Simon swiped on his phone and smiled to himself. It had been a bloody good weekend; he had given a lecture at the University of Manchester and then had attended a number of events. People his age usually didn't find all these activities fascinating, but he did. Socializing was one thing he was pro at and a good thing about being a lecturer was that majority of the people he would come in contact with were in their twenties. Ah, sighed. The good old days. But he wasn't the one to sit and reminisce over the days gone by. He believed in living everyday to the fullest and he did so as well. The plane announcement interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent to Heathrow Airport, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you."

Simon looked out the window and sighed; he could see the London skyscrapers peeking through the clouds, a sign that they'll shortly be landing. He fastened his seatbelt and turned his attention back to his phone. He scrolled through the pictures he took with a number of students after his lecture at the massive auditorium. He always enjoyed the attention; the selfies, the photographs, the interviews, the autographs. All of the things that boosted his confidence and made him feel up to date with the younger generation. He had had a wonderful time in Manchester; he always enjoyed his time away from London. He was not a kind of a person who enjoyed a set routine, he liked the spontaneity in his life. Time away from his university in London meant that he would be meeting more people and making more contacts. Contacts in his rule book were key for success. It was very important to have contacts with the people who mattered in the business and society. Something that had taken him far in life, something that unfortunately Cora never understood.

Cora. His wife. His gorgeous, sexy, babe of a wife.

Cora, his innocent, emotional, oblivious to the world and its ways, wife.

Simon believed that Cora and him made a great team. Of course, they did. He was successful, he had contacts, and she came from a rich family, was a treat to look at and always a favorite with the people. When he initially met Cora, he knew he could never do any better. She was a babe to look at, and still was. He remembered how people turned their heads towards them as soon as they walked into the room. They were the power couple, the team everyone envied. When he first met her in Oxford, she was a shy girl, all alone in this new country, but he helped her grow, he became her friend and introduced her to a number of significant people. Soon, everyone in his circle were singing praises of how good of a match they made. His mother knew her mother so it all made perfect sense and they got married soon after university ended. Cora's father, Isidore was never his biggest fan but it didn't matter because Martha knew how to get her way and Cora wanted to marry him as well. Initially, it had all been going exactly as he had envisioned, they were taking baby steps but definitely in the right direction.

But the past few years had been difficult. It was all going great, until Cora one day started craving a child. That is where her overly emotional, irrational side came in the way of his plans. He had big plans for them, he wanted the best for them, he wanted the glory, the attention, the fame, the money and he knew that with his social skills, his contacts, Cora's background, looks and kind nature they would soon be amongst the elites of the London society. They had the right contacts; they had invested in the right businesses and the right people. But this baby fever proved a hurdle in his plans. It had all been going good, Cora had a great job at the museum, where most of her clients were from the cream of the London society, she was making a killer and he was doing what he always did; being charming and mingling with the right people. But unlike Cora, he always looked at the bigger picture, and he knew that a baby would ruin their flow and prove a halt in their plans. It wasn't that he didn't like children, of course he did, but he had plenty of nieces and nephews he could play with and get his fill for a baby. Cora unfortunately didn't. They had a number of arguments over it. She just didn't understand that a baby wasn't good for their image. He was known to be a party boy, a man who would get along with all age groups. The one thing he dreaded the most in his life was not being in sync with whatever was new and trendy. His job was mingling with young minds and a baby would ruin his image. Hell, it would ruin her image as well, and most importantly, her body. Cora was a gorgeous woman, he was proud to call her his wife, he would never let her ruin her stunning figure like that. But she threw tantrums and had numerous breakdowns, so he gave in. Of course, he did. He loved her, and wanted her to be her charming self again. Soon, Cora was pregnant and had never been happier and he hated seeing her unhappy, but it was as if God had to tell Cora himself that their plans were bigger and grander than nursing and raising a baby. They were meant to conquer the world together, and so it happened, Cora had a miscarriage four months into her pregnancy. He was sad of course, but he got over it soon. It wasn't a good idea in the first place. This incident happened about seven years ago and it was as if he lost a part of his Cora with it. Emotional. She was too emotional. People lose babies all the time, it was okay, it happens. Get over it, look ahead, plan ahead. They had the rest of their lives in front of them. To further strengthen his stance, the pregnancy had been complicated, and he didn't want Cora to risk it all again. God's plans. See?

But Cora had never been the same ever since. And worse, she stopped going to parties and dinners with him. She lost her beautiful smile, her ability to steal everyone's attention in a gathering and making necessary small talks. She was never a big fan of events anyways but she rarely ever said no to him, but since the past few years, it had mostly been him on his own. It had annoyed him a lot, but it was better to go on his own than to have her come with him and ruin the atmosphere because of her social anxiety. According to Cora, he refused to grow old with time. Hell yes, he refused to do so. He believed age was just a number and a man is always as old as he feels, and heck he didn't feel a day older than twenty five and he worked his ass off to look that way too. Cora didn't try nor cared enough, but fortunately she had a God given gift to look youthful at any age, so he made peace with it.

He had given her plenty of time to get over the baby and heal but that never happened and on top of that, she decided to quit her job at the museum and the school. That had pissed him off. 'The work wasn't satisfactory', she said. He wanted to roll his eyes. The work was giving her a massive paycheck and contacts, what more did she need? Emotional, his foolish dramatic baby doll. He didn't support her when she quit her job, but he knew she wouldn't budge so he backed away. She wanted to pursue photography as a career. Some massive mid life crisis this woman was having, he wanted to shoot himself. She was just walking far and far away from his plans for them. But he let her be, knowing that she would regret and take her job back but that never happened. She was determined, that he would give her. He was busy with his work so he never really knew how it all happened but he just remembered one day she told him that she was ready to take on her first client. It had been an underwhelming experience, but he had little choice in the matter. It was better than the baby business anyway, at least her mind was diverted and she didn't spend her days crying in the bathroom. It wasn't until her recent gig that he actually started taking her little hobby as something serious. Official photography team for Hotel Grantham was a big deal, and he knew that these Crawley's were a big name. He had met the CEO Robert Crawley very briefly at an event many moons ago; he wasn't exactly very impressed with him but he was good money and a good contact. He was only afraid that Cora might end up making a fool of herself because she wasn't ready for such a big contract. But so far, it was apparently going okay so he crossed his fingers. But it had been a few months, and it was high time he met the Crawley's and introduce himself properly.

"Flight attendants, prepare for landing please."

"Cabin crew, please take your seats for landing."

He sat back straighter as he felt the wheels of the plane pop out and hit the runway.

Cora had woken up feeling extremely refreshed; something that rarely ever happened. And it was a surprise because by the time she had gotten home last night, she was sure that even the biggest night owls must've fallen asleep. She stretched her arms as she walked towards the kitchen to put on a kettle. She filled the kettle and waited for the water to boil as she pressed on the switch. She had had a great time last night. Usually, she wasn't a person who enjoyed much spontaneity but last night had been a pleasant surprise, she couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun. She had a night full of paperwork ahead of her but Robert had dropped by unexpectedly – she still wasn't exactly sure why he was there – but she was glad nevertheless. She gave him a tour and he asked her questions that she always wanted to give answers to. He asked her about her journey, her business, her struggles and he appreciated her work and her work ethic along with it. It had all been very emotional and overwhelming. She wasn't used to such appreciation but he reminded her how hard she worked and how much more praise she should be getting for it. They then later went for dinner to her favorite place, and had a complete heart to heart conversation about work and life in general. Odd for her, and she could sense that it was odd for him too. Odd, because it was rare and new for them to open up like this and spill the secrets that had never crossed the tip of their tongues, but at the same time, it felt extremely natural and comfortable. Why on earth did she feel comfortable talking about her fears and hopes and dreams to a man she met only a handful of days ago, she didn't know. But she had stopped questioning it. As long as it felt natural, she was okay with it….more than okay with it. They then had dessert at his favorite place and jammed on ABBA songs. It had been a wonderful night and Cora knew she would remember it forever. In a very short amount of time, Cora had found a close friend in him. And the sweet part about it all was that she knew it was a novel experience for him, as much as it was for her. He completed a part of her that she didn't even knew was missing. Cora sighed, and wondered if they'll ever get a chance to do it again. She shook her head, she knew it was dangerous territory; the chemistry between them was bubbling and it didn't exactly help that he was such a beautiful looking man, but she sighed, knowing that they were both on the same page, and they both needed this friendship at this point in life to feel…alive, and to feel good about their life. She had spent most of her life overthinking, and overanalyzing everything because people around her always mistrusted her judgement and her ability to see facts without bias, but this time, she was going to follow what felt natural. She had ruined many good opportunities overthinking the pros and cons of them. For once, she wanted to do what felt natural, and this harmless new friendship felt that.

She finished making her tea and poured herself a cup when she heard the front door unlock. Simon walked in the hall with his hand carry.

"Hi babe" he said as he walked towards her.

Cora smiled at him and met him half way.

"Hi, how was the flight?" she asked as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Alright" he said as he handed her his hand carry.

Cora put the bag away as Simon sat down the couch and sighed. Cora sat next to him and gave him a moment, as she sipped on her tea.

"How was the lecture?" she asked, as Simon started untying his shoe laces.

"Great!" he replied "There were nearly two thousand students in the hall, it was incredible"

He passed her his phone for her to go through the pictures.

Cora scrolled through a few hundred pictures of Simon with the students, Simon with the colleagues, Simon with a drink in hand, and Simon taking selfies.

Cora smiled "Looks like you were very popular there" she remarked.

She smirked "I'm popular everywhere, babe. Also, I just booked another conference there soon"

Cora opened her mouth "Oh, already?"

"No time to waste" he said.

Simon sighed "You should've been there, you know. It's embarrassing when I'm the only one there without my wife"

Cora sighed and softly smiled at him "But whenever I do go, you forget that I'm even there with you. You spend your whole time amongst the crowd that are young enough to be my students"

"Of course, I do. We are there to meet people, we don't go there for dates" he said, rather aggressively.

Cora took another sip. There was no use having this conversation again, it always travelled in circles and ended up nowhere. She patted his hand and Simon looked at her.

"I do care, you know. I just can't do this like you" she replied.

Simon sighed and shook his head "You used to. Eighteen years with me…you should've been an expert by now"

Cora laughed softly, trying to divert the tension "You don't need me, you're enough of an expert on your own"

Simon shrugged his shoulders. Cora bit her lower lip and gulped.

"Anyways, how was your weekend?" he asked.

Cora smiled "Excellent! We had that charity event thing at the hotel"

Simon opened his mouth slightly "Oh, yes. I forgot about it. How was it?"

"It went really well!" Cora grinned "It all went very smoothly; the team was very happy"

He looked at her "Really?" Simon asked.

There it was. The tone. It was always the sarcastic tone that made her feel like shit, more than the words. She had organized a wonderful event, all she wanted was a word of appreciation from her own husband, but all she ever received was sarcasm.

Cora pursed her lips "Yes. Why, is that so hard to believe?" she said dryly.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. It was your first there, you know, that's why" he clarified.

Cora sighed and shook her head "No, it actually went perfectly. Everyone was very happy" she replied.

Simon nodded and undid his second shoe. Cora waited for him to ask more details but gave up after a few seconds, knowing it was never going to happen. She remembered how just last night, Robert had appreciated her work and pointed out things that even she didn't notice. Maybe, the saying that self-possessions are always undermined was true but she was frankly tired of having her confidence and excitement shattered, especially in her own home, by her own husband. She had her mother to thank for always doubting her decisions the first half of her life, and now she had Simon. It hurt her, but if she was fair, she was also tired of bringing it up as well – because apparently, she was too emotional over everything. She shook her head and got up the couch.

"Do you want some tea? I just put on the kettle" she asked.

"Yes, but after my jog" replied Simon as he got up.

"But you just got home"

Simon walked towards their bedroom and replied "My legs are sleeping, and I need some fresh air" he said and he slammed the door shut.

Cora sighed and walked towards the kitchen. It was hilarious how only a few moments ago she felt so refreshed and happy and now she felt like crawling back to bed and sleeping until dinner time.

Robert adjusted his navy-blue tie in front of the mirror and took a deep breath. He stared at himself for a second before grabbing his perfume and dabbing it on gently. Twenty-seven years. The number kept ringing in his head again and again.

Today was his and Valarie's twenty-seventh wedding anniversary. On one hand, it felt like yesterday he was standing in front of a similar mirror, wearing a similar suit, getting ready to walk down the aisle, but at the same time he felt like it happened in another lifetime; to a Robert from an alternate universe. His wedding day was thoroughly planned by his mother, Valarie and her parents. He had little to no say in it but he gladly backed off, the glares from the women around him put him right in his place; which was to shut up, obey and simply show up to the wedding. It was impressive in a way because every wedding function he ever attended, there was always something that never went according to the plan. But his wedding was something entirely different. Everything happened the way it was planned, right down to the exact minute. He supposed that his mother, Valarie and her parents traumatized the organizers with a gazillion things to do but in the end, it had been one of the grandest wedding he had ever been to. It was all very overwhelming for him, he actually felt like it was a royal wedding and he was just a puppet following instructions quietly. He never really cared for a big wedding, he wanted something small, with only the people that mattered but of course no one paid the slightest attention to what he wanted.

Of course, there wasn't much that he could lend his hand in, it was mostly just fittings and rehearsals and he could do that without actually opening his mouth. He did once remark on the grandness of everything and how it could be toned down but he was met with harsh glares and shut up calls so he kept his opinions to himself. Just like he did in the entirety of his marriage.

For the past twenty-seven years it had mostly been what Valarie wanted – the wedding menu, the wedding guests, the honeymoon location, the house location, the friends, the events, everything was mostly done according to her liking. The difference was that Valarie was always very vocal and stubborn about what she wanted and always found a way to have it. Robert's opinion mattered very little and he learned quickly that in order to maintain the peace of the house, he better keep his opinions to himself and only intrude when it's absolutely necessary. In the early days, he did try to speak his mind on many things but Valarie was always very sure of what she wanted and believed and rarely budged. It wasn't a surprise though, because his mother and sister were the same when it came to having strong opinions. The difference was that they actually listened when he talked – his sister anyway, and changed their stance when his argument had been valid. But Valarie rarely did. Once again, he wasn't surprised; Valarie was his parents' choice. His parents were good friends with her parents and both families were similar in status and lifestyle and it was all set up before he could properly think over it. He had known Valarie very vaguely before his wedding, they had of course met at parties and events but never really had a relationship that could be called friendship. When his mother told him that they were thinking of marrying him to Valarie because it was good for the status, business and the family – he felt numb. He never really had a woman in his life that he could consider marrying. He had a number of girlfriends in his college days but no one serious enough for him to plan his future with. He met Valarie properly and she had been nice and intelligent and Robert agreed to marry her because well, she was nice and pretty and it made everyone happy. Everyone besides his dear sister, Rosamund. She never wanted him to marry her. She always said that they weren't a good match. Although Robert wasn't heads over heels in love with her to not consider an argument against the union, but he also didn't find a solid reason to say no. It wasn't a very romantic match, but it was a match that made sense and he wanted many things in a partner, including someone who understood the lifestyle and the family business. The rest would of course come with time.

That never did, even if it did, it was very brief. The first few years had been the best years of his life; within the first five years, he had his three beautiful daughters, the best gift that Valarie ever gave him. But after that, it had been a bumpy ride, but a ride that continued to spin nevertheless. He was disappointed when Valarie took little to no interest in the business; she wanted things her way and working in a collaborative team wasn't her thing so she backed off and did her own things as it suited her. He tried to convince her to take interest and so did Mama, but it never worked and eventually they gave up. Later, his father died and he could swear that he spent a good decade just slogging away at the hotel and he literally didn't have any meaningful memories with Valarie from that time because he never saw her. And another decade down the line, little had changed. They stayed together, woke up together and went to bed together – mostly anyway – but had very little context into what happened in each other's lives the rest of the day.

Twenty-seven years ago, he wasn't exactly sure what he pictured his married life to be, but this surely wasn't it. Twenty-seven years later, he wasn't sure how to describe marriage if asked. It was complicated, that was sure, but perhaps also slightly bland and underwhelming. But maybe that is how married lives are like twenty-seven years down the line. He stared at himself in the mirror, he knew it wasn't supposed to be like that, but what to do? Their ride together was slowly and cautiously moving forward in time, afraid to step out of line, in another direction because otherwise it might explode all up in their face – in his face anyway. Twenty-seven years down the line, he decided it's best to stay silent and accept things as they were. He wasn't exactly the happiest man in the world, but he also wasn't the unhappiest, and he decided to look at the glass half full.

He sighed and opened his dressing drawer and took out a box. He had bought a diamond necklace a week ago for Valarie as the anniversary present. Traditionally, the twenty-seventh anniversary gift was supposed to be a sculpture but he knew that Valarie rarely appreciated the sentiment, she mostly appreciated the bling of the item so he decided against the traditional idea and opted for a necklace. He decided to take Edith with him to the jewelers because he wasn't exactly sure what she'd like, but he knew that it was mostly the most glittering item. Edith and him spent a good hour trying to decide on the piece of jewelry and he only hoped to God she liked it. He wasn't the biggest fan of the item, he liked things that were more classy than shiny but once again, he remembered his life ling motto to keep his opinions to himself. He put the box back in the drawer and walked outside the room.

Valarie smoothed out her olive colored velvet dress with the palm of her hand and moved slightly to her right.

"Did you get the close ups?" she asked the photographer in front of her.

"Yes" he replied.

She nodded and smiled "Take a few full-length ones"

The photographer nodded and zoomed out his camera to take her pictures.

Valarie flashed a big smile, a kind that she knew would end up beautifully in photographs. She stood in her massive garden to take pictures to mark the occasion. Twenty-seven years, the thought made her chuckle. She never could've imagined she'd make it this far in marriage. Not that she wasn't someone who couldn't handle a marriage, but because most of her friends were divorced and they were all as surprised as her when she'd tell them that she crossed twenty-five years. It had been a ride that is for sure, but she couldn't complain. She had whatever she wanted from life and was happily showing it off to everyone around her.

As a teenager, she witnessed her maternal aunt suffer in her marriage and it always made her sad. She was close to her aunt, but it was exhausting seeing her unhappy. She wasn't surprised though, nor was her mother. Her aunt married someone whose family name they had never even heard of. He had a tiny little shop at one sad end of London and that was about it. But her aunt was heads over heels in love with the poor man and decided to marry him against her better judgement. Her mom always taught her to marry sensibly, to weigh all the pros and cons, because love only went too far. And she had her aunt's example to learn from. Her aunt often fought with her husband and soon divorced him. It had broken her completely but Valarie took her experience as a life lesson and had decided to always take life decisions practically. Since then, she had planned out her life and always found a way to get the things she wanted. Thus, when her mother asked her to become friends with Robert Crawley, she knew it was a well-suited match. She didn't know him well, but he had the money, the business and the family name. He was also good looking which was always a plus so she used her vowing skills and soon afterwards walked down the aisle with him.

He was a nice, kind man and had rarely denied her anything. He was of course, not as practical as her and wanted things from life that she didn't care for much. And one thing she detested was doing something that she didn't like or enjoy. She loved him, of course but she wasn't a fool in love. She had room and energy for sentiment but not sentimentality. Going into this marriage, she knew what she wanted and Robert was an easy man to convince in case he disagreed. Also, because he rarely knew what he wanted, but she always knew what she wanted thus always got her way. Soon after her wedding, she wanted children. She just wanted to get it over with, and not spend decades producing children. Initially she only wanted two, but after two girls, her dear mother-in-law emotionally blackmailed her for a boy, and she knew that Robert also wanted a son, so she gave in. But fate gave her Sybil and she knew she couldn't try for another one. She had her life to live, she didn't marry Robert to become a reproducing machine. She had plans and dreams to fulfill, she didn't have time to nurse a dozen children. Soon after Sybil was born, she got back on track and continued to enjoy her life; attending functions, events, and travelling with her friends. She knew that Violet and Robert weren't exactly happy that she didn't spend as much time with the kids as they'd like, but she could never be the woman who'd revolve her life around her children and then later have a midlife crisis because she lost her identity. She knew it wasn't something she could do, so she never did.

Another thing that she never saw eye to eye with her family was her input in the business. It wasn't that she didn't care for the business, of course she did. It was a big name and it got her all the fame and glory she wanted, but it wasn't something that she wanted to put her efforts in. And frankly, they didn't even need her. It was already overcrowded with the Crawley's. Unlike the rest of her family, she had a life, a life beyond the hotel and its works. She couldn't work there anyway, there was no proper position for her. One thing she could do was Decor and Event Planning but Rosamund already had that department and she hated working in groups. Valarie liked everything on her own terms which is why she knew that she could never work in a family business. She didn't want to mix personal and professional problems anyways. She had other interests, she invested in a few café's and did interior designing for her many friends from across the globe. Her family never really understood her work ethic and style but she didn't care, she got enough validation from her friends and honestly, she could use a breather from family from time to time.

Her family was very opinionated and involved in the business and she was exhausted listening to the tales of the hotel every day. She knew that it bothered her family, but the truth was simply the truth. They all needed to get a life. Especially Rosmaund.

Rosamund had never been her biggest fan and frankly neither was she. Valarie knew she had a strange grudge against her since before she married Robert but she never understood why. Valarie also found Rosamund odd since the beginning, she never understood why she married Marmaduke – she always reminded her of her poor aunt but in this case the ending wasn't as sad. Or may it was because he passed away. But Marmaduke had always been the odd one out and Valarie didn't pay him much attention, and neither did she pay much attention to Rosamund. Her girls, however were very close to their aunt strangely. It was weird but she pitied Rosamund because she didn't have kids of her own, and if Valarie was honest, she didn't mind the 24/7 babysitting offerings from her either, because that meant that she could go out and do her own thing. Maybe that's why the girls were very close to their aunt, and so was Robert.

One thing she was extremely proud of was the choices her girls made in their life partners. Matthew was a darling and was a family relative of the Crawley's. He was a lawyer and a decent looking man and Valarie had no objections. She wasn't very sure about Bertie, but his position changed overnight when a family relative died and named all his property after Bertie, making him a more than good enough match for Edith. All Valarie had ever wanted for her girls was for them to make decent matches. Although they shared very little details of their love lives with her, but as long as they ended up with the right men, she was satisfied. She didn't care for details anyway. Her youngest Sybil was an angel child. Maybe too nice for this world. She blamed Robert for always pampering her and she was worried for her. She had made the unconventional Crawley choices in life, the number one being opting for something other than running the hotel. She was worried about what kind of a life partner she would pick in the future, because she was too emotional and sensitive and it scared her that she wouldn't survive in this world if she didn't start being practical, but she crossed her fingers and kept an eye on her. Her eldest, Mary was the most opinionated and she was proud of that trait, because that quality took Valarie far in life. But somehow in her teenage, Mary had a falling out with her and the relationship had been odd since then. She blamed Rosamund and Violet for filling her daughter's ears with hatred against her but Mary never gave her any reason to lecture her so she never did. She had her blood in her, and she trusted her. One thing, she did want was for Mary to take an interest in the hotel which she gladly did, because one day, she would have to run it all alone. What she didn't expect was for Edith to jump the bandwagon as well, and Sybil too to some extent. She was sure that Rosamund persuaded Edith to do so, because she was very close to her second child and it was bound to happen because she spent the most time with her children. She was annoyed by the fact that her girls were closer to their aunt than they were to her, but honestly Rosamund didn't have a life and had all the time in the world to listen to teenage problems and what not. Valarie's mother never gave her undivided attention, she worked and set an example for Valarie to live her own life and she did the same with her girls.

The photographer instructed her to tilt her head and it shook her out of her reverie. She turned her head to see the cars arrive on the street. It must be one of her daughters. They didn't plan a massive party this time because some of her friends weren't in town but Valarie assured them that they'll have a big anniversary celebration soon at the hotel. Today it was just the family, but Valarie put on a gorgeous new dress and wanted some pictures to make her day special.

She saw Robert walk out of the house to greet Violet and Sybil who had just arrived at the door.

"Robert" she called out.

Robert turned his head to look at her. She moved her finger in his direction and gestured it for him to join her. Robert kissed Violet and Sybil on the cheek and walked towards her.

"Yes?" he asked.

She scanned him from head to toe, he still was a handsome looking man.

"Take a few pictures with me for my Instagram" she said as she snaked her arm across his waist and smiled.

Robert gulped and stood straighter to face the camera. Valarie swatted his left arm and he looked at her.

"Hands out of the pocket. How many times do I have to tell you?" she said.

Robert sighed and nodded. They both looked at the camera.

"Smile" the photographer said, as they both tried hard to bring out their best smiles.

"Twenty-seven years" said Robert as he raised his glass at the dinner table "I can't believe it's been nearly three decades since we walked down the aisle. Thank you for giving me my three beautiful daughters, the greatest joy of my life" he said as he looked across the table towards Mary, Edith and Sybil.

"I thank God and Mama for giving me such a..such a great partner" he said, slightly getting nervous for not being able to find the right adjective but he heard a series of giggles from across the table at his 'Mama' joke so he calmed down.

"I hope we continue to live our lives with as much love going forward" he saw Mary wiping a fake tear from the corner of his eye, making Sybil giggle towards the other end. If he was honest, he felt like laughing a little as well.

"Happy Anniversary" he said, raising his glass.

"Happy Anniversary!" the table echoed.

He sat back down next to his mother and Mary as everyone started picking up their utensils to eat.

Matthew cut his chicken and looked towards him.

"Why aren't we having a celebration at the hotel?" he asked as he bit into his bite.

"My friends aren't here so I've postponed it" replied Valarie on behalf of Robert, who was sitting next to Sybil and Bates.

Sybil looked at her with a sad expression "But we are here, Mama." she said.

"But darling, I wanted to make it special" she said.

Sybil opened her mouth to say something but stopped, diverting her attention to her plate. Robert knew what she was thinking, he knew his daughter very well. The word 'special' had very different meaning for Sybil and Valarie.

"Oh, papa" said Mary "Did you get a chance to go through the quarterly report? I emailed you"

Robert opened his mouth to reply but Valarie cut him "Please, Mary, do we really have to discuss work today?"

Mary looked at her mother with a stern expression, a face that would intimidate many people but not Valarie.

"I was just asking" she said "But yes, we don't have to" she replied as she picked up her glass to take a sip of water.

Valarie sensed the tension so she diverted her attention to the other side of the table where Edith and Rosamund were seated.

"Rosamund" she said.

Rosamund who was busy talking to Edith looked up at her and smiled "Yes, Valarie"

"I've heard you're back at the hotel permanently" she said.

Rosamund nodded and raised her eyebrows "This is old news now, but yes, I have"

Violet who was listening to the conversation very intently gave her iconic little sarcastic chuckle, making everyone stare at her "Sometimes I think the press knows about our plans before Valarie does"

Mary and Rosamund smirked softly, knowing that it would make Valarie angry if they were too obvious.

"In other words, I have a life beyond the hotel, Mama" replied Valarie as she made herself a bite, stiffly smacking her fork against the plate.

Edith gulped and looked at Valarie "Did you like the gift, Mama?" she asked.

"What gift?" Valarie replied.

Edith opened her mouth slightly and looked at Robert who in return shook his head. Valarie raised her eyebrows and stared at Robert, demanding answers.

Robert sighed and looked at her "I was going to give you after dinner. Edith and I picked it together"

Valarie nodded and concentrated back on her plate.

Violet turned to her side to face Mary "How was your weekend, Mary?" she asked, as she chewed on a bite.

Mary let out a long sigh "Don't ask. Same old, same old. I think collectively I've slept for ten hours in the past three days"

Rosamund smiled at her niece "Why don't you take some time off? I'm back now, I can take some load off you"

Mary smiled at her aunt and nodded. She appreciated the sweet gesture.

"That is what I keep telling her, Rosamund, thank you" said Matthew as he put one hand on Mary's shoulder and pressed on it to release some tension.

Robert smiled at his daughter, she really was Crawley at heart, and nothing mattered to her more than the success of the hotel. "Yes, Mary, you've been working very hard. Take some time off with Matthew, go out of the country, it'll do you good"

Mary smiled at him and nodded softly "I can say the same for you. When was the last time you had a night out, let alone a holiday?" she asked.

Robert chuckled when Bates laughed "I can answer that. He had a night out just yesterday. I was out with Anna, and Robert and Valarie had a date night"

Shit.

Robert's breath got caught up in his throat. He looked across the table to witness a dozen eyes staring at him.

"What? I was in Windsor yesterday" said Valarie.

Valarie looked at Robert who looked at Bates, who looked just as clueless. Of course, Robert didn't tell anyone about his night out with Cora. Not that anything was wrong with it, but he wasn't sure if it would sound that way if he started explaining the events of last night.

Robert gulped down and smiled, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. Why was he getting so nervous?

"That was the plan, I was with Bates first and I thought you were in town but then I called Sybil to find out you weren't here" he said.

He heard a series of 'oh's across the table.

Mary took a sip of her water and asked another loaded question "Then what did you do, Papa?"

Robert looked up at her and smiled. Why did he suddenly feel like a naughty boy who got caught. He gulped again and softly smiled at Mary "No one" he said.

The table waited for him to clarify so he added "I just got dinner in Central London and then went back home" he said.

"Oh" replied Mary and focused back on her plate.

"You should've come to my house, Papa, even Sybil was there" said Edith.

Robert smiled "It would've been too late by then so I didn't"

Edith nodded and moved towards Matthew for some discussion. Even though, Robert hadn't done anything wrong but for some reason being put on the spot like that made him feel like he'd cheated. But luckily, everyone seemed to be satisfied with his answer expect one person, someone who knew him the best.

He could feel his sister's eyes on him from across the table, as he tried to keep his gaze on his plate.

An hour later, Mary, Matthew and Violet sat on one side of the living room, with drinks in their hand, no doubt discussing the business of the hotel. Edith sat with Bates as they quietly joked about something. Valarie and Sybil were in the kitchen wrapping up the leftovers from the night.

Robert stood near the window, with a drink in hand, taking in the light breeze of the night. He sighed as the soft air flirted with his skin. He closed his eyes for a moment when he felt someone walk towards him. He opened his eyes to see Rosamund walk towards him slowly. He stood straighter against the wall, sensing that the awkwardness of the dinner wasn't over.

"Enjoying the night?" she asked as she leaned against the window.

Robert nodded and took a sip of his drink.

"You want to tell me what was that about?" she asked.

Of course. Of course, she would bring it up just like that. His sister was never the one to do small talk before getting to the real deal.

Robert looked at her "What?" he asked.

"About why your skin turned white as a sheet when Bates brought up the date last night" she asked.

Robert sighed and shook his head "It was nothing, I just wasn't expecting the question" he said as he continued to stare outside.

Rosamund remained quiet but Robert could feel her stare from his peripheral view.

When after a few moments, Robert still didn't reply, Rosamund nodded slightly.

"You know" she said "I've spent my entire life with you so it's really not that difficult to read your face. If you don't want to tell me, fine, it's okay, I won't force you. But I know that you didn't have dinner alone" she finished.

Robert's head snapped towards her. Sometimes it really sucked being too close to someone, there was literally no privacy.

"It's written all over your face" she clarified as she shrugged her shoulders.

Robert just stared at her and Rosamund put a hand on his arm.

"And I'm not saying that there was anything wrong with it" she said.

"Of course, not" said Robert in a defensive tone, standing up straighter.

He just had dinner for God's sake.

"I know, I know. And I think, I know who it was with and you are totally allowed to go out and have a bite like that" she said.

Robert sighed and looked at her "But?"

Rosamund sighed "I just think…you're playing with fire, that's all"

Robert's face flushed, he felt extremely uncomfortable for being put on the spot like that.

"There's nothing like that, Rosamund. I just get along with her, that's all. I had planned a night out with Valarie, she wasn't here, I didn't feel like having dinner alone so I asked her. That's it. There's nothing criminal here" he replied as he finished his champagne glass in one go.

"I know there isn't, Robert, of course" she said sighing "I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all"

Robert looked at her "I'm your sister, I'm allowed to worry, that's all" she said as she took his empty glass and walked towards the kitchen.

Robert sighed as he looked outside at the moon light. He wasn't surprised that Rosamund warned him about Cora. If he was honest, he had to remind himself to not cross a line every time he was around her. He had a strange relationship with Cora, he really valued her friendship and he knew that she did too. But Rosamund wasn't wrong in stating that it was like playing with fire. There was no doubt a beautiful chemistry between them, and they ought to be careful with it. He knew that his heart and intentions were in the right place, and he could swear that so were Cora's. He just hoped to God that nobody got hurt in the midst of a beautiful relationship that they had, because he wasn't prepared to lose it. For the first time, in a long time, he had started feeling like himself with someone. He wasn't ready to jeopardize that.

Robert thrusted his body in, balancing on his arms, with his eyes closed, trying to divert his attention from his conversation with Rosamund. He pushed in once again, a layer of sweat gathered on his forehead, as Valarie held on to his arms from underneath him gesturing him to continue. Robert moved his body one more time resulting in a cry from Valarie's side, knowing that his job was done. He breathed out loudly as he shifted his body from on top of hers and laid back on the bed. He put a hand on his forehead, trying to regain his breath.

Valarie moved to his side and smiled "I loved the necklace, Robert. Can't wait to show it to Samantha, she would die of envy" she chuckled.

Robert nodded and closed his eyes. His mind still raced with the conversation with Rosamund earlier.

Valarie sighed and moved towards him to give him a soft peck on the cheek "Good night" she said as she moved to the other side. Her back facing Robert.

"Good night" he whispered.

Robert sighed and closed his eyes again. His mind kept ringing with the thoughts of last night and the conversation with Rosamund. He didn't know what was happening, but it was messing with his mind. He sighed and convinced himself that it was all going to be okay.

He wasn't ready to hurt himself or Cora in the process.

He closed his eyes, trying to shut off his brain to sleep. He shut his eyelids, and the memory of Cora opening up her hair for him to take pictures instantly popped up.

He opened his eyes and felt goosebumps all up his arms. As much as he tried to convince himself, something…something wasn't right.

Hi guys! I am so sorry for being MIA for so long, but I needed the break for my mental sanity. I hope you guys like this chapter. This is basically a chapter to fill the gaps and for you guys to make a more detailed sense of the marriages. I hope you guys have more context now.

Thank you once again to so many of you who kept messaging me for update requests, I'm truly honoured that you guys love this story so, so much.

And a request to all the readers, I know some of you are from Instagram ( mcgonneville) as well, but please do review and give your feedback HERE and not on Instagram DM's. It just gets very cluttered there and I don't always get to read all your feedback because they get lost in the requests. So I'd appreciate it if you review it here, you don't have to have an account to review, you can leave a review as a guest as well.

I'm looking forward to reading your reviews!

Also, please do keep me in your prayers and send good vibes. Really need them right now.

Love you all, hope you enjoy!