft smile and left the room. Carson looked at Cora, unclear about the strange interaction when Phyllis Baxter entered the room.
"Hi, sorry to interrupt" she said as she covered the microphone on her iPhone and looked at Cora "Cora, the delivery for the new tripods is here and since you ordered it, they're not letting me receive it"
"What, they're here now?" asked Cora.
"Yes, they're in the lobby"
Cora sighed and nodded "Well, I think we're done here" she said to Violet.
Violet nodded and handed her back her camera "When can I have my office back?" she asked.
"We'll clear it up in ten minutes" said Carson.
Violet nodded and left the room.
Cora hurried outside and walked towards the elevator. She had completely forgotten about the new deliveries for the stands. She pressed the elevator button and was about to take a deep breath when the elevator suddenly opened and revealed Robert standing in it.
Really? Of all the people it had to be him?
Cora laughed nervously "Oh, sorry, are you going up or down?" she asked.
Robert looked at her slightly puzzled and smiled. Cora wanted to slap herself, he was obviously going down, there's only two floors above them and one of them is the roof.
"Down, I just got in" he replied and made way for Cora to enter.
Cora entered the elevator and pressed the button for lobby. A few moments of awkward silence passed away as they both tried to find a way to start the conversation. Thankfully Robert spoke before the awkwardness got unbearable.
"How was the shoot with Mama?" he asked.
Cora smiled softly and sighed "Interesting"
Robert laughed which in return made Cora laugh as well "Yes, I would assume so. Did she give you a hard time?"
Cora smiled "Not very. She had a lot of questions, but I answered them all. But she did say 'this is quite good' while looking at the pictures, so I'll assume she doesn't hate me yet"
Robert looked at her and raised his eyebrows slightly "You know what? Mama doesn't say that to anyone. She must've really liked the pictures"
Cora looked at him with a slight glint in her eyes. Did The Violet Crawley really like them? "Really? You're not just saying it?"
Robert nodded enthusiastically "Truly! Well done"
Cora laughed "Yes, well done" she said, more so to herself than to him.
"I must see these pictures now" said Robert.
"I'll have them edited soon" she replied.
"I'm sorry about postponing my shoot, the meeting got a bit out of hand. It was important so we couldn't reschedule it"
Cora shook her head and smiled "No problem, I have buffer time left at the end, we'll manage it within the deadline, don't worry"
Robert smiled back at her and looked at the red text on the screen in front of them.
Three more floors to go.
Another spell of awkward silence filled the small elevator. Cora sighed softly and nodded to herself "Robert?" she said.
He looked at her and she continued speaking "I'm sorry about what happened earlier, please apologize to your wife too on my behalf"
Robert moved his head and sighed "No need to apologize, we were just chatting and..well, don't worry about my wife" he said, giving her a faint smile.
"I might have said a little too much, I don't know what happened and if your wife is mad, well, I understand.."
Robert put his hand in the air to stop her "We both might have said too much, so please, don't apologize. It's alright. I am sorry too, if I made things uncomfortable. And don't worry about my wife. I am going home now in fact, I'll handle the misses" he smiled at her.
"Well, good luck!" she said after a few moments "If I were you, I'd take a bunch of roses for her" she smiled at him.
Robert smiled begrudgingly and looked down "Yes, I've tried that" he looked at her and scrunched up his nose "Doesn't work"
Cora raised her eyebrows and smiled sadly at him.
"Anyways, have you heard about the charity event next month?" he asked.
"I have" replied Cora, grateful for a change in conversation and the fact that they were not awkward with each other anymore "Your sister is organizing it?"
"She is!" Robert said excitingly, making Cora smile. He was clearly very close to his sister and that warmed her heart. She wished she had that relationship with her brother but she never did.
"What is it about?" she asked.
"We do it every year, for some cause or the other. This year it's to build a cancer hospital in Yorkshire, my father's hometown. It'll be the usual thing, speeches, sponsors and some entertainment"
The elevator dinged open and the both exited it "I'll discuss the guest list with Edith" she replied.
Cora spotted the delivery man and smiled at Robert "That's me" she said, pointing towards the man who was carrying more weight than his body could possibly allow.
"Alright, bye. Best of luck with…what, are those stands?" Robert asked looking at the strange stands the delivery man was holding. He stared at the hefty looking equipment and squinted his eyebrows together in confusion.
Cora giggled "They are tripods, for lights"
Robert nodded in confusion, clearly struggling to make a link and Cora smiled.
"But thanks for the luck. Best of luck with you too, with the wife"
Robert raised his eyebrows and smiled "Can never have enough of that"
Cora laughed and nodded "Bye"
"Bye, Cora" he said as he exited the hotel.
Cora walked speedily towards the grand hall decorated for the event. She chewed her lower lip and counted the cameras in her head. She looked around the hall; there should be five cameras set up and three camera men on their designated spots.
She skimmed through the list in her hand. Cameras were all set up, her intern Daisy and two free-lance photographers Jimmy and Alfred were in charge of capturing the pictures of the guests coming in, Phyllis was in charge of the group photos and Carson was in charge of the lights and the drone. Cora had also decided to take pictures of the Crawley's herself because they'd be most essential for the website. She counted the cameras, lights and went over the jobs appointed to her team one last time and nodded.
It had been a month since she last met Robert in the elevator. After that Mr Bates and he went to New York for a couple of weeks, while Cora finished the remaining of the photo shoots at the hotel and captured some footage. She spent the rest of the time working from her office, editing and discussing the charity event with Edith on email. She had also had an email from Rosamund, welcoming PRIME and discussing how the event would be photographed and captured. She had yet to meet her.
Wearing a tight dark blue dress that reached just below her knee, high heels and a red lip, Cora walked over to the entrance where Edith was standing, talking to Anna.
"Oh hello, Cora" said Edith as she looked at her "You look very nice"
Cora smiled at her "So do you!"
Edith wore a champagne silk dress that reached just above her knees and looked absolutely breathtaking.
"I've appointed Anna to help you with the guests. She knows who's who so you can tick them off the list as you go" said Edith.
Cora sighed "That really helps! As much as I tried, I wasn't able to memorize the faces of 378 people" she laughed.
"No worries, I'll make sure you don't miss anyone important" said Anna with a smile.
Cora looked at the list again "Oh I wanted to ask, if Mr John Robinson is an important guest? He was scratched off the first list but his name is in this one" asked Cora, handing over the list to Edith.
Edith looked at the list and squinted her eyebrows when a red haired woman walked behind her, and Cora could immediately recognize her, without ever having met her.
"Are we talking about John Robinson?" said the red haired woman.
Edith looked behind her and grinned at the woman "Aunt Rosamund!" she said as she hugged her.
Rosamund tightly hugged her niece and smiled at her afterwards. Cora could clearly see the love she had for Edith.
"Let me introduce you to Cora" said Edith.
Rosamund looked at her and gave Cora a big smile "Ah, Mrs Bricker, finally"
Cora smiled back at her. Her smile was contagious "Hello, how are you?" she said as she shook her hand.
"I'm doing great. Better now that I've finally met the person who has changed our medieval methods for marketing" replied Rosamund.
Cora chuckled at her, shaking her hand "Oh wow! Very nice to meet you too"
"Were you talking about John Robinson?" she asked.
Cora nodded and Rosamund smirked "I added him back in the last"
"Why?" asked Edith "I thought you hated him"
"I do, but I received a seven page email last time I didn't invite him and then follow ups for a reply and honestly I don't have the energy to deal with that"
Cora smiled "So do I photograph him or no?"
"I'd say skip it" replied Rosamund as she winked at her and walked over to the orchestra.
Cora chuckled at that. She was very different from the rest of the family and just so likeable at first glance. Cora smiled at Rosamund talking to the orchestra, and walked towards Daisy to give her a copy of her list.
Phyllis looked around the hall that was slowly filling up with the masses of people who were due to attend the event. She glanced across the hall to spot Mrs Hughes. After a good few minutes, when she was finally able to spot her, she walked towards her.
"Ah Mrs Hughes! I've been looking all over for you" said Phyllis.
Mrs Hughes who was rechecking the name cards on the table one final time looked up at Phyllis "Oh, Miss Baxter, how can I help?"
"Is Mr Tony Gillingham here? I'm supposed to take a few pictures of him with Mr Bates but I'm not sure if he's here or not"
Mrs Hughes put down her reading glasses and looked across the hall "Let me see, oh there. That one! With the curly hair. That's Mr Gillingham"
"Oh thank you so much, Mrs Hughes"
Mrs Hughes looked towards her right and sighed "Mr Molesley? Mr Molesley?"
Molesley, the waiter who was busy arranging drinks at one table looked up after Mrs Hughes called his name for the fifth time.
"Yes, coming Mrs Hughes" he replied from afar and brisked walked towards her, making Phyllis smile.
"Yes, Mrs Hughes?" he said regaining his breath.
"We need more champagne glasses on this side too. With the number of guests arriving, it's bound to finish in minutes"
Molesley nodded and turned around when Phyllis coughed.
"May I have a glass Mr Molesley?" asked Phyllis smiling.
"Uh, of course, Miss Baxter" he said as he ran towards the kitchen, making her giggle.
"Oh look, Mr Bates is here too" said Mrs Hughes as Bates walked towards them.
"So is Mr Carson" said Phyllis smiling at Mrs Hughes.
Bates and Mr Carson walked over towards the ladies and smiled.
"Miss Baxter" said Bates "You have the seating list?"
Phyllis nodded and Bates smiled "Will you come with me for a second, I want to discuss something"
"Of course" replied Phyllis as she walked away with Mr Bates.
Carson who was dressed in a smart black suit stood next to Mrs Hughes and smiled.
"You look very nice" he said with a soft blush on his face making Mrs Hughes smile.
"Thank you, Mr Carson. These heels are killing my feet, so it's good to know that the pain is at least worth it" she said as she ticked off a name from the list she had in her hand.
Carson looked down at her extremely long heels and widened his eyes "How do you walk in those?" he asked, looking horrified at the sight of those pencil heels.
Mrs Hughes chuckled "Don't ask, Mr Carson. Don't ask" she said as she walked over to the next table.
Cora walked over to the entrance once again, the hall was filling up quickly and she wanted to make sure every little bit of it was captured.
"Everything good?' she asked Jimmy who was standing next to the door with a big camera.
"Yes, Cora. We've ticked off fifty people from the list" replied Jimmy.
Cora smiled and nodded enthusiastically "Excellent" and looked over at the door where Mary, Matthew and Isobel had just arrived.
Cora nodded at Jimmy to take their pictures when Matthew walked over towards her.
"Hello, Cora" he said moving forward to kiss her cheek "You look very nice"
Cora smiled at him "Thank you, Matthew."
Isobel walked towards Cora to meet her "Hello, Cora! Everything under control?" she asked giving her a smile.
"Absolutely!" she replied, smiling back at her.
Mary who had been busy typing away on her phone, finally looked up and smiled "Ah! This looks great" she said scanning the hall.
"It really does! And this is all Rosamund's doing?" Isobel asked.
"As far as I know, yes" replied Mary.
And just like clockwork, Rosamund walked over towards her niece with a big smile on her face "Ah, do I hear my name?" she asked.
Mary smiled at her aunt, and Cora could swear she'd only ever seen Mary smile this big at Matthew. The girls really were very close to their aunt.
"Aunt Rosamund" Mary said kissing her cheek "So good to have you back"
Rosamund patted Mary's hand "Glad to be back"
Mary looked at Cora, who only then realized that she might be looking like a bit of a creep constantly smiling at the Crawley family, but she so admired the bond between the family, most of the family anyway, that she had no other choice but to be in awe. She didn't have a big family, so seeing such a strong knitted family really melted her heart.
"Have you met our savior, Cora?' said Mary raising her eyebrows and giving Cora a smile.
"I have" replied Rosamund and Mary nodded. "I don't ever remember seeing these many cameras at any of our events before. If Jarvis was here, he'd faint"
Cora chuckled; it was really funny that they were able to joke about the whole thing.
"Ah, but Mary, I seriously need a drink." said Rosamund as she rotated her neck to get rid of the tension.
"So do I, god knows. Shall we?" asked Mary.
Rosamund nodded and looked at Cora "Why don't you come too, Cora?"
Cora politely shook her head "Don't tempt me. But work calls, I have to make sure everyone gets photographed" she chuckled.
Mary and Rosamund laughed "Alright, well. But do enjoy yourself. Half of the people here are such a bore anyway" said Rosamund.
"Sshh" said Mary as she looked towards the entrance where two more of the Crawley girls entered "Ah, Sybil and Granny are here"
Cora looked at her left to see the youngest daughter of the family enter with the oldest. Cora smiled; Sybil truly was an absolute beauty. She'd seen her in pictures and on that video call but she was even more beautiful in person.
"Sorry, are we late?" asked Sybil as she quickly walked towards her Aunt and sister.
"Sybil, darling! Not at all. I'm just glad you could make it" said Mary as she hugged her youngest sister.
"I had a shift, but I managed somehow" she replied as she looked over towards Cora who was assisting Jimmy with some camera settings.
"Hello, Cora" she said as she walked towards her.
Cora looked up at her and gave her a big smile.
"Hello! I'm happy to finally meet you" replied Cora.
Cora moved her hand towards hers to shake it but Sybil chuckled and moved in to hug Cora, something that Cora wasn't expecting it at all.
"Oh" said Cora and she chuckled back hugging Sybil.
"I was very excited to meet you" said Sybil.
"Me too! I hear you're a nurse" said Cora.
Sybil smiled shyly "Almost! That's why I'm never here"
Cora nodded when she saw a glimpse of Violet Crawley from behind Sybil staring at her. She nodded at her and Violet gave her a hint of a nod back.
"Did you really do all of this?" asked Violet as she stared at Rosamund.
Rosamund rolled her eyes and sighed "Yes, Mama. Is that surprising?"
Violet raised her eyebrows "It is actually. But I'm glad nevertheless" she said as she walked away.
Rosamund sighed and walked away with Mary and Isobel.
For the next fifteen minutes, Cora stood with Anna to go over the list. She'd assigned Alfred to take short interviews of the important guests from the event for the charity so she moved back in forth between Jimmy and Alfred to make sure everything was in top shape. The hall was slowly filling up. She was sure if Simon was here, he'd use every opportunity to mingle and make contacts. He'd have loved it here but Cora wasn't comfortable enough to ask Robert for an extra invite and also because she knew how Simon got after a few drinks and she wasn't sure if the evening would've been smooth sailing if he had been here. Maybe she'd ask for an invite for him at some other event in future, preferably at some with less alcohol and music. She sighed and glanced over to see Mr Carson standing with Mrs Hughes behind one of the cameras and she was sure she saw Phyllis doing group photos near the backdrop a few moments ago. Everything seemed to be going well, and she hoped that it stayed the same.
Edith walked over near the door way, talking to somebody on the phone.
"No, darling, not that one. Turn right. Yes, I see you, come in" she said on the phone and Cora turned her head to see who it was.
A man in his late thirties waved back at Edith from afar and walked over towards her. Edith smiled a big smile at him when Anna whispered in her ear.
"That's Bertie Pelham. Miss Edith's fiancé"
"Oh" said Cora and nodded at Jimmy to take his photographs.
"Hello, darling" said Edith as she kissed the man in front of her.
"I'm sorry, I thought it was the other hall at the back" said Bertie as he stroked Edith's cheek softly.
"Do you know where Papa and Mama are?" asked Edith
"They were just behind me" said Bertie as he walked away with Edith.
Robert was about to be here. Cora hadn't seen him in a month, and she instantly felt a little nervous. More so because his wife was with him this time and the awkwardness of what had happened a month ago with his wife still stayed with her. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize Phyllis tapping on her shoulder.
"Cora, Cora?" said Phyllis.
"Yes, sorry, what?" said Cora finally looking up at her.
"Mr Carson is looking for you. He's just there" said Phyllis.
Cora looked at the door once again; there was no one there yet. She sighed and walked away with Phyllis.
Cora walked over to where Carson was standing with Mrs Hughes.
"Ah, Mrs Bricker, should we start the drone footage now? Or wait till the speeches start?" asked Carson, lightly tapping the remote in his hand.
Cora chewed her lip "I think it's better if we start now, it's bound to make some noise. Its better people get used to it now. Otherwise it'll be a distraction in between the speeches"
"Right" said Carson and nodded.
Cora heard some chitter chatter behind her and turned to see the source. Robert Crawley stood near the entrance greeting his daughters with a soft smile on his face.
"I didn't know you could fly a drone" said Mrs Hughes as she observed Carson stabilize the drone in the air.
"It's pretty simple" said Carson as a turned on the drone and a soft whoosh filled the room from the rotor of the device "It took some time, but I learned pretty quickly, wouldn't you agree?" he asked Cora who was mentally miles away from the conversation that was happening behind her.
Cora thought she heard her name but wasn't sure. She awkwardly stood next to Mrs Hughes when she felt someone look at her from her peripheral view. She turned her head to catch the eye and saw Robert Crawley smile at her from across the room.
Standing in an all-black matte suit, he smiled at Cora, excused himself from his daughters and walked towards Cora.
Cora met him half way and greeted him with a smile.
"Hello" he said as he moved forward.
Cora put forward her hand to shake it halfway, but mid-way realized that Robert leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes widened and she stepped forward, by the time which Robert had moved a step back to take her hand.
Cora giggled and could feel Robert's face turn pink.
"Let's start over" she said and gave him a big smile, making him blush more.
He nodded and moved in to kiss her cheek. It was a feather light touch but she could swear she felt the hair on her neck stand. It was probably because of how strange their interaction had been. He smelled divine; he wore a perfume that had hints of mint and sandalwood and Cora got a good sniff when he leaned in. That naturally added to the reason why the hair on her neck decided to stand as stiffly as a stick.
"How are you?" he asked.
"Very well? You?"
He sighed "Good. I only came back a few days ago, so my sleep cycle is still a little messed up"
Cora chuckled, "Was New York a success?"
He nodded happily "Yes it was, thank god. It took a couple of weeks but in the end we got it"
Cora grinned at him "And that is all that matters"
He smiled at her and she could feel his gaze scanning her from head to toe, it was very subtle and didn't make her uncomfortable at all, but it did make her blush.
Cora cleared her throat "Your sister did an incredible job" she said looking up to admire the view.
"She has great taste" he replied as he looked over to his right to see Rosamund chatting with Sybil "She's in full form today" he said smiling.
Cora smiled back at him, "Work does that to you. If you like what you do"
Robert looked at her and smiled "You speak from experience?"
Cora nodded softly "Absolutely. You did good, convincing her to come back"
Robert sighed and smiled "You've met her then?"
"Only just! She's very kind and welcoming"
Robert grinned "I'm glad you think so"
Cora smiled at him. Clearly her approval and appreciation of Rosamund was greatly appreciated by Robert and that warmed her heart. He truly loved his sister. She didn't know him much, but he had always been so nice to his daughters and Mrs Hughes and talked so fondly about his sister and the fact that he really appreciated and respected the women in his life, made her respect for him grow.
Thinking of the women in his life, she saw Robert stand straighter and look towards the door, when a woman dressed in white silk dress, embellished with big puffy feathers walk towards him. It almost looked like as if she was hiding another person under those big feathers. She had short blonde hair, blue eyes and a very serious looking resting face. Cora could place her bet on who she was.
"Robert" the blonde woman said without noticing Cora's presence next to him. "Why didn't you wait for me? My shoe came off as I was walking"
Robert cleared his throat and gave a dry chuckle "We were already late. If we'd stayed back a minute more, Rosamund would've killed me"
The blonde woman rolled her eyes as Robert looked at her. Cora felt awkward standing there but she didn't know what to do. Should she just walk away? Won't that look rude too? But standing there wasn't appropriate either. Thankfully Robert put her out of his misery.
"Valarie" he said looking at Cora.
Cora awkwardly smiled at him, her hand fingers tangled together as she stood next to Robert.
"Meet Cora Levinson Bricker. She's our new photographer"
Valarie looked at Cora for the first time and raised her eyebrows. She opened her mouth and a silent 'ah' escaped it. She looked at her from head to toe and Cora tried really hard to maintain a neutral expression.
"Ah, so you're Jarvis' replacement?" said Valarie.
Cora's eyes widened slowly and she could feel Robert getting uncomfortable from her peripheral view. Cora awkwardly nodded at her. What was this question and how was she supposed to answer it?
"Where's your office?" asked Valarie.
"Euston" replied Cora with a faint smile.
"What's it called?"
Cora just looked confused. It was strange to hear someone from the family ask about her company because everyone else seemed to remember it. Not that she considered her company one of a kind that way, but clearly their company had been discussed many times for everyone to know it. Cora just softly sighed and replied.
"PRIME" she stated.
Valarie shook her head "Never heard of it"
Robert cleared his throat and slowly held Valarie's elbow and pulled her towards him, as if trying to tame her.
Cora felt like rolling he eyes. Her track record of liking all the Crawley members seemed to be coming to a halt.
"Doesn't the hall look great? Rosamund arranged the whole thing with Isobel and Edith" said Robert, trying to change the conversation.
Valarie laughed without opening her mouth and it came out like a snort "Are you sure Ros did it?" she said snidely.
Cora could feel Robert rolling his eyes when thankfully Mary walked in.
"Oh Mama, you're here" said Mary.
Cora looked at them silently and mentally compared to how Mary and Edith met Rosamund and how they met their mother. It seemed like the girls weren't very fond of their mother. She thought it was very odd since the whole family overall seemed very close. But she shook her head; she could very well be wrong.
"Can you say a few words for the cause and the charity? There's a camera man there"
Valarie sighed loudly "Do I have to? I thought there were only pictures"
Mary pursed her lips and sighed "Just a few words, we need it for the website apparently"
Mary looked at Cora and Cora nodded.
"Fine, what do I say?" asked Valarie.
Mary rolled her eyes "Anything, Mama" she said as she dragged Valarie towards the camera.
"It's the cancer hospital one right?" said Valarie as she walked away with Mary.
Mary nodded as Cora saw them walk away.
Robert sighed and moved towards Cora. She could feel that he was embarrassed but she only felt sorry for him.
"Sorry about that. She doesn't have a great memory" said Robert.
Cora could sense that he was trying to cover up, which he should be doing as her husband because Cora did it several times herself when Simon had made things awkward by saying something silly. She smiled at him, internally relating to his situation and shook her head.
"Don't be. She never met me. Why would she know?" she smiled.
Robert sighed and almost whispered to himself "Yes, but neither did anyone else from the family, but they all remembered" he said and walked away to meet the guests.
A few minutes later, everyone sat down on their seats. The lights were dimmed and Cora stood at the very back of the hall to guide her team and to take the pictures without blocking anyone's view. The hall was full, and the sounds of glasses clinking and soft laughter could be heard from where Cora was standing. She was told that Mary was going to make the introduction speech, followed by a speech from Robert and then the rest of the sponsors, thus Cora took one camera in hand as well, to take pictures of the Crawley family. Phyllis and Alfred were taking the pictures of the guests, Carson was managing lighting and the drone and Jimmy recorded the event's footage.
A round of applause came next as Mary walked up the stage. The spot light shone on her, making her emerald green dress pop more.
"Good evening everyone! I am Mary Crawley, and I'll be your host for the evening. Thank you so much for each and every one of you for being here with us today. We are very pleased to be able to welcome those of you that have been with us for a long time now as well as those who are new to this yearly event at Hotel Grantham. Today marks our 57th annual charity event for causes that are important to all of us and all our prestigious sponsors. Without further ado, I'd like to welcome the CEO of our hotel, Mr Robert Crawley to start the event"
Mary stepped aside as the spot light shone on Robert as he walked towards the stage. Another huge round of applause was heard and Cora found herself smiling from afar. Robert walked towards the stage with a lot of grace and poise, looking even more charming than he usually did.
He walked towards the stage and gave a big smile to the people sitting across the hall. He scanned the room, and Cora was sure he caught her eye at one moment and he smiled a little bigger than he already was. Cora silently thanked god that she was at the far end, because her jaw was stuck in a smiling posture and that plastered grin wasn't going away. Cora gladly brought the camera in front of her, and started taking photographs. She wasn't going to punish herself for finding him attractive; of course he was attractive and dashing but Cora knew that the reason to why she really admired him went beyond his looks. He was a kind man; a man with a lot of grace, dignity, manners and respect and that made her respect him more. She also got along with him; he was one of the very few men in her life that she could befriend and talk to very easily, even if she'd only talked to him a handful of times. And the fact that he was so obviously good looking indeed added to it. She admired him, and the last time she checked, admiring someone wasn't a sin. A bit of a harmless interest, that is allowed, right?
Cora gulped down. She knew there was nothing wrong in it, but somehow she felt guilty. Maybe because he was the first man that she personally knew, after her eighteen years of marriage that she really admired. Cora shook her head. Overthinking was truly overrated. She smiled again at Robert who had said a silly joke and made everyone laugh in the audience. She had missed it obviously because her mind was racing with unnecessary thoughts. She looked across the hall; everyone was laughing and fixated on Robert. She smiled until her eyes landed on one person who was typing away on their phone, without taking the slightest interest in what was going on in front of them.
Valarie. Robert's wife was sitting at the center table of the hall and was busy on her phone. It was also very easy to point her out because the bright light of her phone could be seen from every corner of the hall. Cora sighed, shook her head and started taking pictures, while concentrating on his speech.
An hour and a thousand pictures later, Cora made her way through the crowd to attend a phone call. The speeches had ended and they were able to raise twice the funds than they'd expected. Now it was time for entertainment and the orchestra played the music at full volume, making it impossible to have a conversation inside. She still had her camera in hand, and she walked towards the main door to be able to hear the person on the other end.
"Yes, yes. Sorry, can you repeat that?" said Cora as she neared the door; her index finger pressing on her ear to block the noise from behind.
"No, sorry, we're booked for the next three days" said Cora.
The client on the other end talked about an urgent rescheduling of a photo shoot, and Cora listened intently, licking her lower lip and trying to find solution to manage the extra shoot. Her eyes examined the entrance of the hall. A few hours ago, she wasn't able to admire the flowers and the decorations properly because of the people gathered there. She sighed taking in the fresh air that came from the open windows when he eyes landed on a pillar, behind which she spotted a young couple kissing.
She awkwardly moved her head the other way but by that time the young couple had seen her there and they separated at the sight of her.
Sybil.
Cora, who was still on the phone, gave a faint smile to Sybil who looked embarrassed at being caught. Cora tilted the other way and continued with her call.
"Yes, very well, why don't you call tomorrow at 9, and I'll have my interns sort you out a date soon? Right, perfect. Thank you, good night" Cora cut the call and turned the other way around where Sybil was slowly walking towards her. The boy that had been with her had now turned around, exiting the building.
Sybil smiled at her shyly and Cora smiled back.
"Sorry about that" she said, looking down.
Cora chuckled and softly stroked her cheek, making Sybil smile "Not to worry. Boyfriend?"
Sybil dryly chuckled and nodded "Sort of"
Cora smiled "Why didn't you invite him inside?"
Sybil shook her head "Mama doesn't approve"
"Oh" said Cora, slightly worried at having witnessed it if her mother didn't approve. Sybil sensed her uneasiness and clarified.
"She doesn't know about him...Tom. She just generally doesn't approve" added Sybil.
"Oh" said Cora, slightly relieved "She's not the first mother to do so"
Sybil smiled at her and took Cora's hand "Can I rely on you to keep this to yourself?"
"Of course" said Cora patting her hand.
"Sybil" a voice came from Cora's left as they both turned around to see the source.
Valarie walked towards Sybil, with a face that screamed suspicion "What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyebrows reaching the ceiling.
"Oh, I.." Sybil opened her mouth to speak but got stuck.
Cora sensed Sybil's panic and pitched in "I was just taking some pictures of her here, there's good lighting"
She heard Sybil slowly take a breath besides her and she faintly smiled.
"Oh, well, you can do that later. Come inside, I want you to meet my friend Cynthia" said Valarie as she walked away.
Sybil followed her mother, sneakily turning around and mouthing 'thank you' to Cora.
Cora smiled and winked at her when Carson walked towards her with two glasses in hand.
"All well?' asked Carson, as he handed Cora a glass of champagne.
"Yes, absolutely" she replied "Thank you!"
She took the glass and took a sip of the bubbly drink, sighing when the icy liquid hit her tongue.
"She's quite a character, isn't she?" said Carson, as he raised his bushy eyebrows and observed Valarie walking away from them.
Cora smiled to herself. She didn't need to answer him and he knew that. Carson liked a very specific type of people and Valarie Crawley was far from it. Cora herself didn't really warm up to her; her attitude was cold and reserved and Cora didn't like that energy around her. Her mind drifted back to Robert and it saddened her to think back to how dejected he looked around his wife. Cora shook her head and took another sip.
The dance floor in front of them crowded up as the music got faster and almost everyone in the hall started dancing. She smiled seeing Mary dancing with Matthew. She also spotted Phyllis dancing with Anna and she laughed.
"Will you join them?" she asked Carson.
Carson rolled his eyes "Huh, will I join them" he replied sarcastically when Mrs Hughes walked from behind him, having just left the ladies room.
"Oh the dancing has started!" said Mrs Hughes as she smiled looking at the dance floor.
Cora smirked knowing what was about to come.
"What do you say, Mr Carson, shall we?" asked Mrs Hughes.
Carson opened his mouth awkwardly and stopped midway. Cora could sense his dilemma; he had just looked down upon the whole thing but Cora knew that for him, missing a chance to dance with Mrs Hughes was too good to miss.
Mrs Hughes stared at him as Cora smirked and spoke on Carson's behalf "Of course, he will. Won't you, Carson?"
Carson looked at Cora, and gulped, his blush creeping on his cheeks "Well, let's"
Mrs Hughes smiled and dragged Carson to the dance floor and Carson looked back at Cora and gave her a smile; a silent thanks for making it happen for him.
Cora grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up when Edith half walked, half danced towards her.
"Come on, Cora, you've worked enough for the night" said Edith as she took Cora's hand.
"Oh, I don't know" replied Cora shyly.
"Come on, you deserve a bit of fun" explained Edith as she dragged Cora towards the dance floor.
Rosamund immediately took Cora's hand and twirled her around making her laugh.
Cora surveyed the dance floor to look for everyone. She could spot almost everyone besides Robert and Valarie. She wondered where they could be when Matthew danced towards her, twirling her around three sixty degrees where she spotted Robert talking to Valarie at one end of the hall. He was rubbing his forehead, looking extremely annoyed and serious. The charming, smiling Robert doing the speeches a while ago was now lost, replaced by a sad, downcast one. The last thing she witnessed before her view was blocked was that Robert threw away a napkin from his hand and stormed off towards the balcony.
Robert had had a difficult few days. Having just returned from New York, his mind and body craved some sleep and peace. He had worked his ass off to get this new deal signed with a company in America and he was finally able to do it. He was tired, exhausted but happy. Now all he needed was some appreciation and rest. He got neither of those things. The day he returned, he returned home to an empty house and that had unsettled him a little. Not that it was unusual, but having achieved a big contract, he had expected his wife to be home to greet him. But she wasn't there, and didn't return until a good few hours.
The rest of his family congratulated him in the next few days of course, but somehow it had completely slipped Valarie's mind. And to add to that, Robert was forced to attend dinners at three different friends of Valaries; people that he barely knew. He was upset and annoyed; for more than one reason but Valarie had decided to make it all about her. Apparently, he didn't talk enough gossip with her friends, and didn't participate enough in the chit chat and thus was rude to her friends. He was low of sleep, peace of mind and self-esteem; he had tried his best to be cheerful and chatty but his body wasn't allowing him and now he was forced to sleep in the guest room.
The atmosphere at home had been tense and depressing. The only thing that he had been looking forward to was the event that Rosamund had arranged for charity. His dear sister had finally returned to her post and he couldn't be happier. He had been looking forward to seeing her in full form, meeting his friends; old and new, and seeing the hotel at full form.
He was also looking forward to meeting Cora again. She wasn't exactly his friend, but she was…something. She made him feel valued, she was great company and just so easy to talk to. He blushed thinking back to their last few interactions; they had been awkward, but in the moment they felt natural and it almost felt therapeutic. He could sense that she felt the same. He was looking forward to seeing her, talk about her work, seeing the progress with the photos etc.
He arrived at the event that night with a good mood. He saw Rosamund being her old self, he was finally able to get Sybil to attend one event and of course the hall looked absolutely fantastic. His eyes landed on Cora as soon as he arrived and he couldn't help but smile. He observed her from afar talking to Carson and Mrs Hughes and he silently admired her sense of work and her skills. If he was honest, he admired much more than that, but even he found it hard to admit it that to himself without turning red. She wore a dark blue dress and looked absolutely breathtaking. He looked her way, lost in his own thoughts when he saw her turn her head towards him and smile. He grinned at her and walked over for a chat. The night was going good. He met her and they talked and she asked about New York; and a pang of happiness and sadness hit his heart simultaneously. His own wife didn't remember, but someone who had only just met him a couple of months ago remembered and asked. She always boosted his self-esteem and he was ever so grateful for her positive nature, her kind smile and her good heart.
But then of course Valarie had arrived and embarrassed him in front of her. But as always, Cora had been sweet enough to let it all go and didn't let him feel awkward about it.
The event had gone great, Mary had welcomed him on stage and he couldn't stop himself from smiling when he witnessed a full house from the stage. Seeing his hotel gradually return to its glory, like in his father's time now seemed possible and he was absolutely thrilled about it. It was all because of the hard work put in by his family, his staff, his team and her.
His eyes landed on Cora standing at the opposite end of the room from the stage and his grin grew twice its size. She was one of the key reasons behind a smooth sailing, successful event and he was ever so thankful to have her in his professional and personal life. She was a stranger really, but she always cheered him up, worked at her best and produce results that he was only able wish for a few months ago. Hotel Grantham had the people, it had the money, it just needed a smart, fresh and an optimistic mind and it got that in the form of Cora. He also needed a friend, a person whom he could talk to and someone to rely on, and he got that in the form of her. He saw her hide her face behind the camera as he started his speech. She really was a great addition in his life and in the hotel and if he was honest, he wasn't mad about the fact that she was possibly one of the most beautiful women he'd ever laid eyes on. He gulped thinking about it, but finding someone attractive wasn't a sin, right? She was attractive, that was a fact and he was only human. But Robert knew that she was more than just looks. She had a brain, a heart, and a conscience, and in his books those qualities always reigned higher over any other. He gave a speech, talked about the importance of the cause, the sponsors, and the goals set. He had sneaked in a couple of jokes as well, to keep the attention of the audience. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the speech and listening intently, except for her.
Valarie had been on her phone almost the entirety of his speech, and since then his night taken a toll for the worst. Later he found out that Valarie had mixed up the name of the sponsors for an interview that she gave. Robert wanted to hit his head against the wall and only thanked god that the interview wasn't live, otherwise they'd be in a lot of trouble. One of Robert's old friend and an extremely important client later asked Valarie if she wanted to dance, but she ignored his request and wasn't even polite enough to apologize. That was it for Robert; he took her to the side and confronted her about it but regretted it immediately when as always, Valarie made it about herself and played the victim and talked about how Robert was always criticizing her. He was only able to say two sentences and then stood there to listen to a ten minutes rant about how horrible of a husband he was. He was fuming; he threw away the napkin that he held in his hand and walked towards the balcony to get some fresh air. Mary caught his arm midway and asked him to dance, but he declined and walked straight ahead.
He now stood at the balcony; the faint sound of music came from behind him. He sighed looking at the sky and lit a cigarette. He wasn't a regular smoker but sometimes, he gave in and tonight was that kind of a night. He looked at the stars above him and took a deep breath when he heard the sounds of heels behind him. He only hoped it wasn't Valarie, because he wasn't in the mood for another argument. He needed a minute.
He reluctantly turned around, and to his surprise saw Cora standing at the door.
"Oh, it's you" the words slipped from his mouth before he could stop himself.
Cora smiled softly and took a step towards him "Were you expecting someone else?" she asked.
Robert smiled softly and shook his head.
"Am I interrupting?" she asked, standing with her hands tied to her front.
"Not at all" he said as he gestured her to walk in further.
If he was honest, he did come out to get some peace and quiet and if it had been anyone else he'd have politely asked them to go but she was an exception. She was one company he didn't mind.
Cora walked in towards him and stood next to him. She mimicked him and looked at the sky.
"Is it a thing now?" she said as Robert looked at her "We always end up meeting under the open sky" she said with a smile, making Robert chuckle.
"Maybe, we'll see if it lasts the test the third time" replied Robert with a smile.
She giggled at that and Robert sighed, looking up once again.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Robert softly sighed and let her continue "You looked a little upset, I just wanted to make sure if you were okay"
Robert gave her a sad smile and tilted his body towards her "I won't embarrass you by saying I don't understand what you mean" he said and Cora tilted her head sideways, feeling sorry for him.
"But, no I am not doing alright, and I escaped here to make sure no one else finds out" he replied.
Cora softly smiled "I think everyone knows by the way you walked out here"
Robert giggled "Well then. I could always say I wasn't feeling well" he said moving his eyebrows up and down, as if he'd come up with a master plan.
Cora nodded raising her eyebrows "Ah yes, this excuse always works. Although, I always personally go with 'I had an important work call'" replied Cora with a cheeky grin on her face and Robert laughed heartily.
"High five" he said as he softly clapped his hand with hers.
The laughs slowly died down and Robert sighed once more "It was just a hard night, but thank you for cheering me up" he said.
Cora gave him a smile "You're welcome! Here's another piece of news that might cheer you up" she said as Robert raised his eyebrows.
"Oh?" he said standing straighter.
"I heard Rosamund talking to Charles Blake a while ago, and I think he's planning to give the agency of his famous Polish bathroom products to our hotel. And if Rosamund's reaction is any indication, I am assuming it's a big deal for the hotel"
And she had been right, Robert immediately smiled and clapped his hands "That is wonderful news!"
Cora giggled "Ah, you smiled! I guess my job here is done" she replied.
Robert smiled at her. How sweet was she, checking up on him and cheering him on. Day by day he was more and more grateful for her. And how nice of her to say 'our' hotel; it really warmed his heart.
"This has been a good night overall, everyone else seems to be enjoying and the funds have exceeded the goal you set" she added and Robert had to physically stop himself from hugging and thanking her for her existence.
Robert looked at her and felt like pinching himself to make sure it was all real and not a dream. It had been too long since anyone so selflessly had taken interest in him. He was thankful for a lot of things tonight, despite the hiccups with Valarie, but most of all he was thankful to have a friend, a companion or whatever she was, in the form of Cora.
The music behind them hit his ears again and he could hear the orchestra playing 'Put Your Head On My Shoulder' by Paul Anka in the background.
Put your head on my shoulder
Hold me in your arms, baby
He smiled and slowly extended his hand towards her. Cora eyes widened and she hesitatingly put her hand in his.
He felt the warmth of her hand on his instantly and he was glad to be wearing a full sleeved coat because he was sure he had goose bumps all over his arm. Cora looked at him, slightly confused, slightly worried and slightly amused.
"Thank you. For always being there for me and for always cheering me up" said Robert. And there were only a few other things he'd ever said that genuinely to anyone.
He saw Cora's confused expression turn into the most beautiful smile.
Whisper in my ear, baby
Words I want to hear, baby
She smiled at him and nodded, covering his hand with her spare hand when a round of applause took place in the hall.
They both looked towards the hall and smiled.
"Do you want to dance?" he asked as he offered her, his arm.
Cora cheekily raised her eyebrow "I thought you didn't want to dance" she replied referring back to when he declined Mary.
Robert smirked "Well..now, I want to"
Cora giggled and walked with him towards the hall, where the musical atmosphere had completely changed and 'Harlem' by New Politics was bursting from the speakers.
Robert and Cora giggled and Robert dragged her to the dance floor which was full of people losing their minds, dancing and singing loudly.
Robert twirled her around and they both laughed. He turned into a quite a dancer as he moved freely, and goofily making Cora laugh and dance with him.
He was finally able to let the stress go away and dance freely, blissfully unaware of the one particular set of eyes that were staring them from the side.
Hi guys!
A REALLY long chapter once again, I promise I don't plan to break my own records, it just happens. This took me two days to write, so please please show some love, let me know what you guys think.
I know this was long overdue but I hope 12k words are enough compensation, haha!
I hope you're all well. Things seem to be getting really bad, please stay safe. And please send prayers and good vibes to me and my family, I lost my grandmother a month ago (not due to corona virus) so please keep me in your prayers and send good energies towards me!
Thank you for showing so much love to this fanfiction! Your constant messages of love, reviews and motivation is the reason I write every new chapter. Thank you, I love you all! Can't wait to read your reviews!