Rosamund reached out behind her computer and clicked on the power button. She felt a number of emotions being back in her office. A month ago, she promised Robert she'd join the hotel again, and so far, she was happy with her decision. It gave her mind a rest from thinking about Marmaduke's death and consequently saving her from crawling deeper into depression. She had mostly worked from home in the past month or so, planning the charity event with Edith and today was her first official day back at the hotel and it all felt strange to her. The last time she sat here, her life had been completely different. She had a husband back then; she was someone's wife. Now she was a widow and being back the office made it all so real. It was easier at home, where there was no one around her, and it was easy to shut out the outside world, and she could conveniently pretend that the world outside her front door didn't exist. But not here, not when she was outside, among other people, back to the life she had a while back, but now, without Marmaduke. She gulped down and softly shook her head. She was not going to do this again. No. Mama always said, 'endless thinking is very overrated', and she didn't always agree with her mother, but this time she had to, for herself and her family. For her brother and her nieces. They were her whole world now, and she had to make an effort to live for them, if not for her.
She sighed and opened her inbox to see a few dozen emails waiting for her. She sighed again and straightened her back, ready to start her work. She scrolled through a couple of emails and replied to a few when her iPhone started buzzing with a spam of messages on a group chat. She picked up her phone and smiled. Edith had sent a number of pictures and videos from the charity event last night on Rosamund's group chat with all her nieces. Rosamund smiled and started scrolling through the pictures one by one. She smiled looking at the silly selfies she took last night with the girls. It was moments like these that made her glad of her decision to return to the real world. She tapped on a video and laughed. She could hear Mary and Sybil singing at the top of their lungs while dancing with her on the dance floor last night. The video was shaky, and more giggles could be heard than the lyrics of the song – a sign of a time spent well. She then saw Bertie approach in front of the camera and twirl Edith, consequently moving the angle of Edith's phone camera 180 degrees as well, and Rosamund's eye caught what was happening behind Bertie's back. Rosamund paused the video and pinched in the screen to zoom on the people in the background. She saw Robert dancing with Cora, twirling her around with a big smile on his face. Her mind drifted back to last night. She clearly remembered how Robert stormed out of the hall at one point in an obviously bad mood and then later she saw him in a completely different mood, dancing with Cora on the dance floor. She couldn't remember the last time Robert dance so carefreely and happily. She observed them last night but didn't get time to think or look properly because Matthew dragged her to the front to dance with him. But seeing it all over again in a video brought back the memory.
Cora. She only met her last night and it was obvious that her nieces were thrilled to have her on the team. She knew Edith loved her, Sybil always saw the best in everyone anyway but even Mary was singing praises for the woman, which was highly unlike her. She knew Mama was fully against replacing Jarvis but even she didn't show her disapproval like she usually did when things didn't go her way. Curious.
And Robert. What had happened to Robert? She saw glimpses of the Robert when the girls were little and his married life was much better, if not perfect, than the current scenario. She knew he was fond of Cora, but the change she saw in him was massive. And they were all good changes. She smiled again and continued watching the video. She saw Robert twirl Cora around, making her laugh and then Cora twirling him around, laughing even more. Rosamund laughed seeing their silly little performance. The video ended there and Rosamund hummed to herself. She didn't know Cora much, but she already liked her. Because she managed to do what Rosamund had been trying to do for years; making Robert feel happy and free of stress, even if only a for a little while. That hadn't been the case for many years now, and it saddened her.
Her brother was not a happy-go-lucky type from any angle, but he used to enjoy the little things in life, especially things related to the hotel and the family. But over the years, she saw him feeling more and more downcast and just generally tired of life. She knew a lot of it had to do with the situation at the hotel, and his regressing relationship with Valarie. Although she never liked Valarie, but she hoped that this phase would pass. But it never did, and that strange and tiresome dynamic ultimately became a norm. Everyone around them adapted to it, but Rosamund was one of the very few people who was close to Robert, and she knew that he wasn't exactly happy in his life, whether it was professionally or personally. She also knew that it affected the girls and added to their reservations about relationships in general, especially Mary. She was the eldest, and seeing her parents banter all the time really made her a very reserved little girl. The girls were a lot closer to Robert than Valarie. Robert had tried his best to be a good father, and he surely was, but since his Papa's death, he got so busy with the hotel, and the lack of attention was not fulfilled by Valarie in any way. And that was one of the reasons all the girls were not very close to their mother. They all turned to her for all the things that daughters usually turned to their mothers for. And that made Rosamund sad. Not because she didn't want to get involved in the girls' matter, of course she did, she adored them to death. But because she knew the girls felt the communication gap with Valarie and they deserved better. And so, did her dear brother Robert. God knows, he deserved better.
Robert had lost his excitement for a life long ago. If she could pinpoint it to the exact moment, it was a few months after their father's death when the hotel was suffering and the arguments with Valarie became a part of their routine. He was only ever happy with either her, the girls or Bates. She could understand the professional hurdles, and knew that they could be fixed sooner or later but she wasn't sure about his personal life and that made her really sad. She had had a number of debates with Robert about it, but she had always been very cautious whenever she spoke of Valarie around him. Even if she disliked her, she was after all, his wife. And that meant that there were certain boundaries she couldn't cross while speaking, even if she was the closest person to him. She had given up hope, and was tired of interfering, and then with the Marmaduke incident, her attention naturally shifted, but it was like a stroke of magic that Cora was sent their way just when she had lost all hope for her brother to change his frame of mind and actually live his life. And she somehow magically not only helped mend the professional problems but also helped him personally, somehow. She wasn't exactly sure how she did it, but the point was that she did, and her long-lost happy brother could seen again, even if only for a few moments.
She played the video again; she wasn't going to lie though; she was facing a dilemma. As happy as the video made her, seeing her brother so happy, she knew it could also lead to a few eyebrows raising at them, which would not be a pleasant situation for anyone in this scenario. She didn't know what all they talked about and how she helped him, but she didn't want a messy situation where either of them got hurt or embarrassed. She didn't really know about Cora's family or even if she had one at all, so she didn't know where Robert and her stood in terms of familial situation. But one thing she was sure of was that there was a connection between them, which was most likely unknowingly healing old wounds and shedding a brighter light on the future. For Robert anyways. Rosamund heard Robert's cackle from the video again and smiled. Nope, she decided. Nothing could compare to his brother's happiness, even if only for a moment. She sighed and put her phone away, and decided to chat more about Cora to Robert when she sees him. What exactly had she done or said to bring back the Robert that used to smile and dance like this, eons ago? She didn't know, but she was eagerly waiting to find out.
Robert rolled over to his side and smiled as he stretched his body to soothe his muscles. He suddenly felt an ache in his legs and the events of last night replayed in his head. He smiled faintly, remembering last night. It had been a roller coaster of emotions. The event had gone really well so he was extremely thrilled. He was also emotional about the fact that Rosamund had finally returned and that too with a bang, organizing a fabulous event and making him stand proud. He was also excited to see all his daughters finally gathered up for an event, and he was also upset about all that had happened with Valarie – resulting him staying the night at the hotel. He sighed again and he pressed on his calves to soothe the pain. He chuckled softly; he hadn't danced this much in years. He actually couldn't remember the last time he had spent more than fifteen minutes on a dance floor. And if he was honest, he hadn't planned on dancing at all, and after all that had happened with Valarie, he was in no mood to laugh or dance or sing. He was exhausted and had been ready to call it a night until Cora rescued him and completely changed his mood in a few moments. His mind replayed the last few moments of the night, and how he danced along with Cora. He heard her giggle in his head again and smiled. There was something about her that just made him want to appreciate life and think positively. He had never felt that in anyone else's company before, but she made him want to enjoy life, to live his life and not just survive in it. It was strange really, he had wished for a glimmer of positivity in his life for so long when his father had died and the girls were younger, but that didn't happen. But he didn't complain, he accepted it and moved on to deal with whatever life was going to throw at him. And now that his life was stable – or maybe because it felt like a norm now, life gave him Cora, for his hotel and for him. He felt his cheeks flush at the thought, and actually felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach faintly at the thought. Butterflies? Imagine. He hadn't felt that in over twenty years. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He had to keep a control on his thoughts. He looked over to his right and sighed, the sun was out, which meant that he was probably running late. But for the first time in his life, he wasn't panicking for being late. He woke up happily and without a ton of weight resting on his shoulders, and as foreign as the feeling felt, he liked it.
He got out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom. What had happened to him, really? He didn't know. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, really looked at himself after many years. He could see his hairline receding, his could clearly point out the wrinkles on his face and the eye bags under his eyes and he sighed. The last few years had been heavy and tiring, and that showed on his face. But after many years, there was a glimmer of hope. The hotel was definitely working to stand back on its feet and he was finally able to hope for a profitable future. His mind drifted back to last night. The event had been amazing and the coverage of PRIME had been commendable. They worked so professionally and everything had been thoroughly planned and executed, he was amazed. He was so excited to see the pictures and the videos from last night.
He washed his face, got dressed and picked up the room's phone to call the kitchens to order his breakfast and suddenly a thought past his mind. There was a chance that Cora was still here, it had gotten pretty late last night and he wasn't sure if Cora had stayed at the hotel or went back home. In the middle of goodbyes and congratulations after the dances, he had totally forgotten to check up on the them and thank the entire team of PRIME for their amazing work last night. He put the phone down and decided to personally meet Cora and thank her for the work. And also, if she'd be up for breakfast with him? She probably already had hers, since Robert woke up a little late, but it was still the breakfast time so he could try his chance. It would be so nice for him to start his day in her company. Up until now, she had never disappointed and something told Robert that she never will.
Carson carefully inserted the SD card in the laptop in front of him to go through the pictures from last night. It had been a big night, he went to bed past midnight, and his body could feel the lack of sleep. Cora never asked them to stay past a set time but last night was an exception and Carson happily sacrificed his sleep for the good of the company and Cora. He had seen Cora struggle for years to make her well deserving mark in the field and seeing her finally get her just desserts made him immensely happy. Mary Crawley, the eldest daughter of the family, and the head of accounts just like him thanked him last night for the great work and he was very grateful. Lost in his own thoughts he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Mr Carson?"
He turned his head to see Mrs Hughes standing behind him. He immediately smiled at her and started to get up, but she put her hand out, gesturing him to remain seated.
"Ah, Mrs Hughes. Sorry, I was miles away" he said as he sat back down on the seat.
Mrs Hughes sat next to him and handed him a cup of tea.
Carson raised his eyebrows and Mrs Hughes smiled at him.
"I had a feeling you needed it" she said and gave him a smile.
She was right there though. He did need it. His body was begging for caffeine to function properly. But how on earth she knew that was beyond him.
"Thank you! I did need it" he said as he took the cup from her hand.
Mrs Hughes wiggled her eyebrows, making Carson chuckle under his breath. She was such a playful and a happy person, she really made him feel young again.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Oh, I was just about to go through the pictures from last night"
Mrs Hughes raised her eyebrows "You edit them as well?" she asked, half surprised, half amused.
Carson chuckled dryly "I don't. I can't do anything besides cropping them. I tried editing once, but it looked like the pictures were having a hallucination so I gave up"
Mrs Hughes laughed loudly at that, making Carson sit straighter. He suddenly felt very proud of his silly joke.
"Well, you can't be number one at everything" she replied, after recovering from her laughing fit.
Carson smirked at her and took a sip of his tea "But you seem to be"
Mrs Hughes looked at him with amusement etched across her face "Oh?"
"Well of course, you're amazing as Mr Crawley's assistant, but the way you handled all the hotel's staff last night was amazing. You knew all the guests, you knew where everyone was supposed to be seated, you were taking care of the drinks and managing the kitchen staff as well. That is all a work of three to four people, but you single handedly managed it with perfection" he finished, and he could swear he saw Mrs Hughes' cheeks turn pink.
She looked down and smiled, touched by his words of appreciation. If Carson was honest, he could go on for a good hour or so just praising her, but he stopped himself. They were colleagues after all, sort of anyway. But he really admired her, she was an intelligent, kind and a hardworking person. Qualities that he really admired in people. He felt his heart beat a little faster as the pink in her cheeks grew and he saw Mrs Hughes shake her head.
"You're very kind with your words" she replied.
Carson smiled "I think you know me enough by now to know that I'm never free with my compliments. Whenever I say them, I genuinely mean it"
Mrs Hughes looked at him and chuckled softly "Off with you, now. You make me want to check in the mirror if my hair is tidy"
Carson laughed and sat straighter to open the folder that contained the pictures.
The first picture that Carson clicked open was of Rosamund with Edith.
"They look quite alike" said Carson.
Mrs Hughes smiled "Yeah, she looks exactly like her aunt"
They scrolled through a few pictures of the family and the guests and stumbled upon a picture of Mrs Hughes with Anna near a table. Mrs Hughes was smiling, pointing something to their right.
"That's a really nice picture" said Carson.
Mrs Hughes half rolled her eyes and half smiled "Are you sure you're not only saying it because you took the picture?"
Carson felt the hair on his neck stand, she really knew how to make him feel nervous.
She giggled seeing his reaction and tapped on his hand with her hand, sending shockwaves to his entire body.
"Relax" she said.
He knew she said it in reference to the joke she made, but if he was honest, he needed to relax more so because of her hand on his. And just as the thought crossed his mind, she removed her hand and continued staring at the screen. Carson gulped and concentrated back on the pictures.
They scrolled through a dozen more photos before landing on the pictures from the dancing last night.
"Oh, are these it? Before the dancing?" she asked.
Carson shook his head "No no, this was just from one camera, we have three more SD cards waiting"
Mrs Hughes nodded and looked back at the screen.
They both laughed as they saw pictures from the dancing. There was one with Sybil and Matthew break dancing at one point, there was another one of Edith dancing with Rosamund, and dipping her down with one arm, they then saw a picture of Isobel dancing with Mrs Hughes at one point, and Mrs Hughes blushed looking back the photo.
"Oh my god, this looks embarrassing" she said.
Carson smiled "Not at all, it looks like you're having a lot of fun"
"Well, that is true. I was having fun, by the end of the event anyway" she smirked at him, hinting back to the dance she had with Carson by the end of the night.
Carson blushed and moved to the next photo. It was a photo of Cora and Mr Crawley on the dance floor. Cora had her one hand on Mr Crawley's elbow and he had his hand on her shoulder. It looked as if they were in the middle of a conversation, while dancing. There were big smiles etched across both their faces. Carson looked at Cora, he saw a big smile on her face. A smile he seldom saw and it warmed his heart. She genuinely looked happy and he wished he saw it more often. She deserved it. She spent so much of her time in the company, and rarely got time to put her feet down to relax or go out to enjoy. He knew that she rarely went out to the parties that Mr Bricker used to attend. He wasn't sure what kind of parties they were exactly, but by what he'd heard her or Miss Baxter say, they sounded more like something the boys fresh out of university would attend, and he understood immediately why Cora didn't enjoy such gatherings. He never really warmed up towards Mr Bricker, but he seemed like an okay enough man and of course he was her husband so he had his respect. But still there were times where Carson would wonder how much more Cora could've done by now if she had her husband's support in this. He wasn't exactly against it, but he wasn't the kind to help out either. He always treated Cora like a porcelain doll, and Carson never liked that. He knew Cora didn't appreciate it either. Cora was one of the smartest women he knew and it saddened him to think that she wasn't exactly appreciated for her hard work and brains by her family.
"I don't think I've ever seen Mr Crawley dance like this before" said Mrs Hughes, breaking his train of thoughts.
Carson sighed "If I'm honest, Mrs Bricker doesn't usually dance either. Not this happily anyway"
Carson moved on to the next photo, another one of Cora and Mr Crawley. In this picture, Mr Crawley was twirling her around, both of them had one of their arms in the air, as Cora twirled around.
She was smiling in this picture as well. Carson internally wondered what if Cora had been with someone like Mr Crawley, someone so courteous, polite and mannerly. Someone who obviously supports his family with all that he had. He looked at Mrs Hughes and something inside him suggested that she was wondering the same thing for her employer. Mrs Crawley also wasn't exactly the most likable person in the world and by all that Carson had seen, she seemed quite smug and arrogant; the complete opposite of Mr Crawley. But still he wasn't the one to voice his opinions, they were in a professional partnership with Hotel Grantham and the Crawley's after all and he was never going to give any reason to anyone to think less of PRIME and their team.
A moment later, Mr Crawley walked in the room and stopped at the door when he saw him and Mrs Hughes sitting together.
"Oh, good morning" greeted Mr Crawley.
"Good morning" said Carson.
"Good morning, sir. Sorry, I thought you went home, that's why I wasn't in my cabin" said Mrs Hughes.
Mr Crawley smiled "No worries. I changed my plans last minute. It's my fault"
Carson smiled seeing Mrs Hughes take a soft sigh of relief, making him like Mr Crawley more.
"Has anyone seen Cor-…Mrs Bricker?" asked Robert, looking at Carson.
Carson raised his eyebrows "Oh, she left an hour ago. She left with Miss Baxter to do a shoot in Central London"
"Oh" replied Robert.
Carson could sense the disappointment in his tone.
"Was a meeting scheduled?" asked Carson. Cora wasn't usually the one to forget about a meeting.
"No, no. I just wanted to meet her for something else. Will she be out all day?"
Carson thought for a moment "I think so. They'll be done with the shoot soon enough, but I remember her saying that she will go back to our office in the evening to finish up some paperwork"
"I see" said Mr Crawley.
"Should I tell her to contact you?" asked Carson.
Mr Crawley shook his head "No, no worries. It's nothing important. Where's your office again?"
Robert swung open the glass door to the exit and felt the chilly London air on his face. He secured the button on his coat to save himself from catching a cold.
Bates walked behind him and took out his iPhone.
"What's next?" asked Robert as they walked towards the parking lot.
"We need to sign the contract with Charles Blake today. His office is ten minutes away, let's just get it done. That's the last thing, then we're free" replied Bates.
Robert nodded, and took out his key to unlock his car.
It had been a day full of meetings. His plans for a nice breakfast with Cora got cancelled since she left early in the morning, so he grabbed a quick sandwich from the café in the lobby when Bates grabbed him and narrated a list of meetings that had been scheduled for today. He had forgotten that it meant a trip to Central London. He was so used to having meetings at his hotel that going out almost felt like a nuisance. But he didn't mind, not really. The hotel was doing well, and more meetings meant more deals and partnerships; in short it meant a successful future for their hotel. They had left the hotel around 11 and had been on a series of meetings ever since. They grabbed a quick lunch and ate it in the car because their next appointment was scheduled an hour later. Overall, they had had three meetings and finally, Charles' office was their last stop.
Robert sat on the driver's seat and Bates sat next to him. Robert turned on the engine and reversed the car.
"We got a lot done today" said Bates as he scrolled through his emails.
Robert turned the steering wheel and gave him a smile "Yes, have a day off tomorrow. You deserve it"
Bates looked at him "Really?"
"Yeah, take a break" replied Robert as he turned into the main road.
Bates sighed "I could use one. What about you? You haven't had a rest ever since we've been back from New York"
Robert sighed, remembering all the crazy parties he had to attend with Valarie as soon as he came back from New York, and all the drama that followed them.
"I'll see the schedule. If it's nothing too important, I might take a half day"
Bates nodded "Fair enough"
Robert stopped at the signal and rolled down his window to let the air pass through. The traffic was insane at this time of the day. It was almost six in the evening thus it was rush hour, and being in Central London meant lots of signals and waiting in the traffic jams.
"All this rush makes me so glad that we have most of our meetings back at the hotel" said Bates as he looked outside the window to see the length of the jam.
Robert chuckled "I was thinking the same. And next time you're driving"
Bates chuckled "I was wondering why you hadn't mentioned it all day"
Robert laughed. Bates had always hated driving, especially during rush hours. Quite often Robert enjoyed annoying him by making him drive on purpose but today it had completely slipped his mind and obviously Bates had enjoyed the fact that Robert didn't remember.
Finally, the light turned green and Robert turned into a street.
Around forty-five minutes later, Robert and Bates exited Charles Blake's office, having signed their contract and checking off the last chore of the day.
They sat back down in the car and sighed.
"What next? Should I drop you home?" asked Robert.
Bates shook his head "No, just drop me off at Euston Station, I'm meeting Anna there"
Robert gave him a smile "So it's getting serious, huh?"
Bates chuckled "You can say that. Since I have a day off tomorrow, I asked her if she's up for a date night. It's her off day tomorrow as well"
Robert smiled "Some people have all the fun" he replied as he started the car.
The sun had completely set by that time, the lights from the buildings guaranteed a fun night ahead. Robert sighed thinking back to the last time he had gone off on a spontaneous date with Valarie. It rarely ever happened, because she almost always had plans with her friends and Robert felt like it might be easier to schedule a date with the Queen of England than Valarie. He missed being young and spontaneous. He missed having a London night out.
"What about you?" asked Bates.
"What about me?" replied Robert.
"What are your plans?"
Robert sighed "Back to the hotel, I guess"
"You are not going home?" asked Bates.
Robert chuckled "To be honest, the hotel feels more like home now. I'll see what all is planned for tomorrow, then I'll go home later"
Bates sighed "Why don't you ask Valarie to meet you here? Have a night out"
Robert sighed. Yes, he would like a night out. He nodded and smiled "I will. I don't know if she's home, but if she's out somewhere I can ask her to join"
Bates grinned "Yes, good. Do that. You deserve it"
Robert turned right and stopped the car at the station.
Bates got out of the car and spotted Anna near the stairs. Bates waved at her and shut the door behind him.
"Have a good time" said Robert as he saw Bates walk away.
Robert took out his phone and dialed Valarie's number and it went straight through voicemail. He sighed and dialed it again and it went through the voicemail one more time.
Robert looked out the window as he saw a couple of young boys and girls pass by his car, laughing at something. He smiled as he put his head against the window. He missed having a stress-free night out and ever since Bates gave him the idea, he had hoped to spend some time with his wife and reminisce the time gone by. He sighed and dialed her number one last time and it once again ended in the same result.
He quickly called Sybil, if anyone had any whereabouts of Valarie, it had to be his youngest daughter.
"Hello" he heard a voice at the other end and smiled.
"Hello, darling, how are you?" he said.
"Oh, Papa. I'm good. How are you?"
"Fine, fine. I'm just out in Euston at the moment"
"Oh?"
"Had a few meetings in Central London"
"Oh alright. I just got done with my shift, now I'm heading to Edith's for the night"
"You'll stay there?" he asked.
"Yeah, I have an early start tomorrow, and her house is closer to the hospital. I'll get a few more hours of sleep"
Robert chuckled, his sweet little girl worked with so much dedication "Okay, sweetheart"
"What are your plans?" asked Sybil.
"Oh, nothing really. Do you know where Mama is? I've been calling her but it keeps going to voicemail"
"Wasn't she supposed to be in Windsor today?" said Sybil.
Robert raised his eyebrows. What?
"What?" he asked.
"I think so, I'm not sure. But I heard her speaking on the phone a few days ago that she's going with her friends Cynthia and Sandra"
"Samantha"
"Oh yes, Samantha" Sybil chuckled.
Robert sighed. It really annoyed him how he had to ask others about the whereabouts of his wife.
"She didn't tell you?" asked Sybil.
"No, I didn't know"
He heard a sigh from the other end. It felt like everyone had the same reaction every time Valarie was mentioned.
"Okay, thanks darling, I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Okay, Papa. I'll let you know if Mama contacts"
"Alright. Good night"
"Goodnight Papa"
Robert ended the call and put his head against the headrest behind him. He was not going to lie, he was disappointed. But it wasn't the first time. This was typical Valarie behavior; she sometimes got so caught up in her own world that she completely forgets that she had a family around her who might be interested to know her whereabouts. The girls were used to it, he was used to it, but every time it felt like a slap on his face. He sighed again, and turned the key to turn on the engine when he suddenly remembered the conversation, he had with Carson earlier.
He reached out to his coat packed and took out a card. PRIME's business card.
He stared at it and tapped it against his finger. He had wanted to meet Cora earlier in the morning but fate had other plans for him but now it might not be a bad idea to actually see if she's up for a bite. His wife had ditched him anyways, so why not? He could use some company. He stared at the address; it was a ten minutes' drive from there. He sighed and started his car.
Robert got out of the car, suddenly hesitant about his spontaneous plan to go see Cora. What was he doing? He wasn't even sure if she was there, and she didn't even know he was coming. What if she had company? He almost turned back to his car but suddenly stopped. He'd made it this far; it was worth a try. Worse case, she'll tell him to get lost, a concept that wasn't exactly novel to him. He heard the same from his own wife every other day. He sighed at walked up the stairs and turned the knob to enter her office.
He walked into a cozy office. The furniture around him was all burgundy and he slowly walked inside to see if anyone was even there. The lights were mostly off, which made sense because it was past office hours. He suddenly felt like he was trespassing so he stopped and coughed lightly.
"Hello?" he said softly.
No reply. He looked around again when he saw a young girl walk towards him from one of the rooms. She looked familiar, but he wasn't exactly sure who it was.
"Oh, Mr Crawley" the girl stated and looked at him rather fearfully.
Robert smiled, all of a sudden very uncomfortable about the whole thing. Things out of a routine seldom sat well with him. He awkwardly smiled.
"You are?" he asked.
"Daisy…I was at the event last night with Mrs Bricker"
Robert smiled "Oh, I see, hello Daisy. Is Mrs Bricker about?"
Daisy opened her mouth to speak when Robert heard a door open behind him. He saw Cora walk out with a file in hand, wearing a peach dress, with her hair tied in a bun.
"Daisy, I've listed the appointments for next week, can you see if there's.." said Cora as she finally looked up to see Robert standing in her office.
Robert could see her mouth form an 'o'. She was surprised to see him and he couldn't exactly blame her.
She stood a few feet away from him; the soft warm light of the room shone upon her, making her look like a Lady from the past century. He smiled at her awkwardly, no exactly sure on how to start the conversation. Why was he there again?
"Robert" she said and finally smiled.
That smiled reassured him that he didn't make a disastrous decision by coming there. This. This is why he was there.
"Hello, Cora. I'm sorry to just drop in" he said and smiled.
Cora shook her head, still looking quite confused about the whole thing, but not displeased in anyway "No worries, what are you doing here?" she asked the question he was dreading the most.
Yes, what exactly was he doing there? How is one supposed to say that 'hey, I enjoy your company, I wanted to spend some time with you' in a way that wasn't so obvious? Maybe it had been less awkward if Daisy wasn't there witnessing the whole thing.
"Oh..I..just..uh..I just wanted to see the office" he replied clumsily, wanting to slap himself.
Cora nodded and gave him a soft smile. That smile once again, that never made him feel like an idiot. He smiled back.
"Should I get you some coffee, sir?" asked Daisy.
"Oh no, thank you" replied Robert.
"Daisy, it's okay I can lock up, you go" said Cora.
Daisy awkwardly nodded and took her leave "Good night Mrs Bricker, good night Mr Crawley"
"Good night" replied Robert.
"Night" said Cora.
He heard the shut behind him and was almost prepared to sigh in relief but realized that Cora must be staring at him with several questions. Robert turned around and looked at her.
Cora grinned softly "Hi"
"Hey, sorry I should've called" said Robert.
"It's alright, what's up?" she asked.
Robert smiled and sighed "I was actually out all day around here and I remembered you said your office was in Euston, so I thought I'd just drop in to say hi and see the office" he replied, a little more calmly than before.
Cora nodded and smiled "Come on in"
Cora took him to their studio and turned on the massive lights. Robert could see huge light stands around the room and a green screen draped across a stand – he assumed it was for all kinds of photoshoots. At one end there were a number of tripods and lenses placed and on the other side of the room, he could see a dressing table – probably for models to touch up before the shoot.
Robert smiled "So this is where the magic happens" he said, making Cora smile.
"Well yes" she replied.
He saw her fold her arms and look at the lights on the ceiling. A big smile formed on her face.
"This was the first room I set up when I rented this office. I was so excited to set it up, without actually having any idea if anyone would even show up" she chuckled looking at him.
Robert looked at her proudly. He was so happy to see all her hard work pay off, it really warmed his heart. He wished he knew her earlier so he could've witnessed her growth as well as PRIME's.
"So you should've been" he said "Look what you've done with your company, it is so incredibly inspiring"
Cora smiled at him and looked down shyly. He knew that she was genuinely touched by his compliments and also knew that he meant them.
She walked towards the shelf where her cameras were placed.
"Yes, I am rather proud. Also, we bagged quite a big contract lately" she said playfully.
"Oh?" he said smiling, following her to the shelf.
"It's a hotel apparently. I've heard great things about it" she said chuckling.
Robert chuckled to himself, playing along "I have too, but I'm not too sure of the CEO, I've heard he's quite a bore"
Cora laughed and picked up a camera to unscrew its lens "He's not too bad" she replied softly, looking at him.
Robert smiled gulping down. Even though they were joking around but he felt those tiny butterflies in his stomach again.
He looked at the camera in her hand "Can I give it a go?" he asked.
Cora laughed "Sure, but don't break anything, or you'll have to deal with Carson"
Robert's eyes widened and he nodded "Well that is enough to scare me"
Cora laughed as she started assembling the papers next to the shelf.
Robert took the camera from her hand and brought it nearer his face to look through the tiny screen.
"Go on then" he said.
Cora looked at him puzzled "What?"
"Go stand near that green thing"
Cora chuckled "That is called a green screen and you are photographing me?"
Robert smiled and look around the empty room and then back at Cora "You are the most photogenic thing in the room at the moment"
Cora chuckled, but Robert could swear he saw the tiniest bit of blush appear on her cheeks "I'm not really sure how I feel about that compliment but whatever you say sir" she said and walked towards the green screen.
Robert brought the camera closer to his face, he zoomed in through the lens and stared at her beautiful features through the lens. She truly was a beauty. He was about to click a picture when one strand of her hair fell down from her bun to her face. She moved her hand to move it away when he stopped her.
"Open your hair" he said before he could think.
Cora looked at him for half a second and then obliged. Robert continued looking at her through the lens. He saw her remove her hair clip from her hair, and her hair slowly fell down, brushing her shoulders bit by bit. Robert gulped, glad of the camera in front of his face. He almost felt like everything was happening in slow motion and he had to blink a couple of times to come back to reality. He looked at Cora and clicked a picture.
"A little to the left" he said and Cora moved a to the left.
"Move your chin a little towards me…not too much…now look up, a little right…a little to the left, yes that's it..now move your chin to the right" Cora followed his instructions quietly when she realized that he was mimicking her behind the camera.
As soon as she realized she let out a big laugh "Robert" she said laughing and Robert captured a picture.
She continued laughing when Robert spoke "Left, left..right..right…left" he said as his voice cracked and he started laughing.
Cora ran up to him and smacked his arm "Stop making fun of me" she said, with a big smile on her face.
Robert put down the camera and gave it to Cora "I'm sorry" he said laughing.
Cora took the camera from him and smirked "You're never getting my camera again" she said as she walked towards the shelf to put it back.
They walked out the studio towards Cora's office. She gave him a tour and showed him the pictures on her wall, all of her favorite pictures captured by her.
He looked at the stunning pictures she had taken and smiled, once again thinking about what an incredible talent she had and how much more appreciation she deserved from everyone around her.
"Where's Miss Baxter?" he asked.
"Oh, she went home a couple of hours ago. She had to babysit her niece"
Robert nodded "No plans for you?" he asked.
Cora shook her head "Nothing besides paperwork"
Robert laughed thinking back to his conversation with Bates "You and me both"
"Do you….do you want to get some dinner?" he asked hesitatingly.
She stared at him.
Robert felt nervous. Did he cross a line?
"I mean..if you have some time and haven't eaten" he clarified.
Cora smiled "Yes, I'd love it"
Robert sighed under his breath "You sure you don't have to be anywhere?"
Cora shook her head "No, I had a night of paperwork planned"
Robert nodded "And your husband? Won't he be waiting for you?" he asked, wanting to confirm that she wasn't just saying yes out of cordiality or worse, pity.
Cora gave him a soft smile "He's in Manchester at the moment"
Robert nodded.
"And Mrs Crawley?" this time Cora asked.
"Windsor. Apparently" he replied.
Cora chuckled "We're both the boring one's then" and grabbed her coat and purse
Robert chuckled and nodded and followed her to the door.
"Where should we go?" he asked.
"I'll take you to my favorite restaurant"
Robert followed Cora in to a small little café in Euston. From the outside it was easily skippable, it was tiny and below ground level but he trusted Cora and happily followed her to the entrance. They entered a cozy little café, that gave him vibes from the 80's. The walls were painted yellow and he could hear The Rolling Stones playing in the background.
Cora walked in and waved to the old man at the counter who happily waved back at her.
"Hi Erik" she said.
"Hello, my dearest. Long time" the old man replied.
"Yes, I'm sorry I was busy with work"
The old man- Erik nodded and gestured her towards the table.
Robert was highly amused by the whole situation. He sat down on the table next to her.
"Did I just walk into the 80's?" Robert joked.
Cora giggled and passed him the menu card "Erik, over there owns this place. He's not very big on renovation but I can guarantee you the food is divine"
Robert chuckled at her, her excitement brushing off on him "I trust you" he said as he scrolled through the menu.
"What's good here?" he asked.
Cora smiled "I love so many things, but I suggest you try the steak" she said.
Robert nodded "Steak it is then" and closed the menu card.
A man walked towards the table and Cora ordered for the both of them. The man obviously knew Cora very well, and Cora talked so nicely to him. Robert observed her from across the table and smiled. She was such a genuinely nice person, it honestly made him want to pinch her at times to make sure if she was real. She always went out of her way to be extra nice to everyone and it was clear that it came to her naturally; she didn't have to pretend to be nice or kind. She was a sweet person and it had been a long time since Robert came across such qualities in a person.
After placing their orders, Robert put his hands on the table "So how did you find this place?" he asked.
Cora smiled and put away a strand of hair behind her ear "Phyllis and I used to meet up here daily to discuss PRIME. When we were planning it anyway. We used to spend hours here every day brainstorming and doing the math. This table right here.." she said as she placed her hand on the table "has always been our table. I would often spend all three meals of my day sitting here while working"
Robert smiled listening to her story. The more she told him, the more he respected her. It was clear that she had worked very hard to make her little dream come true. She believed in herself and made it happen. And it really warmed his heart that she had decided to share her little spot with him. She obviously had many memories associated with this café and table and the fact that she decided to let him be a part of it was an honour.
Cora caught him smiling and smiled back "What?" she asked, shyly.
"You know when you talk like that, it makes me feel so inspired, I feel like I can conquer the world if I want to" he replied.
Cora smiled softly as she took a sip of her water. She put back her glass and nodded, "I don't know about conquering the world, but I do know that if you work really hard and put your mind to something you really want, one day you will get there" she smiled at him.
Robert nodded, understanding where she was coming from.
"Your family must be so proud of you" he said.
He was sure everyone around her would be immensely proud of her. They had to be; she was a proof of hard work and dedication and deserved a lot of appreciation. Robert had seen hard working people, but her story really inspired him. She built this from scratch, and said goodbye to a secure job just to fulfil her dream. That requires guts, and she had lots of them. Thinking back to it all, he realized that his change of attitude towards his work and his perception of the hotel altered because of her. She unknowingly motivated him in the last few months and the results were obvious. He felt a change in him and in the hotel.
Lost in his own thoughts, he missed the reply Cora had given.
"Sorry, what?" he asked, looking at her face, that looked somewhat sadder than it did a few moments ago. Did he say something?
"I'm saying, I am not sure about proud but I do have a great support system…in PRIME anyway" she replied.
Robert noticed that she didn't mention her family and he wondered what that was all about.
Robert gulped down and took another sip of the water when their waiter walked up to them with their food.
Cora cut through her steak and recalled the events of the night. She had had a long night of paperwork planned ahead. After a fantastic event last night, she got up early to leave for a photoshoot in Central London. She didn't get a chance to say goodnight to Robert, because he had been so busy with the guests and the sponsors last night. And when she woke up, he was apparently still asleep so she left early on. In her mind, she wasn't supposed to be meeting him for the next few days. She had finished her shoot around five and then visited her office and had planned to stay up till late to finish off some pending work. She had debated if she should take it all home with her but decided otherwise, she knew she'd be able to get more done in the office. So, by six in the evening, she had tied her bun aka had indulged into her work mode self and started doing paperwork. She had planned to order Chinese and call it a night when she walked outside to see Robert standing in her office. She was obviously shocked to see him but she wasn't displeased. In fact, far from it. He was obviously uncomfortable so she dismissed Daisy and made sure he was comfortable to talk to her. He then offered her dinner, and suddenly the idea of a night out with him looked much more appealing than her squinting the night away under stacks of paper. She instantly said yes and took him to her favourite café. She still wasn't sure why exactly had he come, but she didn't care. She enjoyed his company immensely and it thrilled her to see that someone was taking such genuine interest in her work and made sure to appreciate her for all that she had done. If she was honest, it was only until Robert began pointing out all the details of where she had worked so selflessly and with such devotion, she realized exactly how much effort and time she had put into PRIME and how much more appreciation she really deserved.
He was a kind man; a sweet man and he was one of the very few people with whom she could be completely herself and that was okay with him. He admired her for her true self and it made her so happy, it almost made her cry. They had this strange connection, an invisible bond between them. They just got each other, they understood one another and along with that lifted each other's spirits. Cora hadn't really felt like that with anyone and it slightly unnerved her at times, because she wasn't sure what to make of her feelings and thoughts, it was all very novel to her, and felt like it was the same with him. But their conversations had only resulted in positive outcomes for each of them professionally and personally. She had found a friend in him, and their friendship kept growing every time they met one another.
She saw Robert take a bite of his steak "When is your next shoot?" he asked.
"In a week"
"Whose is it?" he asked.
Cora chuckled "The CEO. He didn't have time for us before"
Robert smirked at her and laughed "I'll make sure he behaves this time" he replied and Cora nodded.
"Actually.." he said as he cut another piece "That is another reason I came to your office today"
Cora looked at him "Oh?"
Robert put his fork and knife down "The event last night, it was incredible. I haven't seen the footage yet but the way you all handled the work and how thoroughly you had planned everything was remarkable. Everyone was in praises of your work and I personally wanted to thank you and your team"
Cora smiled a big smile at him. How sweet was he?
"Aw, I am so glad, Robert. I'm happy you all approve it"
Robert smiled "We all loved it, and I know how thoroughly you planned everything and really, job well done. Your hard work really paid off" he said as he grabbed his utensils again,
Cora smiled at took a bite of her steak.
"You know, you remind me of Sybil a lot"
Cora smiled at that and sat straighter "Oh?"
Robert nodded "She is just like you, she's so kind and extremely hard working. When she said she wanted to be a nurse, there were quite a few debates at home. We all knew it was hard work and it meant full attention and dedication, but she was determined, just like you and is acing in her field now"
Cora smiled at him and nodded "She's a very sweet girl" she said.
Robert smiled "I'm glad you think so"
Cora smiled; she really admired the Crawley's so much. They were all such dedicated people with a wonderful sense of work and life balance "Actually" she said "In fact all the women in your family are so wonderful at whatever they do. It must be a Crawley trait" she ended with a smile.
Robert grinned at her, obviously proud of his girls "Maybe. My grandmother was very involved in the business, and you've met my mother of course, she has some very strong opinions. Then Rosamund had always been like this; hard working and passionate and that rubbed off on the girls as well"
Cora smiled as she took a sip of her water. She knew the conversation might get a little awkward at it, but she was genuinely curious to know one thing.
"And your wife? What does she do?" she asked and as expected she saw a hint of awkwardness in his posture.
Robert smiled and bit down another bite, biding the time to answer her question "Anything and everything, really"
Cora looked at him puzzled "Meaning?"
Robert sighed and looked at her "It is obvious that she is not very involved in the business. She's a little moody like that, she has invested in a number of her friends' businesses from her savings, she has a joint partnership in a café with one of her friends from Australia. So really, it all depends on what she wants in the moment. Just like the rest of them, she's also very headstrong. She does what she likes"
Cora nodded at that. She could see that he wasn't very happy speaking in such a manner about his wife and that made Cora appreciate him more. He really chose his words carefully and made sure not to disrespect her in any way.
Now it was his turn to talk about the elephant in the room.
"What about your family? You don't talk very much about them" he asked as he fixed himself another bite.
Cora sighed and gave him a soft smile "I don't because there's not much to tell really" she said.
Robert looked at her, waiting for her to continue "My mom is like your mother; she has very strong opinions. Before I moved to London, most of my life's decisions were made by her. You know which school, which friends, which extra-curricular – all that was decided by her. My dad was my ally, and since he passed away, it had been my mother brother and I." she sighed once again.
"My brother, Harold and I weren't exactly best friends growing up and since I moved away for college and then university, we never really got time to bond as adults. Here in the UK, I just have Simon" she gave him a sad smile and could see the sadness on his face as well.
Robert nodded "I'm sorry about your father, and that you never got along with your brother" he said.
Cora shook her head.
"What about your husband, why do we never see him?" he asked.
Cora chuckled, thinking of all the possible scenarios that might take place when she would introduce Simon to them. Either Robert will really get along with him – because opposites do attract, or they wouldn't like each other at all.
She smiled "He's rarely ever free. He has a big friends circle and he's big on maintaining his social life. Sometimes even I feel like I have to make an appointment to meet him"
Robert laughed "That makes the two of us. I think our spouses can become friends like us. They both clearly sound much more interesting than us"
Cora laughed at that and nodded.
Cora gulped down and added "You know, you say my dedication to my work inspires you"
Robert looked at her and nodded.
"The bond that your family has inspires me" she said and saw a big smile on Robert's face.
"I have always loved the idea of big families and yours always leaves me in awe. The way you're all connected and the bond that you have is irreplaceable. It warms my heart seeing you all work together and at the same time making sure everyone's well and doing okay. I never really had that in my life, and the way that you all are with each other is beautiful" she continued with a smile on her face. She had never really been this honest about her feelings with anyone but she really wanted to let him know that what he had was special and that he should feel incredibly lucky to have such a strong support system, from the majority of his family anyway.
Robert stared at her for a few moments and Cora couldn't exactly make sense of his expressions. After a few moments she saw him glide his hand across the table and put it out for her to take it.
She looked at his hand and then at him and slowly put her hand forward, joining it with his. His thumb softly glided across the top of her fingers, sending goosebumps up her arm. She looked at him with bated breath.
"You are part of our family now" he said "We are all your family and we are here for you. I am here for you" he said.
Cora had to mentally yell at herself to stop herself from crying. Cora gulped and have him a big smile "Thank you, Robert"
He always just made her feel like everything was going to be okay.
Cora sighed and shook her head softly. This conversation took an unexpected emotional turn. She smiled at him.
"So did you like the food?" she asked.
Robert grinned "It was amazing! I loved it"
Cora smiled "Do you want dessert?" she asked.
Robert smirked at her "How about I take you to my favourite place for dessert?"
Cora sat in the car waiting for Robert to return from a tiny little booth that was apparently the best place for dessert in London. She was waiting in his car in an almost empty open parking lot. She had had a wonderful dinner with Robert. She spoke her heart out and he listened to her, cared about her feelings and took a genuine interest in her. In a short period of time, he had become a really good friend of hers. Cora could count on her two hands, the number of best friends she'd had all her life. She's had many friends but very few close friends and Robert was becoming one of them. He was special, he was kind, and deserved to be thanked more often for being such an amazing man.
It really surprised her how close they'd become in a short period of time. They didn't know each other but then again, they did know each other. They understood each other and supported one another, they shared their grief and came out of it knowing that they weren't alone in whatever made them feel down. She saw Robert walk back towards the car with a big smile on his face and she smiled back at him. He was such a good-looking man, and she wondered if he even knew that himself. She doubted it. She had met his wife briefly, and from what she got, she wasn't exactly the one to appreciate others very much. It made her sad though, but she hoped he was appreciated by others around him often.
Robert opened the door and sat down next to her.
"Here you go" he passed her a box and gave her a fork "the best cheesecake in the world" he said.
Cora grinned; he was obviously very excited about it. "The best?" she said "Really?"
Robert nodded.
"Well, I am a big fan of cheesecakes, so if it impresses me then it surely is a win" she said.
"Go on, then" he grinned "Try it"
Cora opened the box and saw a huge piece of cheesecake in it "Wow its huge"
"That's why I just got one" he said.
Cora fixed herself a bite an brought it nearer her mouth "Moment of truth" she said as she gulped down the bite. Her eyes widened and she saw Robert giggle. He was right, it really was the best cheesecake in the world.
"This is incredible!" she exclaimed.
"Right?" he said, clearly amused by her reaction.
"Oh my god" she said as she took another bite "thank you for this" she said.
"You're most welcome" he said as Cora moved the box towards him so he could eat as well. He took out another fork from the bag and made himself a bite.
"Rosamund and I used to come here all the time as kids. This was our favourite thing in the world" he said as he took a bite.
"Well, I love this! You win" she said and he smiled.
They ate their cheesecake silently, making sure to react to every bite they took. It really felt like she was a kid again, but nothing wrong with appreciating the little things in life.
Cora handed the box to Robert and turned on the radio in the car. Suddenly, 'Lay All Your Love On Me' by ABBA started blasting from the speakers.
Cora giggled "Wow now it really feels like I travelled back in time to my childhood"
Robert giggled and turned on the volume.
I wasn't jealous before we met
Now every woman I see is a potential threat
"You have no idea how many times Rosamund had bullied me into doing karaoke with her on ABBA songs, when we were kids" he said and rolled his eyes.
And I'm possessive, it isn't nice
You've heard me saying that smoking was my only vice
Cora giggled "Go on, then"
Robert looked at her "What?"
"Sing" she said.
"No way" he said.
But now it isn't true
Now everything is new
"I dare you, come on. It's good to be silly sometimes" she said poking his arm to sing.
"Cora" he said, looking at her to determine if she was really serious or not.
And all I've learned has overturned Cora started singing along "I beg of youuuuuuu"
Robert laughed at her and joined her. They both started singing along the radio
Don't go wasting your emotion
Lay all your love on me
Robert hit a higher note this time, making Cora laugh
Don't go sharing your devotion
Lay all your love on me
It was only then when Cora looked outside her window as she saw a couple of teenagers staring at them like they were lunatics.
"Robert, Robert" she poked on his arm and it was only then that Robert stopped singing.
"What?" he asked.
"Look at them" she pointed out the expressions of the teenagers who had a look of horror and confusion etched across their faces, witnessing two middle aged people screaming lyrics at the top of their lungs.
Cora and Robert looked at each other and they both started laughing.
"Oh my god" said Cora "Oh, my look at their faces"
Robert turned red laughing; he hadn't laughed this much in a long time "They're so confused" he said as he started the car.
"Sorry guys" he gestured from his hand and drove away.
Cora continued laughing when her eyes landed on the clock. It was almost midnight.
"Oh my god" she said.
"What?" replied Robert as he drove on the nearly empty streets.
"It's almost midnight" she said.
Robert looked at her with utter confusion "What seriously?" he asked.
Cora nodded.
They had literally spent the last five hours together and she was sure it didn't feel like a minute over two.
"Should I drop you home?" he asked.
"No, back the office please. I have to collect a few things and then head home"
Cora got out of the car and walked up the stairs of her office. Robert followed her and gave her a smile.
The night had gone in a way none of them expected it to go. She had paperwork, and he had plans with his wife. They both didn't know what they were getting into when they went out to dinner, but after five hours of laughing, chatting, giggling, and having some serious conversations, they were both glad of the way things happened.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you? I can wait" he asked.
Cora smiled at him and shook her head "No I'll drive back home, it's fine, don't worry" she said.
She looked at him and he looked at her; both slightly disappointed that the night had ended. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time. She enjoyed his company immensely and she knew that he felt the same.
The night air was cool and breezy and Robert stood in front of her smiling at her.
"Well then, goodnight" he said.
Cora smiled at him "Goodnight. And thank you, for such a great time"
Robert smiled "You too! I haven't had this much fun in quite a long time"
Cora giggled "Me too! But we both deserved it"
Robert nodded and moved in closer, Cora moved towards him as well and they gave each other a hug. Cora could feel chills travel up her spine, but at the same time it felt like she had covered herself with a warm blanket. Their hug lasted a couple of moments, probably longer than what was appropriate. They finally separated and gave each other another smile.
"Goodbye Cora"
"Bye Robert. Drive safe" she said as she saw him drive away.
Hi guys! Sorry for being MIA for so long, but I had to submit my thesis in the last few weeks , which I did and I graduated university with Silver Honours! (Ahhh!) So you can see that I've been busy. But I hope these 12k words will make it up to you!
Please review and let me know what you think, and what all you liked in the chapter. I'm eagerly waiting to see what you all think.